Meters and Microamps

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Meters and Microamps

The code is really complicated, I used a state-machine. Then I found a bug where the (key-on) wake-up interrupt can happen more than once and I forgot what I did about it. Posting the code would be confusing I think.
There are many tutorials on the Internet using the Arduino sleep library.

Yeah, but they're equally confusing ... fuse settings, direct register settings and everyone has their own opinion on how a certain goal should be done ... and others just say things like "well ... I couldn't make it do this thing ... so I settled for this instead" ... I'll get it dialed though ... I always do when I put my mind to something.

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Meters and Microamps

i had to explain to some asshole there once why a clampmeter doesnt have a fuse!!!

MAN that would be some killer induction if they did need one ... lol

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Meters and Microamps

the quality and support isnt what it used to be since they got taken over by a bunch of bankers.

Couple of years ago I bought my first soldering station. I got the new Weller WE1010. about a year and a half later, the iron itself started to separate in the middle. I assume because of the stress that I had probably placed on it by exerting force on it during certain solder jobs ... but eventually it just straight fell apart and was useless. And since it was out of warranty, I found an exact replacement somewhere for about $55 so I bought one. But then around the same time, it too started falling apart so I decided to email Weller and ask them if they any better irons that I could buy for this station or if they had any suggestions to help me prevent them from falling apart.

They replied and said that I was using the irons from their old and flawed design and asked me for my address so they could help me out. I gave em the address and they sent me TWO new irons ... no questions asked whatsoever.

Now THAT is what I call customer service.

[stj]

Re: Meters and Microamps

yes, next weller may even put a fucking fuse in the base units

[eccerr0r]

Re: Meters and Microamps

Oops I screwed up, wrong unit. Needed HRC and they were not measured in volts. They're amps.

Either way yes, the cost of these fuses #%&*$@$#$#%@#&*@$!^#!# ... perhaps this should be in the rants thread but here I'll rant anyway. I wish I had some sort of test jig to validate these fuses, but unfortunately I have no way to sustain 100kA to do the test...

So Siba makes bona fide alternatives to Bussman/Cooper and Littelfuse?

I also wonder if the price includes liability insurance and hence is the reason why the price is so high?

[stj]

Re: Meters and Microamps

who knows what strange insurance they may have - it's a mute point in other country's where such a lawsuit would be dismissed on the spot.

[eccerr0r]

Re: Meters and Microamps

and that's why they don't have insurance and therefore cheaper...

Seems most fuses I've seen are made by Bussmann/Cooper, I don't see that many Littelfuse or any other manufacturer. Seems Siba actually is a fairly large company as well, but likewise Littelfuse I don't see many, it's all Bussmann.

Are there other companies worth looking into?

[stj]

Re: Meters and Microamps

well i dont know which make the FF speed HRC stuff,
but fuse companies i can think of are:
littlefuse
bussman
siba
eskra

there's more here:
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/c/fuses...rtridge-fuses/

maybe the price difference is just abuse of meter owners who dont know any better!

[stj]

Re: Meters and Microamps

o.k.
compare:
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/cartridge-fuses/7038235/

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/cartridge-fuses/8980929/

bussmann is double the price - for a solar panel fuse!
that's not for insurance - it's just blatant greed!!!
just to rub salt in, bussmann is made in india - probably the cheapest place on earth.

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Meters and Microamps

yes, next weller may even put a fucking fuse in the base units

Mine has a fuse ... I know because I had to replace it once ... Ive done some ... "modifications" to my soldering station ... lol

When I walked into the room one day and noticed the iron was on from the day before, I decided to add an Arduino controlled relay that switches the iron off after it's been on for 45 minutes with a button that lets me add time if I need it. I'm also in the process of installing a back light ... that's been a little more challenging. But these Wellers are built like brick shit houses.

[eccerr0r]

Re: Meters and Microamps

Ahh that's right Eaton bought out Cooper/Bussmann... Grr.

Looks like they outsourced to India. Sigh. They used to be USA.

Well I ordered a fleabay HRC Bussmann fuse for my Fluke. I still need to locate a 4A HRC fuse for my BKP (that has the 200µA range that became useless when this 4A fuse blew), though right now I'm using a 3A 3AG glass fuse placed into the 10mm HRC fuse slot "with duct tape, paper clip, and shoe string" as I don't expect to have to worry about it stopping 10kA for now but ideally I need to get a replacement for this DMM too.

I also wonder if just for the sheer fact it's a 10mm x 38mm instead of a ¼" (6.35mm)x1¼" fuse it will tend to have better HRC characteristics.

[eccerr0r]

Re: Meters and Microamps

BTW apologies for threadjacking and though still talking about digital multimeters and microamps ...but millions of µA ...

[stj]

Re: Meters and Microamps

how much would rapid electronics charge you for shipping on the SIBA fuses??

[sam_sam_sam]

Re: Meters and Microamps

This video is a little disturbing about the results that he got with the eBay fuses from that seller you should not see any current when the fuse blows open

https://www.voltlog.com/voltlog-117-...ke-or-genuine/

[stj]

Re: Meters and Microamps

well frankly if people pay $50 for a fuse, i'm not surprised there are fakes.
it wouldnt be so bad if they re-labelled FF fuses from SIBA, but obviously they are re-labelling regular slow-blow fuses used in machinery and such.

[EasyGoing1]

Re: Meters and Microamps

BTW apologies for threadjacking and though still talking about digital multimeters and microamps ...but millions of µA ...

I wasn't born with a stick up my ass and I'm not about to uhhh ... procure one.

[eccerr0r]

Re: Meters and Microamps

This video is a little disturbing about the results that he got with the eBay fuses from that seller you should not see any current when the fuse blows open

https://www.voltlog.com/voltlog-117-...ke-or-genuine/

It did drop to zero...all of them.
He mentioned that the reason why it didn't show zero was how he configured the capture, but as stj said, it's possible that the fuse was a fake based on a slow blow which could have this type of track.

Seems that Siba FF fuses should be acceptable and should be a fairly reputable company too, if Bussmann/Cooper/Eaton is, and same with Littelfuse.

Does Eska make FF or 10mm x 38mm fuses? What other companies make FF 10x38's?

Bussmann
Littelfuse
Siba
Mersen Farraz/Gould Shawmut seems to make FF 10mm fuses too...

BTW I don't know why 10x38 fuses are "Midget" fuses. WTF. Then again we tend to think 3AG's or 5mmx20mm are "standard" fuses (in all our consumer equipment) and fuses used for industrial use are huge...

[stj]

Re: Meters and Microamps

eska does not seem to make 10mm fuses.
btw, does fluke fuck around and use 2 sizes?
i just noticed that Siba make a pair of fuses that look suspiciously like they are aimed at fluke.
11A 38mm,
and 440mA 35mm <<<<< 3mm shorter.

[eccerr0r]

Re: Meters and Microamps

You're right, seems there are indeed two different "standard" 10mm fuses, GRR. I have the two burned ones on my desk here, and one is the 38mm and other is 35mm. Both are made by Bussmann, one is 15A/100kA HRC and shorter one is only rated at 4A/10kA HRC. I think the fuse holder for the 35mm will take 38mm just fine. They came out of the Fluke and a BKP meter...

BTW WRT to fuse sizes, this isn't the only discrepancy that seems to have shown up.

The "Midget" I think was originally 0.4" x 1½". Not sure if the powers that be decided to make it 1cm x 3½cm to make it nice and even metric sized hence the 35mm.

The 3AG fuse was originally ¼" x 1¼" . I suppose the metric powers that be did not like 6.35mm x 32mm and decided to make it 6mm x 30mm for nice even numbers and we get 3AG fuses that are 2mm too short... Grr.

[stj]

Re: Meters and Microamps

strange, here they are 6.3 x 32