Fuse block: What are they for?

[n2audio 5,000+ posts]

The more fuses, the more resistance.

Ya might want to think about that a little longer.

I am also curious. If you run 10 30amp fuses is that the same as 1 300amp fuse?

Basically, yes.

The same ... except higher resistance!How much higher, I do not know.

See above.

When that series of 18 fuses blows, might be kinda cool to watch!

maybe.

Unless I am just off today the resistance would be lower, resistance in parallyl is lower.

We have a winner.

These extreme multiple fuseblocks are no longer allowed in MECA competitions due to the fact that you could pass way more than the rated current thru the assemblies. for example, 20 5 amp fuses would logically yield 100 amps of fusing. However, you could pass almost 3 times that much current thru that using some AGU fuse brands.

Based on what? you can pass way more current through any standard fuse as long as it's not for very long. 150% for sure, maybe 200% long enough to get a meter reading. Is it really significantly different using a parallel array?

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

Some of this doesn't seem to add up.
Fuses are simply to protect against heat, of course damage from heat. For example, if your power supply wire gets too hot (maybe it's too small), instead of your wire melting or catching on fire, the fuse blows.

No, they're there to fail when the current in a circuit exceeds a certain limit.

So, I'm not clear on why the number of fuses matters ...

... Because, to also answer aworldcollision's question "Would not a 10 amp fuse, still pop at 30 amps, regardless of how many of them pop?" ... No: If you apply 11 amps to a 10A fuse, it will blow (assuming it works properly); But if you apply 11 amps to two 10A fuses connected in parallel, which are equal to one 20A fuse, they should not blow. The two 10A fuses can withstand more heat (since half the total heat runs through each fuse of the two fuses), so they wouldn't blow.

I don't see how a scenario where "you could pass almost 3 times that much current thru that using some AGU fuse brands." What's the deal??

some fuse manufacturers rate their 5 amp fuses for one thing, but can actually take 15 amps before failure.

The idea of using multiple fuses in this scenerio is to distribute the current load in a parallel circuit methodology. You distribute the heat load across multiple current paths which makes your overall time before failure lower. In these burps at competitions, all you need is 4 seconds for the termlab to pick up the sound pressure level. If you only had two 50 amp fuses instead of twenty 5 amp fuses, you might just get 3 seconds. If you used twenty 5 amp fuses you might get 4 seconds. Getting that extra second is the difference between lose and win sometimes.

 

[drpeeb 10+ year member]

No, they're there to fail when the current in a circuit exceeds a certain limit.

EXACTLY! They're there to fail when the current exceeds a certain level causing a certain level of HEAT!!!

So, I'm not clear on why the number of fuses matters ...
some fuse manufacturers rate their 5 amp fuses for one thing, but can actually take 15 amps before failure.

Some of you are talking like you want to try to get more out of your fuses!!! They're there to protect your stuff!! Then again I guess if a contest has a fuse limit I can see why you would want to try to circumvent the fuse limit.

The idea of usinig multiple fuses in this scenerio is to distribute the current load in a parallel circuit methodology. You distribute the heat load across multiple current paths which makes your overall time before failure higher. In these burps at competitions, all you need is 4 seconds for the termlab to pick up the sound pressure level. If you only had two 50 amp fuses instead of twenty 5 amp fuses, you might just get 3 seconds. If you used twenty 5 amp fuses you might get 4 seconds. Getting that extra second is the difference between lose and win sometimes.

I think I would have to attribute this to poor tolerances or quality control by the fuse manufacturer.

(Hope I quoted this thing correctly, but I bet I did not)

 

[snoopdan 5,000+ posts]

When the multiple agu blocks were still allowed, there was a mad dash to find an AGU brand that didn't have quality control - that's was sort of the point. Once people figured out that Audiopipe fuses were where it was at, I bet you couldnt find another brand in any MECA competitiors car //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif

Another point of all of this is to push your equipment as far as you can and still be within the rules.

Another good example of such is that you're not allowed to run batteries higher than 12 volts in Street classes, yet you can go out and buy an adjustable alternator and crank it up to 15 volts during your run. Its all about how to get around the rules and make things work for you, that's just the reality of it weather anyone wants to admit it or not. This is most likely why the rules change every year and you see a wide range in variance in world finals winners scores from year to year.

I know competitiors that were doing 150 plus in their vehicle last year when they allowed these multiple fuse blocks, and this year they're barely scraping up a 145.

 

[drpeeb 10+ year member]

When the multiple agu blocks were still allowed, there was a mad dash to find an AGU brand that didn't have quality control - that's was sort of the point. Once people figured out that Audiopipe fuses were where it was at, I bet you couldnt find another brand in any MECA competitiors car //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif
Another point of all of this is to push your equipment as far as you can and still be within the rules.

Another good example of such is that you're not allowed to run batteries higher than 12 volts in Street classes, yet you can go out and buy an adjustable alternator and crank it up to 15 volts during your run. Its all about how to get around the rules and make things work for you, that's just the reality of it weather anyone wants to admit it or not. This is most likely why the rules change every year and you see a wide range in variance in world finals winners scores from year to year.

I know competitiors that were doing 150 plus in their vehicle last year when they allowed these multiple fuse blocks, and this year they're barely scraping up a 145.

Ah .. I'm with you ... tks for the excellent info.

 

[Lakota 5,000+ posts]

Hahaha, I love the theories.

I know da answerzzz

 

[Lakota 5,000+ posts]

Does spreading the current around and having more surface area have anything to do with it? No.

Is the resistance being dropped? Yes, but probably not in the way you're thinking.

The answer is, like Snoop mentioned, quality control. I have both the 5A and 35A Audiopipe fuses, and the filaments inside the fuse are nearly identical. I was able to get a full burp off 35A of fusing (7 5A fuses) on 2 3000d's @ 2 ohm stapped. I was doing 152.2's at the headrest with this setup and a crappy box.

Now, what a lot of people don't know is that there are fuses that are even stronger than the 5A audiopipes //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif. There were only a few people running them. I'll give a hint, Team TNT Dynamite Sounds.

 

[drpeeb 10+ year member]

Does spreading the current around and having more surface area have anything to do with it? No.
Is the resistance being dropped? No.

The answer is, like Snoop mentioned, quality control. I have both the 5A and 35A Audiopipe fuses, and the filaments inside the fuse are nearly identical. I was able to get a full burp off 35A of fusing (7 5A fuses) on 2 3000d's @ 2 ohm stapped. I was doing 152.2's at the headrest with this setup and a crappy box.

Now, what a lot of people don't know is that there are fuses that are even stronger than the 5A audiopipes //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif. There were only a few people running them. I'll give a hint, Team TNT Dynamite Sounds.

OK, shhh, secret, don't tell anybody ... Let's start a fuse company that sells 30A fuses, but we'll label them "10A" and "Use At Your Own Risk", or maybe "Competition Use Only". Maybe we can get rich in the few hours/ days/ weeks our business is alive!!!

 

[Lakota 5,000+ posts]

OK, shhh, secret, don't tell anybody ... Let's start a fuse company that sells 30A fuses, but we'll label them "10A" and "Use At Your Own Risk", or maybe "Competition Use Only". Maybe we can get rich in the few hours/ days/ weeks our business is alive!!!

MECA competitors would be your #1 business I've tried to get a couple companies to do so, but they didn't seem to have much interest //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[Lakota 5,000+ posts]

There are even better. 3A Audiopipe blade fuses.

 

[JL Audio 5,000+ posts]

Now, what a lot of people don't know is that there are fuses that are even stronger than the 5A audiopipes //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif. There were only a few people running them. I'll give a hint, Team TNT Dynamite Sounds.

you don't say... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/confused.gif.e820e0216602db4765798ac39d28caa9.gif//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif