As stated in title, if I can build an interconnect, can I make a power cable? Anything special I need to know so that I don't burst into flames?

Yes. No.

Need parts? I might have some in the drawer.

make sure you choose a dielectric rated for 300 volts or higher. Stranded wire is a lot nicer to ues. Fluropolymer dielectrics like teflon will cold flow so if a chair or such pinches the cable the dielectric can flow and could result in a short. Configurations that work for interconnect will work for power cables/speaker cables. If you want to offset the inductance in a cable you can cut one in half and reasymble so that the twist reverses at the half way point, this trick has been used in computer cables. A foil shielded twisted pair makes a nice powercord (use the drain as your ground wire). You can also make some good looking (your choice of colors) cable braiding PVC insulated 300-600 volt rated hook up wire into a three wire braid ala kimber.

Oyaide plugs are very expensive but are EXCELLENT and the different metal plate options allow you to flavor tune your system. Many find it hard to believe (if they have not heard any) but they represent superb value in a fine system. Start with a really good power cord at your source and move outward from there.

doubtful.

It's true, I just went from Strawberry to Guacamole just by changing metal plates.

Depends on whether you're listening to Mexican music or not.

Make sure the white and the black wires are oriented correctly meaning for the

plug/nema to outlet

white black

green

IEC/plug to gear

green

black white

If you use stranded copper wire, make sure that none of the strands are hanging loose at the ends where you attach them to the plugs. If the strands are loose and they touch each other you will have a lot of noise and sparks which detracts from the music enjoyment.

Lastly make the green (ground) wire slightly longer than the black and white wires. That way if someone inadvertently tries to pull the plug out of the wall or gear by the wire instead of the plug causing one of the wires to disconnect from it's plug you will still have the ground connected and that will hopefully avoid a major problem.

Edited February 20, 200917 yr by Augsburger

For those who doubt but are curious you might purchase some of the Oyaide "knock offs" that sell on E-Bay. They sell for the same dollar value as a standard brass plug such as a Marinco. These "copy" plugs while not as good sounding or built as well as an Oyaide do sound very good. They will afford you the chance to listen to gold plate and silver plate plugs for the standard plug cost. They are better built and better sounding than any other reasonable cost plugs that I know of. Hope this is of interest.

They will afford you the chance to listen to gold plate and silver plate plugs

I listen to music via speakers, but hey whatever does it for you.

Wait monkey, is this an SS or tube based power cord?

Wait monkey, is this an SS or tube based power cord?

Hybrid, SS plug on one end.

Hybrid, SS plug on one end.

you need to switch black and white at one end.

To make sure the electrons go backwards.

Monoprice here I come!

What no cryo treatment? Bahhhh! And only drink an even year Bordeaux when building the power cord lest you have two much efi or elf or was it e.d.

Edited February 20, 200917 yr by Augsburger
Opened another Pinot

I'll just throw them in the freezer.

pack a couple frozen chickens around the cables, to get that extra edge.

NO! You need moar fowl. Use frozen turkeys.

For (quite) awhile, it seemed like everytime I dropped into the AA DIY forum, I thought I had entered an Oyaide forum by mistake. Discussions of which outlet faceplate (or none) sounded better, yada yada...

Fluropolymer dielectrics like teflon will cold flow so if a chair or such pinches the cable the dielectric can flow and could result in a short.

I've never heard that before? Interesting. Any references?

I've never heard that before? Interesting. Any references?

The best I could come up with is this.

Mike Holt)

But I doubt that in the case of a power cord you would be deal with the same type of force or wire described in that article. It is interesting and I wonder if PVC would really be any more resistant to a pressure point failure?

here is a link for a shop in HK that sells the knock offs but does not say so. the copy units have two bright metal female screw inserts on the inside of the barrels which accept the two screws that hold the plug to the barrel. If you can purchase any of these for a good price you will have solidly built and good sounding plugs for not a lot of money. simply good bang for the buck. these are as I said better built plugs than Marinco's and such for about the same amount of money. the internal clamps are solid but will benefit from an upgrade to SS clamp screws which allows for a very tight clamp. the fact that you can get them with different metal plate (ie. gold, silver) is a bonus if you care to experiment. there is quite a vairence in the selling price as many do not know these are copy plugs and so get taken but if you get them for a fair price (20-25 dollars or so) you have done well.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/OYAIDE-P-037-US-Power-Plug-C-037-IEC-Connector-Set_W0QQitemZ270344358594QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item270344358594&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1215%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

the picture in this ad shows the metal barrel inserts fairly well.

Pfft, that's not a plug...

THIS is a plug! Check the size of those pins bitches. 240V 13 Amp and they dont bend when you look at them wrong. Manly plugs attached to manly mains voltage. Much more deadly than puny US voltage.

UK plugs > US girly plug.

Ahh. Good old BS 1363 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shuttered Sockets, Longer earth (ground) pin that ensures that the earth path is connected before the live, and remains connected after the live is removed, and ensures correct polarization of the Live And Neutral wires.

Definitely a case of

[Crocodile Dundee accent on]

You call that a Plug?

Now That's a Plug!

[Crocodile Dundee accent off]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN_-_eRDvf0

THE ORIGIN OF THE BS 1363 PLUG AND SOCKET OUTLET SYSTEM (PDF File)

But don't try This at home!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-GEmHtIRNk

Very nice plug. Of course you had to had to have such a safeguard since most houses in the UK are wired by Lucas.

Yep, good old solid engineering that does the job right, and even the most basic UK plug is more audiophile than any overpriced, oversized and dressed up lipstick-on-a-pig US plug.

UK plugs > US girly plug.

too bad the UK plugs put out puny current