LongRunner's Mini-review Collection

[LongRunner]

I've meant to examine these for a while, since my mixed outcomes with Connected Switchgear (CSG) products last year.
On September 27 in Rexel, I didn't end up buying what I came for but found them below Hager's protection devices.

An overview of Australia's electrical accessories is in order: Our leading brand is Clipsal (owned by Schneider Electric since 2004, after which the Gerards got back in the business with their Trader brand; some electricians swear by them but I'm not so convinced), with HPM (owned by Legrand since 2007) playing second-fiddle. In the 1970s Clipsal and HPM each had a “Standard” range (both still available to some extent, but often at inflated prices) requiring fiddly plastic caps over the mounting screws (since they normally screw into an unearthed metal bracket, which could be made live by a loose wire); in the '80s HPM introduced their Excel range with removable cover plates, but its glory lasted only a few years prior to Clipsal's much-superior 2000 Series (which remains Australia's most-popular switch/socket lineup today) using a common border surround, with multi-gang surrounds available to neatly mount up to four plates side‑by‑side (or three end‑to‑end). Along the way came Clipsal Classic (C2000; a direct competitor to HPM Excel, with similar dedicated cover plates), Clipsal Slimline/Eclipse (SC2000/SL2000; thinner Classic variants, Eclipse with rounder corners) and HPM Linea (likewise), Clipsal Prestige (P2000) and HPM COMO (with large switches for aged-care facilities) among others. Ring-Grip also had a fair run, but died out 20-odd years ago (now their name is just slapped onto cheapo appliances).

Now there's also the Clipsal/PDL Iconic (3000) series with user-swappable rockers, but it's not as well-made as the 2000 Series so I remain unpersuaded.
HPM/Legrand's Excel Life range is somewhat improved over the original Excel, but not quite enough to win me over either.
So observing my underwhelming general track record with late Australian products, can German giant Hager do better? Let's find out…

WBP4S quad outlet

C2015D4 versus WBP4S.JPG (201.61 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

One of the first Hager accessories in the local Rexel (AU$53.20), and a welcome substitute for Clipsal's C2015D4 (my unit having a very yellowed cover).
Being designed to retrofit in place of a double outlet (largely for convenience but also helpful in heritage-listed houses like the one I'm now living in, where you need to minimize any irreversible alterations), their profile is raised to accommodate the outer sockets over the wall surface. It of course has its own longer surround (thankfully also polycarbonate), with additional columns covering the standard (84mm) mounting points. Just be aware that it's slightly wider (211mm) than the Clipsal (196mm) and the optional corner fixings are further-out accordingly, so check the space before you rush out to replace your old C2015D4…

End screw storage.JPG (183.27 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

However it also has wider socket spacings (53mm between the inner sockets and 46.5mm from outer to inner, where Clipsal has the basic 45mm intervals), and built-in screw storage (rather than the C2015D4's provided screw bag).

Quad outlet backs.JPG (641.84 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

Hager have chosen a distinctive translucent blue (or “blu”) for the rear frame; while the iMac was 25 years ago, this does reveal that the switches are double‑pole as in the Clipsal, Trader and Deta models (perhaps because the quad-outlet layout doesn't make single‑pole switching much easier anyway).
So to apply Hager's model-numbering scheme consistently, it should really be called the WBP4DS. Like the C2015D4, no part protrudes from the back.
The circular recessed area is where an extra switch goes in the WBP4XS; this pushed the terminals quite low, and indeed the inner sockets had to be spaced-out to accommodate them. Unlike Clipsal, Hager opted to keep the terminals symmetrical (as befitting the overall layout).

I'd fix the white balance if aesthetics mattered here; you can still see what's there.

Screw gap.JPG (191.57 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

The screw heads do bottom-out on the terminals before their tips reach the bore, but will still grip a single 2.5mm² core solidly (provided it's twisted well) so this isn't a crippling flaw (but do verify the grip if connecting already-flattened ends, or if you do have smaller wires in some location).
The thread appears to be M4.5×0.75, in 6mm bores.

Inside front.JPG (511.53 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

As usual in Australian outlets, the shutters are opened by the neutral pin so only protect the active.
Thankfully they are closed by proper springs, not the unsatisfying plastic-leaf arrangements in Clipsal/PDL Iconic (and many older Kambrook power-boards).

WBP4S inside, Clipsal 30M rocker for comparison.JPG (308.91 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

The red dot is an insert rather than surface marking (an approach common on UK sockets, but previously unseen here in Australia), so can never wear off; although I wonder if it affects the physical integrity (Clipsal rockers are thicker but still often cracked where the dot was stamped deep enough to create a weak point).
At least Hager have thickened the rocker plastic immediately around the insert. Stationary contacts are 2.6mm diameter (5.3mm²), moving contacts 3.1mm diameter to tolerate some misalignment. The barrier between switch poles could be taller (like in Omron's A8L appliance switch), but is no worse than Clipsal's. The incoming active and neutral busbars are 0.7mm brass, 4.6mm wide at the narrowest point (but 5.7mm across the top part); calculating to 0.9–1.1mm² Cu equivalent, which may seem low for up to 20A combined but should suffice (the CSG BS-POD10 survived with less than half the Cu equivalent).

Socket contact comparison.JPG (235.1 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

Socket contacts are all 0.7mm phosphor-bronze in full-wiper formation (where the C2015D4's active and neutral are a half-wiper, half-scraper hybrid which might scratch away at plated pins).

It handled 2×11A fine and survived an overload to 2×16A (at least for the 10 minutes I tested) on top of that.

WBSV1 switch (WBSP1 plate + WBM16AX mechanism)
The other item available at Rexel (AU$8.44), although Hager's ranges go up to full 6-switch plates. From the front it looks unremarkable, so let's see the back:

WBSV1 back.JPG (209.56 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

Hager's switch mechanism(s) are mounted by their nifty (and patented) Roto-loc system, which you can lock/release with either a dedicated tool (WBMS, as shown in the catalog) or 5.5×1.0mm bladed screwdriver in the provided slot; preventing push-back by vandals, without the fiddly screws traditionally added for that purpose.
As standard in Australian switches, they can be mounted vertically or horizontally in the same plate.

Angled view.JPG (128.94 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

Otherwise the mechanism is straightforward; SPDT (with a breakaway “T” barrier over the second way) rated for 16AX, plus looping terminal on the left.
Some other mechanisms have different body colors (orange 20A, green double-pole, red intermediate).

WBM16AX open.JPG (96.8 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

The rocker has a two-layer construction (some black plastic behind the white polycarbonate) presumably to provide the stated chemical-resistant pivots and arc shield; the outlets have simple one-layer rockers.

WBP2S dual outlet

WBP2S left, WBP4S right

Rocker comparison.JPG (165.27 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

This was ordered online among three Clipsal items. The rocker shape is a bit different (two adjoining flats instead of the concave curve) for whatever reason.

WBP2S back.JPG (300.81 KiB) Viewed 66600 times

The two sockets have 48mm between centers.
While riveted together (so I can't disassemble it without damage), the blue tint is light enough that I can see the active and earth contacts are brass here (only the neutral remaining phosphor‑bronze); so not quite as robust as the 4-outlet model, but still on par with recent Clipsal 2025 production (which has brass A/N, phosphor‑bronze E and is clipped together) – and the WBP2S doesn't use the solid neutral terminal as half of a socket contact, if that helps.
Shutters seem to be the same design (I can locate their springs with my magnet stack), although a bit rougher to open initially (these can take a bit of a break-in).

I decided to test the switch breaking capacity; over 10 cycles at 4800W (240V 20A) and still working (though with some black deposits on the contacts).
(IEC standard tests also use 1.1× the rated voltage, but I'll cross that bridge when I have the equipment…)

All three of these items are manufactured in China, but they aren't used in Germany so it's not like there'd be too much point making them there
Terminal screws are all plated steel, but this is already the case through most of the competition (aside from Clipsal 30M switch mechanisms).
Though I do wonder if Hager's mounting screws (nickel plated?) might be more prone to rusting than the usual zinc-plated screws…
Update: If you have the leftover mounting screws from a Clipsal 2025XA (which for whatever reason are longer than usual), those are zinc-plated and the correct length to substitute in the WBP4S. However Hager's regular-size plates have narrower screw channels which won't quite accept the Clipsal (or Connected Switchgear) screw head diameter, except for those from the newer Clipsal/PDL Iconic series.

Conclusion
Hager's Premiere switches and sockets are very solid competitors to Clipsal 2000 Series (and HPM/Legrand Excel Life for that matter, nevermind the original Excel), and the WBP4S in particular makes Clipsal's C2015D4 “Awesome Foursome” look positively lackluster in comparison.

You can, of course, stay with Clipsal 2000 Series switches and single/double outlets if you value Australian manufacturing higher than Hager's technical advantages. For me it's a close-run thing; for switches decided mainly by already having several Clipsal mechanisms and plates, and the single/double outlets are even harder to choose between – Australian made or shuttered? (Yes, the Clipsal 2025S exists; but at an exorbitant extra cost, compared to the base model or Hager WBP2S.)
Also bear in mind the mounting screw head diameters, as noted in the update above; definitely use Hager's mounting blocks with Hager accessories.

But the C2015D4 has long since been made in China (and now Vietnam) anyway, as are most of Clipsal's more-exotic items.
So as long as the WBP4S's wider form is OK, it's the clear winner. In the (hopefully few) edge cases where the WBP4S doesn't fit, you could fall back on Trader's PUBIG4 (which looks suspiciously similar to the cheapo Deta/Arlec, but hopefully with better quality control) as a second-choice C2015D4 replacement.

I'll install the WBP4S in my kitchen, upgrading from the CSG BS-POD10 there (and changing another on the same wall to the WBP2S for consistency)…

[LongRunner]

“EL01084” power-board: A half-decent shuttered unit, although it has some shortcomings (the back bulges downward making the rubber feet ineffective, and the circuit breaker is the same type as in the C6PB so can be defeated by holding the button). Unlike most of our power-points, the shutters are of the type requiring active and neutral pins to be inserted simultaneously to open. Each push-button switch (double-pole as seems to be standard in power-boards) contains a white LED (two antiparallel diodes I think, with a 680kΩ resistor). The plug pin insulation is a bit rough, and cord is slightly short (96cm) of the stated 1m, but flexible enough. Jackson are selling this as the latest version of their PT1614; you may also find it under other brands.

If you don't need shutters or switches I'd probably stick with the Kaifengs, but at least the option is there…
There's also a black 6-outlet model but if its surge suppressor is like in other Jackson power-boards (with no failsafe), then I'd look elsewhere.

[LongRunner]

Trent & Steele TS 611 kettle: I grabbed it for AU$6.50 at the second-hand shop today (among various small items, mainly audio cables of types I don't already have in abundance; and a few older B22 holders with nice metal bayonets, should I need them for a repair) to go in my unit kitchen. (I first found a Ronson kettle, but left that one behind as it's the first kettle I've seen with a fixed cord and its element is quite scaly too; anyway it was missing a price sticker.)

It was in pretty good condition, just needed basic cleaning (and the plug pins were tarnished even though nickel-plated, so I wire-brushed them).
Internally it uses a Sunlight SLD-128 control, which actually has a significant advantage over the popular Strix type: The Strix mechanism switches both poles, and has a bimetal cut-out on each side (which switches it off if overheated) but you can defeat these by jamming the switch to commit arson.
The Sunlight SLD-128, on the other hand, switches only the active in normal operation; one of the two bimetal cut-outs pushes the main switch off, the second cuts the neutral off independently (so if you hold the switch down, it can still prevent fire).
(On my test the neutral cut-out responded first, but it doesn't really matter as the element retains enough heat to trip both cut-outs anyway.)
The base also has a shutter over the active and neutral contacts (which the Strix design lacks).

Unfortunately I can't find it on T&S's current site (or what passes for one) but if you find one at a similarly reasonable price, go for it.
(Even the K-Mart horrors sell new for AU$7.50 or thereabouts.) Seems relatively quiet for a flat-element kettle too.
Its only obvious shortcoming is that the element is 2200W (not the full 2400W) and has no obvious silicone sealant at the ends.

[LongRunner]

StarTech S3510SMU33 3.5″ USB 3.0 to SATA III HDD Enclosure with UASP Support:
Having to replace my crappy Jaycar “NexTech” enclosure (with a broken tray), I wandered online, quickly gave up on the “reviews” (as even technology reviewers have lost the plot nowadays ) and fell back on common-sense, picking this one; it's relatively expensive but between that, the aluminium shell and ASMedia ASM1153 bridge chip (rather than the buggy JMicron perils) it seemed as safe a bet as any. (I'll worry about the lack of automatic spin-down when one of my HDDs fails younger than 43,830 hours; so far only the known duds – namely post-7200.11 Seagates – have done so without being seriously abused.)

It includes a Ktec KSASB0241200200D5 +12V 2A plug-pack SMPS, supporting each common plug type (AS/NZS 3112, BS 1363, CEE 7/16 and NEMA 1-15).
The mounting screws are good quality with zinc plating (unlike most PC screws), although the tray is secured in the shell with M3 screws so don't mix them up…
The tray is still plastic (I'd prefer aluminium), so time for a temperature test; my two hottest-running SATA HDDs are the WD3003FZEX-00Z4SA0 (5 platters at 7200rpm) and ST380013AS (only 1 platter, but high +5V draw during access – due to its use of linear regulators for the SDRAM and Vcore supplies, as was usual at the time – and hence will also be a good test of the enclosure's +5V buck converter ).
(The NCQ-capable Barracuda 7200.7s from late 2004 switched to buck converters and became considerably more power-efficient; 7200.8 and later used buck converters on both PATA and SATA models.) The bright blue LED (3mm in a light-guide) belongs in 2004 for sure, but I can always change it out…
Update 2024-02-04: I indeed changed to a diffused yellow-green LED, and replaced the three 100μF 16V Stone electrolytic caps with Rubycon YXJ.

So I got my thermometer out, fed the T1 thermocouple through the front vents and around the side of the drive to the back, and taped it down (I of course have polyimide tape for sticking to heating appliances, but normal cellulose tape is fine at HDD temperatures) with thermal paste between the thermocouple bead and HDA; the T2 (ambient) thermocouple taped off to the side (in the air). Ergo, I win at reviewing it already As the worst-case scenario I tested it horizontally (on top of a Sistema lid to thermally insulate it from my PC case); while vertical operation is preferable if you're keeping the drive permanently in a safe location, since I mainly use this for my back-up drive that'd just be unnecessarily precarious. My ST380013AS reached 20K above ambient after a read benchmark; borderline (since ambient temperatures can approach 40°C in Australian summers if you don't have air conditioning), but still more-or-less survivable.

I may try the WD3003FZEX-00Z4SA0 later, not that I expect a much-worse result as non-NCQ 7200.7s dissipate more power while reading (11W for the ST3160023AS, perhaps 1W less for the ST380013AS) than even 4- or 5-platter modern drives do at idle; 11W is as much as the infamously hot-running ST39140A idled at (good job the Barracuda 7200.7s had mature FDBs which could survive the heat better, though the STMicroelectronics MCUs often couldn't ).
(I guess I should just be grateful that nobody's still dumb enough to use a linear +5V regulator in the enclosure; running my old ST380011A – thankfully with an Agere MCU and TI SH6950 motor driver – in such an enclosure ended up linearly regulating +12V all the way down to the +1.5V core; that was some “efficiency” and it's no wonder the temperature fluctuated so wildly ; and I think the regulator itself ultimately died from severe thermal stress…)

[LongRunner]

Kambrook KRH100: From a garage sale, I finally got one of Kambrook's tumble-proof radiators it's not the original model (that was 1200W with both bars on, where this one is just 1000W) but it does indeed recover to upright after tipping it forward (not so much when tipped backward, but then it's radiating up which isn't the end of the world). Unlike the Goldair GSIR220/RH0002, the two bars have separate rocker switches so you can alternate and even-out their usage (not that the previous owner bothered, observing how worn the top-bar switch's markings are ); and this model has an all-metal casing (except the carrying handle, and of course switches), unlike the Goldair's mostly-plastic construction with only critical parts (grille, reflector and the convected-heat shield behind it) being metal.

That said, the GSIR220's forward-facing radiation pattern is probably better for use as a true personal heater, whereas the KRH100's is more-diffused vertically.
Kambrook were also rather brave to use a PVC cord (where the GSIR220 has rubber); though an off-cut I tried (from a damaged extension cord) survived (albeit barely, with slight impressions) contact with both radiators, so it's not on the level of those cheapo soldering irons with PVC cords (that's reckless ).

I guess the eventual mandate for tip-over switches (which the KRH100 didn't have) rather diminished the tumble-proof design's appeal…
(In any case Kambrook pulled out of radiators altogether a few years ago, having become probably too-small of a niche to be profitable.)