Power Linking

[Pe7e]

You could always make the cables yourself, it would cost you around £4 + £1 per M length per cable, using high quality Kaiser C13 & C14 IEC fittings and HO7RNF rubber cable. That's assuming you purchase cable and fittings in reasonable quantities, Kent PAT testing are a good source for the Kaiser fittings, Tip: don't buy cheap nasty fittings they are a waste of money, and they're fiddly to wire up.

[Nakatomi]

I mostly make my own cables, the only exceptions being the short IEC 'Y' cables I use on my lights most gigs. As someone has already said, quality cable & connectors are available at decent prices - I tend to buy my connectors from RS or Farnell (NOT Bulgin IECs they're awful!) & 1.0mm or 1.5mm 'rubber' 3-core mains cable from Screwfix (aka pond flex). It gets quite cold where I store my cables & the last thing I want is wiring that doesn't sit straight. Before I did this I didn't have a problem with the reliability of ready made mains cables but I just couldn't stand how inflexible PVC jacketed cables are when they're cold.

A while ago, rather than a big 13A multi-gang trailing socket thingy for powering everything, I made a box. It has a powercon input, fuse & indicator neon.. and sixteen IEC outputs. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I decided I needed 16 - I generally only use 6, sometimes even less. At the majority of my gigs, power comes from the wall to a 4-way mains extension (either 2m or 5m depending on where I am - I'm never usually that much further from the nearest socket). Laptop, controller & radio mic get plugged into that, then I plug my IEC multibox into there too. Then I run IECs to PA & lights from the multibox. My hazer, if I use it, tends to be powered from its own 13A socket.

And yes, all my DIY electrical gear is safety tested regularly with everything else

Speaking of PAT tests.. About the only failure of a test I've ever had from my gear or cable stash is an IEC lead which came with something (I forget what & where it came from). The cable failed the earth resistance check. I cut it apart to investigate & found the actual conductors of the cable where very very thin strands of a grey coloured metal. So, only buy your cables from reputable sources - and even then be very careful & test them regularly.