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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: P-chan on April 25, 2012, 04:33:01 pm

Title: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: P-chan on April 25, 2012, 04:33:01 pm
I want to make a cable that has this on one end:

(http://objects.artspan.com/member/davtaylor/500/158949.jpg)

And this on the other.

(http://www.mdrelectronics.com/images/Products/3193.jpg)

(like on the back of a PC or monitor)

Basically on the back of my arcade cabinet I want a three prong male receptacle so I can use a PC power cord to plug into the back of the cabinet.  On the inside, the other end will connect to a powerstrip which will have the PC, speakers, and monitor plugged into it within the cabinet. 

Yes, I could just stuff a powerstrip in the cabinet and have one power cable coming out anyway, but I'd rather have a nice clean mounted receptacle like the one above.  I'm OK with hacking up a power cord obviously, but I want to make sure I get the wires connected back to the right side :)
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: HaRuMaN on April 25, 2012, 05:01:17 pm
Search for "power entry module".
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: P-chan on April 25, 2012, 05:21:04 pm
Search for "power entry module".

How would I plug a power strip into the other end of that?

Actually, what I'm looking for is exactly this :

http://www.quail.com/P-WS-308/C14-To-515r-Adapter-Screw-Mt.aspx (http://www.quail.com/P-WS-308/C14-To-515r-Adapter-Screw-Mt.aspx)

They are only $4 each, unfortunately, they only do bulk (minimum $50) orders.

Group buy?  :lol
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: Dervacumen on April 25, 2012, 05:29:30 pm
This is what I did.  Works great.  Bought a male pc-type plug like you show, mounted it on my cabinet, and use a pc cable to plug it in to the wall.
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: bleargh on April 25, 2012, 05:37:55 pm
When I did this, I yanked the plug off of the end of my power strip, and then soldered those three wires right onto the receptacle (which IIRC, I ripped out of an ancient PC power supply).

Works great... I use a regular PC power cord to plug the cabinet in, but inside the cabinet I've got a whole power strip with multiple receptacles on it for plugging in all the various bits.

As for making sure you get the wires connected properly when you do this, grab yourself a receptacle tester:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=183235;image)

Plug it in to the power strip, and it'll light up and tell you if you've got it wired up correctly (and they're cheap; ~$5?)
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: P-chan on April 25, 2012, 05:41:41 pm
This is what I did.  Works great.  Bought a male pc-type plug like you show, mounted it on my cabinet, and use a pc cable to plug it in to the wall.

How did you mount it?
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: elkameleon on April 25, 2012, 05:44:35 pm
I've detailed this in one of my posts... ah here it is!

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=118422.msg1254791#msg1254791 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=118422.msg1254791#msg1254791)
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: yaksplat on April 25, 2012, 10:20:06 pm
Why not just cut the plug off of the end of the power strip and wire it on to the cabinet mounted receptacle?  Eliminate the middle man.
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: P-chan on April 25, 2012, 10:24:32 pm
I've detailed this in one of my posts... ah here it is!

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=118422.msg1254791#msg1254791 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=118422.msg1254791#msg1254791)
Perfect.  Now I just need that damn part from Quail  :banghead:
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: P-chan on April 25, 2012, 10:26:11 pm
Why not just cut the plug off of the end of the power strip and wire it on to the cabinet mounted receptacle?  Eliminate the middle man.

Because then you end up destroying a power strip instead of a $0.97 extension cable.  No big deal, as power strips are generally pretty bulletproof, but if something did ever go wrong with the power strip, you're screwed if you need to replace it.
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: yaksplat on April 25, 2012, 10:44:20 pm
Because then you end up destroying a power strip instead of a $0.97 extension cable.  No big deal, as power strips are generally pretty bulletproof, but if something did ever go wrong with the power strip, you're screwed if you need to replace it.

Cut, crimp on terminals, attach.  Really only a 2 minute process.
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: P-chan on April 25, 2012, 11:05:13 pm
Because then you end up destroying a power strip instead of a $0.97 extension cable.  No big deal, as power strips are generally pretty bulletproof, but if something did ever go wrong with the power strip, you're screwed if you need to replace it.

Cut, crimp on terminals, attach.  Really only a 2 minute process.

Or, unplug the bad one and plug in a new one.  A 2 second process, no tools needed, can do it on the fly.... obviously either way would work, however I don't know why you'd want a powerstrip hardwired into your cabinet when you could make it modular with zero extra effort.
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: wp34 on April 26, 2012, 03:46:41 pm
When I did this, I yanked the plug off of the end of my power strip, and then soldered those three wires right onto the receptacle (which IIRC, I ripped out of an ancient PC power supply).

Works great... I use a regular PC power cord to plug the cabinet in, but inside the cabinet I've got a whole power strip with multiple receptacles on it for plugging in all the various bits.

As for making sure you get the wires connected properly when you do this, grab yourself a receptacle tester:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=103207.0;attach=183235;image)

Plug it in to the power strip, and it'll light up and tell you if you've got it wired up correctly (and they're cheap; ~$5?)

Thanks for that tip.   :cheers:

I just used one of these to verify the wiring on mine.
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: BobA on April 26, 2012, 10:48:01 pm
I put a small power strip/smart adapter in the cab and it plugged into a regular AC ext cord.

The adapter was purchased at Walmart for less then $20.  A small hole in the back panel lets the ext cord connect to the power adapter that has a regular power plug that would plug into a wall socket if it was not in the cabinet.

Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: Thenasty on April 27, 2012, 12:20:32 am
how about something like this

Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: P-chan on April 27, 2012, 12:24:39 am
how about something like this


Yeah, those are pretty common, but the C14 end doesn't have the screw holes to mount it.  I'm just going to hack up an extension cord and an old busted PSU for the C14 jack with mounting holes.
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: elkameleon on April 27, 2012, 01:03:19 am
how about something like this


Yeah, those are pretty common, but the C14 end doesn't have the screw holes to mount it.  I'm just going to hack up an extension cord and an old busted PSU for the C14 jack with mounting holes.

+1 thats what I'm doing.
Title: Re: Any issues with this? Better way to do it? Power cord for cabinet
Post by: kahlid74 on April 27, 2012, 06:34:09 am
how about something like this


Yeah, those are pretty common, but the C14 end doesn't have the screw holes to mount it.  I'm just going to hack up an extension cord and an old busted PSU for the C14 jack with mounting holes.

I hit up that site asking for a quote for 10 pieces and the price was $10.50 per piece so yeah, hack up an old PSU and extension cord, you'll save some moolah.