Blowing Hub Fuses

[TheBanker]

This is just a statement.  I don't know if anyone else is, but I am blowing hub fuses left and right.  Hub 1 has 8 blown fuses, hub 2 has 5 blown fuses, hub 3 has about 4 or 5 blown fuses.  For me it seems like any short, bad cable, cut a smart string wire while powered.....I understand the point of be happy you had the fuses, but maybe we could have changeable ones for people like me?  I think maybe I need to go order about 50 of them.

[jnealand]

I did the same in the early days last year.  Now that I know how to blow them and have a bunch of replacements I have not blown another one.  They were not hard to replace using the radio shack desoldering iron.

[tthompson]

how many pixels were you pushing on a strand to make that happen or was it something else?

[jnealand]

Most mine came from not sealing the out ends that came from the factory with the wires tinned and not protected.  Now I cut them off flush or wrap tape around them to make sure the ends cannot touch and create the short.

[keitha43]

Mine came from rain before the ip68 version were available.

Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk 2.

[chrisatpsu]

i cut the ends, seperate a small section, and tape each conductor separately then tape it all up.

might be overkill, but they're isolated.

[taybrynn]

I incorrectly spliced a SS flex strip back together ... and when I plugged the strip into the SS HUB it blew out every SS port on the hub I tried it on.  I never saw any lights, but it was a tough lesson.  Luckily I only took out two fuses doing that.

[injury]

blew my first 2 fuses last night in the house. Was doing some last minute splicing before taking things out and shorted some wires with the hub plugged in.  Thats what I get for rushing.

[zwiller]

I don't mind the fuses so much since I bought extras, but I usually fry a pic when a short happens/fuse goes.  I mean kill it: can't erase, reprogram, nada.  Lost like 6...  I pay much more attention now and haven't lost any since I gave up being careless.  The key was buying some insulated jumpers for when I felt the urge to get "creative".  All of $5 for 8 at the Shack. 

I cut SS ends flush and a dab of liquid electrical tape.

[taybrynn]

I cut SS ends flush and a dab of liquid electrical tape

I cut them, but stagger the cuts of the wires, so each wire is a different length so that can't contact each other, then dip in the liquid electrical tape.

[davron12]

Not sure they'll fit the hubs, but Littelfuse does make holders for the fuses

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login|pico+fuse+holder|1|,N:94&both=true

I thought about getting this year, but they're around $2 a piece at Mouser. I was able to buy my fuses for $0.40, so I opted not to buy them and just leave open ports on the hub knowing I'd probably blow a few this year.

[chrisatpsu]

I cut SS ends flush and a dab of liquid electrical tape

I cut them, but stagger the cuts of the wires, so each wire is a different length so that can't contact each other, then dip in the liquid electrical tape.

I actually did that with another cable i needed to replace.

[wwwgator]

Made this to help.....no shorting test leads with anything ...
580 ohm in series with the led, crimped on pins 3 and 7

quick and easy.....like my...oh nevermind....

[chrisatpsu]

cheater   hehe

[wwwgator]

Hey, gimme a break......
 for 12 hrs a day its meter this..... and  password that......if it saves me a some space on the bench .....
 plus, it's small enough that if I drop it ....either the lawn mower or my dog will find it for me....eventually
yes, I also built one out of a pig tail to test at the SSC end....