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Brits (power plugs)
- Thread starter OutThere
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OutThere said:I just got my international travel adapter set with my new Powerbook, and needless to say, I've never been to the UK, but ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Your plugs are insane, someone seriously went nuts designing those things....I expect a thorough apology for this travesty.
Yeah... but ours must looks weird to them! Those plugs are HUGE though...
... at least 'our' plugs fit in the socket and STAY in the socket. Your two prong efforts are just dangerous!
Danksi said:... at least 'our' plugs fit in the socket and STAY in the socket. Your two prong efforts are just dangerous!
Hum.... we (Norway) have two "prongs" (wtf?) but I don't think I've ever seen them fall out of the socket. What do the US ones look like?
Edit: I guess the pic in the above post is the US one?
Edit: That's 'two', not 'to'
dubbz said:
The pic above is a two prong with third earth prong. I was talking about the ones with only two prongs (no earth) - they look the same, just without the round earth prong at the top. They can easily come out of the socket - but they're still used. Certainly here in Canada anyway!
mad jew said:Do you guys copy everything we do?
Not quite, as you can see there's a slight angle to the prongs - making it just different enough, to open up a market for travel adapters in that location!
Danksi said:Not quite, as you can see there's a slight angle to the prongs - making it just different enough, to open up a market for travel adapters in that location!
You misunderstand. He, as an Aussie, is poking fun at me, a Kiwi, for using the same plugs as them.
North American 2 pronged plugs are too crap and fall out of walls when it's heavy, and yes, most are 2 pronged in North America, not 3 pronged Aussie and NZ two-pronged adapters are the same.
Never had a problem with the UK ones, but they're too big and ugly.
I say that the world should use one type of prong arrangement, and it shouldn't be ugly or large, and it shouldn't fall off the wall like my Aussie speaker AC adapter/transformer is doing every week.
Never had a problem with the UK ones, but they're too big and ugly.
I say that the world should use one type of prong arrangement, and it shouldn't be ugly or large, and it shouldn't fall off the wall like my Aussie speaker AC adapter/transformer is doing every week.
who's scary walls have "male parts" sticking out? i've never seen a powercord that was "female" unless it were for extensions. spooky stuff!
edit - another pic:
Now that's a serious plug for serious power!!
Kidding aside, IMHO US plugs aren't as safe as most European ones. Electrical standards for houses (not commercial buildings) are woefully inadequate probably due to faulty thinking that 110V isn't as dangerous as 220V.
FWIW appliances - stoves, refrigerators, AC etc - run much more efficiently on 220V than 110V.
Kidding aside, IMHO US plugs aren't as safe as most European ones. Electrical standards for houses (not commercial buildings) are woefully inadequate probably due to faulty thinking that 110V isn't as dangerous as 220V.
FWIW appliances - stoves, refrigerators, AC etc - run much more efficiently on 220V than 110V.
Nermal said:I don't think any would, because you could poke your fingers in and get zapped
oh how i want to use "poke" puns here
It is fair to say that our plug seems a little over engineered
I've never broken or bent the pins on a UK plug
We're a bit sensitive about electrocution here. For example our building regs don't allow you to have power sockets in the bathroom (except shaver) and you're only allowed to have light switches that have pull cords. They're trying to reduce the possibility of wet human meeting 240V....
I've never broken or bent the pins on a UK plug
We're a bit sensitive about electrocution here. For example our building regs don't allow you to have power sockets in the bathroom (except shaver) and you're only allowed to have light switches that have pull cords. They're trying to reduce the possibility of wet human meeting 240V....
caveman_uk said:
The only time I really don't like UK plugs is when I'm carrying cables around. The Apple power adaptors look so much more elegant with the US adaptor on them with its prongs tucked in.
I know why we have building regulations but sometimes it is so darned annoying. Almost makes you wish you could have one set of nanny state regulations for the stupid and more liberal ones for the brighter...
At last something that the UK does better than most other places.The ring system with individual fused plugtops is far safer than most other systems,the US NZ and Oz systems are IMHO a joke.Incidently the US 60hz system is more dangerous even given the lower voltage because of its nearness to the frequency of the human heartbeat,suffer a major shock and theres a good chance your heart will stop.The IEE regs are much tougher than other places.The sockets and plugtops may be ugly but work very well.
Peterkro said:
60hz = 60 cycles per SECOND. That would be an awfully high heart rate
Having travelled all over the world, I can honestly say I've never found a plug/socket system that I think is as good as our UK one.
UK plugs don't break, bend, fall out, have a bad connection, or get put in the wrong way. They usually don't even come out if you accidently tug on a cable because the cable comes out of the bottom of the plug rather than in the same direction as the prongs go in and out.
Also, UK sockets have a internal mechanical system that blocks the holes to the live and neutral connectors with a plastic cover until the (longer) earth prong goes in. This stops children sticking their fingers or anything else into the dangerous holes.