8mm Forum: Cord Replacement

This is topic Cord Replacement in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on January 15, 2015, 09:21 AM:

I am going to have to replace the cord on my 8mm unit it is very brittle it is the retractable kind my question is I noticed the cord looks like it was made with aluminum wiring instead of copper will it matter if I use copper instead?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 15, 2015, 09:48 AM:

Hi Jim,

Electrically copper will make no difference that matters. There will be a tiny fraction of a volt difference at the machine which will still leave the line voltage well within the range that it was designed to accept.

Aluminum wiring was all the rage for a while, until they discovered it had a nasty habit of squirming out from under screw terminals and causing houses to burn down...

PS: how does the cord connect inside the machine?

The cord you have now is kind of scary!
I'm an entire time zone away and I still feel too close!

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on January 15, 2015, 10:14 AM:

Thanks Steve the cord is attached on the cord reel by 2 studs one on each side of it then there are 2 wires that are attached from those that go up into the machine. I hope I can get the cord retractor to work again it is spring loaded. I would need to find a cord with the same gauge or close to it right?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 15, 2015, 10:21 AM:

Just for confidence the same gauge is the best choice, and certainly no smaller.

If the cord is terminated at the studs with ring lugs, that's the best choice to terminate the new one. usually these are crimped, but you can find ones which are solderable too.

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on January 15, 2015, 10:57 AM:

Would a plug that is polorized make any difference the old one is not?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 15, 2015, 11:29 AM:

Replacing a polarized plug with a non polarized could be bad, but replacing a non polarized with a polarized is fine.

The "non" one means "either lead being hot is fine"
The polarized one means "THIS lead will always be hot." (which is fine according to the old one...)

I'm kind of partial to three prongs and a grounded chassis, but then again I've been shocked a few times and never developed a fondness for it!

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on January 15, 2015, 11:38 AM:

Steve your first sentence almost sounds the same if you re-read it. Or am I reading into it?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 15, 2015, 11:42 AM:

You are correct!

Take Two!

-all fixed!

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on January 15, 2015, 11:46 AM:

I am seeing different amps on cords I have saved over the years but am not sure what the 8mm tower unit had originally for amps are most silent projectors a certain amps?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 15, 2015, 12:06 PM:

The sanest way to approach it is this way: the machine should have a fuse in it. The amp rating of the cord should be (a lot) more than the fuse so when there is trouble, the fuse blows a long time before the cord would have melted and made an even bigger short circuit the fuse is incapable of stopping.

If the machine is unfused, then what is the wattage of the lamp?

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on January 15, 2015, 12:25 PM:

its unfused, 150W 22V is the bulb rating i did find a 10amp cord the unit says 5amp 125v on the side would this 10 amp cord that is polorized work?

[ January 15, 2015, 05:01 PM: Message edited by: Jim Schrader ]

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on January 17, 2015, 10:59 PM:

Does anybody on this forum own one of these projectors?

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on January 18, 2015, 07:02 AM:

Hi Jim,

The 10 amp cord should do fine electrically.

How does the thickness of the cord compare to the original?

(It still has to wind up on that reel.)

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on January 18, 2015, 07:51 AM:

Hi Steve, the thickness is actually smaller than the original the head of the cord does not fit inside the area for storage. I did wind it up but my question now is which way did the cord come off I know where the reel mounts but in order for the cord to unwind properly i cannot remember top to bottom I should have taken a picture of which way the storage reel was mounted.

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on January 19, 2015, 01:40 AM:

The cord been thinner is no problem, due to copper been a better conductor.

Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on January 22, 2015, 11:29 AM:

steve sent you a pm

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