Negita43

Are you sure it uses the same bands as in Thailand?

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1. are you using a Thai IP or a foreign IP (via a VPN)? 2. On my Thai partners PC both Lazada and Shoppee gave me the option of auto login - maybe not good on a notebook or Phone but on a PC in the house not too dangerous and in any event it's set to pay on delivery (however I guess if you regularly clear cache then the login in data disappears)

If you are using a VPN then these sites are in a continual battle with the VPN providers to block them - I use Nord and I tried Cyberghost - Nord could access Prime video but Cyberghost couldn't so I stayed with Nord - another tactic is to use a dedicate IP (costs more) but then you should be the only one with that IP and the websites won't block you because they see too many connections from the same IP.

EPITAPH Finally got the unit open (2 screws under the label as well as the 4 under the feet) It's not easy to see but it looks like the live which goes through the switch then links to the right hand side of the socket and the blue goes to the left hand side when viewed from the front I think this is the opposite of what Crossy says it should be based on the plug wiring. I might try re-make correctly then I guess that the two red wires that go to the pcb will also need to be reversed to correct the issues I was having when I reversed the plug to get the socket tester to show a correct connection.

Any UK citizen thinking of returning to the UK for health reasons (NHS)? From BBC news today Some A&E departments are in a "complete state of crisis", the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has said, as it highlighted the extreme pressures facing the NHS this winter.

Yes thank you - I have 2 of these in my kitchen bought from HomePro although I think you will find most of the standard unswitched Thai plugs also show the same indications after you prize off the cover.

1. The tester does not show a voltage but the Live/Earth reversed lights come on. 2. The reason I know it's switching the neutral is that this extension was bought to power a small project outside with a socket (all the testing till now was not using this) if I plug the socket tester into the outside socket connected to different old extension lead it shows correct wiring - as soon as I change to the new extension it shows reversed live/neutral. If I then use one of these "Mains tester screwdrivers" (not recommended I know) on this outside plug with the old extension lead it shows live in the live hole (technical term) as marked on the socket - if i use it with this new extension lead it shows the neutral hole as live! (I couldn't use the mains tester directly on the new lead as it is shuttered). Crossy, have a SPARKsling New Year and thanks again.

Thanks Crossy But I am confused - The socket tester shows correct wiring on every socket I have tested in the house - I know the wiring is correct on these circuits because I have inspected a couple. So I wired the plug to conform with the socket tester showing correct wiring. Now I have changed it to to your recommendation the socket tester shows Live and Neutral reversed (which is why I changed it in the first place). I bow to your superior knowledge and will leave the plug as you say. However it is definitely switching OFF the neutral not the live. I am not comfortable with this and I am going to dump it. Thanks again for your constructive and sensitive help.

Thanks Crossy really apprecioate your help now (and over the years), Here is a picture of the plug - the bare metal will be rectified IF (no longer considering when!) I can get the unit sorted. - more info - the blue indicator light on the unit stays on even with the unit switched OFF and the socket tester shows Live/Earth reversed. With the unit switched ON the socket tester shows correct wiring. Don't you think that this indicates something amiss inside the unit? And I have just realised it's showing 225 Volts even with the unit switched off BUT the desk lamp if plugged in goes OFF!

Crossy - I take your point about the bare wire - it was a quick wire up to test only. The live and neutral are correct (brown to the left, blue to the right - and the socket tester confirms this) what worries me more is that when the extesion lead's switch is OFF and certainly the plug sockets do go off - tested with a lamp - the socket tester shows Live and Earth reversed yet when I continuity test just the cable switching off the switch removes continuity on the live - which is what I would expect. Now take a look at these two videos - one with the switch on the unit ON and one with it OFF - Notice with the switch ON the Desk Lamp is ON, the socket tester is correct and the charger lights are solid green With the unit's switch OFF the Desk lamp is OFF (although it flashes for about 20 seconds when I switch the unit off) and all the lights for the USB charger are flashing and how even the unit's blue indicator light keeps flashing. My feeling is that there must be someting not quite right inside the extension leads casing Unit swittch ON.mp4 Unit swittch ON.mp4 Sorry can't get rid of this grey area Unit switch OFF.mp4

Major apologies and an update 1. The plug at the pin end was wired correctly. ( I cut the cable at the moulded plug end and tested to the pins). 2. Continuity testing using my rig (see pic) as follows: 3. Multimeter set to diode setting Switch OFF. Ground to Ground Continuity Neutral to Neutral (Blue) Continuity Live to Live (Brown) No Continuity No continuity between other combinations Switch ON Ground to Ground Continuity Neutral to Neutral (Blue) Continuity Live to Live (Brown) Continuity As a layman that’s exactly what I would expect – the switch disconnects the live feed. I then realised that maybe I had not checked one thing. Socket tester with unit power switch on extension lead ON shows correct wiring Live/Neutral correct. Socket tester with power switch on extension lead OFF shows live and earth reversed. I’m still confused but maybe this extra information will help others who know more give me an explanation

Thanks - yes I have a multi meter The cable has been cut so I can't test the plug to outlet socket - but I wish I had thought of that before. I built the house maybe 10 years ago and all electrics on the socket circuits are correctly wired with an earth - all earth wires go to a copper rod in the ground outside. The socket tester works fine on all the sockets in the house. I am confident the issue is with the extension wiring.

Yes that's what I try to do but at 79 the travel is getting more difficult and the cost is rising significantly and I have to keep the flat at 15C for the insurance. Renting out sounds a good idea but I live in Scotland and the law favours the tenants there - time for some difficult decisions, but deciding not to have residence in the UK has huge implications for bank accounts, credit cards etc.

I recently bought an extension lead – it’s just what I needed – 3 multinational sockets USB types A and C and it is switched – one switch So far so good when I got it, I put a socket tester in and it showed reversed live and neutral. I tried to open the unit to look at the wiring without success so I decided to cut the cable and rewire it with my own plug. Inside the cable there was a Brown, Blue and the Yellow and Green sheaths. The product is made in China and I guess it was made for the American/Japanese markets and as the plug is the same in Thailand and some bright spark (forgive the pun) thought they would sell it here. Anyway I wired my plug Brown – Live, Blue Neutral, Yellow and Green Earth – put in the socket tester and it came up with Live and Neutral reversed again (see pic 1). Ok I thought I’ll just swap the Brown and Blue in the plug. When I put the socket tester in it came up Live and Earth reversed! (see pic 2). I am somewhat confused as to what is going on except to more than suspect that this extension lead has not been wired to the correct colour coding and that the earth (Yellow and Green) is being used as a Live or Neutral. There are 6 combinations possible and if I start using the Yellow and Green as a live or neutral at some point it’s going to trip the RCB. I did think about making up a short lead with two plugs and using this to pass current through the unit and then test the cable with a meter to see which was the live cable that would then leave only 2 possibilities for the earth and neutral – would that work? Anyone with more electrical knowledge than me have any ideas based on the information above? I know the simplest solution would be to dump the unit and buy another – but I hate being beaten by inanimate objects! Pic 2 appears first I don't know why

If you are from the UK - you have to also take into account when "tipping the scales" that the NHS is in shambles and probably you would have to wait 6 months to see a consultant even if you got through "trial by triage" and saw a doctor. In Scotland getting registerd with a dentist is impossible and even on the NHS it's cheaper to see one over here - my last clean and polish cost 330 Baht at a local hospital

Plug it in, switch it on, attach say table lamp switch that on then unplug the unit from the supply - it should start beeping and the light should stay on. Alternatively (much simpler) plug it in switch it on (probably the button on the front) and see if there is a battery level indicator on the front panel. One of these will give an indication if the battery backup part of the unit is working

Commonly known as a UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply. If the battery inside is any good then it's a useful aquisition can protect anything electrical up to the rated output (720 watts) not only computers. Even if the battery is shot it can usually be replaced (depending on the cost of the battery and complexity of the process it's sometimes cheaper to buy a new one

Maybe not if she's the one facing the emergency

Not sure if this if "off topic" but here goes - about 15months ago I had a prostate MRI in the UK it showed that I possibly had a small cancer. Last week I had an MRI at the Bangkok Hospital here in Thailand, it showed a possible cancer (80%) with exactly the same dimensions as the first one (which rightly or wrongly gives me some comfort), my PSA which had been rising steadily appears to have stabilised at around 22. Of course, both the UK doctor and the Thai doctor want to do a biopsy. I do not want to have one - my reasons: 1. I'm 79 (today as it happens) whatever a biopsy might show has to be seen in the light of my actuarial life expectancy of 7 years - do I want to go through months of chemo to maybe prolong a inevitably deteriorating life by a few months? 2. Having a biopsy has risks and I do not want to take the risk of jeopardising my current (apart from a loss of cartilage in the right knee - but that's another story) reasonably fit and healthy state. Quality over quantity being my watchword. Of course, I would like to do everything I can within the above parameters to address the prostate issue so the question is, does anyone have any suggestions as to my next course of action? Thanks

Thanks everyone but the project requires that the floodlight is switched by a remote and that side of things works great (PIRs have a habit of switching off if they do not detect movement or body heat), All I need is an indicator in ta visible place that confirms the unit is on or off. I already have a system that lets me know if I have left the lights on in my underbuild (see pic) but I was looking for something a bit less obtrusive and a bit more "technologically" up to date.

Yes good thought but depending on the time it might switch off the unit whilst being used

I have made a small project that has a LED outside floodlight switchable by a remote. I notice that when it loses power and the power is restored the light defaults to on. It's at the back of the house and could remain on for sevearl days before being spotted. The remote switching unit has 2 outputs (I'm only using 1) so assuming both outputs become live under the power on/off senario I would like to use this output to trigger a warning light in a visble place (preferably in the house). I'm not up to date about LEDs so are there any LED indicators (like the ones you see in some switches, with or without associated circuitry) that can receive a 230 volt input, what search term should I use when looking in Lazada?

I have two questions today but will post them as separate threads. 1. Today I recieved an extension socket from Lazada - on testing it with the socket tester it showed that the live and neutral were reversed. I understand that this won't affect the functionality of the device BUT am I right in thinking that when switched off it will switch the neutral instead of the live. In all other respects the lead is exactly what I need, so If so, I will attempt to dismantle it and rewire it. ( I'm not worried about the warranty as I haven't found Thai warranties to be worthwhile).

He must have said that when he was legless