Changing amp plugs

uncle-mofo

I've gotten a roland cube 30x from Thomann and it has a 2 prong German plug on it, I was thinking of just cutting that off and then putting a regular 3 prong plug on but then there would be no earth wire for the 3 prong plug? Is it alright to have the amp not earthed? Also what amp fuse should the plug be?

Malice

Thomann shipped me a European power cord with my Markbass cabinet a couple of months ago. I rang them up and complained (in a nice way) and they were kind enough to send me two power cords of the correct type free. Before you go cutting anything I'd give them a call and get them to send you the correct power cord. I can't understand why, if they have them in the warehouse and they see an order going to Britain or Ireland, they persist in chucking in the wrong power cord.

rcaz

Malice_ wrote: »

Thomann shipped me a European power cord with my Markbass cabinet a couple of months ago. I rang them up and complained (in a nice way) and they were kind enough to send me two power cords of the correct type free.

Good to know. They're very good at this sort of thing.

Owen

Provided it's a 2 prong plug connected to a normal 'kettle' IEC lead, just get a new one. If it's a 2 prong plug coming directly out of the unit, there's not a whole lot you can do. You can fit a 3 pin plug, but there'll be no Earth. What you can do, and what I've done a few times, is remove the cable completely, and drill a small hole in the metal case of the unit, put in a thick 3 wire cable, connect up the live and earth where they were going anyway and put a small bolt+nut+washer in there to bolt your earth cable to, then wire up a shiny new 3 pin plug.

uncle-mofo

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Provided it's a 2 prong plug connected to a normal 'kettle' IEC lead, just get a new one. If it's a 2 prong plug coming directly out of the unit, there's not a whole lot you can do. You can fit a 3 pin plug, but there'll be no Earth. What you can do, and what I've done a few times, is remove the cable completely, and drill a small hole in the metal case of the unit, put in a thick 3 wire cable, connect up the live and earth where they were going anyway and put a small bolt+nut+washer in there to bolt your earth cable to, then wire up a shiny new 3 pin plug.

Yeah I'm not sure I have the option to replace the power cord as I think it's all connected to the amp. Is there any danger in not having the amp earthed? Not sure I'm ready to go drilling into the amp as it's only brand new but I might think of doing it in the future. I'll get onto Thomann and see if there's anything they can do.

Owen

There's not much you can do really if its wired directly into the amp other than what's above - and that'll void your warranty unfortunately.

Voodu Child

If its only got a two-prong Europlug then it will be Class II (double-insulated); they couldn't sell it otherwise. So it is perfectly safe without a grounded connection.

Wire on a 3-pin plug and don't worry about the earth.

RC88

got a vt30 from thomann with a two prong plug, i swapped the two prong head for a three prong(250 volts/13 amp) with no probs(works a treat), most 250 volt plugs work in amps or just bout anything(worst than will happen is that the fuse in the plug will fry and need replacing if a surge goes through the amp)long as ya know that yer laughing, would'nt worry bout the earth wire as they could'nt sell the amp without one

darrenw5094

Voodu Child wrote: »

If its only got a two-prong Europlug then it will be Class II (double-insulated); they couldn't sell it otherwise. So it is perfectly safe without a grounded connection.

Wire on a 3-pin plug and don't worry about the earth.

Voodoo is back.;)

I bought a Cube 15w from Thomann too and they inculded the adapter plug.

uncle-mofo

Sound for all the advice lads, I presume the amp will need a 13 amp fuse plug?

Rigsby

uncle-mofo wrote: »

Sound for all the advice lads, I presume the amp will need a 13 amp fuse plug?

http://www.google.ie/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4DAIE_en-GBIE266IE266&q=13+amp+or+5+amp+fuses

RC88

uncle-mofo wrote: »

Sound for all the advice lads, I presume the amp will need a 13 amp fuse plug?

go for the 13 amp(250volt), the 5 amp won't be powerful enough

Rigsby

RC88 wrote: »

go for the 13 amp(250volt), the 5 amp won't be powerful enough

I am no expert, but from some research I have done, IMO it would be best to go for the 5 amp. The fuse is (or is supposed to be) the weakest link in the chain. The idea is that it will blow, before anything else does. Better to have a fuse blow than your amp. All depends on what wattage the appliance is rated at.

Here is a link to a similiar discussion on another forum. Post #4 is informative.



http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/photon-management/103969-fuse-rating-question-uk.html

Here is another informative link :

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/fuses.htm

RC88

Rigsby wrote: »

I am no expert, but from some research I have done, IMO it would be best to go for the 5 amp. The fuse is (or is supposed to be) the weakest link in the chain. The idea is that it will blow, before anything else does. Better to have a fuse blow than your amp. All depends on what wattage the appliance is rated at.

Here is a link to a similiar discussion on another forum. Post #4 is informative.



http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/photon-management/103969-fuse-rating-question-uk.html

Here is another informative link :

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/fuses.htm

nah, if the fuse blows only damage done is to the plug, not the amp, the fuse is designed to take the damage and if it blows just switch the fuse, my father and i have worked around electrics for years and when a surge of power goes through something, the fuse took the hit and the item was still working fine, 13 amp fuses tend to work any amp i've had and they've all been between 10-50 watts, any lower and the plug might(only might) not deliver enough power,but all the same try it out with a 5 amp first and see if it does

Voodu Child

The fuse in the plug serves to protect the cable, the amp has its own internal fuse.

So just check the markings on the cable and google it to find out its current rating. Its probably a 6A cable in which case I would use a 5A fuse.

The fuse inside the amp itself will likely be 1A for what its worth.

Owen

My amp arrived from Thomann with an EU Plug, and it's only now I've realised there's an Earth in there too. You can see it in the photo below, the two normal prongs are there, and up on top is a silver female receptacle for an earth. I cut off the plug, and there was the normal Live, Neutral and Earth inside - so I'd hazard a guess your cable will be the same.

uncle-mofo

PaintDoctor wrote: »

My amp arrived from Thomann with an EU Plug, and it's only now I've realised there's an Earth in there too. You can see it in the photo below, the two normal prongs are there, and up on top is a silver female receptacle for an earth. I cut off the plug, and there was the normal Live, Neutral and Earth inside - so I'd hazard a guess your cable will be the same.

My plug only has the two prongs. Sorry if I'm being slow to catch on here, but calculating the right amp fuse is watts/volts, so the amp input is 34w, so 34/200 is .15amps?

**Vai**

Why not just get an adaptor?

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9827590/Trail/searchtext%3EADAPTOR.htm

cono65

paintdoctor is correct ..if your plug top looks like this, just cut off the plug and fit a regular 3 pin, earth and all!..thrust me being a sparky for 30 years!:)

**Vai**

Lads is it the same deal with this plug? Got a microcube xl this morning, its 16 amp, 250 volt. Have an adaptor thats 13 amp, 230 volt but Im assuming that wont work?

**Vai**

Nevermind, the answer is on the first page of the manual. Replaced plug with normal 3 prong and its working fine.