[Tfug] Ground tips and Universal Power Supplies

[Bexley Hall]

> Places like Best Buy or Office Max should
> have universal PS.  

If the power cord is detachable from the power supply
(I assume this is a brick and not a wall wart), why not
just replace the power cord?

Or, if you have the physical dexterity to handle a
utility knife and a screwdriver, just replace the *plug*
with one purchased from Home Despot, Slowe's, etc.
 
> I do not think it too risky to use with out the grounding

<frown>  In this era of "how can we save half a microcent",
I question a vendor's choice about leaving the (earth) ground
pin on a plug.  Most power supplies have isolated outputs
so "earth" has no relationship to the device being powered
(though that isn't a hard and fast rule!)

> plug,  But you have to plug it in the same as if  it were
> there.   Two prong plugs have a polarizer and three do not
> as the grounding pin forces proper orientation.  The
> orientation is more important then the grounding.

I am not sure that is important, either.  I don't think you
will find the neutral connector tied to the earth connector
in these power supplies (which is the issue you would have
to safeguard against -- otherwise flipping the plug over
would short hot to neutral -- through earth). 

Note that a large number of households have wonky wiring.
Don't expect neutral to be where you *think* it should be
(that's something you keep in mind when *designing* power
modules as it is too easy for your device to find itself
in a situation where all of your "safeguards" are for naught).

Consider how many folks use two wire extension cords; or cut
off the ground pin; or have homes where there is no "earth"
ground on the outlets (or, earth is bogusly implemented
using the "drain" wire in BX cable, etc.)... just too many cases
where folks would be electrocuted or power supplies would blow up
if the supplies made these assumptions.

Earth is usually there for *safety* and not for any other reason
(by definition, 0 current must flow through that conductor!).
This was particularly true in the days of metal cased power
tools (you want to be damn sure the outer metal case is at
ground potential and not floating at "hot"!)

The same holds true for major appliance wiring, etc.

> But get it replaced.