- VCF South West - June 14 - 16, Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center at University of Texas at Dallas
- VCF West - Aug 2 - 3, Computer History Museum, Mountain View, CA
- VCF Midwest - Sept 7 - 8 2024, Schaumburg, IL
- VCF SoCal - Mid February 2025, Location TBD, Southern CA
- VCF East - April 2025, Infoage Museum, Wall NJ
-
Please review our updated Terms and Rules here
And here we thought that cube taps were bad practice...
- Thread starter Chuck(G)
- Start date
vwestlife
Veteran Member
I thought a "cube tap" was one of those cube-shaped devices which plugged directly into the outlet and gave you four or five non-grounded outlets, all pointing in different directions. Frequently shown in movies and TV shows being used to power multiple strings of Christmas tree lights, shorting out, and catching on fire.
This item is simply a power strip with an excessive amount of outlets. As long as it has a built-in circuit breaker, like I believe power strips are required to have to be UL Listed, then I don't see anything terribly wrong with it.
This item is simply a power strip with an excessive amount of outlets. As long as it has a built-in circuit breaker, like I believe power strips are required to have to be UL Listed, then I don't see anything terribly wrong with it.
Chuck(G)
25k Member
Yes, my use of "cube tap" was a bit of a stretch.
But 22 outlets on a 15A outlet from a plastic box? I dunno...
The power strips used with my HP PDU are rated at 15A and are wired to AWG 12 cable with C19 plugs.
But 22 outlets on a 15A outlet from a plastic box? I dunno...
The power strips used with my HP PDU are rated at 15A and are wired to AWG 12 cable with C19 plugs.
NeXT
Veteran Member
I don't like it either. It's like running the load of a larger space heater but it's through those bent brass terminal strips power bars are typically assembled from now. I'd rather suggest one of Hammond's power bars.
vwestlife
Veteran Member
I plugged a space heater into a power strip once. The power strip itself was fine, but its plug started to melt itself to the wall outlet.
Chuck(G)
25k Member
Belkin also makes some reasonable power bars. For example:
That looks like the serious power strips that were typical in the '70s and early '80s. Comparing it to the 22 outlet thing is like comparing a WW2 Jeep to a first generation Suzuki Samurai.
I can't see a situation where the Superdanny 22 outlet "cube tap" would be necessary, in spite of my 9VDC 500ma joke. If such a necessary setup exists, I'd still wonder if putting all those devices into one central location makes for good wiring practice. Most people I've seen set up things like this behind desks or bookcases and "forget" about them. If something goes wrong there, ...
I can't see a situation where the Superdanny 22 outlet "cube tap" would be necessary, in spite of my 9VDC 500ma joke. If such a necessary setup exists, I'd still wonder if putting all those devices into one central location makes for good wiring practice. Most people I've seen set up things like this behind desks or bookcases and "forget" about them. If something goes wrong there, ...
krebizfan
Veteran Member
I could see the cube tap being helpful in entertainment setups. My TV has 7 inputs plus the usual outputs for sound. A complete system would have way too many power plugs with about a dozen low power devices each with its own wall wart. High power USB has at least solved the issue for computers since external hard drives don't need their own wall wart anymore though the computer power supply will be expensive.
twolazy
Veteran Member
I only use trip lite metal housing ones, with noise suppression, for computers and high draw uses. If not, like my garage rack, that is on a GFCI surge strip since I dont trust the ground in the garage. I dont trust alot of these newer power strips... But the prices, geebus. 100 bux now for a nice trip lite. :\ Upside I already have like 15 of them, grabbing them along the way mostly used.
Bruce Tomlin
Experienced Member
I scrolled down a bit and saw a proper "cube" tap (not just a power strip) with 2 shucko pins but a couple of US 3-pin outlets. That's two WTFs: 230 vs 115 volts, and a ground pin that isn't grounded.
I have a large surge strip behind my L shaped computer desk with 5 computers connected to it. Outside of the computers (which I run 1 at a time or 2 at most) I have things like low powered speakers, switches, scanner, etc. connected to it.
Every once in a while, I have to dust under there and I check out the unit to make sure nothing looks bad like overheating sockets, and it looks new.
Years ago I snagged a nice large old metal toaster oven at a garage sale where the old lady who owned it connected it to a long low power 2 prong extension cord and melted the plug (I replaced the cable to the toaster with a heavy duty grounded one).
These days most people have a bunch of low powered electrical items and any decently made multi tap will do fine for that as long as its grounded and the over current protection works.
Every once in a while, I have to dust under there and I check out the unit to make sure nothing looks bad like overheating sockets, and it looks new.
Years ago I snagged a nice large old metal toaster oven at a garage sale where the old lady who owned it connected it to a long low power 2 prong extension cord and melted the plug (I replaced the cable to the toaster with a heavy duty grounded one).
These days most people have a bunch of low powered electrical items and any decently made multi tap will do fine for that as long as its grounded and the over current protection works.
VERAULT
Veteran Member
Ahh superDanny... Burning folks out of thier homes since 1995. 
Denying all warranty claims but adding you to extensive mail lists... FANTASTIC!
Notice the mound of ash and charcoal the products are sitting in.. They arent even trying to hide it. Rumor has it they got thier start in electric patio grill starters
I mean if you were at an outside venue it might be ok. If you thought the Band Limozeen was throwing pyrotechnics it was just all the superdanny taps and amps set ablaze.
Denying all warranty claims but adding you to extensive mail lists... FANTASTIC!
Notice the mound of ash and charcoal the products are sitting in.. They arent even trying to hide it. Rumor has it they got thier start in electric patio grill starters
I mean if you were at an outside venue it might be ok. If you thought the Band Limozeen was throwing pyrotechnics it was just all the superdanny taps and amps set ablaze.
Last edited:
Chuck(G)
25k Member
A couple of comments from Reddit:
...and this from (apparently) the seller:
Huh? Sadly, this seems to be the trend in many products nowadays. Buy a container-load of some cheap import product; flog it in the US and EU without understanding the first thing about it. There's a YT video of a guy taking apart a SD 4-outlet+USB box. The ground wire isn't connected to the third prong on the outlets; i.e. they're floating.
...and this from (apparently) the seller:
Huh? Sadly, this seems to be the trend in many products nowadays. Buy a container-load of some cheap import product; flog it in the US and EU without understanding the first thing about it. There's a YT video of a guy taking apart a SD 4-outlet+USB box. The ground wire isn't connected to the third prong on the outlets; i.e. they're floating.
GiGaBiTe
Veteran Member
If I were still doing network closet installs/remodels, I'd seriously buy those by the hundred. Why? Goddamn wall warts.
It's 2022, and there are still terribly designed wall warts with non-standard voltages and all shapes and sizes that come out at all angles from a wall plug, making it so you can have 2 MAYBE 3 of them on a power strip and 4-5 unusable outlets that are blocked by said hideous monstrosity. Very rarely do I come across a sensibly designed wall wart that doesn't block all of the plugs on a power strip, but then again, only in one direction.
That power strip is so large and has so many outlets, it doesn't matter how terrible a hand of garbage wall warts you were dealt, you could shoehorn them all in. And even if you had a mess of wall warts, the total power draw would max be like 5 amps.
The perfect unicorn wall wart is that of a thin brick laid on its side, with a 90 degree rotating plug end on the long side edge. I think I've only ever seen one in my life.
It's 2022, and there are still terribly designed wall warts with non-standard voltages and all shapes and sizes that come out at all angles from a wall plug, making it so you can have 2 MAYBE 3 of them on a power strip and 4-5 unusable outlets that are blocked by said hideous monstrosity. Very rarely do I come across a sensibly designed wall wart that doesn't block all of the plugs on a power strip, but then again, only in one direction.
That power strip is so large and has so many outlets, it doesn't matter how terrible a hand of garbage wall warts you were dealt, you could shoehorn them all in. And even if you had a mess of wall warts, the total power draw would max be like 5 amps.
The perfect unicorn wall wart is that of a thin brick laid on its side, with a 90 degree rotating plug end on the long side edge. I think I've only ever seen one in my life.
Chuck(G)
25k Member
Well, to be fair, most things use a USB supply, so a simple large 5VDC supply to a lot of USB A receptacles could handle things with a single AC plug. Of course, each USB receptacle would be current-limited.
But I think we're past the day of 20VAC, 13.2VDC, reversed polarity, etc. wall warts. I haven't purchased anything in a long time that doesn't use a USB-socketed supply. Even my flashlight...
But I think we're past the day of 20VAC, 13.2VDC, reversed polarity, etc. wall warts. I haven't purchased anything in a long time that doesn't use a USB-socketed supply. Even my flashlight...
NeXT
Veteran Member
Chuck(G)
25k Member
The big problem with many of the older heavier wall warts is that they'd fall out of a power strip mounted on the underside of a table or bench. I've used the short extension cords to bring the warts over the edge of the table and onto the top.
You all are right, of course. If used by knowledgeable people properly, this thing could be fine for multiple low powered devices. But, if an "electricity novice" sees a "free outlet"... "I don't know what happened. All I did was plug the iron into the last outlet and start ironing..."
Also, would two or three smaller power strips really be more of a burden? They would allow you to group your setups so you could power off what you aren't using a whole group at a time.