" wrote:
On Jul 21, 6:00 am, Frank Thompson wrote:
I've heard that there is a limited to the distance that a drop cord
for power equipment can be used. Beyond that limit there is risk to
damage the equipment being used. If this is true, what is this
length? My guess is that it depends on the
rating of the drop cord. Is there a source where I can determine
what size cord is safe at what distance?

If you google resistance of copper wire you will
find tables that give the resistance of wire per foot
for each gauge of wire. Then you can use ohms
law to calculate the voltage drop. Let's say the
wire has a resistance of .01 ohms/ft. Then 100
feet would have a resistance of 1 ohm. And if
the load on it is 5 amps, then it will have a voltage
drop of 5 volts. So, if you started out with 120v
at the receptacle, you have only 115V at the end
of the cord.

How about X2 , 200 feet round trip. ??

Greg


The rest is up to what the load is, do you really
have 120V at the receptacle, and how lucky
you feel. As a rough guide, you can use the
rule of thumb for residential wiring. 14 gauge for
15 amps, 12 gauge for 20.