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DIY AC power bar - Printable Version

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DIY AC power bar - Dom59 - 03-10-2020

Hi Rob,

  To fit European AC outlet, do you think I could solder that part or something like that, on your power bar?


RE: DIY AC power bar - Rob F - 03-10-2020

Hey Dom, yeah that looks like it will fit good. If you have dimensions I can verify.


RE: DIY AC power bar - Dom59 - 03-11-2020

(03-10-2020, 06:06 PM)Rob F Wrote: Hey Dom, yeah that looks like it will fit good. If you have dimensions I can verify.
Not yet, just an idea... Solder that part and after, solder a câble up to the socket. Or use a male part


RE: DIY AC power bar - Rob F - 03-11-2020

That's a good idea, would keep things cleaner and no change of a wiring pulling a pad off the board.


RE: DIY AC power bar - Rob F - 03-13-2020

Do you use Type C or F sockets?

I'm going to get a board to fit these outlets but not sure if they will work for you. Type C is ok but not sure if Type F have ground tabs on side and need those big round sockets?

https://www.robo-tank.ca/Bargain-Bin/Universal-AC-Power-Outlet-Snap-In-Receptacle


RE: DIY AC power bar - Dom59 - 03-13-2020

(03-13-2020, 03:29 PM)Rob F Wrote: Do you use Type C or F sockets?

I'm going to get a board to fit these outlets but not sure if they will work for you. Type C is ok but not sure if Type F have ground tabs on side and need those big round sockets?

https://www.robo-tank.ca/Bargain-Bin/Universal-AC-Power-Outlet-Snap-In-Receptacle
Type C is ok more most  of equipments but few ones need type F with ground.


RE: DIY AC power bar - Rob F - 03-13-2020

Too bad, those type F seem to be expensive that's why I don't have those.


RE: DIY AC power bar - Dom59 - 03-14-2020

Having possibility to solder the same connectors  than yours ( green ones) to adapt EU outlets would be great for me.  I could fit those on picture. Of course, I know that I need to  make another 3D case.


RE: DIY AC power bar - Rob F - 03-14-2020

I think I will do that and make a board with screw terminals, it'll probably be half the size of power bar and similar to the Arduino relay module but have the snubber, power supply and thick traces. I'll post in a picture in a day or two.


RE: DIY AC power bar - Rob F - 03-15-2020

Would a board like this work?

I set it up like the power bar, there's a main input for HOT and NEUTRAL and the GND you just run along your outlets as the board doesn't require it.

NEUTRAL was required for the AC / DC power module that powers up the relays so I ran a straight track to the outputs. You don't need to use the NEUTRAL outputs you can run wire to outlets like GND and just run a NEUTRAL to the input.

I couldn't setup the relays with "Normally Open" and "Normally Closed" as it would require two snubbers so I added a solder jumper for this. You can see it requires setting on top and bottom of board.

I left the DB9 on it and added a standard header pins for signals as well.

The board is 215mm x 68mm.

Let me know what you think.

[Image: AC_module.jpg]


RE: DIY AC power bar - Dom59 - 03-15-2020

Hi Rob,
Sounds good and if I understand... I need to choose NO or NC by soldering a bridge on both sides.
And seeing the back of those outlets, it  would be quite simple to cleanly wire them .

I guest the relays are mechanical. What do you think about SSR ones?


RE: DIY AC power bar - Rob F - 03-15-2020

Hi Dom, yeah you have to solder a bridge on both sides to set if the outlet should be NO or NC. I always wire the relays NO so they turn off if unplugged from controller but it would be nice to have the option to have some stay on if unplugged, good for power outage, if only power bar is plugged in UPS those will keep outlets how you like without controller powered up. Just thought of this so added it.

Those are nice connections, I like they have two so you can daisy chain the grounds, I would do the same with Neutral instead of using the Neutral outputs on board. All you need is HOT out of board to outlet, so yeah will be clean.

Curious, how much for the outlets?

Relays are mechanical and SSR is out because of heat until I can figure something out that's better, now I understand why they are bricks. On my energy bar I was going to use these.

https://www.robo-tank.ca/Bargain-Bin/SSR-3808HK-Solid-State-Relay

Can't put more than an Amp through it before it starts getting too hot to touch, you would have to put it in a large clamp to get near 8 amps.

Then I decided to build my own SSR using a TRIAC, TO-220 package like a MOSFET so I could use heat sink. Takes about a 7" x 5/8" x 5/8" chunk of aluminum to run 10 amps and that even starts to warm up pretty good. I must say I love how they function when it's finished but it's a nightmare to assemble that's why I'm not doing it. That energy bar takes about 4+ hours to assemble and the board is 2oz copper which is very hard to solder.

I've haven't given up on the idea though, one day I'll figure something out that's feasible.

With that said these relays are protected with a large snubber, I think this will fix the dead relay issue. What's connected really makes a difference, very few relay modules have a snubber which is why there's so many stories of some having issues and others none, it's easy to blame the relays but it's more. I had one customer who moved a pump to a new relay every couple months as it always destroyed it. When an inductive load is switched off a high voltage spike is produced, the more current it draws the larger the spike. It's a very short spike but a relay or MOSFETs worst enemy. The snubber absorbs this spike so the relay never sees it. A relay is only good for 250v, if it gets spikes of 400v+ its only a matter of time. If that relay was rated for 400v you would be ok if spike stays under that.

Sometimes I had issues with DC accessory ports failing, it was the same scenario, I started using flyback diode and now no more issues.


RE: DIY AC power bar - Dom59 - 03-15-2020

Those outlets are quite expansive (6/8€).
https://www.legrand.fr/catalogue/interrupteurs-et-prises/mosaic.
And here is my current power bar.


RE: DIY AC power bar - Rob F - 03-15-2020

Nice, is that a DIY system that you can add more outlets to?


RE: DIY AC power bar - Dom59 - 03-15-2020

This is a diy system made with Legrand components. Outlets and chute ( not sure good translate...).
With arduino relays inside. Also I have 2 plugs on it for ph and EC .


RE: DIY AC power bar - Rob F - 03-15-2020

I like it, looks clean. Does it have rails or wires? I've seen some with rails that the outlets plug into and slide.


RE: DIY AC power bar - Dom59 - 03-15-2020

No rail inside. it’s a mess!...