Extension cord scams - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: SharpEars
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 24, 2014, 10:35:06 pm
content: I just purchased a 100 foot extension cord that was rated 10/3Century Pro Style D19812100. When I received it, I noticed that it was a little too thin to be 10/3, so I decided to measure the resistance of the individual wires inside.As suspected, the hot and neutral wires measured to be 170 milliohms and the ground wire was 270 milliohms over their respective 100 foot runs. This indicates that what I really got was a 12/2 cable with a 14 AWG ground wire.I have started down the slow road of contesting the purchase and returning the item. It appears that manufacturer ratings on extension cords are not to be trusted.

author: rob77
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2014, 11:14:53 pm
content: my experience is that you have to make your own extension cord to be 100% sure it's really what you want.it happened to me as well, 3x1,5mm2 was in fact 3x1.0mm2 and it's quite common that regular power cords are only 3x0,5mm2 inside (copper is expensive).... the biggest extreme were some chinese power cords coming with inexpensive (not the cheapest shit out there) computer PSUs - those power cords were containing less copper than a single wire inside an ethernet cable... i was cutting those cords to small pieces to make sure no-one will ever use them.

author: SharpEars
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 25, 2014, 12:11:15 am
content: Quote from: rob77 on December 24, 2014, 11:14:53 pmThe worst part is when they lie through their teeth in the advertising, quoting specific gauges. After all, if the factory description is a lie, how can you possibly know what you are getting? This is made worse by the fact that most (ignorant) buyers see a thick cord and think, "Wow that's exactly what I ordered! Five stars! Duh..."

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2014, 04:32:52 am
content: You have to check as well that the cores are actually copper, not copper coated steel. That is becoming common, and it has a resistance that is very high. At 30m you could probably short one at the far end and the breakers will not trip till it is well on fire. With the use of thinner cable as earth, that is allowed in some specifications as it only has to carry the short term overload current till the upstream breaker or fuse operates. It still is within the thermal limits for the cable.

author: tsmith35
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2014, 05:43:51 am
content: I use a lot of IEC power cords from computers as suicide cords for connecting miscellaneous equipment. The worst I've seen was a cord marked 16 gauge. I cut the end off and thought the wires looked pretty thin, so I measured the individual strands and determined that the individual wires were actually 24 gauge. Wow. That's a fire waiting to happen. It was promptly hacked apart and $***canned.

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 25, 2014, 05:48:21 am
content: Yes I have had a few of these copper coated steel wire pieces of junk. Made in the worst helo holes of China I am sure, and the plastics probably had a mix of their industrial waste thrown it to get it out of the country. I guess it is better than then putting in their baby food like they have done in the past.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2014, 05:56:20 am
content: I saw a 30m ( 100ft) length of "car audio power cable" that was about 8mm, but which I could hold level at arm's length without issue. Copper coated aluminium, which is actually a reasonable conductor, but not if it is marked at a price comparable with pure copper wire. Not solderable, but usable with either good crimp connectors or with some bootlace ferrules into screw connections.

author: Towger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2014, 08:04:10 am
content: I bought 100m of 1.5mm speaker cable a few weeks ago, seller stated it was pure copper. It was even 'OFC' copper. What I failed to notice was that the seller boasted it weighed 2.4kg.So it arrived, I thought the parcel did not weight much for 100m of 2 core 1.5mm cable. Stuck it on the scales and got 2450g. Scraped at the copper conductor with a knife and it turned sliver...

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2014, 08:19:19 am
content: OFC means Off course Free of Copper. Usable as speaker cable still but try for a refund as "not as advertised". not usable for more than 50W but still usable.

author: electr_peter
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 25, 2014, 11:02:11 am
content: Check another "great" quality extension cord. Electrician from UK did video review of it. You will be amazed.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/sick-of-cheap-power-cords-and-extension-cables/msg570978/#msg570978

author: SharpEars
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 26, 2014, 02:42:37 pm
content: Another one to add to the BS list. This one, which I purchased a month ago says 12/3 SJTOOW right on the cable itself, is UL and cUL listed (which either apparently doesn't mean jack shit or Wun Hung Lo sent a true 12/3 cable for listing and is selling cheap crap once he got the listing!) and measures 14/2 plus 16 AWG ground:Extension Cord, 6-Outlet, 15A, 12/3Ga, 6FtLet that be a warning to anyone buying SOOW/SJTOOW/SWhateverTheF**kOOW - buy only cable made in the USA/Europe/Australia...

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 26, 2014, 02:53:04 pm
content: Hey, I can get the cable with the made in wherever already printed on it, instead of the made in China label.Was a funny thing here when the govmt launched a "Proudly South African" campaign, and all the free hats, t shirts and such that they were giving out had an inner label giving country of origin. Guess what, they did not use any local suppliers...........