Today's Dubious Use of Time and Money

[SteveHGraham]

I went in the garage the other day and turned up the music on the PC. It sounded like hamsters singing in a shoebox stuffed with packing peanuts. My PC subwoofer system, which is probably 15 years old, had crapped out. The computer was running through the tiny speakers on my monitor. Which I didn't know it had. Today I decided to fix it.

I could get something better for $40, but what the heck.

Opened it up and found a tiny 3.15-amp fuse (Why not 3?) on one of the boards. It was fried. You have to take out six screws and remove one nut to get at this stupid thing.

Went to Home Depot, the source of all top-quality electronic gear. Found 3-amp fuses. Close enough. Got myself an inline fuse holder. Took it home, soldered it to the underside of the PCB. The fuse was too short for the holder, so I jammed a wad of foil in there to take up the space. Now when it blows, I only have four screws to remove. How it blew on a surge protector is anyone's guess. Since this is South Florida, where rain without lightning only happens during hurricanes, I suppose the surge protector has already been surged out.

I had to reopen it twice to see what was banging around after the repair. I twist-tied the holder in place, because, yes, I buy packages of twist ties on Ebay. Now it's fine.

I feel like I wasted a very good opportunity to get a new set of speakers, but this is the garage, and the blown fuse and hidden fuse brackets made me mad.

[earlgo]

Ha. Yours is nearly new.
Realistic SA-10 low power stereo integrated amplifier that cost $29.95 for the life of it's production run from 1975 until 1994. No fuses blown yet.

SA-10

OOps sorry, nothing to do with machining..
--earlgo

[warmstrong1955]

Well....they don't want to make it easy to replace a fuse ya know. That would be self defeating, and not profitable.
Put it there in plain sight, and people will check it, and fix their own stuff for pennies....rather than running out and buying a new one, or paying some nerd to change the fuse.

[John Hasler]

Well....they don't want to make it easy to replace a fuse ya know. That would be self defeating, and not profitable.
Put it there in plain sight, and people will check it, and fix their own stuff for pennies....rather than running out and buying a new one, or paying some nerd to change the fuse.

One purpose of board-mounted fuses is to limit damage should some component fail in a way that would otherwise result in extensive cascading damage (like a shear pin in a gear train). Another is fire safety, to make sure the board won't catch fire in case of a short. Thus there is no point in making it externally-replaceable since if it fails the board has to come out anyway. Of course, this assumes that the fuse will never simply wear out.

[SteveHGraham]

Why would the board have to come out to replace the fuse? Right now all I have to do is open the case. That was the point of installing a fuse holder. I didn't want to dig that board out again.

I have all sorts of factory electronics in my house with fuse holders mounted on the front or back. Generally, the cheap crap (power supplies, battery chargers) is what comes with fuses mounted on circuit boards.

I don't understand what you're saying about fuses having to be mounted on boards in order to prevent damage. I assume I misunderstood what you said, because fuses mounted in fuse holders do a fine job of protecting circuits.

[warmstrong1955]

Good heavens..... I agree with Steve.....



I just replaced a fuse in a Kill A Watt meter. Over draw 'em, and it pops.
I popped it.
Stupid thing was soldered into the board. Makes no sense. Why can't I remove the three screws and change it without soldering?
Short answer....it would cost more to build the thing....even in China. I believe it's more cost driven, than any practical reason.

Just my 2 cents....

Bill

[SteveHGraham]

Good heavens..... I agree with Steve.....

In that case I retract what I said.

[warmstrong1955]

Good heavens..... I agree with Steve.....

In that case I retract what I said.

I feel better.....

[SteveHGraham]

I really love fuses that are soldered in, with shrink tubing over them to hide them when you open the box. There's a message there, and the message is, "We want you to give up and buy another one."

[warmstrong1955]

I really love fuses that are soldered in, with shrink tubing over them to hide them when you open the box. There's a message there, and the message is, "We want you to give up and buy another one."

....or send it to us, and we will fix it for you, at a low low price, almost equal to a new one.
(minus any freight)

[Steggy]

I went in the garage the other day and turned up the music on the PC. It sounded like hamsters singing in a shoebox stuffed with packing peanuts...and the blown fuse and hidden fuse brackets made me mad.

Forgive me for being a 24 carat, crap-plated a**h*le, but what was the point of this post?

[warmstrong1955]

I went in the garage the other day and turned up the music on the PC. It sounded like hamsters singing in a shoebox stuffed with packing peanuts...and the blown fuse and hidden fuse brackets made me mad.

Forgive me for being a 24 carat, crap-plated a**h*le, but what was the point of this post?

We can surmise that Steve....
A: Doesn't like rodentia.
2: Doesn't like package material, or the call of the great American Package Bird. (You can hear them from a distance, with their regular call of Booooooooox)
C: Blown fuses ruin his day, and trigger him. (oh-noooo!)
3: Less than accessible locations for parts & pieces that commonly & often require routine maintenance annoy him.
D: He wished to express his displeasure.

But that would be a guess or five.
I could be wrong.