Re: fuses [TANKS]

[Mike Lyons <mxlyons-at-cox.net>]

I worked for GE for many years.  One of the corporate legends concerned a customer 
who had problems with fuses blowing whenever she turned on her electric blanket.  
She eventually used a GE fuse (no doubt far over the appropriate current rating) and 
raved about it to her friends, explaining that it never blew like the other brands
...
even when the electric blanket set fire to her bed.

A slow-blow (automotive) fuse will allow very brief current "spikes" due to normal 
use of your motors without blowing, but will protect against catastrophic 
conditions, e.g. the "magic smoke".

The trick is to find out what is "normal".  Published data for motors is typically 
of little help.  Trial and error is good advice, since fuses are much cheaper than 
batteries, motors and hulls.


---- Marc en Wendy <marcmethorst-at-zonnet.nl> wrote: 
...
That's what you use your fuses for, to protect the rest of the system.
A lot of engineers will confirm that Murphy's law dictates that the entire system 
will protect your fuse however :-)
....