Useful hint for people who make their own power cables using the Bals type 73 schuko plug
Unmodified, this plug can officially accommodate quite a large diameter cable (4 mm2) but with less flexible cables it can get tedious trying to get all three conductors neatly in the holes without getting stray litze all around.
A very simple piece of surgery consists of simply cutting out the plastic ring that holds the rubber stress relief in place. The plastic ring serves no other purpose than this and as such only stands in the way of easily attaching huge diameters of cable to the connector. By cutting it out you’ll have much more room to move the cable around. The cable is stress-relieved by a separate bridge with heavy-duty screws and the rubber tule needs no further support. Just don’t forget to slip it over the cable before mounting it to the plug!
Above: After removing the cap, first take out the little plastic bridge
Above: Manouvre the rubber tule out with the aid of a screwdriver. Don’t worry, it is very tough
Above: Snap out the plastic ring
Above: Now your plug is ready for use, offering plenty of maneuvering space.
Hi Christiaan,
Do you know where it’s possible to buy these original 73 type? I assume that the new version (I think it’s the 7371) is not as good…
Best wishes,
Jason
Hi Jason, alas, type 73 has long been discontinued. I have yet to perform a comparison between the old and new types but based on appearance and the fact that the new ones contain a lot of rubber instead of PVC, I fear for the worst. What’s definitely better with the new ones is the strain relief system.