Neutrik PowerCON TRUE1 - How to install male and female cable connectors

[@jonmustang]

That last bit where you showed them coming together; that was exactly what I was looking to confirm before ordering these. Thank you!

[@pfjanky]

When I sat down to make these videos I hoped that they would help even one person out there and I appreciate so much that you took the time to leave a comment. Thank you - and I'm glad it helped!

[@kitkats2391]

Watching you work, and listening to your commentary, is hilarious, and quite a good way to learn. thank you for your videos!!

[@pfjanky]

This makes me so happy, thank you!

[@RichGreaves100]

I've found if you flip the cable end for end you will find that the orientation of the wires will be correct, no need to manipulate the orientation at the connector.

[@pfjanky]

You know, after making so many cables it's embarrassing that I would learn this trick from the comments section of my own KZbin video hahaha! Thank you.

[@michaelvessa1518]

Tip: Cords of that style are specifically wound a certain way so that there is a female and male side of the cord. In the video your neutral-white wire was on the wrong side and you displayed some frustration. If you did the other side of the cable it would have been in the correct order for the connector. Great video very helpful thank you!

[@AndyMooreMusic]

Torque spec is always tighten until just before it breaks.

[@zachpangos7159]

Guessing Ave has been some inspiration lol. good video

[@pfjanky]

You guessed right! I love his sense of humor.

[@Yousitech]

16:54 infinite power I love it

[@0zxy0]

Next time you make up a connector, such at these, or even a Edison connector, like Hubble or something, and you discover that you need to cross the ground and neutral, try flipping the cable around to make up the other end. The arrangement of hot, neutral & ground will line up.

[@philtuttle]

Came here to say that. Thank you for mentioning.

[@muzguz7276]

Hi there. As you found out there is a correct end of the cable you need to use without crossing over them.

[@pfjanky]

Yeah... that's actually a great side effect of posting videos! Learning new things, especially those simple tricks, is always nice.

[@illestofdemall13]

@@pfjanky The directions say push and turn simultaneously so the part slides down the cable easily. You didn't turn yours as you slid it, so that's why you needed the lubricant. Lol

[@pfjanky]

@@illestofdemall13 if you look at the assembly instructions from Neutrik it says in bold, red lettering "Note: “Apply cable pulling lubricant to cable jacket.” and adds the additional information "Recommendation: Wire Pulling Lubricant - LUB-I/0.95 from 3M TM" which is why I did what I did. Assembly instructions are available here: www.neutrik.us/en-us/product/nac3fx-w

[@illestofdemall13]

@@pfjanky it also says to twist and push but you didn't.

[@pfjw]

@@illestofdemall13 you're completely right. I did mention to be careful when pushing it back and for this connector didn't have to rotate because I still had leftover cable lubricant on the jacket, sorry for not twisting. I look forward to watching your instructional videos to learn how to do this the right way!

[@mattsteakk]

How do you know which cable is hot, neutral, and ground?

[@pfjanky]

Hello - I would suggest doing some basic electrical tutorials before digging in on a mains-powered project. The standards for wire/cable color vary by region so I can't give you a good guide on that. Inside the Neutrik connectors themselves you will find labels for which goes where (scroll to 7:53 in the video).

[@mattsteakk]

@@pfjanky nah, I googled it and it took 45 seconds.

[@elitdenver269]

Have you gotten an alternative for the weicon #5? I didn't get it when they were $12 on ebay. They r now $40

[@pfjanky]

Hi, sorry for the delayed reply! The brand names tend to vary so I started searching for "pistol grip wire strippers" and got a lot of good results for under $20 USD. It looks like Harbor Freight sells a Pittsburgh brand set for $15. I've been getting whatever the affordable brand is on Amazon/eBay when the blades dull out (this is years / hundreds of strips later).

[@djpuma007]

Way to cool, live that idea!!!

[@ericmiller2323]

Dude this is awesome.

[@giovannigalvez8598]

For me I always use Ferrules when assembling powercon or any other electrical connector/termination. The raw strands directly are problematic in many ways. This cable cannot fail and is why ferrules comes into play.

[@pfjanky]

Hello, thanks for your comment! I didn't use ferrules because I wanted to follow Neutrik's instructions when making a tutorial video. Their instructions do not mention the use of ferrules so I didn't use them. Personally, I have experienced more issues when using ferrules than without. With a ferrule, there is only one small point of contact where the screw pinches the ferrule, and if the screw loosens at all that contact point is compromised. When using bare wire (I always use stranded wire) the wire conforms to the entire area of the termination and makes much better contact (in my experience). Ferrules usually look nicer but almost every time I have experienced a loose connection in a connector like this, someone had used a ferrule and it had come loose after use - so I have the opposite opinion that ferrules make these connections less reliable. After a bit of research it seems there is no standard for crimping ferrules and when using a ferrule from one brand and a crimper from another there is no guarantee the crimp will hold. I am guessing a lot of the failed ferrule connections I have seen were made with mismatched parts (something any of us could do without knowing it was a bad practice!) This video from Wiha was a god confirmation that without proper spec matching ferrule crimps often come apart: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5KUZKJnfpt3oa8 If I'm in the position of needing a truly failure-proof connector I will use solder. This is not to say there is anything wrong with the way you make cables! I have simply had worse luck with ferrules (made by others) so skip that step all together, especially since Neutrik's instructions are for bare cable.

[@giovannigalvez8598]

@@pfjanky You make a good point that not all ferrule crimpers are the same and should be paired with the corresponding ferrules. However, with the correct crimper like Wiha (not one of those basic crimpers) the ferrules have segments and will also be soft enough to be flexible when the screw pinches them. Soldering is definitely an option but under extreme conditions (dry desert and dust/wind) I saw that the wires aren't as flexible with the solder and strands start to break past the soldering portion. If the screws start coming loose that's a much bigger problem and should be checked. But in my experience bare wire begins to fray and ferrules that are properly crimped and installed actually make better contact and much harder to break off under strain.

[@pfjanky]

@@giovannigalvez8598 I would bet that the shop I used to have these issues with used generic crimpers and ferrules for an entire batch of cables and that soured my experience for life haha! Plus many of the failures I have experienced were with Neutrik NL Loudspeaker connectors because there are a lot of different types (and qualities) of cable used for speakers and it was likely NOT a match for the ferrules they were using. If I were working on this project in a shop with a group of people I trusted, a large spool of one trusted brand of cable, the correct tools and a reasonable budget I would absolutely use ferrules but since I almost am never in that situation (I work for a non-profit so accounting asking "aren't there generic ferrules?" comes into play, as well as 10+ years of purchasing whichever cable was affordable at the time) I can't guarantee the performance of the ferrules and therefore omit them from my projects.

[@kylehazachode]

I swore you were the one who taught me to use ferrules on the stranded wires. Anyways, why did you switch to True1? I’m still using the regular blue powercons

[@pfjanky]

I haven't done anything on ferrules so I don't think that was me, but I hope it worked out for you! I started making these True1 cables for the power strips I modified in my other video, and the only reason I chose them for that application was the great male/female combo package Neutrik sells for that product line.

[@PBS-nm1uu]

thanks, i was lost.

[@pfjanky]

I'm very glad I could help.

[@sharkai68]

Why not ferrules? That would improve security enormously. In Germany this is even compulsory. Otherwise there may be problems with the insurance in the event of a claim. And that can get really expensive.

[@bertjedekat]

I came here just wanting to know the use for this connector, so could somebody explain the (most) use for these?

[@pfjanky]

Hello! As far as I know the connectors are mainly used in the entertainment industry. Neutrik PowerCON originally came out as a VERY similar plug type as their SpeakON connector for loudspeakers. The original version wasn't rated for as high of a load as the TRUE1 series, and their big "flaw" was that they mated all pins simultaneously(ish) which meant that is was possible for ground to be connected after "hot" which meant you couldn't plug/unplug while the line was hot (everyone did anyway). The TRUE1 iteration added a higher power capability and more importantly assured the ground pin mated first so they could be used while live. The TRUE1 TOP added IP-something moisture/environmental resistance. This made them even more appealing to the entertainment industry which often produces shows outdoors. Plus, they lock in place easy-peasy! This also could be wrong hahaha... it's just my understanding of and experience with the connector! I hope it helped though; this is a very common connector on things like professional intelligent lighting, special FX, audio equipment, etc.

[@MichaelNatrin]

Great video. Can tell you watch AvE just by listening :)

[@pfjanky]

Yeah I always look for more AvE-like content so I figured I'd make some! I get so many good laughs from that channel.

[@galdavonalgerri2101]

I love your moans when you tighten the plugs. Also your comment when lubricating the outside of the wire is nice :-) I am going to buy NAC3MPX-TOP and NAC3FPX-TOP to make a waterproof plug connection for my car. I want to defrost the car with a fan heater when there is frost.

[@andrewfuhrman7699]

Since you've done so many of these, which type of power cable have you found works best? Do you have a specific brand and model?

[@pfjanky]

Hi Andrew, My go-to bulk cable is Coleman 23388 12/3 cable. It gets you the 12 AWG rating to comply with the connectors but has a small (and durable) enough outer jacket to fit the connectors reasonably. I purchase from Full Compass.

[@andrewfuhrman7699]

@@pfjanky Thanks for the reply. Great video. You mentioned using 14 ga in the video, so just making sure the stuff you recommended will fit.

[@pfjanky]

@@andrewfuhrman7699 thanks, I appreciate it. The cable I was using in the video was the stuff I cut off of the power strips in my Power Strip Conversion to PowerCon True1 video, so I was comfortable with the smaller AWG for that application. The spec sheet for the connectors actually call for 12/3 AWG to handle their full rated power capacity. The Coleman cable I buy in bulk suits that 12/3 spec and fits in the connector snugly. The OD of that Coleman cable is 10.92mm, which is a "Goldilocks" size for the Neutrik spec of 6-12mm OD.

[@oshtheld]

I think I was more interested in the wire stripper!

[@ignacioortiz7847]

Try connecting a tool on a GFCI OUTLET SEE IF IT WORKS. ON MINE IT didn’t work it tripped the outlet

[@pfjanky]

I haven't experienced this issue personally. Sometimes, especially with higher-power tools there is enough of an inrush current to trip breakers; especially on long extension cords.

[@robertniessner554]

Thank you for this very helpful guide - and the great tipp with the Weicon stripper. Did you know that you can order from Amazon.de with your Amazon.com account? On Amazon.de the Weicon tools are available. Anyway - I had already stripped cables to start with. So I used some soldering on the cable tips to keep the thin wires together and - because I forgot to order the wire pulling lubricant - I tried it with WD40. It worked. :-)

[@pfjanky]

Thanks for that info! I've never tried shopping outside of the US store on Amazon. I've always read that soldering the VERY TIPS of cables into screw terminals is permissible to keep them from fraying, but there shouldn't be solder on the area that will be clamped down. As the solder slowly compresses/deforms, the cable will just fall out of the screw terminal. As always, results vary across uses, but for anyone reading these comments I'd emphasize to not solder anything more than the very tip and not the whole length of cable being clamped into the connector terminals. WD40 is a great hack to avoid the cable lube! I honestly didn't even think of that. Always be sure to make sure the jacketing on your power cables will safely interact with WD40 or any other lubricant you choose to use. Thanks again!

[@robertniessner554]

Good to know about possible future troubles when soldering the clamped area of the wire. Didn't know that (and I never ran into that kind of a problem). Yeah, using WD40 is kind of a dirty hack as the oil could later brittle the rubber jacketing. I sprayed it on and wiped most of it off immediately. The rest dissipated quite fast - I guess it interacted with the rubber, but the surface looked ok upon a closer look.

[@robertniessner554]

Oh, and the yellow end part where you pull the wire through first - I think it is meant to stay inside the end part for better protection and not to be turned to the outside. Maybe that is the reason why the manual says push and turn at the same time.

[@chrisleslie1988]

You started with the right end, female first and male last cause you gotta plug in the male for power so touching those prongs you WOULDNT get shocked Also cable has a natural direction, so you shoulda had male and femaled switched, wouldn't of had to move cables

[@pfjanky]

Hi! Yeah, I realized the male/female thing when I was editing the video but didn't think it was worthy of a reshoot. Thanks for mentioning the natural direction of cables - more people should be aware of that!

[@chrisleslie1988]

pfjanky I agree! It’s not a huge known thing for natural direction I didn’t know it when I first started but it gets a lot easier when you know it lol

[@CapitanoGUC-gf6el]

can i use as well lubricant from the sex shop ??? :-o

[@pfjanky]

I don't see why not! I would confirm that it won't harm the jacket of the cable you're using, but especially with water-based lubes it should be totally smooth sailing.

[@MrBubbajohnson1]

Dish soap does the same lube! Save some $

[@pfjanky]

Good to know!! Thank you!

[@twochaudiomg2578]

That wire stripper You did not say how much it is Wonder way? $195. IT better be nice Dog.

[@pfjanky]

Not sure where you're shopping. I got mine from eBay for $26 USD. Prices for the Weicon No. 5 range from $23 to $60 USD on eBay as of 12/8/18. If you do a quick search on Amazon for "automatic wire stripper" you can find other brands for as little as $14 USD, and I'm sure the same applies for eBay. I don't want to post links because listings come and go, but if you can't find these products I'm happy to email you links if you send an email address. I'm not an affiliate for any product, just trying to help. Having said that, it IS nice, thanks. -Dog

[@JR-rf3zw]

Enough with the silly talk -quite annoying while watching -

[@pfjanky]

Thanks JR. I hope you can find a less annoying video! Silliness isn't for everyone.

[@pfjanky]

@@kjeldschouten-lebbing6260 In my opinion the more AvE-like content on KZbin the better. It's my favorite channel, and I imagine the same goes for a lot of folks. I was just hoping to make a video in a similar style since I consider it to be the most enjoyable to watch. I'll try to find my own personal niche as I slowly publish more videos, but without AvE's channel I would have never considered making something like this video.

[@troymeredith521]

@@pfjanky I was hoping you did make this video as a homage to AvE. It's perfect in his style minus the language. lol. When you measured with the pecker detector, it set the tone for the rest of the video. The content was perfect as I'm looking into converting some of my tools into this connection style. Great job.

[@pfjanky]

@@troymeredith521 Thanks so much for saying that - I really appreciate it. I'm hoping to get back into making videos soon, so I'll try my best to keep up the "casual" style.