[Rayman4449]

I've just spoken with the fourth person who has contacted me through my website that has not been using quick blow fuses inline in the positive wire between the transformer and the track. (I assume the battery folks are doing this too but...)
I wanted to get a post on this on the new forum to say, if you aren't using one STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW AND GO GET ONE! ***DO NOT RELY ON YOUR CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE TRANSFORMER!*** Ideally you should be running a fuse that is closest to the peak amps you are pulling. For initial power up tests on a new engine converted to DCS or one I've been working on I always use a 1 amp fuse to ensure that if there is a short somewhere I will pump 1amp max through it and be much less likely to damage the electronics.
Also, I use two fuse holders to allow me to switch out (put in higher or lower fuses) on the fly. So if I have a 5amp fuse in and need to go to a 10, I put the 10amp in the second fuse holder then pull the 5amp out.
Raymond

 

[toddalin]

RE: FUSE: Are you using one? In not, you should be!!

I prefer to use polyswitches. When they "let go" they self reset when the power is removed for a few moments. I intall these between the two sets of truck pick-ups.

 

[stumpycc]

RE: FUSE: Are you using one? In not, you should be!!

You know I am, after smoking my first transformer when the engine jumped the tracks, it was the FIRST thing I did before I started using the new transformer. It has saved my wallet SEVERAL times since then.

Cliff

 

[Ray Dunakin]

RE: FUSE: Are you using one? In not, you should be!!

This is the first I've heard of using fuses between the track and the transformer. How is this done? What's a polyswitch? I know nothing about electronics.

 

[Rayman4449]

RE: FUSE: Are you using one? In not, you should be!!

I'm really glad then that I've posted this.

I put the fuse holder inline in the positive wire going from the transformer. I purchase fuses from Harbor Freight for the most common Amps and www.tessco.com for the others (3 amp and less).

The Polyswitches are a good idea at the passenger car/engine level to protect them against shorts,(and use them for that myself) but the polyswitches are a slower blow and may not provide quite the protection at a track level.

Some rely on the circuit breakers in the transformer to protect against shorts, which are also a slower blow protection. It's also best to cap the amperage pumped through a shorted circuit to as low as possible, so again fuses are a good idea.


Raymond

 

[Spule 4]

RE: FUSE: Are you using one? In not, you should be!!

One of the projects my father worked on years ago the component that would blow if not fused was cheaper than the fuse itself.

You can guess if they ended up using a fuse or not.....

 

[ArticulatedAl]

RE: FUSE: Are you using one? In not, you should be!!

Well if you mean they didn't end up using a fuse, sounds like they had a few cracked eggliners hahahahaha.