Power distribution box. Anyone have a source for these surpluss?

[ke7trp]

I have a 50 amp 220 volt line run to the shack. I would like to run one SSB amp at 220 volt and then run 120 volt transmitters off this line, GK500C, Champion, Valiant ect ect...  I used to see these all over the place but now that I need one, I cant seem to find one.  Anyone have a source?

Here is something that would work as an example:

[WD5JKO]

Clark,

   I don't have any of those, but they sure look nifty, and convenient.

Your approach does pose some engineering concerns as well as some NEC issues. I will only speak about the engineering side since I cannot quote verses on the NEC rules. I see a couple of issues,

1.) how to get 220V or thereabouts when the feed might be 250v

2.) how to balance the 120v circuits to minimize neutral current (if the feed has a neutral)

I was going to do the same thing but I ran out of ambition. My approach was going to take the electric stove 50 amp 220v circuit and reroute to the shack (we have a gas stove). The house is old so it has a 3 wire cable (hot-hot-gnd). Not deterred, I found a very large 220v - 120v step-down transformer with lots of taps on the primary. The idea was to use the primary as an autotransformer to boost/buck the 220V (or whatever it is) input to the desired output, while at the same time providing a very stiff 120v that draws upon both sides of the incoming 220v (again whatever it is) such that the power feed stays balanced.

Still waiting on the ambition stage to move forward. Been traveling way too much lately, and other concerns (I have a pool) keep trumping ham radio.

Good luck with your search.
Jim
WD5JKO

[Opcom]

Try asking generator rental places and stage production electronics (road show rentals etc) houses for their old beaters?

[WD5JKO]

Goof idea Patrick!

One additional thought Clark, if you intend to power 120V stuff from one side of 220 to Neutral, make sure the wiring has the neutral wire gage the same as the hot-hot 220v. Maybe I'm wrong, but I seem to recall 4 wire 220v 50 amp romex (or whatever you call it) in the big box stores where the neutral wire is a smaller diameter wire than the hot wires.

If you DO intend to pull 15-20 amps 120 from one side of 220 to Neutral, then try each side to see what gives you better regulation. The homes sharing the pole pig transformer might not be balanced, so trying each side might show a preference to one side. Of course, this all depends on the season, time of day, etc. since home power draw varies considerably.

Jim
WD5JKO

[ke7trp]

Ok.. Good information. I need to call some rental places and Gen houses. I used to work for Cat and we had a power systems division. If I can remember any of those guys names this would be a snap.

After speaking about this over the air I got a picture of one hams solution to this exact problem. He purchased a small Cuttler hammer breaker box. Then purchased some outlet boxes and mounted them to the side of the small breaker box. This way, each line had its own breaker.

I was sitting here last night and thought about that major problem. If I dont have breakers AT this box, you could be in real trouble if you had a short on one of the 120 volt outlets.  Lets say the King decided to short and the kings fuse did not blow.. You would have 50 amp breakers there at the house that would not Trip and a fire in the shack.

The run is 6-4 cable. Right to the box on the side of the house with its own 50 amp breaker. The plug on the wall is a comercial style stainless cover outlet.  It has a large plug used for welders plug.

I would like to run:

One SSB amp such as my SB220 = one 220V
My 4-400 transmitter = one 220V
My Globe king 500C = one 120 volt
One spare 120 volt outlet for maybe a valiant, Globe Champion ect..

Keep in mind, I will only have ONE of these on at a time. I would never have two on at once.

So its not a matter of balancing or current as much as it is having the connections there.

If anyone comes across a solution let me now.  I think I will end up making my own breaker box with outlets like the local ham did.  I used to see these kind of boxes all the time years back. But now that I need one, I cant turn one up   But I am going to look at Generator break out boxes online today!

Clark

[WA1GFZ]

Why not get a sub panel and do dryer /  stove outlets

[WBear2GCR]

I'd get some "quad boxes" and roll my own...

A few twist loc 240 AC females, cover(s) to match, and the same for the standard AC...
Then all you need is to get corresponding extra quad boxes for the breakers that you mount into the flat plain covers...
done. Pipe nipples and those standard "electrical connector nuts" what are those things called to hold the whole thing together and run the wire...

                 _-_-bear

PS a big arse iso transformer would seem to me to cause the load on the incoming 240v side to be balanced no matter what you did foolishly or otherwise on the secondary (shack) side of the affair...