"Tony Polson" wrote in message
...
I have a 1950s German slide projector (anyone remember slides?) which
I have been using with its German mains plug and an adaptor.

I decided to replace the plug with a UK 13A plug. Having removed the
German plug, I cannot remember which wire went were, and the colour
coding is unfamiliar to me.

There are three wires, coloured red, black and light grey. Can anyone
tell me which is which? I guessed at

red = live
black = neutral

DANGER DANGER DANGER
Some german appliances of that era had RED =EARTH and caused death when
imported into the UK and the earth was connected to live. This was one of
many reasons why we now have common wireing colours....

In article ,
James Salisbury wrote:
DANGER DANGER DANGER Some german appliances of that era had RED =EARTH
and caused death when imported into the UK and the earth was connected
to live. This was one of many reasons why we now have common wireing
colours....

Yes. FWIW, some German cars used red for the negative or ground - the
exact opposite of UK practice.

It's what annoys me when the objectors to unified colours throughout the
EU go on about the 'instinctive' old colours. There's no such thing.

--
*Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice?"

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
James Salisbury wrote:
DANGER DANGER DANGER Some german appliances of that era had RED =EARTH
and caused death when imported into the UK and the earth was connected
to live. This was one of many reasons why we now have common wireing
colours....

Yes. FWIW, some German cars used red for the negative or ground - the
exact opposite of UK practice.

It's what annoys me when the objectors to unified colours throughout the
EU go on about the 'instinctive' old colours. There's no such thing.

OTOH: 'Human Factor Engineers/industrial Physiologists do know about what is
'instinctive', or at least inculturated, for the 'majority' of people.
'Righty-Tighty ~ Lefty-Loosey'; Red -danger ; Clockwise-more,
Anti-Clockwise~less;
works for we acculturated folks in the UK. Having to bow-down to the
dictates of an unelected bunch of Eurocrats dreaming up directives 'to work
towards a more integrated Europe' is really 'what annoys me' (to quote your
words).

BTW; AIUI the EU bureaucracy will not employ people born _before_ the
establishment of its predecessor(s) [Application forms bear a statement to
that effect].
"It's what annoys me" that people with a earlier date-of-birth are presumed
to be objectors "throughout the EU"

--

Brian

The message
from "Brian Sharrock" contains these words:

Clockwise-more, Anti-Clockwise~less;

The opposite of taps then.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Brian Sharrock" contains these words:

Clockwise-more, Anti-Clockwise~less;

The opposite of taps then.

Ah he did say "righty-tighty, lefty loosey" which (sort of) covers taps but
just shows that the reminders are contradictory so it's all bockolls.


--
Bob Mannix
(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)

The message
from "Brian Sharrock" contains these words:

BTW; AIUI the EU bureaucracy will not employ people born _before_ the
establishment of its predecessor(s) [Application forms bear a statement to
that effect].

I'd doubt that'd stand up in court.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

"Brian Sharrock" wrote in message
...

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
James Salisbury wrote:
DANGER DANGER DANGER Some german appliances of that era had RED =EARTH
and caused death when imported into the UK and the earth was connected
to live. This was one of many reasons why we now have common wireing
colours....

Yes. FWIW, some German cars used red for the negative or ground - the
exact opposite of UK practice.

It's what annoys me when the objectors to unified colours throughout the
EU go on about the 'instinctive' old colours. There's no such thing.

OTOH: 'Human Factor Engineers/industrial Physiologists do know about what
is 'instinctive', or at least inculturated, for the 'majority' of people.
'Righty-Tighty ~ Lefty-Loosey'; Red -danger ; Clockwise-more,
Anti-Clockwise~less;
works for we acculturated folks in the UK. Having to bow-down to the
dictates of an unelected bunch of Eurocrats dreaming up directives 'to
work towards a more integrated Europe' is really 'what annoys me' (to
quote your words).

BTW; AIUI the EU bureaucracy will not employ people born _before_ the
establishment of its predecessor(s) [Application forms bear a statement to
that effect].
"It's what annoys me" that people with a earlier date-of-birth are
presumed to be objectors "throughout the EU"

Where on earth do people get stuff like this from - I have in the past
looked at EU job application forms, and no such statement was made. No such
statement is made on current forms, and any such practice would contradict
EU's own regulations on discrimination. Just because you read it in the
Daily Mail doesn't make it true.

Bureauocracies of all sorts do all sorts of dumb things. Harmonising colours
in potentially lethal electrical wiring would seem to be one of their more
sensible activities

Andy

In article ,
Andy McKenzie wrote:
Harmonising colours in potentially lethal electrical wiring would seem
to be one of their more sensible activities

As would a unified currency - if it weren't for big business making money
out of different ones.

--
*7up is good for you, signed snow white*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Brian Sharrock wrote:
It's what annoys me when the objectors to unified colours throughout
the EU go on about the 'instinctive' old colours. There's no such
thing.

OTOH: 'Human Factor Engineers/industrial Physiologists do know about
what is 'instinctive', or at least inculturated, for the 'majority' of
people. 'Righty-Tighty ~ Lefty-Loosey'; Red -danger ; Clockwise-more,
Anti-Clockwise~less; works for we acculturated folks in the UK. Having
to bow-down to the dictates of an unelected bunch of Eurocrats dreaming
up directives 'to work towards a more integrated Europe' is really
'what annoys me' (to quote your words).

So you don't think unified wiring colours throughout the EU a good idea?

But if you did how then do you get round the fact the that Germany
apparently thought red the best colour for a safety wire while the UK
chose green? Red may mean danger in most countries, but then the
'dangerous' wire to get wrong on a three wire appliance is the earth - not
the other two. And don't let's forget red is the least visible colour to
man in general - and even more so if you're partially colour blind. So it
wasn't chosen with science but merely became the convention - why, I don't
know. And I'd guess the same with threads and clocks.

BTW; AIUI the EU bureaucracy will not employ people born _before_ the
establishment of its predecessor(s) [Application forms bear a statement
to that effect]. "It's what annoys me" that people with a earlier
date-of-birth are presumed to be objectors "throughout the EU"

Strange, given the main idea of the original 'common market' was to
prevent wars between the likely members which had occurred rather too
frequently in the past.

--
*A fool and his money can throw one hell of a party.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"James Salisbury" wrote in message
...

"Tony Polson" wrote in message
...
I have a 1950s German slide projector (anyone remember slides?) which
I have been using with its German mains plug and an adaptor.

I decided to replace the plug with a UK 13A plug. Having removed the
German plug, I cannot remember which wire went were, and the colour
coding is unfamiliar to me.

There are three wires, coloured red, black and light grey. Can anyone
tell me which is which? I guessed at

red = live
black = neutral

DANGER DANGER DANGER
Some german appliances of that era had RED =EARTH and caused death when
imported into the UK and the earth was connected to live. This was one of
many reasons why we now have common wireing colours....

Yes - I recall in my teens I had probably the closest call when I had wired
up a radio and whilst wondering why it wasn't working I touched the case and
a metal socket on a wander lead. RCDs weren't heard of then!