Page 1 of 1

Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 4:00 pm
by smash
Hey - I remember reading an article in AT ages ago about Rick creating some "hospital grade" IEC cables.
If I recall some of the IEC cables in TR were found to be a bit lacking.

Any idea where the components came from?

We've spent weeks tracing some faults in our facility (video) and it turns out to have been partly caused by shitty IEC's.


Simon "Smash" Ashby

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 4:20 pm
by AnthonyMF
I'm going to ask the dumb question:

What makes an IEC shitty?

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 4:29 pm
by smash
When the manufacturer cheaps out and uses really thin cable for the conductor causing a voltage drop when ever there is a load applied.

Not good when it takes 3 cameras to fail to isolate the issue...

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 4:31 pm
by Sammas
While we are at it, does anyone know of a supplier for short IEC leads?

Like 0.5meters long? ...and decent quality?

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:23 pm
by Alistair
I got a pack of 10x 0.5m metre long IEC's off eBay abouta year ago. They came from somewhere in Australia, and I think worked out to be about $5 each. Great for using behind the racks, and I haven't had any dramas from them.
Not sure if they are still around on eBay, but they do exist for cheap if you look hard enough!

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:47 pm
by Sammas
Cheers Al!

There is an online store called 4Cabling which sells them for about the same price. Probably the same mob? they look like they fit the bill :)

I am kind of interested in hearing the benefits of good power cables. Not so much from an audiofile (fool?) "oh my god these $300 gold pinned IEC leads sound amazing!" way... but just good IEC connectors and decent SWG power cable...

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:58 pm
by Alistair
I'm not sure if I believe in 'audiophile' power cables (except for what was mentioned in this thread earlier- if they cause a voltage drop, that's obviously a problem), but my gut feeling would be that unless you have spent a time and money getting your place rewired to the highest standard, they aren't going to be the weakest link in the chain. They can only put in what they put out...

By the way, my cables are piggyback too. Very useful! When in a permanent install behind a rack they are just as sturdy as standard cables, and it means a lot less points needed.

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:33 pm
by Sammas
Yeah some of the $300+ power cables I've seen just seem insane! That being said though, my house certainly isn't wired to the highest standard, but it is far beyond some of the premoulded IEC leads I currently have.

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 11:56 pm
by mylesgm
http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=tweaks&m=172420

This might help you make decisions...

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 2:00 am
by Alistair
Erghh...

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 9:44 am
by stosostu
As P. T. Barnum allegedly said, "There's a sucker born every minute".

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 10:26 am
by Kurt
Only some of them?

Sammas wrote:Yeah some of the $300+ power cables I've seen just seem insane! That being said though, my house certainly isn't wired to the highest standard, but it is far beyond some of the premoulded IEC leads I currently have.

Re: Hospital grade IEC cables

PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 10:57 am
by Sammas
Touche! :))

Kurt wrote:Only some of them?

Sammas wrote:Yeah some of the $300+ power cables I've seen just seem insane! That being said though, my house certainly isn't wired to the highest standard, but it is far beyond some of the premoulded IEC leads I currently have.