Loudspeakers Powercon Conversion Assistance

[AVN00b]

Hi, I'm very close to clueless when it comes to power/electricity.

My company currently have Neutrik powercon(20A) cables wired to BG (10A) connecters.

We are thinking of switching the connecters from BG to 16A connecters.

This should be fine right? (my logic being that if it will connect to a 10A it will work with a 16?)

Is there anything I should take note of before completing the conversion?

My main concern is the cable between the powercon and the connecter. Will they be fine drawing the 16Amps (when they currently draw 10)

SOS

Thanks in advance. Hope my off the top of my head rambles make sense to somebody.

 

[howlingwolf487]

"Hi, I'm very close to clueless when it comes to power/electricity."

This isn't the best statement to start out with when wanting to do something involving electricity.

"My company currently have Neutrik powercon(20A) cables wired to BG (10A) connecters. We are thinking of switching the connecters from BG to 16A connecters. This should be fine right? (my logic being that if it will connect to a 10A it will work with a 16?)"

That's impossible to tell you for sure without further information. You need to see what current the gear can/will draw at max output, etc.

"Is there anything I should take note of before completing the conversion? My main concern is the cable between the powercon and the connecter. Will they be fine drawing the 16Amps (when they currently draw 10)"

Yes, the power cable needs to be rated for the correct amperage. If there is a possibility of drawing over 15A, it would be best to use 12/3 wire for anything up to a 50 foot run (use 10AWG for longer, since it will help with voltage drop over that distance). MAKE SURE YOU ONLY USE SOOW TYPE OF CABLE!!! Its pricey, but well worth the cost.

Also, please note that this information may not apply outside the US (or even in the US if your local authority on electrical issues says otherwise).

 

[Chris15]

Could you post some more details about these "BG" connectors? - a picture would be even better.

What 16A connectors are you intending to connect these to?

You need to use 1.5mm2 cable for this as a minimum, 2.5mm2 is better for a long run for voltage drop reasons.

The OP is in Hong Kong, so metric numbers make more sense and US NEC is not applicable and SOOW means nothing

 

[howlingwolf487]

The OP is in Hong Kong, so metric numbers make more sense and US NEC is not applicable and SOOW means nothing

Gotcha. Either way, the OP needs to be more specific about his current gear and expectations for future gear.

 

[Chris15]

The gear is actually a bit moot. Because a powercon is not appliance specific, we actually can't take the load into account when considering the supply cable.

Without getting into the debate on cordsets with different rated connectors each end, the cable must be rated to the lesser connector as a minimum. So in this case it needs to be rated for a continuous loading of 16A. More preferrably it would be fed by 2.5mm2 cable which is rated for the 20A the powercon is rated for since the 16A outlet may be permitted to be protected by a 20A breaker depending on the applicable codes.

IF however, we are talking about going to a BS plug which I understand to be in common usage in Hong Kong, then the fuse in that plug will become the determining factor in rating the cordset.