> 1. Is it true that plug adapters similar to those used by tourist are > not legal in most countries?
I would say the difficulty is not whether it is legal, but whether you could get the necessary agency approvals. I know of no laws saying it is illegal to use an adapter, but some agencies are unwilling to approve them due to the possibilities of misuse. It may depend on the adapter. For example it is easy to go from IEC 320 series to national plugs. It would be much harder to get someone who would make an adapter from NEMA 5-15R to NEMA 6-15P. You will probably have most trouble with importing stuff to countries which have come up with protectionist (slightly different) plug dimensions for standard configurations, like Japan, China, and Argentina. I have two different adapters (by Wellshin and Electricord) IEC 320 C13 to NEMA 5-15P with CSA labels, so clearly some agencies are offering approvals on some configurations. You might look at these as zero length cord sets. > 2. How many different adapters are required to be stocked to handle the > various requirements for plugs and safety approvals? Take a look at the power cord variations available from places like Panel Components, ICI, Feller, Belden, etc. to match your needs, picturing an IEC 320 C13 cord set as an adapter. You're not likely to want to bother with every permutation. > > 3. Would you please identify them by the countries that use them? Or, > is there a good on-line source for this information? Just fill out literature request cards from design magazines and you will get tons of country charts and configuration pictures. Searches on the net will also lead to similar info. Cord sets are easy to find, adapters are harder. --------- This message is coming from the emc-pstc discussion list. To cancel your subscription, send mail to majord...@ieee.org with the single line: "unsubscribe emc-pstc" (without the quotes). For help, send mail to ed.pr...@cubic.com, j...@gwmail.monarch.com, ri...@sdd.hp.com, or roger.volgst...@compaq.com (the list administrators).
