Rep Power: 786

Anybody ever deal with strobe lights before?

I had a set in my trunk that weren't working, I opened the case and checked the circuit board, and on the green wires, the solder appeared to be burnt and it had that fried electronics smell

Anybody have any clue as to why this occured or what happened?

 
Rep Power: 0

maybe moisture got into the control box It happened before to me

 
Rep Power: 786

I don't think so... maybe but I don't think so... it hasn't rained much here since I installed them and there would be no water at all in my trunk

I think it's just cheap crap lights, I'm gonna replace em with a better set and see what happens

 
Rep Power: 328

Did it have a cig. lighter plug that you snipped off? If so, that plug probably had a fuse inside, and now you had a power surge or something and blew the circuit. If thats not the case, then it was probably just a POS.

 
Rep Power: 786

Nah wasn't the case..

The circuit it's on now does have a fuse, but I was thinking maybe the fuse is too big? I used 3a fuse I believe because I wasn't sure what size to get, but would too big a fuse cause problems?

 
Rep Power: 328

Sure, because if the transformer can only handle 1.5 amps, a 3amp fuse wont protect it.

 
Rep Power: 786

But then won't it just blow if I put 1.5 amp fuse in there?

Should the circuit not regulate itself by deciding how much current it wants to pull?

 
Rep Power: 0

What kind of strobe power supply is it? I install strobe packages for law enforcement and can probably help.

 
Rep Power: 328

Power can spike. Say your circuit takes 1.5 amps peak, anything over that and it fries, but it usually doesnt go that high. You put a 1.5 amp fuse in, and it'll blow as soon as you go over 1.5 amps, but not under it, and chances are it wont cause any problems. You put a 3amp fuse in, and it won't blow till 3 amps right? Well, you didnt blow a fuse, but you cooked the circuit.

I'd rather replace $.25 fuses every week than $20 transformers.

 
Rep Power: 0

A 3A fuse does not seem high at all for a strobe light power supply, all the ones I use have a 10A fuse. The power going to your power supply should not spike, damage to the circuit board can be done if you hook up the lights wrong or reverse the polarity.

 
Rep Power: 786

Well the power I am using goes from my cap to my fuse block... could I be getting a power spike when my cap discharges?

 
Rep Power: 0

Jesus ya hook up your power supply directly to the battery.

 
Rep Power: 328

Yeah, go directly to your battery. BTW, my neon tubes have 1 amp fuses and i've never blown them. Accessory lights in your car dont draw much amperage.

 
Rep Power: 786

perhaps i will step down the fuses then.. I don't want to run right from the battery, just because of the pain in the *** factor. I've already got a source of pwoer back there so why not use it right?

 
Rep Power: 0

If you got power back there then use it, just make sure it's not after your capacitor.

 
Rep Power: 786

It's AT the capacitor... i have 4 wires on my cap: power, amp, line driver power and power for neons

 
Rep Power: 0

Alright well hook up your strobes where the power comes into the CAP. That should be clean power coming from your battery.