Charging in Coffs Harbour

[MDK]

Thats strange, a 32A 3ph plug should fit in a 40A or 50A socket, the 32, 40 and 50 all have the same pin size, there is just a key way that prevents a higher amperage plug going into a lower amperage socket. Obviously, all sockets must have the 5th neutral pin for the UMc to work, so 4 pin sockets are no good.

I realise I'm replying to a very old thread, but I recently was able to confirm a 32A 5 pin plug will fit a 50A 5 pin socket.
I charged on one in Port Augusta, SA last week.

 

[raynewman]

I realise I'm replying to a very old thread, but I recently was able to confirm a 32A 5 pin plug will fit a 50A 5 pin socket.
I charged on one in Port Augusta, SA last week.

No - I tried that one. The Parklands here abounds in 50 AMP 3 phase sockets. I have an unaltered 32 AMP three phase plug - they just don't go. I am sure that a suitably altered plug would work tho.

 

[MDK]

No - I tried that one. The Parklands here abounds in 50 AMP 3 phase sockets. I have an unaltered 32 AMP three phase plug - they just don't go. I am sure that a suitably altered plug would work tho.

And I was able to charge with an unmodified 32A plug...

 

[raynewman]

And I was able to charge with an unmodified 32A plug...

Please check plug and socket against attached specification.

 

[MDK]

Please check plug and socket against attached specification.

Hi Ray

The higher rated sockets have more "notches" (and more "tabs" on the plugs) which prevent you from plugging a higher-rated plug into a lower rated socket, but not vice versa.

Just like the wider earth pin on a 15A single phase plug so you can't plug it into a 10A socket, but a 10A plug will happily fit a 15A socket. 20A/25A/32A single phase also exist and again designed so you can fit a lower current plug into a higher current socket.

The 10A and 20A three phase sockets are a different size from the 32A/40A/50A variants, but I believe that once again a 10A plug will fit a 20A socket (but not vice versa)

 

[cafz]

Sorry for exhuming an old thread, but I can explain the confusion above.

The AU/NZ three phase sockets come in groups. Within a group, lower-rated plugs can plug into higher-rated sockets, but not vice-versa. Plugs and sockets are not cross compatible at all between different groups, however.

One group contains 32A, 40A and 50A ratings. A 32A plug from this group will fit into a 50A socket from this group - this would be the type of socket MDK found in Port Augusta.

The next group contains 50A, 63A and 80A ratings. A 32A plug won't fit into any socket from this group (even a 50A plug from the previous group won't fit into a 50A socket from this group). This would be the type of socket raynewman found at The Parklands.