Submitted 2 months ago by QuinnyCoded@sh.itjust.works to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/19ab84e0-ce7b-4eb6-8cae-f653e7a72d9c.jpeg
I must have gotten pale when some festival organizer handed me the end of a cable with a male plug. ‘Your electricity supply, here you go!’
Me: ‘… ???’
Organizer, still waving the cable end around: ‘Just use an adapter!’ (he barely managed to omit the ‘stupid woman’ in his answer …)
I don’t get what you were supposed to do with a plug and an adapter.
Are you supposed to do it? No. Is it safe? Also no. But did lots of our grandfathers run their Christmas lights with an odd mismatch of cords including one of these? Yesss with a cigarette in one hand, a beer in the other, they sure as hell did.
Those of us that remember our grandparents getting away with it are a product of survival bias.
I was gonna mention something like a USB Type-C cable, but that’s not really electricians’ territory, is it?
USB-C is kinda sorta hermaphroditic.
When USB-C-compliant devices are connected, they have to negotiate which side is upstream and which is downstream. So yes, they’re hermaphroditic, just like snails.
In contrast, the USB A-to-A cable that Ugreen uses is closer to hyenas. If you know, you know… and don’t you wish you didn’t.
that “kinda sorta” is doing a lot of work there.
Here’s a handy reference: everything downstream of a plug socket is electronics, everything upstream of a plug socket is electrical.
Sincerely, an electronics engineer that works in the electrical field.
USB-C is specifically designed so it can swap between different modes safely by way of devices being able to communicate what they need from a plug via dedicated pins in the socket. So yeah, you can have USB-C male/male cables and it’s going to be safe as long as you use it with compatible devices.
Pfisterer HV terminations are male to male. They also have big butt plugs for when they’re not in use. Kinky Germans.
How else will my generator power my house?
Ok i get the electrician joke, but what is this love wins thing? Its like a screenshot of two posts and the bottom is cut off
Bc when you plug something into the socket wrong, it always causes a full nuclear explosion! Yeesh, how did you not know this already…? (/s)
I mean, generators exist and you usually need a male to male cable to plug into your house
The better solution is getting a sparkie to install a male socket (with protective cover) for power inlet if you’re anticipating needing a genset on any regular basis. While they’re at it get them to also install an isolating switch so you can easily avoid backfeeding power into the grid while keeping the house powered.
You don’t. You need an Interconnect and an “Inlet” port. You could use a male-to-male, but they’re illegal and dangerous to the line workers.
Only if you like murdering utility repairmen.
HDMI, C to C, etc. Cables
Electricians don’t deal with HDMI or C cables, that’s probably an electronics engineer job or IT
uhlala plugging two USB cables require an electronics engineering degree… /s
Electricians like in electricity, I guess
I think everything USB C is stupid. Bring back the A and A to C cables. Do I have to upgrade literally everything to use a laptop normally.
It’s like saying we should go back to USB-b to A because I still have a printer using it, or even a serial port.
It’s annoying the change I know, but once we’ll just need one type of cable for everything IT related I think it will be for the best
I think it’s pretty neat to be able to attach one USB-C/Thunderbolt cable to the laptop and drive 3 external displays, 5-6 USB devices and receive power and networking at the same time. I’m shuddering just trying to think of the mess it would be with separate USB/HDMI/DP cables.
As for when using the laptop on its own… anything that doesn’t have a native USB C is easy to adapt, but even then there are many devices that are wireless and don’t need a USB at all.
kersploosh@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
The last extension cord you will ever need.
Image
lime@feddit.nu 2 months ago
at least it’s short enough that it will only reach two plugs on the same panel, thereby guaranteeing that the first things that blow are breakers.
terranoid@lemmy.cafe 2 months ago
Yeah, not what I need. I need NEMA 5-15 to CAT6 adapter
_druid@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Alternatively, One can plug one end in, then you have a creative new way to parent.
“Didn’t mow the lawn? C’mere Billy, hold out your palm.”
CoopaLoopa@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Unless one of your outlets is wired backwards, plugging this into 2 outlets on the same side of your electrical panel won’t do anything.
If you were able to plug it into outlets on different sides of your panel, then you just created a 240v short and the cable is going to be real-spicy real-quick.
Venator@lemmy.nz 2 months ago
Unless you accidentally touch one if the prongs after plugging one end in… 😅
JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
Would that only happen if one outlet were wired backwards (hot to neutral and vice-versa)?
If both outlets are wired correctly, as I’m envisioning it, the extension cord is parallel to the existing branch.
Same if both outlets are wired (the same) incorrectly.
But if one outlet is wired correctly and one has its poles swapped, then you are shorting hot directly to neutral…
But also being a 3-prong outlet…assuming everything is wired correctly…the short would either be redirected to ground and either trip the breaker or trigger a GFCI…no?
IANAElectrician. Just a high dude thinking about circuits.
Lemmyoutofhere@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
Laughs in generator.
SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
You are forgetting the plug on the knob that will plug it in
uen3@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Even better: Image
agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Is this the one you use to feed the house from a generator? If so, I think that’s the one time it’s valid
JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
The lovely suicide cord.
Worth mentioning that it is plenty safe…if used appropriately (for attaching a generator to a house that doesn’t have an inlet).
It’s when it’s not used appropriately that’s a problem. And it’s very easy to not use it appropriately.
Bad_Ideas_In_Bulk@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Murphy’s law says it will be used wrong, and as such it is a bad design and a bad idea.
expatriado@lemmy.world 2 months ago
i guess if you’re got a bad breaker on your panel, you can load 2 circuits on one breaker with that thing, at least until the hardware store opens. you still get overcurrent protection… but a very unlikely thing to need