Fuses on the panel, or not

On Sunday, October 20, 2013 2:11:39 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I'm a little nervous about putting automotive parts in my glider

You mean, for example, old-style automotive glass fuses, given
up by the auto industry as too unreliable some decades ago ???

Please do not put ANYTHING from RadioShack in a glider panel...

On Monday, October 14, 2013 8:10:12 PM UTC-4, SF wrote:
My big winter glider project is going to be re-doing my control panel. I have been looking at a lot of panel pictures recently and I notice that a lot of them have panel mounted fuse holders all over them. My experience with our panel mounted electronic gizmos is that if they blow a fuse, replacing it inflight is not going to do anything for you. Once the magic smoke gets out it's gone. So I'm looking at a terminal strip that incorporates the mini blade type fuses into the strip, and reducing the number of holes in the panel.



Has anyone ever replaced a glider fuse in flight and had something good happen?



SF

I have replaced a fuse in flight. The fuse was fine, the socket was not making contact so just pulling it out and putting it back fixed it. I am searching for some panel mount magnetic breakers that will install in the same space and on the same pitch as the fuse holders.

Originally Posted by SF

Has anyone ever replaced a glider fuse in flight and had something good happen?

SF

Not 'replaced,' but 'removed.' On the first flight of my Austria after I restored it, the landing gear warning circuit malfunctioned and the horn came on and stayed on regardless of airbrake position (with the gear down). I pulled the fuse so I could concentrate on landing without that awful noise.

I have just finished designing my new panel and will now place all fuses behind the panel. The reasons are 1) I want a very clean panel and 2) in the past 600h of flight i never had to reset a fuse, and i wouldn't do so if it blew. The only thing you must make sure is to have a possibility to shut off power in case of smoke/fire (master switch).

....And be sure to have an appropriate sized fuse as close to the battery
terminals as possible.


wrote in message
...
I have just finished designing my new panel and will now place all fuses
behind the panel. The reasons are 1) I want a very clean panel and 2) in the
past 600h of flight i never had to reset a fuse, and i wouldn't do so if it
blew. The only thing you must make sure is to have a possibility to shut off
power in case of smoke/fire (master switch).

My preference is for individual equipment CBs to be on the panel
and visible (rather than hidden fuses or CBs) to help with in flight
diagnosis in the event of an instrument or equipment power loss.

In some cases I might try a reset - I did so succesfully once when
the turbo pylon CB popped with the engine half retracted. I
would probably reset a bugwiper CB too. Delicate intruments -
not so likely. Nor if the cockpit were to be getting smokey.

John Galloway

At 21:49 16 October 2013, wrote:
I have just finished designing my new panel and will now place
all fuses
be=
hind the panel. The reasons are 1) I want a very clean panel
and 2) in the
=
past 600h of flight i never had to reset a fuse, and i wouldn't do
so if
it=
blew. The only thing you must make sure is to have a possibility
to shut
o=
ff power in case of smoke/fire (master switch).

Some dumb questions, but these things sometimes don't work like I imagine they would.

Say I have a 3 amp fuse at the battery and a 1 amp blade fuse in series and the one amp feeds power to a single instrument. (with other 1 amp fuses going to other devices)

Is there a scenario where a 1 amp blows and the 3 amp does not? I figure that most shorts will draw more than 3 amps and blow both fuses. Do devices develop "partial shorts"?

Is there a scenario where both fuses blow?

Would it make sense to make the 3 amp "slow blow" and the 1 amp "normal blow"?

What am I missing?

Regarding mini-blade type fuses, my searching has yet to locate a reasonable sized mini-fuse block as well as not being able to locate mini-blade fuses in low amp values. IMSMC, 2 amp was the smallest value I could find cataloged from DigiKey or Mouser.

I would appreciate a steer to any small mini-blade fuse blocks or low amp mini-fuses.

On Friday, October 18, 2013 11:23:28 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Regarding mini-blade type fuses, my searching has yet to locate a reasonable sized mini-fuse block as well as not being able to locate mini-blade fuses in low amp values. IMSMC, 2 amp was the smallest value I could find cataloged from DigiKey or Mouser.



I would appreciate a steer to any small mini-blade fuse blocks or low amp mini-fuses.

Take a look at these motorcycle fuse blocks- http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/main.html

On Friday, October 18, 2013 11:23:28 AM UTC-4, wrote:

I would appreciate a steer to any small mini-blade fuse blocks or low amp mini-fuses.

https://www.google.com/search?q=1amp...ient=firefox-a