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niteowl22
23-03-2011, 13:14
What I need to know, is what size fuse, that the mini-bot battery pack uses, and where to purchase them.
Thanks in advance for answers!
Amehrotra
23-03-2011, 13:23
Im pretty sure the fuse type is called mini blade fuse

The fuse in the stock battery uses a 20AMP fuse, Since the motors stall current is around 7 amps I would recommend putting a 5 amp fuse in there.

This way the fuse will blow before the motors blow, just be sure to have extra fuses in hand. :)
Brandon Holley
23-03-2011, 13:23
What I need to know, is what size fuse, that the mini-bot battery pack uses, and where to purchase them.
Thanks in advance for answers!

We got ours at the local RadioShack: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102772

They're just called mini-blade fuses.

-Brando
DarrinMunter
23-03-2011, 13:26
You can also get the fuses from any place like Autozone, Napa, Advanced Auto.
niteowl22
23-03-2011, 13:28
Thank you!!! I knew this was the right place to ask for a quick answer. You people are great!!
Bochek
23-03-2011, 13:35
these are also commonly refered to as an ATM sized fuse.
Tuba4
23-03-2011, 16:06
Got a nice assortment box at our local Walmart with sizes from 2 amp up to 25 amp. Heavy on 7.5, 10, 15 and 20 amp sizes. Under $20.
Gary Dillard
23-03-2011, 17:20
Im pretty sure the fuse type is called mini blade fuse

The fuse in the stock battery uses a 20AMP fuse, Since the motors stall current is around 7 amps I would recommend putting a 5 amp fuse in there.

This way the fuse will blow before the motors blow, just be sure to have extra fuses in hand. :)

Unless you are using 2 motors, in which case you probably want to go with a 10 amp fuse since together they will draw 7 amps at full power (14 at stall)
sanddrag
23-03-2011, 17:20
With a direct-drive minibot, I was blowing 5-amp fuses. 10 Amp works but makes me nervous. Maybe there's a 7 Amp fuse.
Akash Rastogi
23-03-2011, 17:30
With a direct-drive minibot, I was blowing 5-amp fuses. 10 Amp works but makes me nervous. Maybe there's a 7 Amp fuse.

How many climbs/matches did yours last with the 5amp?
Brandon Holley
23-03-2011, 17:33
How many climbs/matches did yours last with the 5amp?

For OUR tests, we lasted about 6 inches of vertical travel before the 5 amps popped. When our minibot deploys and hits the bar, the spinning shaft gets slowed down considerably and theres a definite current spike that occurs to get the bot moving.

We switched to 10 amps, been using the same one all competition. Our turn off switch is EXTREMELY reliable so we are less concerned about smoking anything with our system, so 10 amps may be overkill for your needs.

-Brando
James Tonthat
23-03-2011, 17:33
We used 5 amps for a bit, went through a fuse a match pretty much.
DonRotolo
23-03-2011, 21:45
A team in NJ was using the 7.5A fuse as a shut-off for when it hit the top, I didn't notice any damaged motors. They did blow a fuse every match though.
548swimmer
23-03-2011, 21:58
We use a 7.5 A, and replace it after every match.
sanddrag
23-03-2011, 22:38
How many climbs/matches did yours last with the 5amp? It immediately blew. Would not even start moving.
clayman
24-03-2011, 12:22
We use a 7.5 A, and replace it after every match.

We did the same, with a 5A. It's our stopping mechanism.
Mr V
25-03-2011, 03:42
Fuses are not for protecting components they are for protecting wire. Someone posted a link to the littlefuse data sheet for ATM fuses. They can handle much more than what is stamped on them for short periods, so I wouldn't recommend more than a 7.5A fuse.