power supply connector help

[HatTrick77]

i'm trying to find the female connector that is on the back of a PSU, its a d shaped piece with three prongs that the power cord plugs into.  i'm looking to shorten up the unnecessary wiring in my cabinet and plan to wire a surge protector directly to this piece.  i like the idea of having a removable cord so i dont have to worry about anything tugging at the guts of my cab.  any idea what this connector is called and where i can find one.  did a google search under a bunch of different names and couldn't locate one your help is appreciated.

[BobA]

search for IEC inlet

[Eddie_Brock]

They are called "Kettle Sockets". I used one too for my cabinet, works great.

I was fully prepared to buy one for a couple bucks on fleabay, but I came across an old dot-matrix printer sitting next to a garbage can. score.

I would look around for any old electronics / computer components you've got, you could also try local computer shops, as most places throw away dead components.

As a side note, make sure you somehow cover the inside connectors where you're going to patch in. You'd hate to reach in and accidentally come in contact with 120v!

[HatTrick77]

thanks for the quick response, fellas.  slowly acquiring all the small stuff to get this thing to where i want it.

good tip on insulating the connector, wouldn't have thought of this until i got zapped and smacked my head on the top of the cab upon reflex 
BTDT, damn you undercabinet lighting

[lilshawn]

well to avoid any exposed prongs you can wire this on the inside wired to the live mains voltage:




then wire this up to the components you wish to power: