SV: Re: SV: Re: [sdiy] midi optocouplers

[Seb Francis]

Well I don't know about the US, but in UK where we also have 3-wire 
polarized mains this is not true.  I don't think neutral is tied to 
earth ground.  'Neutral' refers to the common connection of a 3-phase 
generator output.  In a domestic house only 1 of the phases is delivered 
and the neutral connection is the current return path.  If you connect a 
neutral wire to an earth wire then I would imagine you will blow the 
fuse.  But maybe this is different in US?

Some more reading ..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternating_current
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutral_point

Seb

P.S. Hopefully someone with some firm knowledge of UK mains power will 
correct me if I'm wrong ...


harrybissell wrote:

>USA uses 120VAC...
>
>Hot will have 120V AC with respect to earth ground
>
>Neutral should have no voltage with respect to earth ground.
>
>They can get reversed sometimes... with disasterous results in
>an audio system.  Having one chassis at 'hot' and another at
>neutral can mean line voltage in an audio cable...
>
>H^) harry
>
>Karl Ekdahl wrote:
>
>  
>
>>I'd really like to know what the "hot"/"neutral" is all about, here in
>>sweden we've got no such thing but i'm moving to the US in a week so
>>i'd better learn....
>>
>>Karl
>>
>>Samppa Tolvanen <samppa.tolvanen at gmail.com> skrev:
>>
>>      We Finns are enjoying 230VAC with non-polarized mains
>>     sockets.
>>
>>     Shouldn't We all agree the truth, there's NO neutral wire.
>>     Just for newbies?
>>
>>     Grant said:
>>     "It is a good idea to verify that your electronic music
>>     studio wall
>>     sockets are wired correctly.
>>     I have seen strange things happen when neutral and hot are
>>     reversed.
>>     Even on transformer isolated equipment."
>>
>>     This sounds like badly designed equipment.
>>
>>     Samppa
>>
>>
>>    
>>
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