Buying new power cables
 

Hi,

Rather than take all my UK power cables (the mainstream ones like http://www.cables2u.co.uk/images/pro...ower_cable.jpg and http://www.crazycables.co.uk/catalog...s/l_50.139.jpg) and use loads of adapters I'm considering leaving all my UK cables behind and just buying a bulk load of US style cables.

Has anyone any good sources of these cables? Buying from a place that sells one at a time is probably going to be expensive, but if I could buy a bulk lot of 10 or 20 it would probably be workable. Has anyone else done this?

Re: Buying new power cables
 

Do you have that many appliances that will run on 110v/60Hz? :confused:

There is nothing to stop you chopping the plugs off and replacing them with US plugs that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes.

Re: Buying new power cables
 

The first one you have is a NEMA 5 type and the second one is sometimes called a 2-ear.
They are the kind of things that if you buy from a local shop might cost $10-15 in fancy packaging but buy online for $1-2 each.

Look on eBay, Amazon or Google search.

Here is one outfit that will supply both...
http://www.ascendtech.us/lot-of-10-p...nvpclot10.aspx

Re: Buying new power cables
 

Do NOT cut cables. It's dangerous and I don't think you can buy US- style plugs from anywhere! US plugs are usually molded at both ends and in 16 years, I've never seen one that has been screwed together!

You can get what you need from monoprice.com. I've ordered lots froom them (HDMI cables, mostly) and they have exactly what you need for reasonable prices.

Re: Buying new power cables
 

Not withstanding your exclamation mark, you are wrong. As per my above post, both Lowes and Home Depot sell replacement plugs (I know, I have bought some, from tiny two-pin ones for lights to giant four pin ones for cookers and dryers, and everything in between :rolleyes:), as do many other stores that sell electrical and wiring supplies. I have no doubt that they are not big sellers, and therefore "screwed on" plugs are not commonly seen, but wiring on a new plug is no more dangerous in the US than it is in the UK. (FWIW, tiny plugs for lights are made from soft plastic and pull apart and push together without use for screws to hold them together).

Re: Buying new power cables
 

Thanks for the replies - looks like Monoprice is exactly what I need (cheap and with bulk discounts)

Swapping the plug is a good suggestion (completely slipped my mind) but I think it'll be a pain to swap out 20+ cables when they're so cheap at Monoprice.

Re: Buying new power cables
 

I've bought and wired my own plugs in the US too. Piece of piss. Sometimes I like to do it while stood in a bucket of water for extra spice.

Re: Buying new power cables
 

Ebay...

Re: Buying new power cables
 

BTW, the best source for HDMI cables is Amazon.

Re: Buying new power cables
 

Actually, the cable on the left will be quite inexpensive. That form factor goes back to the original IBM PC of 1981. They are so uniformly used that most people have spares around.

Also, the US is like the continent and does not have the fused plugs like the UK.

Re: Buying new power cables
 

Plus, they sell all the cables the OP wants as well. When I moved over, I just ordered 10x of each cable variety I needed. Cost me $30 maybe.

Re: Buying new power cables
 

You probably want to avoid these :eek:

I had not realized that the insanity surrounding ridiculously over priced audio and video cables had also been seen as a "marketing opportunity" for power cords ... :ohmy:

Re: Buying new power cables
 

Audioquest are a fantastic brand, I own several of their HDMI cables. Worth every penny. http://www.whathifi.com/review/audioquest-pearl-hdmi

Re: Buying new power cables
 

According to just about everyone that tests HDMI cables, expensive HDMI cables such as Monster are no better than cheap $2 HDMI cables with the same speed rating. I've been picking up $1.99 HDMI cables from Fry's for the past 8 years and never had a problem.

Re: Buying new power cables
 

£26 for an HDMI cable, while not cheap, is not an unreasonable price in either the UK or the US.

$1,099 for a 10' AC power cord is insane.

I don't doubt that it is a good quality power cable - it just isn't worth over $1,000.