Electrical cords and death rays

[Roger H]

Maybe some things are better lost? Anyway, I found this snippet of a pre-hack thread on Google... Maybe you had to be there...

FiberglassRV -> All About Our Unique Little Trailers -> Problem Solving -- Owners helping Owners

Pages: (3) 1 [2] 3 ( Go to first unread post )

[b]Proper Electrical Cords

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Frederick L. Simson Posted: Dec 17 2004, 03:24 AM
Member
Joined: 30-April 04
RV Type: 1971 Compact Jr. & 1978 FiberStream
Location: San Diego, California



QUOTE (jrnutpaul @ Dec 16 2004, 06:45 PM)
Frederick,

When you go from San Diego to Malibu, what size extension cord do you use?




Our annual retreat to Malibu Hills involves setting up the "campsite" in an unimproved live-oak grove where the closest electricity and water are in a building 100' to 125' away. This is just for the RV'ers. The tenters are in other areas, fields mostly, some of them string upwards of 200' to 300' of extension cords. We are prohibited from running high power equipment (Heaters, Refrigerators) electrically, so those I run off propane.


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Roger3021 Posted: Dec 17 2004, 03:28 AM
Member
Joined: 29-April 04
RV Type: 1987 Burro 17' wide body
Location: Eastern Iowa

Whew, Frederick...

I thought you were going to say "one about 90 miles long with a big, big cord reel!"

Roger


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Dan Meyer Posted: Dec 19 2004, 06:32 PM
Member
Joined: 28-December 02
RV Type: 2000 Scamp 16 side dinette / bathroom
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota

Hi Robert

In answer to "What do you intend to run at the end of this extension cord?"

you answered: "Appliances: fridge, microwave, lights, a/c, camera and computer chargers, computer, TV, CD-stereo, Zoltanese death ray."

100 feet of 14 gauge extension cord will run evrything listed above with no problem, with the possible exception of A/C and Zoltanese death ray.

How large is your A/C, and death ray? If the current draw from these appliances is under 10 amps, you should be good to go. If the running current is higher than 10 amps, get a 12 gauge or large extension cord.

-- Dan Meyer


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steve L. Posted: Dec 19 2004, 11:09 PM
Member
Joined: 25-November 02
RV Type: 2003 Casita Spirit Deluxe
Location: Detroit

Zoltanese Death Rays, if they haven’t changed since I last used one, are a real PITA. They’re positive ground, 50 hertz units, assembled with Whitworth left hand threaded fasteners and are generally coin operated. It takes pocket full of quarters to do any real damage. BAH!


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Roger3021 Posted: Dec 20 2004, 12:53 AM
Member
Joined: 29-April 04
RV Type: 1987 Burro 17' wide body
Location: Eastern Iowa

I've been reading with interest about the "Zoltanese Death Rays" in this thread. I'm not really familiar with that particular brand. I am more familiar with the "Electrolux Death Ray" from Brotronic Weapons whose motto is "Yesterday's Future Today".

LINK: Electrolux Death Ray from Brotonic Weapons

Steve, could you comment on whether you believe the Electrolux Death Ray to be easier to operate than the Zoltanexe Death Ray?

Many thanks,

Roger

This post has been edited by Roger3021 on Dec 20 2004, 02:06 AM


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Robert Brummett Posted: Dec 20 2004, 01:28 AM
Member
Joined: 7-January 03
RV Type: 17' Casita SD
Location: York, PA & Co. Kerry, Ire

Quarters? QUARTERS? Mine runs on 20p coins only! Every time I go over I have to bring back a bagful. What a pain! Now I feel swindled.


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steve L. Posted: Dec 20 2004, 12:46 PM
Member
Joined: 25-November 02
RV Type: 2003 Casita Spirit Deluxe
Location: Detroit

Robert,

You must have brought your death ray over from one of your trips to the UK (source of all things Whitworth). Mine had a coin attachment from a local laundromat cobbled onto it.

Once it went off prematurely. (Don't even get me started on what the inverter looked like for that thing.) I was dialing it in to deal with some yahoo who I'd been stuck behind who was traveling 5 under the limit, in the left lane, and who had his left turn blinker on for the last 12 miles.

Anyhoo, it shorted out on the radio grill while "Indiana Wants Me" was playing. Never heard from that group again. Always wondered if I was somehow responsible for snuffing that guy's career.

Roger,

Ooh! I'd kill for an Electrolux Death Ray!


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Roger3021 Posted: Dec 20 2004, 01:32 PM
Member
Joined: 29-April 04
RV Type: 1987 Burro 17' wide body
Location: Eastern Iowa

Obviously, the Zoltanese Death Ray must use the same cloth-insulated Lucas electrics as Jag used for years. Sometimes, as in the case of the Electrolux Death Ray, domestics do appear to be more reliable. I don't believe I've ever seen an Electrolux that was coin op. That would certainly speed up the operations if you didn't have to worry about coins!

Roger


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steve L. Posted: Dec 20 2004, 02:24 PM
Member
Joined: 25-November 02
RV Type: 2003 Casita Spirit Deluxe
Location: Detroit

Spot on with respect to the Lucas Electronics. Usually, if the D.Ray didn't work I had to check the ballast resistor!

If Lucas made guns, wars wouldn't start either. Lucas 3-way light switches: 1. Dim, 2. Flicker 3. Off. Edison invented the light bulb, Bell invented the telephone, Lucas invented the short circuit.

Hmmm. How far afield from electric cords can we wander? This is rapidly sliding into Tall Tale territory.

This post has been edited by steve L. on Dec 20 2004, 02:26 PM


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Joe MacDonald Posted: Dec 20 2004, 02:28 PM
Member
Joined: 31-December 02
RV Type: 1981 Trillium 5500
Location: Whitefish Ontario Canada

By the Ballast resister comment I would guess that Chrysler had their hand in these death rays somehow. Never could keep enough of these on hand.


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Nick Posted: Dec 20 2004, 02:53 PM
Member
Joined: 15-September 02
RV Type: 17ft Casita SD
Location: Fort Worth,Texas

Joseph Lucas "Prince of Darkness" 1834-1903.

A very familier name to more mature lovers of British Motorcycles

This post has been edited by Nick on Dec 20 2004, 02:54 PM


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Roger3021 Posted: Dec 20 2004, 03:32 PM
Member
Joined: 29-April 04
RV Type: 1987 Burro 17' wide body
Location: Eastern Iowa

QUOTE (steve L. @ Dec 20 2004, 08:24 AM)
Hmmm. How far afield from electric cords can we wander? This is rapidly sliding into Tall Tale territory.

Steve, "sliding" would tend to indicate present tense. I believe that this one has already GONE!

Roger


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Per Walthinsen Posted: Dec 20 2004, 04:11 PM
Member
Joined: 11-July 04
RV Type: Burro 17' Widebody
Location: Portland, Oregon

My '99 Honda Odyssey has a Lucas vacuum booster for the brakes. I almost demanded a refund when I discovered this (yes, my fear is based on repeated personal experience).


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william russell Posted: Dec 20 2004, 04:40 PM
Member
Joined: 1-February 04
RV Type: Casita 1994
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Peronally, I enjoyed this thread a LOT........good laughs


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Pete Dumbleton Posted: Dec 20 2004, 11:10 PM
Member
Joined: 21-September 02
RV Type: '91 Scamp 13' & '82 Dodge 2WD pickup
Location: FullTiming & On the Road, from FL

Friend of mine had a Triumph or MG and he said the Lucas voltage regulator had a metal case on it that was closed at bottom and open on top -- since it was mounted on the firewall, every time he opened a wet hood, more water ran into it...

[jack maloney]

Roger: Thanks for posting this walk down memory lane (walking because the Healey wouldn't start). As the former owner of 3 MGs, 2 Austin Healeys and 2 Austin Minis, I am all too familiar with Lucas, Prince of Darkness!

On the bright side, there was almost nothing on those cars that couldn't be fixed with a piece of wire, a spanner, or a VERY LARGE hammer. Try that with your microchipped cars of today!

[Frederick L. Simson]

I guess it's about time I wound up that extension cord...

[Roger H]

All I can say is that when I was in HS back in the 70's I drove a lot of SPrites and I loved them. My father loved them even more for the birth control effect.

I knew that Lucas, the Prince of Darkness, was responsible for a lot of bad things in auto electrical systems, but I didn't know that riding in a car with Lucas electrics could cause you to go sterile too!

Roger

[Andrew Gibbens]

All I can say is that when I was in HS back in the 70's I drove a lot of SPrites and I loved them. My father loved them even more for the birth control effect.

Mark 1's (Frogeye or Bugeye) had no boot/trunk lid but an opening behind the seats instead. My cousin persuaded his (now) wife that one brake light wasn't working and that she should climb into the boot/trunk and press on the light fitting with her foot. He then said that the other light was misbehaving too and he would need to press that one also with his foot. Since she and he were there, lying side by side..........

And all you guys being sooo mean about the Prince of Darkness might like to know that when the Russian Dnepr/Ural motorcycle (WWII BMW knock-off) first came to Britain, a popular modification was to remove all the electrics and replace them with Lucas components, in order to improve the reliability. Sorry if that idea gives you nightmares.

Andrew

[Roger H]

My closest brush with Lucas was when my Navy roommate's '69 Spridget caught fire at a traffic light... fortuitously, (or not... ) there was a truck immediately behind him that serviced fire extinguishers! We spent DAYS on the re-wire. I don't think the car ever ran again!

Roger