All about fusing!

[mjoekingz28]

I am interested in fusing sound properly. There are a few concerns I have about fusing.

First, even if they do pop- do they still allow excess power or dirty electricity to harm your equipment.

Second, what materials are they made of? Plated steel, aluminum, ....silver? And how do these materials correspond with letting energy flow freely when supposed to YET interrupt it in time when things go awry.

Thirdly, and what got me to post, is the sound quality they pass without making distortion. Just like a good set of RCAs can improve (or not degrade) the sound, can fuses do this as well? It also seems silly to have the best copper wire in a low gauge and then put a piece of tin for a fuse next to the battery.

Bottom line is, safety aside, will I get better power transfer from a thick 200A fuse versus a 60A fuse that has a stringy piece of metal inside. And what will the sound difference be in terms of volume, and possibly clarity if a subpar metal is used. And then, I just kind of wonder is the short run of a fuse so insignificant as to not be able to change the path of power flow.....and if it does, then I question the point of having quality contacts and connections.

Click to read more...

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

Fusing doesn't affect current flow much. Not enought to worry. Id definitally use it.

Just buy a good unit and dont sweat it..

 

[Hertz Mafia]

I don't run any fuses. I'm not spending money on all this big wire to bottle neck it with some fuses... pretty much the only thing fuses are good for are of u get in a crash and your wires get pinched/cut open the fuse will pop. But the side of the wire that's still connected to the battery will be live and could still burn it down.

I can't tell ya how many times I've have fuse holder melt or bubble up from poor connection. Yea I made sure everything was tight and good connection

I'm comfortable enough for NO fuses in my ride.

 

[kr15 5,000+ posts]

I havent ran fuses in like 5 years

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

I don't run any fuses. I'm not spending money on all this big wire to bottle neck it with some fuses... pretty much the only thing fuses are good for are of u get in a crash and your wires get pinched/cut open the fuse will pop. But the side of the wire that's still connected to the battery will be live and could still burn it down.
I can't tell ya how many times I've have fuse holder melt or bubble up from poor connection. Yea I made sure everything was tight and good connection

I'm comfortable enough for NO fuses in my ride.

ill run fuses in every application. it never bottled necked anything. ive seen 1000HP motors fused and no "bottle neck" occurred..

few years back a guy had a truck with a **** ton of the pioneer amps and subs and didt fuse because he gained .2 or something and the truck burned down. if he would have used a tad more power and fused it would haven been louder and NEVER burned down.. lol

Ive also NEVER IN the nearly 20 years of installing gear had a fuse holder melt like your guys have. than again i use copper and use the correct techniques.

ive been doing heavy industrial electrical for 13 years and ive yet to see properly designed breaker fail at the connection point. matter fact the contacts inside go way before anything else..

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

To fuse or not to fuse....that's the ultimate question.

I do. Because a fuse is cheaper than buying another 1000 dollar amp (for example)

Some do, some don't. It's up to them if they wanna take that risk or if they're exp enough they know what they're doing. I myself ain't taking that chance tho.

Many fuses come in a variety of sizes, colors, amperage, etc. Just pick the one that your amps draw the most amperage.

 

[Roland 10+ year member]

Fuses don't cost any power until they get to their threshold, and then they quickly blow. IIRC it's at 98% rating before it effect the current/voltage, example, 40 amp fuse only restricts current at 39.5 amps. Fuse your system at least 10% above your real time operating current and you won't loose anything.

I try blow a fuse with music to see real time current so uif i can blow a 40 amp fuse but not a 60 amp then i step up one size, to 80 amps, and im' good to go. I alway try to use the smallest fuse posible.

 

[ChaseinBass]

I use fuses and I use industrial holders and quality fuses and dont have any issues. I did melt a couple of "car audio" fuse holders thats when I switched to industrial type. Also I fuse to what the wire is rated or a little under, I have 0 gauge cable rated at 350 amps at 20' and use 300 amp fuses and have three runs giving me 900 amps of current available before a fuse would blow and I dont think my HD 15000 could pull that much current as I have not blown a fuse yet. I think I fuse over fear of car accident really because I dont think an amp is ever going to blow the fuse on a large amp anyway. When my 7ks power supply shorted out with it mounted to my back wall of truck, power supply grounded out to heat sink and actually melted the mounting screws to the cab of truck and caught fire and fuses still didnt blow and that was pretty close to a dead short. Oh ya That didnt even melt the fuse holders. Another thing is I fuse the three runs in the engine compartment and in the rear before the batterys that way in an accident and cable is pinched both ends are protected, also fuse the runs from battery to amps.

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

Stinger has decent fuse blocks.

Industrial electrical produxts have to meet stiff standards. By far superior. Run a wire that will handle 125% of the maximum load and fuse according to the wires rated ampacity and you won't have a " bottle neck"..lol

sure the fuse adds resistance but thats why you use 125% figures.

 

[ChaseinBass]

Stinger has decent fuse blocks.Industrial electrical produxts have to meet stiff standards. By far superior. Run a wire that will handle 125% of the maximum load and fuse doe the wirea rated ampacity and you won't have a " bottle neck" sure the fuse adds resistance but thats why you use 125% figures.

And funny thing is the industrial fuses and holders are cheaper than the "car audio" stuff too lol

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

^^Boy that's some wrongful advice....so your saying go past the limited mark over 25%?

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

And funny thing is the industrial fuses and holders are cheaper than the "car audio" stuff too lol

Ifs its not ul rated its pretty cheap but you have to be careful sometimes because alot of it is intended for higher voltages. Ul rated stuff sometimes is ******* crazy exlensive. A 4 input/output 4/0 non fuaed distro block was 200$!

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

^^Boy that's some wrongful advice....so your saying go past the limited mark over 25%?

I know i have terrible grammer but im not sure what you dont understand about my statement.

Limited mark? Im not understanding what you are implying.

 

[ChaseinBass]

Makes sence to me ? Over compensate with the cable by 125% and fuse for the cables rated amount.

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

Makes sence to me ? Over compensate with the cable by 125% and fuse for the cables rated amount.

Yes. Larger wire means less restistance.

Fusing isnt to protect the end device but the wiring.

Motors are slightly differet though. They have "heaters" designed to open before the windings in the motor but the wire is still fused before the starter..