Re : Piggy Back Plug update

[BLOW]

I would have to disagree with the following statement made in the "piggy back plug update" artical posted elsewhere on this website.

>everyone's favourite piggy-back plug, the famous Clipsal 463TR,

As much as I like using piggy back plugs and I can see the usefullness in having a transparent version. I find the Transparent version way too brittle, in comparison to the black, white and grey versions of the same product.

As a result of a knock these plugs ( the transparent version ) can shatter exposing the contacts inside which in my humble opinion is more dangerous than the advantages in having a transparent version.

It is because of this I prefer to use the black version of the piggy back plug which is made of a different plastic which is much more tolerant of production mishaps.

Cheers,

Richard Grenfell
BLOW Productions,
Inflatable Decor & Lighting Design

[Andy Ciddor]

Sorry to hear that 463TR isn't your favourite plug. I'm personally neutral [pun intended] on the colour of piggy-back plugs.
You have to balance out the cost of the additional time taken in assuring yourself that the plug is both intact AND correctly wired with an opaque plug vs the replacement price of the extra transparent plug tops.
AS/NZS3760:2003 requires establishing that the phasing of cables is correct.
This can be ascertained by:

# Visual inspection through transparent plugs and sockets.
# Checking with a continuity tester
# Using only non-rewireable (e.g. moulded) plugs and sockets, which only require phase testing on introduction into service.

The standard actually recommends (but does not mandate) the use of transparent connectors to facilitate the detection of degraded connections and wiring.

I know of production hire companies, that as a safety measure use only moulded extension leads, disposing of the cables if the plugs or sockets become damaged in any way. They will not keep rewireable or hand-wired connectors on any equipment in their hire/production inventory.
By choosing to use transparent connectors, this alleviates the brittle 463TR problem, as the moulded connectors are made of a more resilient plastic.
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Andy Ciddor

[Andy Ciddor]

I have finally managed to elicit a response from Clipsal head office in Adelaide on the availability of the (almost universally loved) Clipsal 463 socket adapter plug.

By the end of next week, all Clipsal stockists will have received their backorders of the new, insulated-pin version, of this plug-top.

Known as the 463 SUA ,We/Bk/Gy/Tr (colour = White Electrical/Black/Grey/Transparent) it will continue to be available only in OEM packs of 100 unassembled units.
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Andy Ciddor