How do courtesy outlets work? Are any regular power strips isolated?

[Broomz]

A couple general questions regarding powering pedals. (I'm using Cioks/Eventide Powerfactor, for reference.)

1. Is the courtesy outlet typically isolated from everything else?

2. How about your regular 3-prong outlet power strips? If I had say, a big-box DMM and an Electric Mistress, both with 3-prong cords, and a Moog M-104 with a wall-wart and I plugged them all into a standard power strip, would they be isolated from each other for noise purposes? If not, are there some power strips which remedy this? Could I plug such a strip into my courtesy outlet to power pedals such as these?

I feel like I've come to a good understanding of how the isolated pedal power supplies work with their various outlets and specs, but I don't understand this part yet. (Also I don't understand AC power so maybe that's the root of the problem here.)

 

[8len8]

A couple general questions regarding powering pedals. (I'm using Cioks/Eventide Powerfactor, for reference.)

1. Is the courtesy outlet typically isolated from everything else?

2. How about your regular 3-prong outlet power strips? If I had say, a big-box DMM and an Electric Mistress, both with 3-prong cords, and a Moog M-104 with a wall-wart and I plugged them all into a standard power strip, would they be isolated from each other for noise purposes? If not, are there some power strips which remedy this? Could I plug such a strip into my courtesy outlet to power pedals such as these?

I feel like I've come to a good understanding of how the isolated pedal power supplies work with their various outlets and specs, but I don't understand this part yet. (Also I don't understand AC power so maybe that's the root of the problem here.)

1- Depends on what the courtesy outlet is on. What device?
2- No, standard outlet strips are not isolated. You typically don't need isolation because they are AC, not DC (AC has no "ground"), and there's less of a chance for noise throughput.

Isolation is typically part of DC power supplies, like the Pedal Power.

 

[jay42]

A couple general questions regarding powering pedals. (I'm using Cioks/Eventide Powerfactor, for reference.)

1. Is the courtesy outlet typically isolated from everything else?

I'm guessing that you're talking about an AC outlet on a power supply? There's one on my PP2. Like the ones on amps -- Fender, Ampeg...AC courtesy outlets are not isolated in any sense. They shouldn't need to be. Those sorts of issues belong to effects pedals.

 

[stahlhart]

If you are looking for isolated AC outlets, here is an option:

https://www.tripplite.com/isobar-6-outlet-surge-protector-6-ft-cord-3300-joules~ISOBAR6/

 

[jamester]

If you are looking for isolated AC outlets, here is an option:

https://www.tripplite.com/isobar-6-outlet-surge-protector-6-ft-cord-3300-joules~ISOBAR6/

I have the four-outlet one, but I no longer use it with my rig. Works fine, but it's clunky and heavy, and the power plug is angled which can make it difficult to plug into certain outlets. On a wedding gig a while back we were on a porch, with the covered outdoor style outlets, and it wouldn't plug in. Fortunately the bassist had a cheap power strip with a straight plug...

I never understood courtesy outlets on amps, what exactly were they for? What were people plugging in to them back in the day?

As for power strips, another issue relating to noise would be whether each pedal is using its own adapter, or being daisy chained off of one adaptor (One Spot style). If every pedal is using its own adapter, noise shouldn't be an issue. Each effect is essentially isolated from each other...

 

[stahlhart]

I agree about the annoyance of the angled / right angled plug -- I'm going to cut it off of mine in favor of a straight one if it ends up becoming an issue.

 

[DaveKS]

I agree about the annoyance of the angled / right angled plug -- I'm going to cut it off of mine in favor of a straight one if it ends up becoming an issue.

Yea those recessed outdoor plugs can be a pain. These adapters can get you around them in a pinch.

http://www.showmecables.com/product/Nema-5-15R-or-Nema-5-20R-to-Nema-5-15P-Power-Plug-Adapter.aspx

 

[jamester]

Yea those recessed outdoor plugs can be a pain. These adapters can get you around them in a pinch.

http://www.showmecables.com/product/Nema-5-15R-or-Nema-5-20R-to-Nema-5-15P-Power-Plug-Adapter.aspx

That's cool, one of those "good just to have" pieces in the kit. Will be getting me one...

 

[WhoJamFan]

Older amps probably had "courtesy" outlets so you could daisy chain amps, plug in your external reverb unit, or whatever.