Extending the length of my smoke machine's remote

[RegressiveRock]

It would appear I have out-clevered myself. This is sometimes a necessary experience every now and again to bring me down to earth.

I have a Prosound 800 fog machine. It is a budget end device and is not DMX-controlled, but it is fine. We just stick it up on one of the lighting bars using a trumpet shelf and some cable ties and use it to make our Moonflowers do the 70s disco thing now that nobody smokes indoors!

It has a hand switch that we are seeking to extend so that it can be used at certain points in the night for effect, rather than walking up and giving it a squeeze in-between songs.

When I saw the female socket on the back of the device I thought" "Ah, I just need a male to female C14 extender".

Nope, it does not fit! The edges of the socket are basically a rectangle rather than one with two corners edged off and I think the pins may be in a very slightly different position.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance,

Reg

[Hugh Robjohns]

Sounds like a c19/c20 connector.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320

H

[RegressiveRock]

Sounds like a c19/c20 connector.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEC_60320

H

As ever Hugh, excellent and knowledgeable help, but the pin orientation is wrong.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h1kptvt2vylz95t/Screenshot%202016-10-24%2020.31.37.png?dl=0

Sorry to use you like a plug and socket thesaurus, but I am definitely not coming up trumps o this with my searches on CPC Farnell.

Thanks,

Reg

[zenguitar]

Have you tried exploring this site?

www.pinouts.ru

It has an awful lot of connectors and plug pin outs.

Andy

[Hugh Robjohns]

Sorry, my iPad wot let me see your Dropbox link...

[RegressiveRock]

Sorry, my iPad wot let me see your Dropbox link...

Hi Hugh,

I have tried Andy's Russian pin out website and they do not seem to cover this type of socket.

There is a small but usable picture on the last page this manual I found here:

https://maplindownloads.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/n89gb-4247.PDF

It is rectangular on the long axis with three upright pins and a small dog-tooth at the bottom to make sure you put the connect in the right way up.

Thanks for trying. not sure why the drop box link will not work.

Reg

[Hugh Robjohns]

Oohhh. Not seen one of those before! It's like a C19 but with vertical pins. I'm guessing some weird Chinese design....

I don't rate the chances of finding a suitable plug.... So I think I'd just hack the cable and install some more readily available connectors between the machine and the remote switch to allow suitable extensions to be used.

I presume they are running mains through the cable -- be worth checking carefully! You could use something like the Netrick Powercon in-line connectors which lock securely.

Alternatively, maybe it would be practical to replace the machine socket with a C19 or similar...

H

[Folderol]

These are a known plug type and available from RS (and probably Farnell)

[RegressiveRock]

These are a known plug type and available from RS (and probably Farnell)

Do you know what it is called?

Reg

[Hugh Robjohns]

I had a pretty thorough trawl through the RS connectors and couldn't find it.

Over to you mr F!

H

[James Perrett]

Isn't that just a female IEC connector with the cut out to show that it needs a high temperature rated connector? Would an unshrouded C14 connector fit?

[James Perrett]

If this was mine, I would probably chop the existing cable in half, add some extra connectors and then make an extension cable with those connectors on it. I would probably try and use connectors that aren't commonly used elsewhere - maybe some of the round Bulgin plastic connectors with screw on rings to stop them being accidentally disconnected.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Isn't that just a female IEC connector with the cut out to show that it needs a high temperature rated connector?

No, the standard C14/15 (high temp) IEC connector does have that notch at the bottom, but it also has chamferred edges at the top. The image for the smoke machine shows a completely square body

Would an unshrouded C14 connector fit?

It might -- the pins looks to be spaced similarly -- but I'm not sure such a variation actually exists. It wouldn't pass any of the H&S regs for the touch test for starters!

And if there really is mains on those terminals I wouldn't want to be using an unshrouded plug anyway.

Like you, my approach would be to cut the existing remote cable and extend that with some suitable, safe, locking connectors.

H

[RegressiveRock]

Isn't that just a female IEC connector with the cut out to show that it needs a high temperature rated connector? Would an unshrouded C14 connector fit?

Sorry James it is very similar, but square, rather than chapped off at the top corners.

I think a sensible hack would seem to be the answer.

Reg

[RegressiveRock]

I had a pretty thorough trawl through the RS connectors and couldn't find it.

Over to you mr F!

H

Me too! Only you can save me from a cable hack now, Folderol!

Reg

[RegressiveRock]

Mm... it looks like the 2 and 3 pin versions of the Bulgin Buccaneer are 8A / 250V rated, mains safe in case that is the voltage I am dealing with and around 3 quid each.

http://www.farnell.com/datasheets/2081950.pdf?_ga=1.190881770.151742510.1477240405

Now to find a nice flexible three core mains lead. Anybody have any ideas? The current stuff looks looks the thing you would use with a desk lamp.

Thanks,

Reg

[James Perrett]

Would an unshrouded C14 connector fit?

It might -- the pins looks to be spaced similarly -- but I'm not sure such a variation actually exists. It wouldn't pass any of the H&S regs for the touch test for starters!

They certainly used to exist as I have one that came with a remote control system for a Hitachi hifi. I haven't seen them recently though...

[grab]

Looking at the manual, that socket seems to go to a handset with a pushbutton and two LEDs. The pushbutton doesn't look very mainsy, so you might not need mains-spec connections. Although of course you've got the actual thing in your hands so you'd know better.

BTW, I work for the company that owns Bulgin, and the guys who design those connectors sit on the other side of my office. Any problems with them, let me know and I'll pass it on.

[RegressiveRock]

Looking at the manual, that socket seems to go to a handset with a pushbutton and two LEDs. The pushbutton doesn't look very mainsy, so you might not need mains-spec connections. Although of course you've got the actual thing in your hands so you'd know better.

BTW, I work for the company that owns Bulgin, and the guys who design those connectors sit on the other side of my office. Any problems with them, let me know and I'll pass it on.

I guess I could just switch the fecking thing on and stick a multimeter probe in it!

Reg

[James Perrett]

BTW, I work for the company that owns Bulgin, and the guys who design those connectors sit on the other side of my office. Any problems with them, let me know and I'll pass it on.

We use them on one of our systems. I think we may have had some problems when we tried to use them in exposed locations on the deck of a ship but since we've kept them dry they've been fine.

[Folderol]

I had a pretty thorough trawl through the RS connectors and couldn't find it.

Over to you mr F!

H

Me too! Only you can save me from a cable hack now, Folderol!

Reg

Hmmm. Can't find it myself now
It must be discontinued. It had no shroud, but the C14 form. The pins had plastic sleeves like standard mains plugs. You could also get sprung wire clips that went over them to hold them in place.

With regard to fitting a replacement plug and socket. I advise getting a mains rated one. There may not by much power/voltage on the pins, but it could well be floating high-side mains.

[Drew Stephenson]

It looks like the extension lead socket on my hedge trimmers. Have you tried a hardware store site?

[AlecSp]

Interesting, as one of these appeared at my place recently, and I wanted to do exactly the same. It was brought in to replace the previous machine which died and had an XLR connector to the remote - which has also encouraged me that it doesn't run at mains levels - though I too would test first before doing anything. A real shame it's not just IEC, as that would make for very easy extension - as would XLR...