cheap AC distro...

[RubiconProSound]

I'm looking to build a simple AC distro similar to the Furman ACD-100 but with only 3 or four circuits... ( two 20's and a 15 would be more than adequate for my needs...) I'd like to avoid spending 500 bucks for basically a few "outlets and breakers in a box".

The Furman:


Does anyone have any experience with the Eaton (Heinemann) breakers for this application?
I know they need to be magnetic/high inrush, and in looking at the Furman distro it looks like they're using the J series Eatons or similar: (scroll down to page 16 on the link below for the specs)

http://www.eaton.com/ecm/groups/public/ ... 00001e.pdf

I'm thinking 3 or 4 of the JA series with "curve 2". The curve one seems like it would be better suited to audio but they don't offer a 1 curve on the J series
I already have an empty 2U rack case (steel) that I can use to house the breakers, and outlets. I can just drill the required 3 holes for each of the breakers to the front panel and wire up the busses and add a Hubbell socket and 3 or 4 Edison's on the back. I have some 50' 6/4 SJO (maybe 8/4?) with Hubbel Twist Locks on each end left over from our construction trailers that I can use.

[Ron K]

Use 2 Rack Blanks and internal wire with Stranded 10ga. THHN
I'd use a 2 pole 30 main from Eaton and 4 single pole 20s.

Feed 4 Flanged Outlets with each 20 amp breaker.

I'd feed the distro with a Powercon 32 Inlet.

http://www.neutrik.com/fl/en/audio/204_ ... tlist.aspx

Get 50ft. of 10/4 SOW as a feeder and put a powercon 32 Plug on it and bare ends or whatever "tap" end you would need on the other.

Should End up looking like this:

To Scale as well.



Should be well under 500 bucks in fact I'd bet under 200!

[RubiconProSound]

Ron, Thanks!

I'm already a fan of the Neutrik stuff and like the look of the powercons but I already have two complete 50 foot cables with Hubbels already on them. They were free... so I'll just use them.

I did a frat party at a local college and the hall already had a Hubbell outlet at the stage, easy connection for me and I anticipate more parties with these guys. another bonus to using the Hubbells.

Out of curiosity if each output has a breaker what's the benefit of the main breaker? Especially if I have breakers again at the service entrance? (if I have to wire into the service panel I have a box of assorted breakers I always use to tap in...)

I like your panel design, it's very similar to what I was thinking...

My Wire box/Distro:

I can carry it (stairs or outdoor) or wheel it on a wheel board. The box size will be the same as my amp racks so that I can install the locking corners and stack it easier.

[Ron K]

To protect the distro itself. By code the sub panel is supposed to have a main breaker. The feeder wire would have to be split into 4 seperate feeds so without a main breaker you are not protecting the panel or the feeder at that point in the system.


Also a distro would be considered a sub service so be sure to keep the Neutral and Ground isolated from each other. A lot of people try using Home Panels as distros and dont realize that the Neutral and Ground bars are tied together.As a sub panel that would probably humm really bad so please keep the ground isolated from the Neutral if you want a humm free system.

Hubbels are fine if you already have them. I used to always use them but man they have really gotten expensive. The same connector through Leviton or Cooper is nearly 2/3 the price and it's the exact same connector made to the same code.

The box idea is a good one as well. My main Distro is a 200 amp 220V housed in an old Fuzzy Roller! I put a 200 amp sub panel in the back and 4 Rack Mounted Wiremold Surge Strips in front. At the bottom a 4 space Blank plate holds a 60 amp 2 pole 4 wire Pin and Sleeve Inlet / and 4 200amp Camlocks along with various Outlets. A few 4 gangs and a 220 50 amp for Lighting and 2 125 30 amps for my old VZ3600s!

The feeder is Single conductor Entertainment Cable at 1/0 with camlocks. The secondary feeder is 4/4 SOW with bare ends and 3 pole 4 wire Pin and Sleeve Connector Body. This allows me to use the same service heavy duty or light duty.

[RubiconProSound]

ah.... gotcha...duh.

when I wired the sub panel in my garage I of course had the main but when looking at the Furman I noticed it didn't have one so I assumed...

The ground will be to chassis and neutral to the outlets. No worries there.

We use the Hubbells at the construction site to connect the job shacks to the generators, with the homebuilding slump, we've had a lot of cables floating around. The trailer companies were just tossing the connectors and cables so I grabbed em up.

[Ron K]

Problem with the Furman design is if someone decides to wire it up with say 10 ga feeder and that feeder shorts or the insulation melts to the chassis there's a good chance that it will not trip the breaker feeding it before it blows a hole or causes a fire in the distro. With a main breaker even at a full 100 amps so close to the short there would be a better chance of that not happening.

They get around the code by not putting more then 6 breakers in the panel.While still legal it isn't very smart! My opinion is there's no substitution for safety irregardless of cost!

Also another very good reason to keep a main breaker is in the event of a main trip you can reset (after removing the problem device) without having to trek back to the panel you're tapped out of, which in some instances may be locked after you tap! When I work at schools they always have the Fused Safety switch that I tap from locked out! You can still throw the switch but you cant open the door even with the toggle on the side of the switch!

[RubiconProSound]

good to know, thanks for the heads up.

[RubiconProSound]

update...
I haven't found a supplier for the Eatons yet but I have found a bunch of "Marine" breakers with the same mounting arrangement and magnetic style for good prices ($15~17 each) I do a bunch of outdoor stuff and the distro will see it's fair share of time in the elements so maybe Marine grade stuff wouldn't be a bad idea.

http://www.iboats.com/Standard_Toggle_S ... w_id.38543

The Ancor brand are made by Marinco. http://www.marinco.com/brand/ancor
Marinco's are the same thing that's installed on my Honda generator...they may be a viable alternative to the Eatons.