IEC leads

uncledick

Like most people, I'm tired of fighting with regular (stiff) PVC mains leads for our kit.  For just about everything, 1.5mm 3-core would be fine so does anyone have a source for ready made leads in Arctic spec PVC?  I could buy 50m from eBay and get busy but there must be a company somewhere doing this - without  paying silly money.

mike257

The standard in live events for power cable is HO7RN-F, which is plenty flexible. It's available in 1.5mm 3 core and would be my go to cable type for any mains being used on stage. 

ICBM

uncledick said:

Like most people, I'm tired of fighting with regular (stiff) PVC mains leads for our kit.

Most? This is literally the first time I’ve ever heard of this. I had no idea anyone cared. It’s a mains cable, you plug it into the back of your gear.

If you want more flexible, just buy lower-rated ones, they’ll be fine for almost all purposes. 0.75mm2 (6A) is plenty for anything up to a kW.

m_c

Some leads can be horrendously stiff, especially if it's cold, and how much the equipment that they came with costs is no indicator of how (in)flexible they'll be.

HO7RN would be my choice, as artic flex is a pretty generic term and I've got a couple Artic extensions that are no more flexible than a typical IEC lead.

shufflebeat

ICBM said:

uncledick said:

Like most people, I'm tired of fighting with regular (stiff) PVC mains leads for our kit.

Most? This is literally the first time I’ve ever heard of this. I had no idea anyone cared.

Well, while I’ve not yet been so enraged as to vent in public it does mildly annoy me that some of my cables refuse to sit in the box properly because they never quite lose that “factory fresh” kink so I’m obliged to return them to that awkward shape for storage.

I’ve not really been driven to do anything about it but maybe now’s the time, new year and all that. 

Danny1969

iMac IEC cables are nice and flexible and coil perfectly,. They are also very low profile in terms of not sticking out very far from the socket. Trouble is they aren't black. I still use them for some things though like the emergency power amp in the back of my amp.

Stratavarious

It is an annoyance, esp. if loading from a cold van like lasts night’s NYE gig.   You can end up with lots of too short ones too.  It is nice if you can avoid the trip hazard and get them in cable covers.

i have a few more flexible 5m ones so we can avoid too many extensions.  Also Y splitter IECs to tun a PA main or monitor/s and a light/s from one.

Stratavarious

If you are easily led and a little naive… can use these…

All metal components are treated with Furutech’s proprietary 2-Stage Alpha Cryogenic and Ring Demagnetization Process during manufacture that ensures the lowest achievable levels of distortion and noise.

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/mains-power/furutech-fi-11-cu-iec-connector-copper?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17339270122&gbraid=0AAAAAD_B_amCwQxJzxs0AWO8YV53KPlZm&gclid=CjwKCAiA09jKBhB9EiwAgB8l-AWx0sx5f4m9ZN_k1ukh7IwOjO605oqAD9d88xSj8mEURDxXuTcMCBoC9_wQAvD_BwE

Keefy

Stratavarious said:

If you are easily led and a little naive… can use these…

All metal components are treated with Furutech’s proprietary 2-Stage Alpha Cryogenic and Ring Demagnetization Process during manufacture that ensures the lowest achievable levels of distortion and noise.

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/mains-power/furutech-fi-11-cu-iec-connector-copper?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17339270122&gbraid=0AAAAAD_B_amCwQxJzxs0AWO8YV53KPlZm&gclid=CjwKCAiA09jKBhB9EiwAgB8l-AWx0sx5f4m9ZN_k1ukh7IwOjO605oqAD9d88xSj8mEURDxXuTcMCBoC9_wQAvD_BwE

Didn’t know getting your ring demagnetised was a thing!

I always loosely coil my IEC leads but yeah, some never seem to lose the kinks they got from being bundled with whatever kit they came with.

ESBlonde

How you wrap and care for cable makes a huge difference to how they lay when unpacked. Think about trying not to twist the internals and never wrap tight. Nice loops about the size of a plate, roll between thumb and finger as you go. It really makes all the difference, especially if you’ve not just brought them in from a cold van or trailer.

Supportact

Stratavarious said:

If you are easily led and a little naive… can use these…

All metal components are treated with Furutech’s proprietary 2-Stage Alpha Cryogenic and Ring Demagnetization Process during manufacture that ensures the lowest achievable levels of distortion and noise.

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/mains-power/furutech-fi-11-cu-iec-connector-copper?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17339270122&gbraid=0AAAAAD_B_amCwQxJzxs0AWO8YV53KPlZm&gclid=CjwKCAiA09jKBhB9EiwAgB8l-AWx0sx5f4m9ZN_k1ukh7IwOjO605oqAD9d88xSj8mEURDxXuTcMCBoC9_wQAvD_BwE

Funnily enough I often use an IEC plug that hasn't had its ring demagnetised, instead of a distortion pedal. Sounds just like a DS-1 and saves space on my board! 

roberty

m_c said:

horrendously stiff

In life, as in death. There was something very wrong with that dog

uncledick

m_c said:

Some leads can be horrendously stiff, especially if it's cold, and how much the equipment that they came with costs is no indicator of how (in)flexible they'll be.

HO7RN would be my choice, as artic flex is a pretty generic term and I've got a couple Artic extensions that are no more flexible than a typical IEC lead.

Stagegear.co.uk look to be doing decent prices on IEC leads with that cable.  I might buy a couple and see how we get on.

thomasw88

Stratavarious said:

If you are easily led and a little naive… can use these…

All metal components are treated with Furutech’s proprietary 2-Stage Alpha Cryogenic and Ring Demagnetization Process during manufacture that ensures the lowest achievable levels of distortion and noise.

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/mains-power/furutech-fi-11-cu-iec-connector-copper?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17339270122&gbraid=0AAAAAD_B_amCwQxJzxs0AWO8YV53KPlZm&gclid=CjwKCAiA09jKBhB9EiwAgB8l-AWx0sx5f4m9ZN_k1ukh7IwOjO605oqAD9d88xSj8mEURDxXuTcMCBoC9_wQAvD_BwE

How can you expose your Line 6 spider/ Boss Katana to such cheap power chords. Think of the damage you're doing to your tone man.

These are the only ones that anyone should use:

https://www.russandrews.com/evo-s-powerkord-usa-plug-to-w350-rhodium-iec-plug/

Stratavarious

^^^ the reviews are works of amazing fiction.