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What cable and sockets in your dedicated radial?

1/ PV Off Grid system with 600ah Gel battery pack
2/ PV Inverter 5kw
3/ AC Feed to Stereo Hifi Tuning Supreme Fuses + Fuseholders
4/ DC protection Input Dehn 1000v Overvoltage , Surge & lightning protection
. AC protection Output Doepke DFS2-40 residual current circuit-breaker 40a/30ma
5/ AC Wiring Belden screened 6mm2 + DC 35mm2 Woehner Silver platerCopper busbars
 
JimDog said:
Thanks for these interesting stories.

I am not an inveterate box swapper.

[My guess is that you are attributing to me something that previously applied to you, judging from your stories of buying hyper-expensive cables - which I have never done.]

After 24 years of buying 2nd hand Marantz, KEF, Rotel, etc, in 2004 I bought a new basic Naim system - kept this unchanged until 4 years ago, then moved to streaming, and traded to what I have now.

In 42 years of owning a HiFi system, I estimate that I have owned only 36 boxes including turntables, graphic equalizers and speakers (counting each individual speaker as 1 box).
Click to expand...

Sorry, have you had a few? It was not in anyway pointed at you. Rather the chap classing me as an Audiofool and suggesting he, and other arrogant 'folks' (God forbid Sparkies) know things that are totally in our Imagination after loving music for most of our lives? I could spend hours listing the components that have passed thru when I was buying and selling as a means to an end, or I could spend a few minutes listing the systems that have meant anything to me in the last in the last 50 years. As an aside note, looking at some of the crap on here, whilst not needing the Food banks, I have probably never earned nearly enough to be classified as an Audio Fool.
And without being rude, if you kept a Naim based system for that length of time, I can understand why you are asking for help. In the Good Old Days, we might afford or fall second hand to a magazine.
Happily an older friend of mine worked offshore and hence could afford a pair of Meridian M2s. I had to get my Mother to be .Guarantor? on the HP agreement as I had to have these. Tried Rogers /?, Spendor ??. Mission 770's?
Sold the M2s' last week and it was, I imagine like a Divorce.
Re the 32? components, leaving out turntables and cables and noting the each individual speakers as one box ( maybe I have 4/5 depending on your ears units working on 'each speaker'. 27 valves in the system (I've had hundreds and still have a few ( in the vault due to our New Dominance of the World).
And just to continue in the vein of the Alert, .. need a break, it's like Ludo of Brexit or Scalextric with the same nutters on the Roads who..... might get back for a laugh.....
 
Apologies Si74
I may have become confused and missed some flak that you received because I clicked to 'Ignore' at least one person who was being unpleasant earlier in this thread.
220px-88_Flak_16_3397921.jpg
 
daytona600 said:
1/ PV Off Grid system with 600ah Gel battery pack
2/ PV Inverter 5kw
3/ AC Feed to Stereo Hifi Tuning Supreme Fuses + Fuseholders
4/ DC protection Input Dehn 1000v Overvoltage , Surge & lightning protection
. AC protection Output Doepke DFS2-40 residual current circuit-breaker 40a/30ma
5/ AC Wiring Belden screened 6mm2 + DC 35mm2 Woehner Silver platerCopper busbars
Click to expand...
Daytona, thank you for listing these components.

It seems that you have a 5kw PV system on your roof that feeds into gel battery packs and is not connected to the national grid.

Would you please say a bit more about how this works and what audio gear it powers.

Is there a part of this forum or another forum where battery-powered hifi is discussed?

Am I about to make a mistake by investing in a mains based system when I could create a battery-based system instead?
 
As an electrician I could find some of the comments on this thread insulting. Luckily, I’m not that thin skinned.

There have been several posts on this thread that have suggested installations that are no longer compliant with current electrical regulations or have suggested the use of cable/ancillary equipment that do not have compliance to the relevant British Standards.

Electrical regulations are not set in stone, they evolve as technology allows improvements in safety. They change because accidents have happened that could have been avoided. Asking ‘audiophools’ that have no relevant background in the industry is a potential accident waiting to happen.

On a regular basis I have to design installations and circuits dedicated for specific loads, the fact that the audiophile community deems that irrelevant is definitely their loss.
 
Blackmetalboon said:
There have been several posts on this thread that have suggested installations that are no longer compliant with current electrical regulations or have suggested the use of cable/ancillary equipment that do not have compliance to the relevant British Standards.
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Which posts are you talking about?

If posts are promoting dangerous and/or illegal installations why not say what those are specifically rather than making generalizations?

No one reading this thread can benefit from your experience and wisdom unless you tell us precisely what you object to.
 
JimDog said:
Which posts are you talking about?

If posts are promoting dangerous and/or illegal installations why not say what those are specifically rather than making generalizations?

No one reading this thread can benefit from your experience and wisdom unless you tell us precisely what you object to.
Click to expand...

I’ve been there done that and it generally falls on deaf ears! The regulations were last amended in March this year so any post from people that have had work done before then could quite possibly be non compliant now.

Most (if not all) mains cable that is promoted to audiophiles do not comply with British Standards.
 
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JimDog said:
Thanks Richard

Was that a single cable for all your boxes?

Yes

Do you use a block and leads or a Hydra?

I have used cheapo mains blocks previously, I do have two Hydra's now but haven't yet used them for the full system as it is in a state of flux i.e. old Naim amplifiers all sold - Avondale's incoming.

Did it sound better than when you had them on the ring main (don't be shy to admit it!)?
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Very difficult to say as the system I had say 9months ago wasn't the system I had before we gutted the old Dining Room to create the Hi-Fi Room. It is impossible for me to state it is better or worse. I did it because considered opinion was that there would be an improvement and given that the space concerned was completely gutted installing it was no big deal and not that expensive to achieve. I also ran in a dedicated hard wire phone, Sat TV and internet cabling.

JimDog said:
How far is it from your meter to hifi CU - and from your hifi CU to the connector blocks?
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It is probably 11mtrs from the meter (Utility Room outside wall) to the CU (in the kitchen) and a further 12mtrs from the CU to the wall socket in the Hi-Fi Room (it has to go up into the roof space and is clipped up to the roof trusses (keep it away from the mice). The Hydra's/ mains blocks would be directly plugged in to the dedicated double socket. The two existing mains block have a 2mtr and 4mtr lead respectively.

As pointed out by @Blackmetalboon above I doubt my install is strictly code compliant (as our American friends would say) - I don't think it allows non-rigid T&E? Given it is being run from an RCD and it is 6mm2 cabling and all connected equipment is fused I can't say I'm too worried. The kitchen CU was installed by a qualified electrician in 2009 so relatively modern. The integrity of wiring has been checked by an electrician who installed the EV electrics (I asked him to run some extra checks whilst he was here) as it was when the PW2 was installed (extra checks requested).

Regards

Richard
 
Blackmetalboon said:
I’ve been there done that and it generally falls on deaf ears! The regulations were last amended in March this year so any post from people that have had work done before then could quite possibly be non compliant now.
Click to expand...

You do yourself a disfavour. Agreed that reg's continually change and past installations may not be relevant to current practices. A perfect example (to me) came when I had a flat inspected and consequently updated, esp. the 15 year old plastic c.u., which now had to be metal. I remember when metal was bad and a c.u. had to be plastic (as mine). Makes me wonder and a wee bits sceptical, considering that the common themes here are electricity and safety. Things have certainly come on from the days of fuse-boxes and ancient cables though. I'd've thought that previous legally installed supplies are currently only non-compliant regarding new reg's but by no means requiring constant updating !!!! :)

The o.p. is taking advice from his sparks as to what is legally and practically feasible for his audio supply. That really is the essential and penultimate step, i.m.o.
 
Mike Reed said:
You do yourself a disfavour. Agreed that reg's continually change and past installations may not be relevant to current practices. A perfect example (to me) came when I had a flat inspected and consequently updated, esp. the 15 year old plastic c.u., which now had to be metal. I remember when metal was bad and a c.u. had to be plastic (as mine). Makes me wonder and a wee bits sceptical, considering that the common themes here are electricity and safety. Things have certainly come on from the days of fuse-boxes and ancient cables though. I'd've thought that previous legally installed supplies are currently only non-compliant regarding new reg's but by no means requiring constant updating !!!! :)

The o.p. is taking advice from his sparks as to what is legally and practically feasible for his audio supply. That really is the essential and penultimate step, i.m.o.
Click to expand...

Most of the regs aren't retrospectively inforced or required providing the installation is safe. I regularly come across installs that don't confirm to latest specs, I'm not interested in making work for myself so don't insist on upgrading, however any work I undertake regarding new circuits must conform to the latest regs, this sometimes means the most prudent option would be a consumer unit replacement. In most cases this would make the whole installation safer and provide discrimination on all circuits (by fitting RCBOs) .

I don't know why we are being vilified for pointing out safety concerns and the irrationality of many of the audio suggestions.
 
I have no issue with a plastic cu. There are two of them in my own house. The regs ask for inflammable enclosures giving ferrous merely as an example. If I was to test an installation having a plastic cu I would simply give a recommendation for improvement. I have yet to see a cu that has been on fire.
 
JimDog said:
And have you ever heard of a case of such a cable being unsafe?
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If the cable was designed to be used in UK properties it would have the relevant BS Number. If the cable does not have have a BS Number than we can assume that it is not suitable for that use.

Mike Reed said:
You do yourself a disfavour. Agreed that reg's continually change and past installations may not be relevant to current practices. A perfect example (to me) came when I had a flat inspected and consequently updated, esp. the 15 year old plastic c.u., which now had to be metal. I remember when metal was bad and a c.u. had to be plastic (as mine). Makes me wonder and a wee bits sceptical, considering that the common themes here are electricity and safety. Things have certainly come on from the days of fuse-boxes and ancient cables though. I'd've thought that previous legally installed supplies are currently only non-compliant regarding new reg's but by no means requiring constant updating !!!! :)

The o.p. is taking advice from his sparks as to what is legally and practically feasible for his audio supply. That really is the essential and penultimate step, i.m.o.
Click to expand...

As @Ian G has mentioned, regulations are not retrospective. An installation is safe if it complied to the regulations at the time of installation, there are several posts in this thread of previous installations that would not comply with current regulations.
 
JimDog said:
Daytona, thank you for listing these components.

It seems that you have a 5kw PV system on your roof that feeds into gel battery packs and is not connected to the national grid.

PV system is Grid/Off Grid/AC mains charger with battery energy storage , excess energy stored or dumped into water tank
90% is sold to the national grid , balance used to power the Hifi / House
Made my own version of this
Pure Music Battery Power Supply | System Optimisation | Living Voice

Would you please say a bit more about how this works and what audio gear it powers.

constant regulated 240/50hz power no EMI/EMC/RFI , normal Mains allows 5% THD now 0.5% , no spikes , surges or brown outs & works in power cuts

Gear TT , Phono Stage , DAC , Sacd Player , Pre amp , Server , Active speakers 5x300w + 4 x Subs 400w

Is there a part of this forum or another forum where battery-powered hifi is discussed?
N/A

Am I about to make a mistake by investing in a mains based system when I could create a battery-based system instead?
Click to expand...
Yes the sun never sends you a bill not had a Leccy bill in ten years
 
daytona600 said:
Yes the sun never sends you a bill not had a Leccy bill in ten years
Click to expand...
I had a 4kw PV array installed on the roof of my previous house, but it was never enough to supply the 5 of us with leccy all round the year and round the clock.

But we did not have batteries.

How is battery power for hifi?
 
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