[AMPS] 240VAC Amplifier Wiring

[Chuck Counselman]

Paul Christensen <paulc@mediaone.net> wrote:
>Chuck,
>
>In your case, it appears you ran a neutral, but you are not using it with
>the Henry.

That's correct.  The Henry needs and uses no neutral connection.  There's a 120 VAC blower (or something -- I forget) in the Henry, but the Henry has a 24-to-120-VAC stepdown transformer just for this load.

>It seems to me that the neutral should ALWAYS be separated from the chassis
>and allowed to float above it with the chassis being at true ground
>potential through a dedicated ground wire back to the load center (although
>the two are at the same potential back at the load center).

I agree.

>Therefore, in
>the case of running a neutral, wouldn't it make best safety sense to run a
>4-conductor power cable (3-conductor + ground) and:
>
>1) Break the jumper between neutral and chassis ground in the amplifier
>2) Run the neutral to the amplifier's neutral terminal (for the amps blower)
>3) Run ground to the amplifier chassis.

Yes.


>All DC circuits are chassis ground referenced.  Interestingly, the only AC
>chassis ground/neutral requirement is that of the 120 VAC blower (no 240VAC
>taps).  If the blower were 240VAC in the first place, I suspect no neutral
>would be required and I wouldn't be presenting this for discussion!
>Nevertheless, without further modification to the amp, the steps as I just
>outlined above seem the most prudent in moving forward.
>
>-Paul, W9AC

Yep.  -Chuck W1HIS



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