[ferday]

i want to make a power bar, mostly because the spacing on my nice home theatre bar is poor with all the clunky 12V transformers on it, but while i'm at it would like to add some timers for certain outputs, etc and split the bar so i can plug into another circuit to increase the usable outlets.  i'm thinking i can do this for much cheaper than a commercial unit since i have a multitude of old power bars to raid for parts
 
i guess my question is, is there any reason why i can't rip the surge protection PCB out of an old power strip and simply put into my DIY unit?  is it a better idea to DIY the surge protection and/or put some sort of DIY conditioning in (i've never believed in "power conditioning", but while i'm in there....)?  If that's the case, does anyone have any source on power conditioning DIY parts?
 
thanks!

 

[DingoSmuggler]

No! Just no!
Mains wiring and hack jobs are a bad mix.
 
Just get yourself a power board that has wider spacing with the features you want. A properly constructed, safe DIY board will cost more.

 

[MikeyFresh]

I'd like to try to revive this 1+ year old thread with a few photos of 2 DIY power strip chassis I just took delivery on.
 
The 2 duplex version in black will use somewhat standard wiring and AC outlets, for my nephew's guitar amp and effects pedal board power supply.
 
The 3 duplex version in silver will be for my Hi-Fi system and will use somewhat more upscale parts, some of which are as yet TBD.
 




These are nicely machined pieces and only took a few days via Air Mail to arrive from Hong Kong.
 
I wish there were North American made alternatives but there aren't to my knowledge, and if there were they would cost hundreds of dollars (just like the Oyaide MTB chassis), much more than I was willing to budget for this project.
 
More to come as I receive all the necessary parts and put them together.

 

[Speedskater]

Well some of us would say that often surge protection in the power bar/outlet strip is a bad idea.  But for the rest of the build, it's just like what electricians do every day.
 
Surge protection should be at the home's service entrance, main breaker box.

 

[MikeyFresh]

.

 

[ferday]

those are nice DIY boxes!  do you have a link?
 
i ended up cutting holes in the wall and wiring in a new circuit with a dedicated breaker.  if i ever get to build (another) listening room i'd definitely change the way i run power in the walls!  when i did mine i didn't anticipate so many plug ins nor how massive some of the 12V converters are

 

[MikeyFresh]

  those are nice DIY boxes!  do you have a link?
 
i ended up cutting holes in the wall and wiring in a new circuit with a dedicated breaker.  if i ever get to build (another) listening room i'd definitely change the way i run power in the walls!  when i did mine i didn't anticipate so many plug ins nor how massive some of the 12V converters are

 
Yes I used this eBay listing. The seller has a very good rating, or I wouldn't have bothered.
 
I'm not a huge fan of eBay or buying things from Hong Kong, however this roll of the dice turned out very well.
 
The seller shipped them right out and they flew straight from HK to NY in just a few days time, delivered via Air Mail without incident.

 

[MikeyFresh]

Just about ready to build this project, I've got most of the parts I need.
 
Test fit of Furutech FI-06(G) IEC inlet:
 

 

[Habu2u]

MikeyFresh,
 
Good morning.
 
Would you please provide us with a list of the parts you purchased for your Audio System's "DIY power bar/strip"?
 
 
Thanks,
 
Will

 

[MikeyFresh]

  MikeyFresh,
 
Good morning.
 
Would you please provide us with a list of the parts you purchased for your Audio System's "DIY power bar/strip"?
 
 
Thanks,
 
Will

Sure thing Will.
 
I've already provided a link above in Post #7 for the actual power strip chassis.
 
Other parts I am using include:
 
 
Furutech FI-06(G) IEC inlet
 
Furutech Alpha-12 OCC hook-up wire (3 duplex strip)
 
Southwire THHN 12 gauge solid core wire (2 duplex strip)
 
PS Audio Power Port Classic duplex outlets (2 duplex strip)
 
 
... still TBD are the AC outlets for the 3 duplex strip. I'm leaning towards the VooDoo Cable Hubbell IG8300, cryo treated with phosphor bronze contacts instead of the standard brass contacts. Not cheap, but less than half the price (for instance) of the Oyaide SWO-XXX outlets.
 
Also still under consideration for one or both strips is the use of Stillpoints ERS cloth, to absorb stray EMI/RFI.
 
Some of the stuff I'm using or considering I already had on hand, so the above parts list is by no means meant to represent a definitive way of doing this project, nor somehow massively better than if using other similar or less expensive parts.

 

[Sherwood]

Originally Posted by MikeyFresh /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I'm not a huge fan of eBay or buying things from Hong Kong

 
Oh, man, Hong Kong is amazing.  

 

[MikeyFresh]

   
Oh, man, Hong Kong is amazing.  

In this case certainly true, the only real quality alternative to those chassis readily available in the U.S. to my knowledge is the very pricey Oyaide MTB-6, which was more than I was willing to spend on this.

 

[MikeyFresh]

Another test fit photo, this time with PS Audio Power Port Classics and a couple of pieces of the 12 gauge Southwire THHN hook-up wire installed:
 

 

[Sherwood]

That looks very clean!  I'm thinking of working one of these up myself here shortly.

 

[Habu2u]

MikeyFresh,
 
Thank you for your detailed supply list.
 
From your guitar amp  power strip, I see you're parallel wiring. Very clean.
 
For your audio rig, have you considered the Star Wiring Pattern?  
 
When you invest time in star wiring, it can turn out just as clean.
 
From what I understand, the star wiring pattern helps remove stray EMI/RFI, by providing a direct electrical connection from the source to each outlet.
 
Thanks again, and looking forward to your updates and results….  (smile)