Newsgroups: rec.arts.theatre.stagecraft
Subject: Re: Why count amps
References:  <[email protected]>
[email protected] (Frank Wood) writes:

> >I'm assembling some CEE 16A 1phase connectors rigth now. they are supposed to
> >take 16 A in 8 hours. That's the spec. Even when it's
> >a 16 A connector it maybe only holds 12-13 A "forever". I don't know, but I
> >do know the spec. 16 A in 8 hours.
> 
> I don't know the specification, and can't read Danish, anyway. But, as an
> engineer, I hold the opinion that a connector rated at 16A should carry that
> current for ever and a day. If it will carry 16A for 8 hours, I believe that it
> will carry it for ever.

To my knowledge that 8h marking in that CEE 16A connector is not
about hours. That 8h marking describes the pin orientation in
the connector. There are various pin orientations (pin set rotated
related to the outside shell orientation) for various voltages.
It is virtually impossible to couple a plug and receptacle of 
different voltage and/or amperage ratings. The size of the device 
is determined by the amperage rating. 
The voltage, of single rated Pin & Sleeve devices of the CEEFORM
type, is determined by the location of the oversized female ground
contact relative to the key-way located at the bottom of the housing. 
The marking in the connector after materes tells the clock position 
of the oversized ground contact in the connector.


-- 
Tomi Engdahl (http://www.iki.fi/then/)
Take a look at my electronics web links and documents at 
http://www.epanorama.net/