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

Gary Schafer garyschafer at comcast.net
Sun Oct 2 21:35:11 EDT 2005


It is ok to use the white as a hot lead if it is marked with tape. 
Should be red tape for the second hot. You can use any color wire like 
this as long as it is identified with tape on each end.

73
Gary  K4FMX

Will Matney wrote:
> Bill,
> 
> I can tell you that the NEC sure does frown on using white as a hot. There's only one permissible way they allow it and that is for the switch leg on a wall controlling an overhead lamp. There you run the hot to the white of the switch and bring it's black back to the black of the lamp. Using white for a hot in a power cord is the same as using the green as laid out by the NEC. Most pigtails have no color code like the grey ones but mark the outside with some ridges for the neutral. Then when using them your supposed to ad an external ground wire from the chassis to ground. That's not the way I spell it out but the way the NEC does. The wire don't know what color it is, but when someone mistakes a white for a hot, it could cause harm if they didn't know it was tied to hot.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Will
> 
> 
> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
> 
> On 10/2/05 at 4:53 PM Bill Coleman  N2BC wrote:
> 
> 
>>It is quite OK to use the white on one of the phases in a 240V hookup. 
>>It 
>>is never OK  to use green to anything other than ground.
>>
>>Most modern amps have no need for neutral when wired for 240V.  If neutral 
>>is indeed needed for something inside that is 120V only then the only way
>>is 
>>to use a 4-wire cord.
>>
>>Bill  N2BC
>>----- Original Message ----- 
>>From: "Will Matney" <craxd1 at verizon.net>
>>To: <amps at contesting.com>
>>Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2005 3:58 PM
>>Subject: Re: [Amps] Power cord to use when converting AL-80B to 240 volts?
>>
>>
>>
>>>Colin,
>>>
>>>That's true as long as the cable is rated for 220 Vac, and you don't
>>
>>want 
>>
>>>to add a ground with the neutral. To do it right, I'd want a three wire 
>>>with ground cord. Most 120 Vac cords only have three wires. To use a 120 
>>>Vac cord on 220, you'd have to use the ground wire for the neutral which 
>>>most of the time is a green wire. That is if you intend on using
>>
>>anything 
>>
>>>on the 120 Vac line. Plus your using a white wire as a hot. The correct 
>>>way is have a black and red wire as hot, white as the neutral, and green 
>>>to ground.
>>>
>>>Best,
>>>
>>>Will
>>>
>>>*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>>>
>>>On 10/2/05 at 12:47 PM k7fm wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>If the mains cable for the amp is designed for 120 volts, it will handle
>>>>240
>>>>volts.  The current is 1/2 at 240 volts, so you could actually make the
>>>>cable smaller.
>>>>
>>>>Regarding voltage rating, each wire is 120 volts to ground, so the
>>>>insulation need be no higher than for 120 volts (insulation between wires
>>>>is
>>>>doubled because both wires are insulated.
>>>>
>>>>Colin  K7FM
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
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>>>>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/amps
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
> 
> 
> 
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