[Test-Equipment] HP power cords

[Mike Czuhajewski]

These used to be (past tense) a standard product; in fact, I wrote about 
this in my column in a small amateur radio publication in 2006. However, it 
appears that they are no longer available, for the most part. The Newark web 
site lists them as no longer available, and Mouser indicates the same as 
well as calling them "obsolete". Allied does have 40 in stock at the moment, 
but they may well be the last ones they will have. I just sent mail off to 
Volex, who makes them (I believe it used to be part of Belden) to find out 
what the status is. I searched the Volex web site for both part numbers 
(17952 and 17280) and neither one shows up now, a bad sign.

It looks like the options are going to be paying outrageous prices on eBay 
for them or replacing the AC connectors with the much more standard and 
universal style used on computers and just about everything else. The work 
isn't really all that hard, just a bit of drilling and cutting, plus wiring 
it up with the correct hot/neutral polarity. The upside is that you can then 
use a much more common power cord, which also happens to be dirt cheap. I 
bought a few of the 17952 cords a  few years back from Mouser, but when they 
are gone I'll just start modifying my old test equipment to take the 
standard connectors.