European plug

[Miss-taken]

I got an amplifier for Christmas that for some unknown reason has come with a 2 pin European plug. It works fine if I plug it straight into a shaver adapter plug but is this safe? If not - what should I do?

TIA

[Fanriffic]

Not recommended, as the shaver adapter plug only has a 1 AMP fuse fitted.

I would get a new power cord available from your nearest Maplin store or order online.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&Mo duleNo=1176&doy=28m12

[Fanriffic]

Forgot to add - check what type of power connection your Amp takes before you buy a replacement cord.

Is it a standard 3 female connection or a figure of 8?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&Mo duleNo=1168&doy=28m12

Good luck.

[Buenchico]

Changing a plug is hardly rocket science. All you need is a small screwdriver and a sharp knife.

Go to any DIY store and buy a normal 3 pin plug. (Wilkinson's sell them for under a pound). However, look for a label which states that the plug has a 3 amp fuse. (That assumes that it's a normal domestic hi-fi amplifier. If you've got a concert amplifier with an output of over 500W look for a plug with a 5A fuse. In the unlikely event that you've got a massive amplifier, with an output exceeding 1000W, a 13A fuse is appropriate).

Cut the European plug off and bare the ends of the wires. Connect the blue and brown wires as shown in this picture:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/oldblobs/3403054.gif
(Don't connect anything to the earth terminal).

Check that all the screws are tight and fit the top back on the plug..

Changing a plug is really easy. It's in the National Curriculum for secondary school pupils but many schools teach their 9 and 10 year olds to do it, so it can't be that hard ;-)

Chris

[pauln90]

Or simply buy an adapter such as this.

http://www.revealcable.co.uk/acatalog/MainPlug s.html

When I bought an appliance with the european plug they included one of these.

[Disco Fever]

Just a quick guide for you Buenchico, 1000 watts is about 4 amps so a 13amp fuse is too large for this piece of kit.

To work it out you get watts divided by voltage and you get amps, so 1000 watts divided by 230volts is 4.35 amps so a 5 amp fuse should be fitted.

or if it's say 1500 watts then divide it by 230 volts = 6.52 amps so a 10 amp fuse will have to be fitted.

Oh and it's not 240 volts anymore as the power companies now guarentee to supply you with at least 230 volts so you divide by 230 volts or as a quick calculation use 250 volts and you will be near as dammit....

Being a sparky for over 20 years helps....

[Buenchico]

For Disco Fever:

Being a qualified physics teacher also helps!

If an amplifier is rated at 1000W rms output, the required input power will be well above that, simply because of the efficiency (or lack of it) of the transformer. If the amplifier uses valves (which, for some strange reason, seem to be coming back into favour with musicians), the efficiency will be even lower. Further, amplifiers are often connected to disco equipment which produces sudden peaks of power, with accompanying current surges. The maximum instantaneous current drawn by a 1000w amplifier is likely to be well above 5A and quite possibly over double that figure.

Chris