What do you call the plug with no name?

[Lucien Nunes]

Yellow for 110V, blue for 230V, red for 400V. Other colours for special applications.
16A, 32A, 63A and 125A, 2P+E, 3P+E, 3P+N+E.

You know what I'm talking about. They've been around for 50 years, but no-one can yet agree what to call them.

The official name is "plugs, socket-outlets and couplers for industrial purposes" according to IEC 60309 (formerly IEC309). They go by lots of different aliases... IEC309, BS4343, CEE17... but a lot of people use a manufacturers' name or trademark: Commando, Marechal, Ceeform, or just the current rating 'a 32A plug' or something relevant to them 'Caravan plug'.

What do you call them? Does it depend on who you're talking to?

 

[Charlie_]

I grew up calling them industrial plugs..
Depending on who I’m talking to though, also call them commando plugs..
At wholesalers will ask for them by colour, voltage, current and number of pins... they still get it wrong haha

 

[rapparee]

Commando all day long.

 

[Charlie_]

Commando all day long.

Even when it’s called out?
Or are you a proper Scotsman?

 

[Pete999]

TOP

 

[The Ghost]

Plug top 60309 as in Advance Electrical Installation ISBN 9781136444487

 

[Baddegg]

Steve?

 

[Zdb]

Commando plug

 

[Pete999]

Commando plug

Commando plug

Commando plug

Arnie (commando plug)

 

[Dustydazzler]

Commando plug and socket

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Commando or industrial.
Sometimes 3phase, or even 4pin/5pin 3phase.

 

[Andy78]

Commando plugs always through my training. Is that the MK name ?

I sometimes do work for a commercial printer company that call them shark plugs, probably another brand name.

 

[littlespark]

BS4343.

There can be differences if not bs4343 and a particular manufacturers design.
Pin diameter, key slot.
I’ve had cheap caravan leads stuck in our Rolec hook up points because of differing measurements.

 

[davesparks]

Commando plugs always through my training. Is that the MK name ?

I sometimes do work for a commercial printer company that call them shark plugs, probably another brand name.

We use a lot of shark plugs, they're made by PCE. We use them because they do an all black version which is very fashionable in theatre.

 

[marconi]

What Is Ceeform? CEE Form Fully Explained

Get to know ceeform and ceeform standard. Find out why ceeform is so called. Learn everything about ceeform industrial socket and plugs.

www.ceesockets.com

CEE FORM seems to me the best name to avoid brand and refer instead to 'Certification of Electrotechnical Equipment - CEE'

The link shows the colour coding table and rules for colour, voltage, frequency, ac/dc combination.

Re: Davesparks black shark plugs - black has entries in the colour coding table.

 

[l4urence]

Trade names work when there is only one market leader, Hoover, Sellotape - etc. Otherwise it gets confusing as the above comments prove. In the RAF WD40 was called Rocket - because years previously it was originally made by a company called... Rocket. Now everyone calls it WD40 - even if it's GT65 or similar.

 

[westward10]

Originally made by the Rocket Chemical Co. The company were trying to develop a liquid which displaced water and with the 40th formula they succeeded hence WD40 (Water Displacement, 40th formula).

 

[Lucien Nunes]

CEE FORM seems to me the best name to avoid brand

'Ceeform' is common in the entertainment lighting industry, but I thought it was originally a trademark of Mennekes Elektrotechnik GmBH who were one of the first manufacturers. A quick browse failed to find evidence for or against this, maybe someone can confirm?

The black PCE Shark series have all black bodies to reduce visibility, as distinct from black to denote voltage range. The data label is coloured to indicate the voltage (e.g. a 230V plug has a blue label) which in the case of the plug is concealed when inserted in a socket.

There can be differences if not bs4343 and a particular manufacturers design.Pin diameter, key slot.

I'm not aware of any deliberately non-standard plugs that are partially / forcibly intermateable with BS4343 (STOP PRESS... BS4343 is withdrawn and replaced by IEC 60309-2). I'm thinking these are actually substandard or incorrectly assembled plugs that are supposed to be to IEC 60309. I've seen people manage to put them together with insert in the wrong orientation, could that be it?

 

[pirate]

Call them anything you want...they can't hear you...

 

[l4urence]

Call them anything you want...they can't hear you...

Good point and well presented.

 

[telectrix]

all depends on the plug. if it's a qualified plug, call it "mate". if it's an apprentice plug, call it "Oi You"

 

[Charlie_]

Just watch you don’t sit on one, you might end up with a butt plug!

 

[Andy78]

Just watch you don’t sit on one, you might end up with a butt plug!

 

[Doomed]

'C' form or commando

 

[Chris1234]

24v is Pink

 

[MJPD29]

Commando, never heard of anyone referring to them by anything else either

 

[Deleted member 105166]

Within the events industry, it’s always a ceeform, although not all domestic sparks are familiar with this, or indeed 7909, however all sparks are familiar with them referred to as commandos.

 

[DPG]

Where did the 'Commando ' name originate from? Anyone know?

 

[westward10]

MK called them Commando plugs/connectors.

 

[DPG]

Cheers!

 

[Lucien Nunes]

It's MK's trademark and well known now, but I don't recall them having much market penetration in the earlier days of IEC309. I wonder how high their profile is outside the UK? It would be ironic for an internationally standardised design to be best known by the local manufacturers' names. The USA knows them as 'pin and sleeve' which is a rather broad description, but distinguishes them from plugs with flat prongs or blades which have always been more common there.

Schuko is also a trademark, owned by an association rather than any one manufacturer. The name is known globally, and is pretty much the only standard name for that type of plug in dozens of countries. You can ask for a Schuko plug in Spain, Iceland, Hungary or Switzerland, all of which have very different languages, and you will be understood. The word 'Schuko' is a contraction of 'Schutz-Kontakt' meaning earth contact, but this is incidental to non-German-speakers.

Perhaps we could do the same for 60309. We should think up a catchy name and popularise it, form an association, then once the name starts to gain traction we sell licences to manufacturers who want to market their 60309 product using that name.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

Emails from event organisers often refer to them not by name, but by size/flavour - e.g. 63/3, 63/1, 32/3, 32/1, 16/1. Some believe there's a 64A variant, presumably because 2x32=64... but no one's ever requested a 128

 

[lozarus]

out on events it was ceeform all day long. shows the different terminologies in different areas!

 

[Strima]

In telecoms it is Commando, doing events it was Ceeform, it did get confusing at times...

 

[Andy78]

Perhaps we could do the same for 60309. We should think up a catchy name and popularise it, form an association, then once the name starts to gain traction we sell licences to manufacturers who want to market their 60309 product using that name.

I vote for "nubbin plugs" due the the locating nubbin on the plastic moulding to ensure correct insertion.

 

[Spoon]

Well if we can call them any names we want, I vote for "Tarquin Fin-tim-lim-bim-lim-bin-bim-bin-bim bus stop F'tang F'tang Ole Biscuitbarrel"

 

[Pete999]

Well if we can call them any names we want, I vote for "Tarquin Fin-tim-lim-bim-lim-bin-bim-bin-bim bus stop F'tang F'tang Ole Biscuitbarrel"

Or who gives a ----!!!!!!!!What an odd thread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Andy78]

 

[Pete999]

Stupid is more apt, what a waste of members time to keep this forum going IMO

 

[pirate]

I think you'll find it is the members who are keeping this forum/thread going, Pete...we all like some odd-ball time, after all...