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216.223.210.74
In Reply to: Positive-Feedback Review on IsoClean Audio Grade Fuses....... posted by Soundideas on November 25, 2005 at 22:54:44:
you could protect the metal caps with a graphic arts product called Maskoid, a peel off masking gel, then carefully paint the glass tube of the fuse body with C37, let dry for a while, peel off the protective mask, clean the ends, and return to service. Just looking at a fuse, it is practically designed like a little resonantor tube with a bright high pitched "clink" tone, and the wire inside will be singing along with the current draw. Anybody heard a light bulb witha dimmmer attached and dimmed down halfway ? Something like that.. a lacquer or composite coating might take some of that edge off...
Follow Ups:
My concern is that changes or modifications to the external surfaces of a fuse could compromise the capability of the fuse to completely release the circuit downstream.Fuses are voltage rated for their application. This doesn't seem very important at first glance, but can be. When a fuse blows open, it must discontinue conduction fully. Sometimes you see the blown element has coated the inside of the glass tube afterwards, this interior coating must be isolating at the circuit voltage.
When a fuse blows in an inductive circuit, the kickback voltage will force much higher voltage across the fuse. If the outer insulating surface of the fuse is coated with anything, and that coating flashes over from an inductive spike, it is possible to generate a carbon track path, one that will have some conductivity. This conductivity may not be enough to put the fuse up in flames, but is can still be an electrocution hazard.
Cheers, John
I do like diamond loaded composites because they are lousy conductors and they are great heat dissipators, and they are mechanically strong as the daylights...
Composites are engineered materials which take advantage of the nice properties of the constituents.For example, a really good composite I use is stycast epoxy two part, type 2850 FT with hardener #24.
This composite is very durable, has a TCE that is darn near aluminum, is electrically isolating, and has a very good thermal conductivity. It is an alumina powder filled system, the alumina loading gives it the high thermal conductivity, and reduces the TCE by virtue of the powder's low TCE. Normally, epoxies will run 60 to 120 ppm/C, aluminum is 25, alumina is about 6. The dielectric withstanding is spec'd at 425 volts per mil, but practical application in a mass production product line is best with about 250 volts per mil by design.
If you fill a system with diamond dust, several things will occur. First, the thermal expansion of the system will go down, simply because of percentage fill. Second, durability will rise simply because the surface will present a harder component for abrasion. Third, the dielectric withstanding performance will be reduced, even though diamond will be electrically a better isolator, the bond between the diamond and the matrix material will not be as good as either constituent with respect to withstanding.
So, in your case, the electrical isolation capability will not be better than the base material you choose to fill with the dust and the adhesion will be slightly lower. If the lacquer you use cannot withstand the electrical potential which occurs during a fault, the diamond will not have helped, it can only hinder if it does anything to the system, and an arc will simply convert some of the coating lacquer to a carbon track.
If you needed to simply bond two parts together for heat transfer, yes, the diamond loading would be very good. I do not know if you can exceed the performance of the stycast 2850 system regardless of the fractional loading of diamond, as too high a loading compromises the matrix holding it together..
I do not know the ramifications of altering a fuse w/r to insurance or ele/fire code. I always push safety first.
Cheers, John
olefins are low resonance by nature, h.s.t. is nearly non-resonant to anything, maybe because of the same properties that make it shrinkable, and it is thermally stable, as uniform as can be... maybe a piece that would cover about 1/2 the length of the tube as a
tight fit damping collar ?
I suspect that the vibration a 3AG type fuse element may be undergoing is caused mainly by the current it is passing rather than from airborne or structure borne vibration. After all, the fuse & holder are ensconced inside an equipment enclosure which should block most of that type vibration. I have seen 440v insulated transmission cables with a 4-5 ft. "drip loop" from transmission pole to building entrance head whip violently upwards above the pole when a sudden, heavy power draw was made. I suspect that the same effect, in microcosm, may be happening to the fuse element. The fact that the fuse element appears to be wound around a fabric of some sort and is also stretched taut should tend to reduce that effect.
Very quick and easy to tell if it makes a difference. Easy to remove if it does not.Even if this improves the sound, it does not mean all the internal resonances are under control. The IsoClean links appear to have been designed to address the resonance directly. Controlling the glass resonance is only part of the issue.
....to find a less-expensive solution. Good one, Al.
Teflon plumber's tape is great stuff with so many uses :-)P.S. Check out this duct tape site (funny stuff):
An expensive and slightly labor-intensive project, but one that would likely serve to eliminate more unwanted resonance, and produce better sound. Good idea, tone.It would, of course, be important not to overdamp the fuse with too much material....you know, too much of a good thing.
time to place a call to my pals at SMG... always wanted to try the ultafine powders... last time I tried this with 15 mu loaded lacquer it blew me clean away, ya know, how on earth could a thin coating on a heavy steel cover do THAT ???? Opened up and clarified about 4 notches. I cannot believe, the expense and design sophistication that in applied to receptacles, power cords, and her we are with this crappy, funky fuse stuck in a crappy, funky fuseholder...
Tried the C37 & Diamond powder mixture about a year ago on my cryo treated fuses. I have used 2-4 micron powder which stays in suspension quite well, & can be easily painted on the glass fuse body. I then treated them with Stabilant 22 & popped them in.
The results were improved focus & a clearier soundstage once the stabilant 22 had a few hours of power through them.I have also experimented with adding 2-4 micron diamond to musicoat, but I didn't really like the result. It flattened off some of the upper mids.
regards
Ian
and her we are with this crappy, funky fuse stuck in a crappy, funky fuseholder...Amen, y'all. It's so easy for us to overlook the obvious.
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