BB > -=> Quoting Laszlo Sokolai to Ken Lamison <=-
BB > LS>
BB > LS> I use surge suppresors on my audio equipment regardless of the long
BB > LS> term  current loss.  My amplifiers shut down in the even of them
BB > being
BB > LS> plugged into  a 240 volt receptacle.  My larger amp, a Crest 10004
BB > LS> (2500watts x 4 into 1  ohm) is pure 120/240 using neutral as
BB > effective
BB > LS> ground, i never had a moronic  mistakenly wired receptacle.
BB > Besides, i
BB >    I'll bet you that 118 vac up the neutral will still
BB > damage your rig. 
BB >    Neutral is rarely switched!
BB >    The point of the thread was to TEST BEFORE CONNECTING!
BB > You never know
BB >    when the 220v crowfoot you thought was single-phase is
BB > actually three-
BB >    phase.   A 30 second test saves money, time, and your
BB > reputation. 
Hmmm, well i guess i have not been on the road long enough.  So far i have 
seen 3 phase receptacles, but never plugged anything into them.  Usually if i 
get the chance i get a set of alligator clips that can handle 100 amperes 
max. and i simply remove the face of the breaker panel.  Usually this is 
easier for me because it usually says the phase on the breaker panel.  A 
single phase 220 volt receptacle will usually have 1 neutral, and 2 hot.  A 
three phase 220 volt can have up to 4 hot (usually 3) at 110 Y 208 volts 
between one of the two plugs.  An accident like this never should occur if 
you are a technician, but in case someone did decide on making a single phase 
receptacle more propietary to THEIR existing equipment rather than the 
standard, they should be fined by hydro.  I have wired propietary things in 
my life many times, and made sure that no one else has access to my 
propietary transformer, or any of my input or output plugs of my rack.  I 
have had some friends use a standard 120 volt 3 prong plug on their speaker 
cables and regretted it when they popped all of their stage speakers when 
someone came along and said "hmmm, let's see what this plug will power up"  
and all of a sudden "pop!" and BZZZZZZ - there go the speakers.  I know for a 
FACT that JBL tests their speakers this way on the bench, a 120 volt 
receptacle is basically capable of putting out an easy 1800 watts to an 8 ohm 
speaker, or 3600 watts to a 4 ohm speaker.  The difference between the 
wattage from the receptacle vs. the wattage from an equivalent rating power 
amplifier (3600 watts @ 4 ohms) is that the 60 hertz humm from the receptacle 
is very continuous, and the posssibility that a CLEAN sine wave does not 
exist.  From an power amplifier, say a CREST AUDIO CA12 power amplifier 
(stereo) (3969 watts per channel @ 4 ohms), you can get a clean since wave 
always, unless you clip the amplifier like all other abusive freaks do.  Then 
again, considering that there can be major mistakes out there with equipment 
being plugged into unusual plugs, well, yes, i would use a fluke testing 
meter too.  Last time i tested a receptacle it was wired for 600 volts @ 3 
phase and well, before i got a reading from my CHEAP MICRONTA radio shack 
brand multimeter, it frizzled the meter because the meter could only take 400 
volts.  And yes, you have a very realistic point for us road show dj's, a 
good fluke meter at 400 dollars will save you thousands in the long run.
Laszlo
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