Marathon Man

How can I work with electrical outlets that don't “hold” plugs that are plugged in to them? Specifically, with Euro outlets in hotels and planes.

The quick solution for some may be to bend out the prongs on the plug so that it doesn't fall out. But this is not really practical if you are using one of those nice little expensive iPhone charge heads or a Euro plug.

In fact, while US prongs may be somewhat bendable due to their flat nature, Euro ones are often tubular metal so trying to bend one may break it at the point where it meats the plastic plug part. Of course replacing the outlet is the correct answer but how are we to entice a hotel or a plane to do that on the spot? We cant. And I cant be trying to carry needle nose pliers for careful bending on every trip either.

Some seats on planes have USB plugs but many still do not. I flew economy on the rather new WOW Airlines from Iceland the other day. They had a multi plug unit (takes Euro/US, etc in one) between/below the seat cushions but it was very loose even though I was on a relatively new Airbus plane. I tried the ones on either side of me as I was traveling with the kiddoes and sitting between em.

In hotels I often run into the issue that the wall plugs and ones on table lamps are also loose and trying to hold the weight of a US/Euro converter is not so easy. Some may recommend USB charge strips but I have had bad luck with the two I bought (must be cheaply made in China) because they eventually wear out and/or do not charge all devices (we know iPhones do everything they can to force you to use their cables and chargeheads and I have run into that here too).

If traveling with family we may sometimes bring iPad minis and/or other brand tablets for the kiddoes and our phones/laptop/camera charger/small portable charges, etc. So I pack a US extension chord, a 3-2 adapter, a 3 plug splitter, enough iPhone cables (and the "Blackberry" Micro-USB Bones that work great with our Mophie cases for our phones and a Samsung tablet with movies on it for those times when you cant sleep due to Jetlag or a delayed flight or something). Essentially, I have pretty much every type of connector covered, and when flying internationally, I have those converters as well, so the cumbersome nature of how much stuff I gotta bring in my backpack is one thing, but to get it to actually hold up when in hotels and on planes is the main issue here.

Anyone have any thoughts or ideas? I am hoping someone has run into this but come up with some sort of electrically conductive "fattener" of plug prongs or something. Maybe I should invent it and become the bloke who supplies it to weary travelers The problem is you cant always be sure which plug you are going to try in the outlet. Some Euro ones are inset far into the wall so you need an extender. Some US ones have a wide opening for one side of the plug while some do not. Some require the 3/2 adapter and some can take the Euro converter directly. These heavy buggers often hang in position due to their girth and weight so I can imagine the contact is lessened do to this.

THREAD NOTES: I searched for this topic but could not find it. If this thread belongs elsewhere MOD can move it. We have the need to be connected when traveling. If anyone has issue with that, please know that everyone has different needs for different reasons. Thank you

MM

Marathon Man

I thought I would illustrate further --as if my post wasn't long enough

http://issuu.com/ltlizard/docs/icela...73933/15093991

This is an example of my plugging in when at my hotel in Iceland: US-Eu converter, 3/2 US adapter, 3 way US splitter plug, 2 iphone/iPad charge heads, one generic charge head, and a EU iPhone wall plug. I had to place the small towel under the big EU/US adapter to hold it level so it wouldn't hang and fall out of the socket. Now some may think it's ok to just plug some devices right into a 220, but I aint taking chances. Besides, we do use the converters for other things too sometimes. I own two that have been working fine for years.

(BTW, in case it matters to anyone, I may do a trip report on Iceland later and elsewhere in FT)

gfunkdave

On the rare occasions it's come up, I just jiggle the plug until it works, then leave it.

Also see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...-solution.html

Marathon Man

yes, the wiggling can work, and did at the hotel, where I told the kiddoes not to touch the contraption as shown in my pic in my previous post if they wanted their devices to charge. But on the plane it was not so easy, as any movement of one's legs invariably knocked against the poorly positioned plug unit when a plug was in it.

I did browse though that thread and there's some good stuff in there thanks. Some of them I have owned, others like it. In the end I have a box of stuff that doesn't work and a bin of ones that do but arent always practical. For example I hate large charge heads that make it so you cannot plug in another item next to it on a strip or extension chord. And devices and their plugs change often for people so it's hard to get the one thing needed.

Again, the main issue here, however, is not so much the charging unit or what can be hooked into it, rather, it is how to fasten it securely to the actual outlet when said outlet is worn out or old.

Internaut

I always have a four way power block with me (I have one for U.S. and another for European). The actual plug is very light.

Marathon Man

Might you have a link to it or a picture of it?

ROW2Aisle

MarathonMan I too get frustrated when traveling in India because of the loose fitting round tubular plugs which result in arcing or the cable to constantly drop out of the wall receptacle. I use plastic ties and jam them in with the plugs to get a snug fit.

gfunkdave

If you're referring to the Indian plugs with large round holes, that's actually an old British design. It's not that those plugs are unintentionally loose. It's that you're plugging into them a plug not designed for them.

Marathon Man

Ah plastic ties... I am going to have to experiment with this... or even consider taking the paper covering off the twisty ties found on loafs of bread, etc and just wrapping the fine metal wire around part of the prongs.

Either way, the issue may be that newer plugs from devices we buy are machine made and often not as let's say robust or made from the thickest or heaviest metals as they used to be. Whereas plug holes (I need holes, Jerry, holes!) are from another era.

In the Hilton Nordica Reykjavik, Iceland, everything seemed new, but those rooms are likely used a lot so the holes must get loose over time. I have Euro converters and that is what they use. On the plane (WOW Airlines, also from Iceland) they had a plug unit that was made for all the types--UK, EU, US, etc. So plugging in a EU converter or even a US charge head was correct use. So I am not using the wrong charge head or connector at all.

Letitride3c

LOL, that pictorial solutions could well have been mine - we're doing that a few years ago while visiting China and resorted to something similar in a secondary city when booked into a "tourist" class hotel for one night by our TA. A combination of good old telephone book (yeah, still seeing them) & rolled up towel trick (and, even the little pill boxes/SD card reader, etc.) can be tasked to provide support & anchor for the outlet plugs. Also, got the adjustable hoop & loop fastening strap with the velco & end ring - off the cables bundle, to use as needed.

Marathon Man

Yes the velcro straps

I tend to bring twisty ties with me too and as said earlier I may need to strip them to make the plug prongs "thicker"

Now that I think of it, perhaps I shall take a couple of mostly used eu and us charge heads and drip some solder on em and buff it out with fine sand paper. This should result in a conductive yet relatively save solution. It could fatten up the ends of things used. I will just have to make sure to always have enough of the right fat ones laying around for whatever destination

jimquan

Um, duct tape?

Yeah, I know what you're talking about.

I'd be very leery of adding anything to the round prongs which could: protrude, short, fall off and be retained in the socket.

I've seen some US to Euro plug adapters with a hole which appears to allow a screw to pass through and secure the adapter to the wall outlet. Never tried it though.

If had that many things to plug in and had to continually deal with loose wall outlets a country specific power strip (make sure the voltage matches!) would be the answer - probably not what you're looking for though.

Jim

ROW2Aisle

Wrong! I'm using using items bought in India for the Indian market . Many of the wall sockets in homes I visit have two sets of round receptacles one below the other, each with a slightly different spacing between the holes to accommodate the different plugs (Type C and Type D) and these are even different in sizes from the larger round ones used for heavy kitchen appliances (Type M). With the double receptacles I can use the Indian pins or the old style British pins. It is that the contacts tend to be very loose.

Marathon Man

yes duct tape could work, but sometimes there aint nuthin to even tape to

my picture showed many things plugged in, so yeah , weight is there. But I have had this problem even with just one plug plugged in. US or EU. On the WOW plane for example.

So even if you just have one awesome universal everything USB multi port many watt everything works tablet and phone uber double secret connector thing, if that one plug (on a chord or as part of the unit itself) that connects it to the wall outlet doesn't stay stuck in said outlet, the thing is useless no matter what you got.

This is why I have to try my lead solution. I will do so and report back. As well, it just so happens I have an electrician coming to my house later in Sept for a totally separate household issue. I will ask him fer idears if I aint burned the place down by then.

gfunkdave

After reading this thread, I must be one of the lucky ones. I think I have only had to deal with loose outlets once or twice ever.