While waiting for Ghent's RTX modules to arrive (today marks 60 days of waiting), I thought I'd start addressing some of the basic wiring in the pair of ICEpower 1200AS mono amps I'll be assembling. It took only minutes to hit a snag. Specifically, the color-coded wires of the internal mains cables supplied by ICEpower conflict with the 1200AS documentation:
The hot, brown wire should go to pin 3 of P100 and the blue to pin 1. The connector has the colors reversed. A photo of the interior of a Rouge amp using the same ICEpower board does show blue on pin 1 and brown on pin 3:
Safe to assume ICEpower erred in making the mains cables?
A little reassurance would be appreciated.
The hot, brown wire should go to pin 3 of P100 and the blue to pin 1. The connector has the colors reversed. A photo of the interior of a Rouge amp using the same ICEpower board does show blue on pin 1 and brown on pin 3:
Safe to assume ICEpower erred in making the mains cables?
A little reassurance would be appreciated.
That was good advice. I did contact ICEpower. Their response:
"Hi David,
The connector can only mount in one way due to the small “locking mechanism”. So if you mount the cable connector correctly to the connector on the board, then all should be fine.
On the P100 Mains Connector of the 1200AS, Pin1 is Neutral and Pin3 is Live AC.
Merry Christmas."
Unfortunately, perhaps due to language, my point about the blue and brown wires being reversed in their supplied cable connector was missed. Of course I know the connector can only be inserted one way but that put the blue wire on pin 3 which (as confirmed in ICEpower's reply) is the live pin. I swapped the wire positions in the two cables so blue is on 1 and brown is on 3 in the JST connector.
"Hi David,
The connector can only mount in one way due to the small “locking mechanism”. So if you mount the cable connector correctly to the connector on the board, then all should be fine.
On the P100 Mains Connector of the 1200AS, Pin1 is Neutral and Pin3 is Live AC.
Merry Christmas."
Unfortunately, perhaps due to language, my point about the blue and brown wires being reversed in their supplied cable connector was missed. Of course I know the connector can only be inserted one way but that put the blue wire on pin 3 which (as confirmed in ICEpower's reply) is the live pin. I swapped the wire positions in the two cables so blue is on 1 and brown is on 3 in the JST connector.
You might want to get back with them and clarify this further. Either they have changed the design,
or someone fouled up when inserting the terminated wires into the housing. I don't know if the wire
swap is important or not, but the mfr should clearly state which way it should be. They should also
know that some of these have been wrongly assembled, if that is the case.
or someone fouled up when inserting the terminated wires into the housing. I don't know if the wire
swap is important or not, but the mfr should clearly state which way it should be. They should also
know that some of these have been wrongly assembled, if that is the case.
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Yes, I did follow up immediately and attempted to make clear the issue is that someone might plug in the incorrectly wired cable and assume that brown is positive. I don't know for a fact what the impact would be of switching live and neutral but I suspect it wouldn't be good. In any case, this time, ICEpower did not respond.
No question is too basic or embarrasing to ask. By the way, Parts Express in the U.S. sells all the wiring for the IcePower modules. Click here: icepower - Parts Express Ships Fast and Ships Free.
Let's please not go there.
Brown is active here too. This would be enough to have me asking a few choice questions.
If both leads go to transformer on the SMPS portion of module AND both leads are fused, may not matter, but you really want the fuse on the HOT if there is only one fuse, yes?
I am pretty sure it only has one fuse (like all the other ICEpowers I worked with), so I believe it does matter....
I am pretty sure it only has one fuse (like all the other ICEpowers I worked with), so I believe it does matter....
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I suspect the wiring to the transformer is minimal so its unlikely to be a problem.
If it was connected to various things then I would definitely put hot to the fuse.
It doesn't take much work to swap around the wires anyway.
It really needs buzzing out back to mains plug to ensure the right way around.
If they got it wrong once its possible they have done it again.
If it was connected to various things then I would definitely put hot to the fuse.
It doesn't take much work to swap around the wires anyway.
It really needs buzzing out back to mains plug to ensure the right way around.
If they got it wrong once its possible they have done it again.