<h2>Hard NO.</h2>

<p>Not as a high voltage extension cord.</p>

<p>You're drawing only 5 Amps, sure, and XLR cables can carry from 2 to 10 amps, but <em>not</em> <strong>120 volts of alternating power</strong>. XLR cables are not meant to conduct that kind of voltage, if you attempt it, the wire could overheat, melt your connections, and potentially start a fire. </p>

<p>XLR is commonly used for low-voltage applications (mostly 4 and 5 pin XLR though), so you could rig up something to carry the DC power from your device transformers. Plug your power adapters into the wall, then use the XLR cable to carry the low-voltage DC power to your electronics. This will require some more fine-wiring, and there's no guarantee the wires will carry the DC 100 ft to the satisfaction of your devices. They may not power on at all.</p>

<p>You're better off using your proper power cable.  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-16T03:32:31.350Z
You're mixing voltage and current in your answer. What will melt the wire is not the voltage, but the power that is being dissipated in the wire, which is proportional to the current flowing through it (amps) × the voltage × the resistance of the wire.
stib
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-11T16:46:16.080Z
2018-10-11T16:46:16.080Z
ShemSeger
<p>You would best off speaking with an electrician as there is more to this than just wires, you have to consider things like current, draw, heat, limits to voltage with thinner cables etc.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-11T11:35:52.687Z
2018-10-11T11:35:52.687Z
Adam Mann Pro
<p>Absolutely not. XLR (off the shelf) is rated for mA, not Amps, and at 48v at the high end... which is basically phantom power. </p>

<p>Now you COULD have a custom cable made. Markertek does this, and they do a great job making custom cables. They certainly could use an AWG 18 4 Wire, and put Neutrik connectors at both ends, one male and one female. But I don't see why you would need this. </p>

<p>If you want to only carry 1 cable, just so everything is run on a single path, I'd recommend having Markertek make a custom cable with break away tails. They would set it up with a shielded AC 120v rated main for your power, and run what ever you need along that same path (3 pin xlr, 4 pin xlr, multi-xlr, bnc). At each end you could have them either wire a small breakout similar to a malt box, or just have break away connectors with "x" amount of lead at each end. </p>

<p>But definitely do not run Amps of power through a cable rated for 1/1000th of that current. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-15T16:39:20.430Z
Actually, common 3 pin XLR of reputable make is rated for well north of 10A (Time was they were often used on loudspeakers!), but they are **NOT** a mains connector, and usually the cable used will also not be rated for power service. Your weight comes really from the cable, not the connectors anyway, and you would want to be using something that your local approvals folks would accept for mains usage, which is NOT going to be mic cable.
Dan Mills
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-13T18:58:48.123Z
2018-10-13T18:58:48.123Z
McFlySoHigh
<p>There used to be a variant of XLR plug rated for AC power. It was 50 years ago so the details are hazy, but I remember helping my supervising tech replace the power connector on the back of a Tektronix Vectorscope with one in my first two years of apprenticeship as a broadcast tech.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-02-29T18:48:38.610Z
2024-02-29T18:48:38.610Z
Evan
<p>Yes you can as a cable is a cable, you just need to know the particular specs of the cable in question. XLR cables are typically rated from 50 to over 300 volts depending on which one you have, you just need to verify it is rated over your local mains voltage depending on what you have (120 vs. 240). The amperage rating some manufacturers specify can be a bit questionable as most XLR cables are made from either 24 AWG or 22 AWG wires. Continuous rating for PVC 24 AWG is 3.5 amps while 22 AWG is 5 amps, however if it is using a bit more exotic insulation such as ETFE that increases to 5 amps for 24 AWG and 6.5 amps for 22 AWG. I believe the reason why manufacturers are able to state up to 12 amps is because they are using charts for 22 AWG ETFE or PTFE in a NON continuous mode. Over voltage on a cable will cause insulation breakdown and arcing and over amperage will cause enough heat to build up to soften, melt or burn the insulation away. Regardless it is always good to test an experimental cable made like this with an experimental proof test after constuction. Simply plug in something slightly above your desired rated load and leave it to sit powered non stop in and outdoor environment continuously powered for several or more hours while being monitored. This way you will have your own proof testing to fall back on before you plug in your labtop and fall asleep one night and burn your house down. Make no mistakes this will be a specialist cable after construction, typical bare minimum for a power cord should be 14 AWG although 16 AWG does exist. People have burned down their home using 16 AWG cables and plugging in high amperage loads such as space heaters.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-03-22T03:12:09.883Z
2023-03-22T03:12:09.883Z
Tyler Pontius
<p>I currently use a regular 50 foot power cord rated for 15 amps. I use it only for two laptops and one camera, making a draw of about 5 amps according to the "input" label on the power supplies.</p>

<p>The 50 foot cord is heavy, while I notice 100 foot XLRs I have are a pound lighter. Considering both are three wire cords, I thought that there might be "power over XLR" in some way.</p>

<p>If not, would it be safe to snip off the ends of an XLR and attach standard power plugs that you can buy at the hardware store, assuming I never try to draw higher than 5 amps?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-16T03:37:50.153Z
Something no-one has mentioned is that using the XLR connectors "off book" as it were is dangerous, when someone who expects an audio line-level signal coming through it plugs your modded XLR cable into the back of their bit of audio equipment and puts on their headphones ☠↯☠↯☠↯
stib
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-16T03:39:20.623Z
I just looked on ebay and if you search for 'Power XLR combo cable' you'll find cables that have kettle plugs and XLR audio plugs, for using with powered speakers. Might be what you need.
stib
<cable>
Use XLR for power?
user3643
# Use XLR for power?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-11)

I currently use a regular 50 foot power cord rated for 15 amps. I use it only for two laptops and one camera, making a draw of about 5 amps according to the "input" label on the power supplies.

The 50 foot cord is heavy, while I notice 100 foot XLRs I have are a pound lighter. Considering both are three wire cords, I thought that there might be "power over XLR" in some way.

If not, would it be safe to snip off the ends of an XLR and attach standard power plugs that you can buy at the hardware store, assuming I never try to draw higher than 5 amps?

**Tags:** cable

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Something no-one has mentioned is that using the XLR connectors "off book" as it were is dangerous, when someone who expects an audio line-level signal coming through it plugs your modded XLR cable into the back of their bit of audio equipment and puts on their headphones ☠↯☠↯☠↯  
> **username_1**: I just looked on ebay and if you search for 'Power XLR combo cable' you'll find cables that have kettle plugs and XLR audio plugs, for using with powered speakers. Might be what you need.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-10-11. Score: 3

## Hard NO.

Not as a high voltage extension cord.

You're drawing only 5 Amps, sure, and XLR cables can carry from 2 to 10 amps, but *not* **120 volts of alternating power**. XLR cables are not meant to conduct that kind of voltage, if you attempt it, the wire could overheat, melt your connections, and potentially start a fire.

XLR is commonly used for low-voltage applications (mostly 4 and 5 pin XLR though), so you could rig up something to carry the DC power from your device transformers. Plug your power adapters into the wall, then use the XLR cable to carry the low-voltage DC power to your electronics. This will require some more fine-wiring, and there's no guarantee the wires will carry the DC 100 ft to the satisfaction of your devices. They may not power on at all.

You're better off using your proper power cable.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You're mixing voltage and current in your answer. What will melt the wire is not the voltage, but the power that is being dissipated in the wire, which is proportional to the current flowing through it (amps) × the voltage × the resistance of the wire.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-10-11. Score: 2

You would best off speaking with an electrician as there is more to this than just wires, you have to consider things like current, draw, heat, limits to voltage with thinner cables etc.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-10-13. Score: 1

Absolutely not. XLR (off the shelf) is rated for mA, not Amps, and at 48v at the high end... which is basically phantom power.

Now you COULD have a custom cable made. Markertek does this, and they do a great job making custom cables. They certainly could use an AWG 18 4 Wire, and put Neutrik connectors at both ends, one male and one female. But I don't see why you would need this.

If you want to only carry 1 cable, just so everything is run on a single path, I'd recommend having Markertek make a custom cable with break away tails. They would set it up with a shielded AC 120v rated main for your power, and run what ever you need along that same path (3 pin xlr, 4 pin xlr, multi-xlr, bnc). At each end you could have them either wire a small breakout similar to a malt box, or just have break away connectors with "x" amount of lead at each end.

But definitely do not run Amps of power through a cable rated for 1/1000th of that current.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Actually, common 3 pin XLR of reputable make is rated for well north of 10A (Time was they were often used on loudspeakers!), but they are **NOT** a mains connector, and usually the cable used will also not be rated for power service. Your weight comes really from the cable, not the connectors anyway, and you would want to be using something that your local approvals folks would accept for mains usage, which is NOT going to be mic cable.  

---

### Answer by username_6 on 2024-02-29. Score: 1

There used to be a variant of XLR plug rated for AC power. It was 50 years ago so the details are hazy, but I remember helping my supervising tech replace the power connector on the back of a Tektronix Vectorscope with one in my first two years of apprenticeship as a broadcast tech.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2023-03-22. Score: 0

Yes you can as a cable is a cable, you just need to know the particular specs of the cable in question. XLR cables are typically rated from 50 to over 300 volts depending on which one you have, you just need to verify it is rated over your local mains voltage depending on what you have (120 vs. 240). The amperage rating some manufacturers specify can be a bit questionable as most XLR cables are made from either 24 AWG or 22 AWG wires. Continuous rating for PVC 24 AWG is 3.5 amps while 22 AWG is 5 amps, however if it is using a bit more exotic insulation such as ETFE that increases to 5 amps for 24 AWG and 6.5 amps for 22 AWG. I believe the reason why manufacturers are able to state up to 12 amps is because they are using charts for 22 AWG ETFE or PTFE in a NON continuous mode. Over voltage on a cable will cause insulation breakdown and arcing and over amperage will cause enough heat to build up to soften, melt or burn the insulation away. Regardless it is always good to test an experimental cable made like this with an experimental proof test after constuction. Simply plug in something slightly above your desired rated load and leave it to sit powered non stop in and outdoor environment continuously powered for several or more hours while being monitored. This way you will have your own proof testing to fall back on before you plug in your labtop and fall asleep one night and burn your house down. Make no mistakes this will be a specialist cable after construction, typical bare minimum for a power cord should be 14 AWG although 16 AWG does exist. People have burned down their home using 16 AWG cables and plugging in high amperage loads such as space heaters.


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