Hello, I just received this PT, 225VA, 230V to replace the old 120V unit, maker is Amplimo Holland/UK, they made the old one so it should drop right in (famous last words). Only thing I noticed are the very thin primary leads, solid core and about 22awg, apparently they are the winding run outside about 20cm as flying leads. I've seen this before on tiny units in old radios never on a big transformer, off hand seems a little worrying connecting these to the 230V mains. Every other PT I've used of whatever sort had stranded leads spliced on and buried inside under the tape. From the PT to the switch will be right around 20cm, not very long, so I'm guessing the leads will be fine but thought I'd ask just in case.
My instinct is to splice on 20 or 18awg leads right at the exit of the wind, solder, shrink, fit a bit of vinyl tubing over it all for aesthetics, and off to the races. Thin solid core likes to break too unless handled carefully, not that I intended to handle it much. But, I've also learned to leave well enough alone, don't look for trouble, don't cut wires that don't to be cut, and assume the maker knows more than I do.
Curious what people think, is it 100% safe to connect to the switch and mains as is? Better to splice on thicker stranded wire?
Old 120V PT still in place:
My instinct is to splice on 20 or 18awg leads right at the exit of the wind, solder, shrink, fit a bit of vinyl tubing over it all for aesthetics, and off to the races. Thin solid core likes to break too unless handled carefully, not that I intended to handle it much. But, I've also learned to leave well enough alone, don't look for trouble, don't cut wires that don't to be cut, and assume the maker knows more than I do.
Curious what people think, is it 100% safe to connect to the switch and mains as is? Better to splice on thicker stranded wire?
Old 120V PT still in place:
Yes, I've noticed that on secondaries, it never bothered me as it seemed to "make sense" but first time seeing the reverse on the 230V primaries threw me off. I will hook it up as it is, always better not to cut and splice when not called for.
#22 windings for the primary of a 225VA unit is appropriate - it’s only carrying 1A. Using the magnet wire for lead-outs is a cost saving measure because it eliminates a manufacturing step or two. The only question is whether you want to connect SOLID wire directly to whatever the trafo connects to. Things like faston disconnects and molex connectors don’t like solid wire - they prefer stranded. Soldered terminals or wire nuts don’t mind solid wire at all. One can always use a terminal strip to connect the leads to, then go to stranded wire. But that puts the extra manufacturing step on you. If the difference in price is more than the cost of a terminal strip, screw and nut, and a foot or so of wire, and labor to install it you come out ahead.
Don't worry about 6" or so of #22 (0.65mm diameter) wire between transformer and Mains connector or switch/fuse.
Remember you have, say, 30 to 50 meters 😲 of #22 enamelled wire inside the transformer: the primary winding.
0.65mm copper round wire diameter sounds right for a 200 something VA transformer on 220/249V mains
For reference I use 0.40 or 0.45 mm in my 120-150 VA transformers and 0.80 or 0.85 mm in my 350-400 VA ones @220V mains.
Exiting straight with primary wire is a cost/time cutting measure but not bad per se.
In any case transformer and IEC terminal are fixed inside a chassis so no undue wire flexing once mounted.
Hey, here we see lots of people using solid core single strand) wire to assemble their amplifiers (where it's fine) and even speakers (which I don't like but hey ....)
To each his own.
Remember you have, say, 30 to 50 meters 😲 of #22 enamelled wire inside the transformer: the primary winding.
0.65mm copper round wire diameter sounds right for a 200 something VA transformer on 220/249V mains
For reference I use 0.40 or 0.45 mm in my 120-150 VA transformers and 0.80 or 0.85 mm in my 350-400 VA ones @220V mains.
Exiting straight with primary wire is a cost/time cutting measure but not bad per se.
In any case transformer and IEC terminal are fixed inside a chassis so no undue wire flexing once mounted.
Hey, here we see lots of people using solid core single strand) wire to assemble their amplifiers (where it's fine) and even speakers (which I don't like but hey ....)
To each his own.
