Hi all, as I get closer to ordering the 5 Pro I see the 65mm VFD spindle requires 12A and cannot be used with a GFCI outlet for a 20A outlet. I’d think running this on a standard 15A outlet would be prone to tripping the breaker. My locality requires GFCI for 20A outlets (as I read what I find). How have others coped with this?
Thanks
I’ve got my spindle plugged into a non-GFCI 15A outlet in my garage. I’ve been using it since March without any issues. I am careful not to run anything else on that circuit while the spindle is active though.
I run the controller, laptop charger, shop vac, and any other stuff on the 20A GFCI outlet and haven’t tripped anything (yet).
What Ben said. 15A is plenty. We even have a 65mm VFD and machine plugged into a 15A power strip. The VFD will never need to draw it’s full rated 1.2kW unless you stall it really bad, in which case you probably have bigger issues.
Is the controller the Pro 5 itself? I’m getting ready to have new outlets put in the garage. Thanks. Sounds like one 15A and one 20A might do it.
Yep. The controller is where all the power to drive the stepper motors comes from. Only takes a couple hundred watts to move the machine around.
Thanks all, I gather two 15A circuits can handle the CNC tablet PC, spindle, and shop vac. I think that’s what I need Please let me know if I misunderstood.
When I built my shop I have all 20 AMP 120VAC outlets. For my Shapeoko I have everything running off a 15 AMP power strip and have never had any issues with power.
The SO5 C3D recommends separate circuits for the VFD and the Shapeoko.
On my Shapeoko I seldom power my laptop and let it run on battery which will last about 6 hours. So unless I am running a 10-12 hour program I seldom plug up my laptop but if I do it is on the 15 AMP power strip with the Shapeoko and again never any power issues.
The GFCI is required for almost all locations. However VFD and some other variable speed controllers will trip a GFCI every time the frequency is changed. I have a Jet 1642 Lathe with a VFD that runs a 3 phase motor and I guarantee it will trip the GFCI everytime I change the speed. So I have one circuit in my shop with one outlet on it that is not GFCI and just a regular duplex outlet.
So if you have to have a building inspection just let them put the GFCI in at the outlet and not in the circuit breaker position and after the inspection replace the GFCI outlet with a standard one. It is just 3 wires, black (Hot) white (Neutral) and bare or green which is ground. Just be sure you power off the breaker before doing work to that outlet and verify there is no power. What I like to do is plug in a lamp and turn it on. Then when I turn the breaker off I can visually see that the lamp is off.
A possible work-around here may be:
which notes:
On page 3 & 12
210.8 & 547.5
“ GFCI protection shall not be required for a single receptacle supplying a dedicated load and marked “not GFCI protected”.
I’m unable to find the document. I’m finding their forum discussing it. Can anyone help me find the document itself? My electrician is trying to help me get this setup inspite of local code. Thanks.
I have had both my HDM and S5Pro (with 65mm VFD) on a GFCI circuit with no issue. I do run a power conditioning power strip on mu S5Pro, maybe that helps. But the HDM was with without that, so maybe not. Maybe my GFCI is just barely functional. 
I believe it would be:
Thanks, could I trouble you for a link to your or equivalent conditioning power strip please? Thank you.
The NEC 2023 is available for purchase in paper form or electronic format. The printed is $153.00 or $12.00 a month. You can also buy it on Amazon for about $50.00. I am sure if you look hard enough you could find a copy online somewhere for free but it is not intended to be free from the NEC publisher.
I did find a link that says you can read the NEC for free if you make a login. Did not try it but let us know if it works.
I did login and found one of the references. You likely cannot read this but I captured the page and you can login and find the Free View Link inside after login.
You use the login then View All codes and Standards. Find #70 which is the Electrical Code for 2023. Then you can navigate to Chapter 2 and look at the page and section number at the top to find the articles referenced in the post above. They are not making it handy to see and really want you to buy a copy. It is free but a little hard to find.
Thanks, I tried. The electrician told me my local code simply will not allow it. Makita router it is. They are $108 on Amazon as of this writing. It will arrive tomorrow. I think that will be the end of this thread for me. I’m bumm’n I can’t have the Cool-Dude™ Spindle. Thank you all, very much!
Josh didn’t check back in but I have a conditioner setup as well and run my SOP5 and my VFD through one of these to my 15A GFCI:
Digital Energy EMI Sound Filter/Noise Reducer
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0985W4YLC/
I also have those going through some kasa smart plugs w/ energy monitoring. Only once since last December have I had an erroneous spike go out so hard that it popped the gfci and since it never happened again I haven’t had cause to look into it.
I’ll eventually get a 1-1.5k APC/UPS and fire it all through there as a secondary power backup but like anything, time, money, and the ever present “is it really necessary” bounce around.
I see you already went with the Makita but you can still ponder this in the future.
I got my CD3 65mm VFD installed this week. This thing is so quiet that I had to go out and buy a Dewalt quiet shop vac. It’s hard to believe just how loud the old router and vacuum were. I bet I’ve been able to drop 30 decibels with the new setup. For me this makes it worth the investment. At 60 my hearing, while still good, is worth spending a little extra. I’ve worked in and around a machine shop for 40 years and always wore hearing protection because it was required. I don’t know about anyone else but I’m a little less likely to use hearing protection at home.
Please use hearing protection even for the new, quieter setup — the noise of cutting is still the same.
Ear plugs work fine now. Before I needed ear plugs and ear muffs. LOL
Sorry I spaced it. 
Here’s the one I have:
Panamax Pm8-Ex 8 AC Outlet Surge Protectors https://a.co/d/6TiV6MM
