German Power

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blasko

Member
I am trying to figure german supply voltage for a 12vdc LED project to be used in Berlin. All research shows 240v/50Hz line voltage. My question is the two types of plugs used; type C, or "europlug" which is a 2 pin unpolarized, ungrounded plug. The second is Type F or "Shucko" plug which is a 2 pin & ground. Because of the unpolarized type C plug how do I wire the 230v transformer? How do I determine neut. vs. hot? I won't be present when this is powered in Berlin.
 

eric stromberg

Senior Member
Location
Texas
The last time i worked in Germany, that was 1999, the votage was 230/400.
400 volts line to line. 230 volts line to neutral. There doesn't appear to be any polarizing in the plugs/receptacles. As far as i can tell, you take your chances when you plug in a lamp, with a two wire plug, to a receptacle. Sometimes the shell will be at 230, sometimes it will be at 0.

(The next higher voltage is 690V; analagous to our 480V)

Here's a link:

http://www.powercords.co.uk/standard.htm

Let me know what you find out.

Eric Stromberg, P.E.
 

peteo

Senior Member
Location
Los Angeles
First question, either call Eric's company or interpower, who have offices in Iowa and the UK.

Second question, they make 'wall cube' power supplies now, which give smoother output than a transformer. A switcher will typically simply snap off, as opposed to blowing anything, if accidentally shorted. One supplier which has offices here & there (so can ship direct into Germany) is digikey. That way you would put a connector on your project and ship it without the power supply (which has wires). Look up or talk with their tech support for the connector and polarity issues.

Shipping through common market customs is 'easier' when it's a printed wire board, as opposed to having wire (of any type) on it. But then all I've sent has been listed product, so that's the limit of my assistance. Good luck.
 

ramsy

Roger Ruhle dba NoFixNoPay
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
Re: German Power

blasko said:
All research shows 240v/50Hz line voltage. Because of the unpolarized type C plug how do I wire the 230v transformer? How do I determine neut. vs. hot? I won't be present when this is powered in Berlin.

Did a 230vac 50Hz output British xfmr at a local trade show this year. Except for having 2 rows of 3 terminals, all 6 terminals were not marked or differentiated in any way. I was told this was idiot proof for crossing Grnd, Neut, Hot.

We fed it 120 (from a 120/208Y xfmr), as long as input / output rows arn't shorted it was fine, the case didn't need to be bonded, it worked with 2 or 3 prongs. May have been a corner grounded delta, with all 3 acting as phases.
 

ramsy

Roger Ruhle dba NoFixNoPay
Location
LA basin, CA
Occupation
Service Electrician 2020 NEC
Forgot to mention, working with no guide, I made shure to match the order of G, N, H on both input & output terminals.

Also, this 220vac booth did not use ECG's, if they had that EGC could have been hot, I didn't need to check it. A hot ECG would have required either removing it from the unmarked xfmr terminal, or another soulution.
 
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