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For '08 I am building 4 tri-color leaping arches with 7 segments each (21 strings of lights, 7 of each color, Red, Green, White). To do this I will be cutting off the plugs which contain the tiny 3 amp fuses and I would like to add them back in but have them relocated and mounted into the controller box. I also plan on using a multi pin connector for these to make set-up and take down easier. Does anyone know where to get fuse holders for these tiny buggers?
____________________ OK dear! I'll only buy 100 more strings of lights this time.
That would probably work if I replaced all the fuses with larger ones.
I was hoping to reuse the tiny ones that are in the plug.
I suppose one of the benefits of your example would be that it could be inserted directly into the screw lug strip on an LOR board. Hmmmmm!
I forgot to mention that the lights will be 100% LED's so there is only .04 amps per string of 100. I just want to maintain safety and circuit protection.
____________________ OK dear! I'll only buy 100 more strings of lights this time.
For the time and effort why not just use a piece of spt wire and a female plug. The cost would be less than a dollar and not much time wasted. You could then install a multi pin connector to the end of the SPT.
Duke wrote: For '08 I am building 4 tri-color leaping arches with 7 segments each (21 strings of lights, 7 of each color, Red, Green, White). To do this I will be cutting off the plugs which contain the tiny 3 amp fuses and I would like to add them back in but have them relocated and mounted into the controller box. I also plan on using a multi pin connector for these to make set-up and take down easier. Does anyone know where to get fuse holders for these tiny buggers?
Wht not just cut off the plug and leave 2-3 inches of wire on the plug.
You can then Butt Splice the SPT1 wire to the LED string and also to the cut off plug. Wrap some electrical tape aroung the butt splices to help on the weather seal.
Here is the butt splice. You wil need a crimping tool, you can find them at Radio Shack, Hardware Stores, etc.
You would only need a 22-24 gauge butt splice connector and that would put the fuses back into the LED circuit again.
My intentions for a multi pin connector was to use 2 of these for each arch rather than have 21 plugs dangling at each end and then having to go thru matching them all up to their respective channels.
These should work fine since each channel will only draw .04 amps and use 18 ga SPT wire. By color coding each multi plug, it will be a snap for set-up each season.
I thought of reusing the cut off plugs but they would take up a lot of room if relocated in an enclosure containing 48 channels.
Each custom enclosure will contain 3 X 16 channel boards to control 2 arches and a few nearby features. Each arch requires 21 channels. 42 plugs in an enclosure box would be massive.
____________________ OK dear! I'll only buy 100 more strings of lights this time.
I see what you want to do now. Yes Molex connector will work fine but keep all moisture away from the connectors. Make sure you have the box sealed well enough.
Also get the proper extraction tools (One for the male and female pins) in case you make a mistake and need to move a pin.
Duke wrote: My intentions for a multi pin connector was to use 2 of these for each arch rather than have 21 plugs dangling at each end and then having to go thru matching them all up to their respective channels.
These should work fine since each channel will only draw .04 amps and use 18 ga SPT wire. By color coding each multi plug, it will be a snap for set-up each season.
If these Molex plus are similar to the 15 way ones I use here then you can "polarise" them by using the contacts in reverse - ie female contacts in the "male" plastic bit. We use 3 off these to connect up our "Remember Jesus" sign and there is NO way you can connect it up wrong. Even me
Also, what about fusing just the controller board at a lower than normal level (3 amps should be heaps!?) and only worry about the channels that are on the same supply as the "other" stuff?
____________________ John Muldrock
Hawera - Taranaki''Why would anyone not want to be here'' - Tom Cruise during the TARANAKI filming of the 'last Samurai Movie'
NEW ZEALAND http://www.kamahilights.com
John, these are already goof proof. The shape of them only allows them to be plugged in one way. I want to protect each channel with a fuse (I thought they were 3 amp in the plugs) but do it immediately from the terminal strip on the LOR outputs. I may breadboard a bunch of holders on one strip. Also note that I am only fusing the "hot" of each channel. I will be using a common neutral and build in a GFCI as well.
Last edited on Friday February 8th, 2008 09:55 pm by Duke
____________________ OK dear! I'll only buy 100 more strings of lights this time.
The 3 amp fuses are there to protect the wire when connecting end to end so the fuse blows before the wire melts if you tie four or five mini light strings together. UL made them do it.
In your modification if you remove the female plug at the end of the string so that nothing can be plugged into the end the fuses become unnecessary for LEDs. Really only needed for C7s or C9s where a blown filament can short the string.
As said before use a smaller main fuse in the controller and you well be fine. 3 amp fuses for signal strings of LEDs is way over kill. If you fell better you could run the LED strings thru a smaller wire to act like a fusible link. A short 30 gage wire about one inch long should work thats all a fuse is. The small wire well burn and brake before the larger one. Put them all on something that will not burn like a perf board or between to terminal blocks mounted on metal. But you will still be safe with out them as long as you have a small main fuse like 3 amp.
