Switchcraft's plug and outlet option

Actually, the fast-on disconnects from the OP are a very secure fit.

alien said:

I'm on the fence, but I think there are definitely people out there who might conclude that for a few $ extra the powercon's are worth the peace of mind.

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I'm trying to imagine a scenario when I'll be stupid enough to plug one end of a Switchcraft cord into the control panel and then go and plug the other end of the same cord right back into the control panel. I mean, I can do some dumb things, but I don't think I could ever do anything quite that stupid. "Red cord goes to red pot, black cord goes to black pot, make sure the cord ends that are connected to the control panel are not the same color before turning anything on. Done!"

But if you can imagine yourself doing something that dumb, then yeah, spend the extra bucks.

LandoLincoln said:

I'm trying to imagine a scenario when I'll be stupid enough to plug one end of a Switchcraft cord into the control panel and then go and plug the other end of the same cord right back into the control panel. I mean, I can do some dumb things, but I don't think I could ever do anything quite that stupid. "Red cord goes to red pot, black cord goes to black pot, make sure the cord ends that are connected to the control panel are not the same color before turning anything on. Done!"

But if you can imagine yourself doing something that dumb, then yeah, spend the extra bucks.

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If this is the case I would suggest brewing with a buddy, or back to gas fired you go....lol

alien said:

I got the Switchcraft HPC male and female connector in the mail yesterday. I am not particularly impressed with them. The male and female parts click together, not a satisfying clunk but the connection feels solid. The terminals are very close together, lack screw terminals, and the insulating barriers are extremely short, so insulated spade terminals are really the only way to go. I don't know how these can be recommended for 1500V and 50A.

My $0.02: They look and feel like the cheap Speakon knock offs they are.

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Certainly don’t use anything that doesn’t feel right to you, that’s the nice part of DYI systems.
If you want that click when you push them together you can simply file the catch point with a flat file but what you will also add is adding “wiggle room” to the connection in order to get that click.
It’s funny; I like that the terminals are NOT screw down. I much prefer terminals that can solder on if needed, screws can come loose.
I wouldn’t recommend the use insulated blade terminals on their own; I suggest sliding shrink wrap all the way down covering everything, like the 7th image down on the OP.
When I rebuilt my BK housing (when from a Kal style box to a PVC tube) I inspected the plug and outlet under a 20x QC microscope to see if there was any burning or melting and I even compared it to the spare plug and outlet I have and they are unchanged. I’ve brewed 12 times (including one 3 hour boil) over the last year and have zero concerns/regrets about my set up.
Again, only do what you are comfortable with but really like my Switchcraft set up, it’s easier to uses and costs less the alternative and I have not found a down side to them.

LandoLincoln said:

I'm trying to imagine a scenario when I'll be stupid enough to plug one end of a Switchcraft cord into the control panel and then go and plug the other end of the same cord right back into the control panel. I mean, I can do some dumb things, but I don't think I could ever do anything quite that stupid. "Red cord goes to red pot, black cord goes to black pot, make sure the cord ends that are connected to the control panel are not the same color before turning anything on. Done!"

But if you can imagine yourself doing something that dumb, then yeah, spend the extra bucks.

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Power terminals with definite gender are a basic safety feature. Terminals that are clearly identifiable as ground, neutral, and hot are better than ones that are not.

I like basic safety features and will pay for them. If that's dumb, well it's my money.

alien said:

I like basic safety features and will pay for them. If that's dumb, well it's my money.

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That's not what I said. I said that if you're the kind of person that could conceivably plug the control panel back into itself, then yes, you definitely should spend the extra bucks. People that could do something like that are perhaps a little too comfortable working around electricity. I'm terrified of the stuff, so I can't ever envision myself ever doing something like that. And yet here I am, building my own e-brewery.

If I were a vendor selling control panels, then I'd also spend the extra bucks, since I wouldn't want to get sued if someone I sold a panel to plugged the panel back into itself and then turned on the panel.

Could be wrong but I think the two of you might be talking about different thing:
wiring the plug/outlets (panel assembly)
and
brew day set up

runs4beer said:

Could be wrong but I think the two of you might be talking about different thing:
wiring the plug/outlets (panel assembly)
and
brew day set up

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Why yes, I do believe that we are!

Ah, OK. Yes I am more concerned with wiring the thing up correctly. I am in a mire of spaghetti. I need colour coding, labels, anything that helps...

So, they ARE marked on both plug and outlet, it's small but they are consistently marked allowing you to establish Leg 1 & 2, neutral and ground and wiring that way consistently throughout. But regardless of how well marked any component is or how sure you are that follow your digram I would recommend double checking the continuity on all the runs with a multi meter before powering up for the first time.

I'm late to this party, but can anybody verify the max OD for the male connectors (HPCC4F)?

SilverZero said:

I'm late to this party, but can anybody verify the max OD for the male connectors (HPCC4F)?

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Do you mean the max OD for the wire that you can stick into the connector?

It's about 17mm diameter, which would give you 53mm in circumference, or about 2 inches in circumference.

LandoLincoln said:

Do you mean the max OD for the wire that you can stick into the connector?

It's about 17mm diameter, which would give you 53mm in circumference, or about 2 inches in circumference.

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Yep, that's what I was asking. Thanks!

Has anyone used the right angle plugs (HPCC4RAF)? I was planning on mounting my elements on the sides of my keggles and thought it would be cleaner to have the power cords run to the back instead of sticking straight out. I could just get the straight ones and mount them on the side of my gang box but the existing hole isn't big enough and is off-center. I'd have to fill the hole first and drill a new one.

They have the same specs as the straight connectors, so they should work. Just be sure you mount the female connection high enough that the cord has room to hang down and not bend against the surface your keg is on. Or mount it so it locks pointing sideways.

summerofgeorge said:

Has anyone used the right angle plugs (HPCC4RAF)? I was planning on mounting my elements on the sides of my keggles and thought it would be cleaner to have the power cords run to the back instead of sticking straight out. I could just get the straight ones and mount them on the side of my gang box but the existing hole isn't big enough and is off-center. I'd have to fill the hole first and drill a new one.

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Like this? Worked ok for me...

AllanMar said:

Like this? Worked ok for me...

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I was thinking of doing that instead of the right angle plugs. Did you just drill out the hole so the connector fit? How big of a hole is it? I'm not sure I have the room to make mine bigger. It's 1/2" and pretty close to the edge. I guess I could always fill the hole and drill a new one.

Mine was originally a 1/2" conduit plug. Drilled it out to just under 1" I believe. It was pretty close to the edge but it still worked out ok.

My connectors came yesterday. I really like the way they fit and I'm excited to implement them as patch cords between my 240v circuit, control box, and kettle. I did a dry fit with some 10-3 SOOW I had lying around and it looks like it will just barely fit (I'd prefer a tight fit so I'm happy). I'll take some pics of the construction phase just to spice up this thread a bit more.

I honestly don't know how these plugs can be rated for 50A when you can't attach a wire thick enough to take that current.

There's no way I can cram a 6/3 range cord into mine.

alien said:

I honestly don't know how these plugs can be rated for 50A when you can't attach a wire thick enough to take that current.

There's no way I can cram a 6/3 range cord into mine.

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According to some charts on the Internet, you could get away with 10 gauge wiring for 50 amps for lengths not exceeding six feet. A different website says 10 gauge could be used for lengths of 4-7 feet.

So...maybe it COULD work with 10 gauge wiring. I'm not willing to try it myself.

But even a 5500w element is only drawing 23 amps, add a couple more for accessories on the circuit and you're still within the limits of the wiring (and the breaker, probably). For my application, this is great. My minivan's speedometer goes up to 140mph, but I don't think anything on that car could survive at that speed.

LandoLincoln said:

According to some charts on the Internet, you could get away with 10 gauge wiring for 50 amps for lengths not exceeding six feet. A different website says 10 gauge could be used for lengths of 4-7 feet.

So...maybe it COULD work with 10 gauge wiring. I'm not willing to try it myself.

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NEC 400.5(A) says it should really be 4 AWG, with 3 conductors...!

I don't know about different rules for really short cables. My 6/3 range cord (6' long) is rated exactly 50A, but that may be limited by the plug or something.

Good thing I am running a 30a setup, and I just ordered mine yesterday, shipped within 2 hours of ordering!!!

Tim

alien said:

I got the Switchcraft HPC male and female connector in the mail yesterday. I am not particularly impressed with them. The male and female parts click together, not a satisfying clunk but the connection feels solid. The terminals are very close together, lack screw terminals, and the insulating barriers are extremely short, so insulated spade terminals are really the only way to go. I don't know how these can be recommended for 1500V and 50A.

My $0.02: They look and feel like the cheap Speakon knock offs they are.

Click to expand...

I just got mine today.. The male is heavy and solid. I'm not thrilled with the back of the female, but I have enough spade terminals kicking around, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

I'm not finding them any better or worse than the Speakon connectors... and I have plenty of those around here.

I don't like the spade terminals on the HPC connectors at all. On the female the terminals are not solid, there are 2 sheets of very thin metal which is easily deformed. The terminals are also very close together so insulation on the spade connectors is absolutely essential.

I have decided against using the HPC connectors on my build. Their construction does not feel robust. The indefinite gender and lack of markings for hot/neutral/ground remains a significant concern. And as I mentioned previously, there was no way I could use them to get power into my panel because the 6/3 range cord was physically too large to fit inside the housing.

You wouldn't put a welder on a speaker connector. You wouldn't put an electric stove on a speaker connector. Would you put an electric brewery on a speaker connector?

alien said:

You wouldn't put a welder on a speaker connector. You wouldn't put an electric stove on a speaker connector. Would you put an electric brewery on a speaker connector?

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Because I'm not caught up on the word "speaker." It's an electrical connection designed to carry a certain amount of volts and amps. If my needs do not exceed the rating of the connector, then I wouldn't be afraid of using it.

I've been using them for cords for my BK and HLT for the past five months or so, and I like them. But if I were to do it all over again, I would hard-wire the cord into the box and use a connector that had a better locking mechanism on my BK and HLT. The locking mechanisms on these connectors don't really lock well.

I am hung up on wanting Live, Neutral, and Ground clearly marked when connecting power equipment. I figure it is for my own safety.

Neutrik observe the distinction between power connectors and speaker connectors. I think this is sensible. I would be perfectly happy hooking up a welder/stove/keggle with powerCON connectors. Not speakON, not Switchcraft HPC.

I wasn't quite happy with the spade terminal either. I soldered all of mine. I've had no issues with them in 9 months of active use.

yes the spade connectors werent the ideal connection options.
I'm not really sure why anyone would think there a saftey concern though because they are keyed and you can only plug them in the right way? I could see someone wiring them wrong if not careful but I chose to just pay careful attention to what wire connects to what pin when I wired mine together... wasnt a big deal for me.
I have no iissues with mine coming unplugged but I do agree they dont lock worth a damn.
I only use these connectors for the 18 amp load to the heating elements not the 30a main although I could...
if someone were wiring up a 50a main I would recommend a standard locking connector for that but these work well for the elements.

alien said:

I don't like the spade terminals on the HPC connectors at all. On the female the terminals are not solid, there are 2 sheets of very thin metal which is easily deformed. The terminals are also very close together so insulation on the spade connectors is absolutely essential.

I have decided against using the HPC connectors on my build. Their construction does not feel robust. The indefinite gender and lack of markings for hot/neutral/ground remains a significant concern. And as I mentioned previously, there was no way I could use them to get power into my panel because the 6/3 range cord was physically too large to fit inside the housing.

You wouldn't put a welder on a speaker connector. You wouldn't put an electric stove on a speaker connector. Would you put an electric brewery on a speaker connector?

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Theres that post I was looking for Now it exists.

augiedoggy said:

yes the spade connectors werent the ideal connection options.
I'm not really sure why anyone would think there a saftey concern though because they are keyed and you can only plug them in the right way? I could see someone wiring them wrong if not careful but I chose to just pay careful attention to what wire connects to what pin when I wired mine together... wasnt a big deal for me.
I have no iissues with mine coming unplugged but I do agree they dont lock worth a damn.
I only use these connectors for the 18 amp load to the heating elements not the 30a main although I could...
if someone were wiring up a 50a main I would recommend a standard locking connector for that but these work well for the elements.

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True. If you don't like to use a multimeter to verify that your connections are wired up correctly then these connectors are not for you. Actually...electrical work in general is probably not your strong suit.

These are professional grade connecters; they are not over engineered to be fool proof (not implying anyone on this thread this is a fool). My system has been up and running with them for 2 years now and I’ve brewed a fair amount beer and they continue to meet all expectations. I've not had any concerns with them locking (unlocking), I push them in and then give a decent tug and they stayed locked…
Don't use anything you are uncomfortable with.

At the time one is sourcing their build it could be easy to get sticker shocked into making choses that one later has to up grade. These, for me aren’t one of those and have no second thoughts.

So happy that I rewired my 220v, 20 amp table saw so I can run it off a second breaker I put in my spa panel. I use the same feeder cable and now have a 20 amp (non GFCI) outlet for it on my spa panel next to the GFCI outlet for brewing, clearly labeled of course!

LandoLincoln said:

True. If you don't like to use a multimeter to verify that your connections are wired up correctly then these connectors are not for you. Actually...electrical work in general is probably not your strong suit.

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I gotta side with Lando on this one. I made 2 cables with these connectors - one from my 220v line (dedicated for brewing) to my simple SSVR box and one for the box to my 5500w BK. I love this setup. I only wish the cables were longer, but I mooched the SOOW anyway so on can't complain. I took my time, attached the proper spades to every connection, shrink-tubed the connections, and checked and verified everything with a multimeter. I have no concerns about my setup, and I'm quite pleased with it.

Sent from my EVO using Home Brew mobile app

Run,

This was asked before, but I did not see an answer.

What size mounting hole for the panel mount?

Tim

I believe its about an inch... at least thats about what mine were...

augiedoggy said:

I believe its about an inch... at least thats about what mine were...

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Thanks!

Tim

I might have to go with these connectors in my new build! Thanks OP!

runs4beer said:

These are professional grade connecters;

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Says who? These speaker connectors were never intended to carry power. Show me a professional who would use them for this purpose.

alien said:

Says who? These speaker connectors were never intended to carry power. Show me a professional who would use them for this purpose.

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It seems to me that these connectors are not for you, that you do not feel that they belong in your build.
Am I correct?

Tim