[Amps] Power cord to use when converting AL-80B to 240 volts?

[Will Matney]

I forgot to ad this,

If you have a cord with a plastic cord grip, I always take this out. I then open up the hole for a romex clamp like fits in a 1/2" conduit hole in a box. These take a 7/8" hole if I recall for 1/2" conduit. Anyhow, you install the cord you want up to the maximum size that will fit (this can be a big cord). They will hold SO type cord up to 14-3. Just tighten down the two screws on each side of the clamp and you have it. The clamp has a nut on the back like you take a screwdriver and hammer to tighten. Once snug, I generally solder this nut to a steel chassis. On an aluminum, you cant though. The clamp at a hardware store costs a whole 0.50 cents at the most. Some older amps used these same clamps before plastic became popular. Matter of fact, any new amps I made had these if they had any size to them at all. For small amps say around 500 watts and less, I used a computer type power cord with either the end cut off and used the wire, or bought them with a stripped end already made. That is for an amp running 115 Vac with around 10-12 amps. Anything up, I used the flat extension cords, like the grey colored ones which use a shade bigger wire. You can get them as either extension cords and cut off the female end, or buy them with only the male end on them. The 220 Vac range cords are about the same except the plug is for a 220 Vac recepticle. For 110-220 Vac circuits, use un-insulated forked stake-ons to connect to the terminal strip. Don't just crimp these but solder the joint so the stake-on will never come off. That's why you need the uninsulated type. If you ever want to change back to 110 vac, simply rewire the transformer and chage out the cord.

Best,

Will


*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 10/1/05 at 5:39 PM Will Matney wrote:

>If you have an electrical supply, Lowes, or Home Depot around, they have
>everything from the new cord to the recepticle. You need a Range cord and
>recepticle or one for say a 30 amp 220 volt line. They make them larger
>for clothes driers too. Just tell them the current rating and they can
>match them up for what you want.
>
>Best,
>
>Will
>
>*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
>On 10/1/05 at 4:33 PM W0QU wrote:
>
>>Rather than just cut off the plug on the existing 120 volt power cord for
>>my Ameritron AL-80B when I switch it to 240 volt operation I'd prefer to
>>find an actual 240 volt power cord to replace it but have had no luck
>>searching for one on the internet.
>>
>>Has anyone who switched an amp to 240 volts found such a chord or has
>>everyone just cut off the existing plug and stuck on a new 240 volt one?
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