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New Products from Canford at IBC
Canford released several new products at IBC, one of which, on the face of it, is probably the least interesting and lowest tech product story you will see for IBC or possibly ever. But don’t go by appearances; there was a huge communal sigh of relief from the systems integrators and outside broadcast fleet operators who are sick and tired of IEC mains leads falling out of equipment in transit and wasting hours routing around in the back of racks refitting them.
Very simply, until now, one could secure the cable plug into a mains distribution unit (MDU) equipped with a lacing bar or clips, but few, if any, equipment manufacturers consider any means of securing the cable socket to their units. Integrators have been known to use gaffer tape, silicone sealant, matchsticks or even employ the full time services of OB Imps, locked inside racks who’s sole job is to entrap and re-mate escaping IEC leads.
The patented IEC-lock AC mains power leads provide a simple way of securing a power cable to any electrical equipment with a standard IEC inlet. The internal locking mechanism grips the equipment earth pin preventing accidental removal of the plug. The latch is released by an external sliding button. This is a one-sided solution that will mate with any existing IEC power inlet.
Ideal for use with critical equipment either freestanding or rack mounted and particularly in areas subject to vibration such as outside broadcast vehicles, touring and ‘fly-away’ kit where standard IEC connectors may become dislodged in transit.
Moulded IEC-Lock to IEC male leads with orange jacketed cable are available in 0.5m increments to ensure tidy looming. A re-wirable IEC-Lock version is not currently available but 5m and 7m IEC-Lock to bare-end leads with orange or black cable, allow leads to be precisely cut to length when fitting a re-wirable plug such as a Neutrik Powercon. All leads are supplied individually loose-coiled to avoid permanent kinks and ensure tidy installation.
Canford’s wide range of MDUs has now expended to include 32A versions. The MDU 9, a 32A 12 x Powercon outlet, rackmount unit is ideal for high current draw servers and similar equipment. Power inlet is via 32A rated fixed lead with orange jacket. (A 32A Powercon inlet version will be available as soon as Neutrik obtain the necessary UL approvals) Due to the high current rating, the units are unswitched but each outlet is protected by a 10A fuse with red/green LEDs indicating the fuse condition.
This brings Canford’s MDU range to over 240 different styles including sequential start and filtered options, 14 output types and high current units –enabling Canford to claim the widest MDU choice in the industry. An MDU feature selection tool is available by following the link on the Canford website.
Last but not least, the Canford Racktrough is a range of rack-mounting, hinged, storage troughs ideal for U-links and patch cords, maintenance and test tools, Red Bull and sandwiches. The trough pivots out on its axis when the latch is released, rather like a car glove compartment and is balanced to close and latch when released. The minimal depth offers the possibility of fitting the Racktrough in unused space at the rear of racks or if front mounted the space behind can be utilised for non rackmounting equipment or wiring.
The Racktrough is secured in the closed position by a sprung twist-latch which incorporates a key-operated lock. An internal, pivoting, top cover-plate ensures the trough aperture is sealed from the inside of the rack, when open or closed, to avoid small items bouncing out when dropped into the trough or in transit when installed in OB and fly-away applications. The shallow, tilting trough ensures the contents are always presented at the front when opened, avoiding the problem of opening a deep draw in a confined space. They are fitted with a designation strip to identify the contents; AutoCAD templates are available from Canford on request. Available in 2U, 3U and 4U sizes, finished in Dawn Grey (BS4800-10A03), Dark Grey or Black. Other colours are available to special order.
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