HP 6115A Precision Power Supply POWER CORD CONNECTION - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Tech RAH
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 11:44:29 am
content: Hello everyone,I just acquired an HP 6115A. I've seen many posts about this power supply but nothing about the strange power cord issue I'm having. I'm in Canada on a 120V grid, in case that makes a difference. Anyway, it seems that I did not get the original power cord and I can't get any standard C13 connector to fit into what appears to be a standard C14 inlet. I am able to get it in far enough that if I press it downwards, the live and neutral pins make contact and I can get power to the unit. However, I can't get it in all the way in to fit snuggly and securely.It appears that the ground pin on the unit may the wider/thicker than normal and this is what I think is preventing the connector from going all the way in. Does anyone know if this is not a standard C14 inlet and if so, what it is? The only information I was able to find in the service manual was that the original power cord was an HP original, part number 8120-1384 but no specs on it. I think the inlet is part of the Power Module, part number 5060-1189 but no other information on that either.

author: Tech RAH
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 12:11:53 pm
content: Upon further inspection, it seems that the inlet is not as deep as a standard C14 inlet. Additionally, there is a bit more clearance from the ground pin to the top inside edge (according to my naked eye) which might explain why I can wiggle it enough to disrupt the current flow. This must've been preIEC 320standards

author: alm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 01:15:31 pm
content: I have a 6114A on my bench since a couple of years, and I don't remember anything special. I just grabbed a standard mains cord from my box and it's been working fine ever since. Maybe one of the dimensions is towards or just beyond the edge of modern mains cords?

author: Tech RAH
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 06:30:05 pm
content: Thanks alm. I've also been searching for similar stories online and it seems that this is surprisingly common with other brand-name equipment. I haven't found any real solutions yet. In all my years of using desktop PCs with these kinds of plugs, I've never experienced this. Weird.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 01, 2023, 07:46:19 pm
content: I'm not sure what the proper number is but a lot of the old HP, Fluke and other brands of TE used to use an oval shaped 2 or 3 pin power cord.Take a look herehttps://www.ebay.com/itm/155422923165?epid=1919475722&hash=item242fed999d:g:ok8AAOSwL-Rj9rnt&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwANRaanVgC3KWIWA8bvnb%2FR3UIHzTlDAk7D2kD337Nu7P%2ByyN%2BCS%2F3EE%2BKDQTyLpClgqT8M1dKz4rynhkB8nMk5CbwJQsoR5kmoGWuINJ4F7cMMqOt0Uc8Uwes7%2BDQuFIxnsUYD8LhZ5KSBramdOn3Famxa7A0FQW8voxClKLWINeGD51yKkEeDi2BUN0Sfe9FIG146tWzZr24PZXpV26qi3kZcOcn9VjTby2dS8jm9CrtYV6XFb3lOVSavjBZjEsQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6jnm8vdYgand see if this is the same as what you have. I think HP stopped using them around 1966 but I think that you can find the HP Precision Power Supplies with both that and the newer IEC C14 standard power cord. I just looked and my Fluke 893A uses the old type connector but both of my HP 6114s (made in 1976 and 1978) use the C14 connector.The cords show up on Ebay occasionally and I think you can still buy them new. I used to find them mixed into the wire scrap in surplus places but I haven't seen any in a few years.Look up "oval power cord" and you should be able to find some. A LOT of companies used to use that style connector.PS. It is NOT an IEC 320 power cord. Those use a similar but smaller connector. Look on E-Greed, there are at leastHPpower cords on there. But you're not going to like the price!You're not the first (or the 2nd or the 3rd person) that has come on this forum looking for one of those cords.PSS. Apparently they're called a PH 163 connector and there are two varieties. Ground is always that center pin but Power and Neutral is reversed in some of them.

author: Tech RAH
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 02, 2023, 08:36:17 pm
content: Thanks for the detailed response, Stray Electron. The connection looks like a C13 connector and the cord I have almost fits. It goes in but then can be rocked up and down. It doesn’t settle into a snug fit. I’ve tried 3 cords from three different sources and all are about the same.

author: Tech RAH
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 02, 2023, 08:38:06 pm
content: I don’t know why the forum rotated my picture upside-down, LOL

author: DaneLaw
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 02, 2023, 08:50:24 pm
content: Quote from: Tech RAH on October 02, 2023, 08:38:06 pmit happens, also for certain users in fx Europe, as EEVblog is hosted down under..

author: Tech RAH
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 04, 2023, 01:03:15 pm
content: Quote from: DaneLaw on October 02, 2023, 08:50:24 pmMakes sense, lol...Well, I managed to acquire another cord with the same connector and this one fits much better, though I still had to wiggle and apply a bit of pressure to get it in.The connector seems identical so I'm guessing that the pins on the HP side are just a bit wider than the norm; probably that ground pin