[Hallicrafters] LINEAR PRIMARY POWER CIRCUIT WIRE SIZE

[Charlie]

I know I wired my shack ( in 1974 ) using 12-2 with the black and white 
wires as hot and the bare wire as ground/neutral, but I was told that to 
meet the current code I should use 12-3, with the black and red wires as hot 
while maintaining the white as neutral and bare copper as ground.

In the real world, this is only important if the 120-0-120 load is 
unbalanced with loads wired only across one side to ground (neutral).  This 
may well be the case if for example, in an amplifier,  low voltage control 
transformers or fans are wired for 120 VAC where-as the main HV transformer 
is on the full 240 VAC circuit  That unbalanced current will of  necessity, 
flow through the only path it has, the bare ground wire.  This current will 
attempt to raise the ground at that particular point above actual ground by 
whatever Voltage drop exists between it and the main circuit breaker panel. 
Of course, a separate shack ground will change that situation.  Be safe and 
use 12-3 (or 10-3 for 30 Amp).


(Can we break the 20 day record for thread 'length" on this subject??)

73' Charlie k3ICH