OAUSA Net - May 1, 2014 - Lights and Tires

[DaveK]

Join us this week for a discussion on lights and tires for your vehicle. Our guest will be Cruiser Larry, W6LPB.

[DaveK]

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

The spotlight tonight is on a small and inexpensive item that can prevent a lot of grief, if you have the necessary foresight. I would like to claim that I avoided trouble by installing this product before trouble arrived, but alas, I did not.

As we discussed a few nets ago, fusing your power leads is a superior way to avoid noise and interference from the multiple electrical devices in your vehicle. Once you leave the vehicle cabin, these fuses are exposed to the elements and ultimately corrosion. Since I fuse both the positive and negative wires, there is a large assortment of fuses and fuse holders under the hood. The lesson learned here is that not all fuse holders are made equal. Between rain, multiple water crossings, and an occasional wash, the electrical connections under the hood are susceptible to water damage (corrosion and rust).

Mistakenly, I believed that the radio fuse holders that I have been using for the power leads, were adequate to protect the fuses. Wrong! In my case, both fuse holders came with an enclosure for the old style fuses (glass tube with metal caps on each end) that proved to be inadequate.

Last week, just before the net, I turned on the radio to make sure that we were prepared. Nothing! The first photo below shows the condition of both fuse holders, as a result of water damage. The problem with both the positive and negative fuses was that neither showed a break in the filament between the metal caps. Only when I removed the fuses, and the caps just fell off, did I realize the extent of damage. Both fuses were damaged and not working.

Replacement fuses were on the top of the to-do list for the next net. Water resistant holders with marine grade shrink wrap now protect my power leads.

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