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Author Topic: Abuses fuses...  (Read 4161 times)

OMK

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Abuses fuses...
« on: October 16, 2006, 08:29:30 am »

The LEDs For Lighting thread has some neat comments on fuses. Reading the backlog, I get the imrpression that lots of you will only resort to using them AFTER you've burnt your fingers. I know why. It's because fuses are so boring. They just sit there, looking mind-numbingly stupid... not worth the hassle.
If only I used one before I stuffed the wrong polarity up a brand new ESC.
So I figured if fuses could be prettied-up a bit, and easy to change when they blow, and do SOMETHING other than look dead, then they might be worth the agro.
So I done something about it...

Ninety-seven-million British pounds and many million man-hours later, has produced the world's first super-advanced ezee-fuzee gizmo.
Read all about this latest cosmetically-enhanced cunning contraption here:

http://www.keirle8122.fsnet.co.uk/non-gdts/fuse/fuse.htm


My mate Trevor, he's got one. He just sits there all day... waiting for the fuse to blow..
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wombat

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Re: Abuses fuses...
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2006, 09:53:47 am »

Hi PMK,

What do you mean something like the "Smart Blade" fuses here:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?TabID=1&criteria=Car%20Fuses&ModuleNo=49003&doy=16m10

 ;D ;D ;D

Already got them installed. Incidentally the price is for a pack of 4

Tim the Wombat
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cbr900

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Re: Abuses fuses...
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2006, 12:11:22 pm »

To both of the previous posts, I don't think it matters which one you use but they are both a brilliant idea, probably why there has not been one before to simple, good one...



Roy
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wombat

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Re: Abuses fuses...
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2006, 12:46:32 pm »

Certainly the low voltage versions seem to be quite a recent innovation. I remember, way back, being able to get fuseholders with neons in them to indicate when the fuse had gone.

You used to be able to get indicating fuses which had a flag held down by the fuse element which popped up when the fuse blew, or with a little spring loaded button which popped up when the fuse blew. Particularly useful with ceramic fuses. In many ways, I would prefer a mechanical indication - it would give a more reliable indication of a nuisance trip, where the protection has tripped before damage rather than as a result of it.

Tim the Wombat
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BobF

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Re: Abuses fuses...
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2006, 01:41:58 pm »

Hi PMK,

As I understand it, even if you HAD fitted a fuse before stuffing voltage into your ESC the wrong way, it would still have burnt out.

Hope this makes you feel a little better.

Bob
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Doc

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Re: Abuses fuses...
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2006, 02:58:24 pm »

Wanna make sure you don't burn the ESC out?  Put a full wave bridge rectifier between it and the power source.  Won't make any difference which way the leads are connected.  Then again, you do have to make sure the @#$ 'bridge' is wired correctly!
 - 'Doc
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malcolmfrary

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Re: Abuses fuses...
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2006, 03:42:13 pm »

A bi-colour LED might be even beter as an indicator - it would then glow a different colour in the event of a reverse connection rather than taking out fuse, ESC and the LED all in one go. 
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OMK

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Re: Abuses fuses...
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2006, 12:40:43 am »

Tim:
I lost interest in Maplin since they went into the consumer market.  It's my loss, else I would have seen them smart blades sooner. A nice little gadget. Not a bad price, neither.
Smaller AND neater than my £97m contraption.

M'frary:
I too considered the bi-colour LED idea. It wouldn't have worked in this instance, though.
I suppose it could be done by using two separate LEDs, but by then the damn thing starts to look gimmicky.

BobF:
I know!
It all came about 'cos I was bored witless. Using a fuse is just a cover for an excuse to make something with LEDs.
I likes LEDs... gizmos... gadgets...
Fact is, I don't know much about boats. I've only built one or ten. No fancy-nancy, no scale, no skill... just something to stuff some gadgets in.
Did you ever see how they did it years ago? Every spare bit of room would be packed to the gills with batteries, huge receivers, massive actuators, more batteries for the valves... (tubes, to our colonial cousins)... switch banks, fuses...
Boats by todays' standard all look a bit... 'empty'. There's nothing in there.
But you are right... a fuse wouldn't have helped one diddly.
Bridge rectifier?
Ah! - now we're cooking!
And I would have been thirty-nine-quids'-worth of ESC better off if only I used one.
So why didn't I?...
Laziness. Besides, who wants an ugly great, clunky 25-amp rectifier hanging off their batteries? Who's interested in safety when rushing-in like a berk is much more fun? And think about it... Bridge rectifier... that means FULL-wave rectification... and THAT means TWO diodes wil be conducting at any time. Hmm... 2 x diodes equals.... Blimey! That means 1.4 volts of precious battery juice will be sapped by the bridge BEFORE it gets to the ESC!

I spent too many years heeding poncy advice like that.
If you can live with a bit of voltage drop, then Doc's suggestion is about as good as it gets.
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malcolmfrary

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Re: Abuses fuses...
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2006, 10:58:54 am »

Having considered, I'll re-phrase what I said to something with more accuracy-
In the event of a reverse connection, having taken out the fuse, ESC and whatever else was in the way, you will be left with a green light to let you know.  As if the damn great bang wouldn't have been a good clue.
Any indicator like this is only good if the fault that created the fuse-blowing situation is still there - if the circuit manages to go disconnected at the same time as or after the fuse blowing, the LED will remain dark.
To "protect" my home made speed control against another reverse attempt, I have fitted a high-current diode across the power input so that it will conduct to a reverse connection and take out the fuse, hopefully before the diode gives up.
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Doc

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Re: Abuses fuses...
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2006, 02:59:47 pm »

PMK,
Aah, but if you add just one more cell to that rechargable battery pack you only loose something like 0.2 volts!  Then again, if the ESC manufacturor would just add that full wave bridge to the ESC, it would only double the size of the ESC, sort of.  On second thought, why not just wire the silly thing correctly the first time?  And that's why most 'electronics' people have bumps on their foreheads and always complain of a headache.  It's from banging their heads on the desk...
 - 'Doc
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wombat

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Re: Abuses fuses...
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2006, 05:23:47 pm »

Tim:
I lost interest in Maplin since they went into the consumer market.  It's my loss, else I would have seen them smart blades sooner. A nice little gadget. Not a bad price, neither.
Smaller AND neater than my £97m contraption.

But a lot less fun and rewarding - which is why we do this hobby - allegedly.

And yes, I am less happy with Maplin since they went consumer - still Farnell and RS do credit card orders

Tim
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