Stupid Electrical Question

[Guest guest]

**Disclaimer**

I apologize if my question is stupid, but I am no electrical expert and don't want to fry anything.

I picked up a couple packages of the 20 amp ceramic fast acting fuses as mentioned to upgrade the 1602 from 15 amps per side to 20. (I know I need to upgrade the power cords to 12/3 as well) I bought them at my local Radio Shack. Anyway, they are 250V. I asked about this, and he told me that almost all of them are 250V. Does this matter at all? I guess I just thought I would need 125V. I saw this on some 20 amp rated appliance replacement cords I was going to use to replace the LOR Power Cords as well. Does this matter?

Thanks in advance for your replies. I wish I knew more about AC power.... Always been a DC guy.... Positive and Negative baby! )

[Guest guest]

Not sure about the fuses, but the 20 amp appliance cords are for 220V I think they are 12 or 14 awg, but the plug is different from the standard 20 amp 120 volt plug.

Chris

[Guest guest]

The voltage rating has to do with the maximum voltage that the fuse is suitable for. You can use a 250V fuse in a 125V system, but not vice-versa.

Tom

[Guest guest]

With respect to fuses and wire, the higher the voltage rating the better. Make sure the voltage is at least what you have in your house.

Be careful with fuses you will see 32V fuses (for cars) do not use them!

[Guest guest]

The 250V is just a wire rating. It will be fine for 120 VAC. Most 12/3 wire will be rated higher than 120VAC.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for your responses. Gives me a much better understanding. Rest assured, I had an electrician friend of mine wire in the 8 new 20 amp circuits for this purpose. I just didn't want to ask him this question at the cost of sounding like a complete idiot. At least on here, I can hide behind the shroud of the internet :]



Thanks Again

[Guest guest]

Question:

I just bought the 1602 w/Show Director and MP3 Player "Show in a Box" and I'm reading the directions and it's talking about a Power Brick and a Jumper.

What is a Power Brick? What is a Jumper? Can't I just plug this into any electrical outlet?

My house has 200-amp service. This 1602W is rated at 30 amps. So, I would think I'm okay, right?

Also, what is Firmware? The "Latest Firmware" at this link has a bunch of symbols that I can't read. http://www.lightorama.com/downloads/CTB16D_V102.lhx

If I need this firmware, how do I get it from this site to my Show in a Box (when it arrives).

Thanks!

Paul

[Guest guest]

What is a Power Brick? What is a Jumper? Can't I just plug this into any electrical outlet?

On page 6 of the 1602W DC-MP3 Manual, it shows a photo of where the jumper is located. A power brick is also commonly called a wall wart, but it's just a wall-mounted transformer. In the case of the LOR box, it needs to be a 12V transformer with a 2.1mm x 5.5mm plug. You should be able to find one at any electronics store.

You can plug the LOR into any outlet, but use caution: a normal 120V power circuit in a house is normally only rated for 15A. Anything above that, and the breaker kicks out. To use all 30A of power on a 1602W, you'll need to plug the two separate plugs into two separate circuits (not just two separate outlets).

My house has 200-amp service. This 1602W is rated at 30 amps. So, I would think I'm okay, right?

Well, that depends on a lot of factors, but you'll really want to use two separate circuits to power the 1602W, and there shouldn't be anything else on those circuits if you plan to use all 15A per circuit. If you think you're going to pull a lot of power, you should consider having an electrician add a couple of dedicated circuits for the LOR box. Another option is to contact your power company about setting up a temporary (construction) feed during the holidays.

Also, what is Firmware? The "Latest Firmware" at this link has a bunch of symbols that I can't read.

Firmware can be described as semi-permanent software that is stored in non-volatile memory. It is more or less an instruction set that tells the computer processor what to do. Although the firmware appears to be a bunch of garbage characters, the LOR software can read it just fine.

Your LOR box will already be loaded with the proper firmware when it arrives, but you'll need to update it in the future when LOR II is released. Normally, you'd right-click the link to the firmware and save it on your hard drive (in a location you'll remember), then you'll run the LOR software and use the hardware utility to load the new firmware onto the LOR box.

Okay, hope this information is helpful and correct , but there are plenty of helpful folks here who can walk you through a firmware upgrade when it is updated. The best advice I can give you is to visit the LOR support page and read through everything you can find.

Tom

[Guest guest]

tsmith35 wrote:

What is a Power Brick? What is a Jumper? Can't I just plug this into any electrical outlet?

On page 6 of the 1602W DC-MP3 Manual, it shows a photo of where the jumper is located.

Here's what it says on Page 6:

Jumper: If you power the unit with a power brick and you want to make a firmware upgrade, you must put in the jumper. The jumper allows the unit to power an SC485 adapter attached to the PC.

Ok, so what does this mean? I paid the extra $$ for the USB adapter thingy. Does this mean I am not getting an SC485 adapter? Do I need this SC485 thingy in order to upgrade my firmware later this year with LORII?

I was hoping I could plug this into an outlet in the garage, and "set it and forget it," you know what I mean? Is that not the case after all?

Thanks!

Paul

[Guest guest]

SVO4Turbo wrote:

I apologize if my question is stupid

Stupid question?....there is no such thing.

[Guest guest]

jeff wrote:

SVO4Turbo wrote:

I apologize if my question is stupid

Stupid question?....there is no such thing.

I believe the saying goes:

There are no stupid questions. Only stupid people that ask questions. :]