On Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:55:17 +0100, Nigel Feltham wrote:

Here in the UK I've a Desk fan I inherited from my grandparents that has
a mains cable with no distinguishing marks - the cable is like a 3 core
ribbon cable with clear insulation on all 3 wires (no outer insulation)

Enjoyed your message!

You remind me that Boston, Mass. has apparently been slow to provide AC
power everywhere. A friend says that one city building has various
voltages, some DC, and some AC. However, he's told other tall tales that
stretch credibility to the breaking point.

In the mid-1960s or so, the New Yorker Hotel was the venue of the annual
Audio Engineering Society convention. As the exhibits were being set up,
all of a sudden word got around that the outlets were DC, most likely 120
V, and UNMARKED! Apparently, line fuses and circuit breakers don't
necessarily protect their loads from burnout when the device is fed with
DC at rated voltage. (But, universal (AC/DC) motors, anyone?) Whether any
motors and/or power transformers burned out, I don't know.

As a kid, probably during WW II, I remember visiting my uncle's office on
Bromfield St. which had DC power. His desk fan motor had a lovely little
commutator plainly visible on the back; it was maybe 3/4 inch / 2 cm in
diameter, if even that big.

Afaik, the U.K. only comparatively recently standardised on those quite-
big plugs. I used to read in Wireless World about buying appliances
without plugs, because iirc there was no one national standard.

Best regards from across the big pond,
--
Nicabod =+= Waltham, Mass.
using British spelling
of one word; why not?