Me neither if they’re from a publications like stereophile or absolute sound. But I was referring to fourm members here who have favorably reviewed them.
Thanks for the invitation.
All right – I will combine some data that’s been published with a few further bits of information
FUSE BOX has an IEC320 power Inlet and a NEMA 5-15R Outlet. The IEC receives MAINS AC power from the wall. The male plug of your products’ power cord plugs into the NEMA receptacle. Internally, the power leads from the Inlet are run through a Hall Effect sensor which MAGNETICALLY determines current flow through FUSE BOX without introducing any additional source resistance (this is a key-element by the way as fuse holders are “not good” re their own introduced impedance)
The power flowing into the Inlet is connected to the receptacle through a very low contact resistance high-power relay which is normally OPEN when no power is applied. Once plugged into the wall the relay closes allowing power to flow. The sensed current data is fed to an internal microcomputer which compares the measured current to an internally programmed (and unchangeable) table of values specified by the fuse rating in Amps that the customer has ordered. If it is “allowed” per the program then all is well, if not, the relay will immediately be opened. Further, there is a time element involved. The duration of a specific current drawn is also calculated and processed. If the computer determines the current draw has gone on too long (per the fuse type; fast-blow or slow-blow) and exceeds specifications it will immediately open the relay, disconnecting the load, shutting the product down and entering its own error condition. FUSE BOX can only reset to a usable condition if it is unplugged from AC Mains and left that way for 30 seconds.
That’s the “tech stuff” that Daniel and Markus have provided. Is there additional nuance… well, YES. Can’t say a whole lot more. I’ll catch some trouble.
I hope people will try FUSE BOX. We do have several Manufacturers that have FUSE BOX and have indicated very positive results.
Here to help if asked
Thanks.
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I don’t care for those either because I don’t recall any personal reviews saying they bought something, found it useless and got rid of it.
I go on specification and/or a home demo, depending on the type of product. I find reviews very useful for actually describing what a product does and its specification. The reality is that some manufacturers buy several reviews and other are willing to playtime game, so there are a lot of good products with no reviews at all.
What fear mongering is promoted with regard to this product in your opinion?
So you are modelling a fuses’ behaviour in software (on the microcontroller) and using that to drive the relay?
Sounds like a fair implementation 
You have probably seen there are some of us who are concerned about the safety aspects, for my own part that would be:
- Software failure leading to a missed fault condition. This would likely be a silent fail so you wouldn’t know until a fault condition in the amp occurred that demands a fuse blow.
- hardware failure - somewhere in this there must be a driver device (almost certainly semiconductor) to energise the relay coil. If this fails there is a good chance it will fail short - semiconductors, especially power devices such as needed to drive a rely coil often fail short circuit. Again, likely silent fail.
- Legal peril - if one of the above happens, or something else unrelated in the equipment fails such that a fire occurs, any post-fire inspector who finds a bypassed fuse or fuses will likely declare the HiFi the cause of the fire, which would be enough to invalidate insurance.
- Worst case scenario, someone is electrocuted (or dies in the above fire).
- You are prosecuted for manslaughter for the above death.
These are all unlikely (some in the extreme) but possible, and variations have happened in the past, which is why we have such tight regs.
Can you tell me how the device will prevent these additional failure / risk modes being introduced, and in particular how this can be legally used (in the UK, don’t know about elsewhere) please?
Thanks
Bear in mind I’m talking UK here, so multiple fuses would need to be bypassed to make this worthwhile.
Fair post and I respect the thoughts here a great deal
Primary Salient point re the UK. We do not have these for 220/240v at this time. Just getting that out.
The FUSE BOX is a 2-year development project. A LOT went into what you had to say here which is 100% fair
That said – something like a Power Plant (a product I know about intimately) can fail and cause problems as could one of my Core Power Tech Balanced AC Line Conditioners. Haven’t had any of these fail – but this hardly negates your fine point.
Same guy here Distributing Puron world wide and no failures in 100’s of units sold everywhere (even the U.K.). There is an inherent risk whenever you deal with the Mains. Just ask Paul –
Failure as you describe leads to an OPEN CONDITION – so no power sent.
Can MicroP’s fail – sure they can. But see the above
Legal – for sure you are right. There is a risk for us and our guys in Switzerland.
Product itself comes with a No Questions Asked 30 day return policy. If you feel at risk – send it back and we refund right away.
Someone electrocuted – I certainly hope not – but how is this different as an absolute with any gear you own. Fair question
I’m an old man now. At 67 I have no tolerance for unnecessary risk, but I do feel very good about the FUSE BOX so I decided to make this product happen. After a fair bit of initial shipments, and the results – I’m not changing course.
Having sold literally 1000’s of products in the U.K. with Audio Alchemy – I can say two things that I love about the U.K. – Bubble and Squeak (first wife was an Ipswich girl) and the U.K Audiophile for their Passion.
I can point you to several U.K. Based Audiophiles re Puron and they love them.
Be well – Mark
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Fair and fast answers, many thanks!
You in the US? It’s late here in Europe - even us post brexit brits still are European, I think
Probably no way around the legal aspect short of getting the ISO or Eurovision Judges or some such Notable Public Body™ to certify it as a replacement for a wire fuse, which probably costs a million pounds and takes 20 years to do.
I guess the crux of the matter is the belief that whatever may fail inside the units you make, it will always always always fail open circuit. Convince me (as an example only, terms and conditions apply) that open circuit is the only way it can fail, and I’d be happy to ignore local electricity police and use it instead of a fuse, except I’m probably too stingy to buy one anyway 
Again, note the UK will have multiple fuses to replace/bypass, and the “company fuse” cannot be touched, though it’s usually 100 amps so less of a concern, but I wouldn’t even consider it until I understood completely how it works, and I also understand that isn’t going to happen since you have to keep your trade secrets.
The safety aspects interest me, so I thought I’d ask the questions that have been floating around.
I guess the 64,000 UK Pounds sterling question is: do you use them at your home, with no fuses whatsoever in the circuit, and do you leave them on running stuff when you sleep, go out, go on holiday?
.
Anyway, apologies for being the awkward one who asks the hard questions, my Maths teacher would be proud:)
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Appreciate your reply in your very early AM
Wife and I are up here in Texas watching WBC Baseball. Enjoying it
Not quite sure how I can convince you short of sharing the schematics and you reaching your own conclusions
I am using FUSE BOX in both Audio Systems and one Video based system. Performance uptick noticeable (biased reply – but truthful)
BTW – I like very much your questions as they can only help others to understand. I want others to try this product. I know there is a wonderful thread on the Decware Forums about FUSE BOX and that’s a lovely group over there too.
All of the argue bled out a long time ago – I just want to have fun developing products for others – and some for myself and my friends/partners. I wake up happy about all of it.
OK – back to baseball…
Best wishes – Mark
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All the stuff about the fuse heating up as if it regularly operates near its critical breaking point. It only gets close extraordinarily rarely and only with the most powerful amplifiers and for the vast majority of audio equipment it never gets within a million miles. The example given about when you switch n a big amp and the capacitors charge up - usually you’re not listening to music at that point anyway. In my limited experience with a Bryson amplifier, during that phase the sound quality is quite badly affected until these components get to their operating state, so the fuse is not the issue.
I think the problem is a fundamental difference between how we do wiring in the UK and EU, which requires 13A or 16A fuses, RCDs and RCBs.
There are numerous EU and UK laws covering electrical installations, not just local codes, and you can’t even legally sell a device that does not conform to regulations and is clearly labelled as doing so.
Not only must they not sell it, they must report it to the “market surveillance authority”, which is intended to enable it to be withdrawn from the market completely.
This sort of self-certification is exactly what the laws in the EU are intended to prevent.
These are the UK versions of the EU laws.
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So, no fear mongering then?
I hate to sound like a shill wrt this widget, but your “BS” and “fear mongering” comments strike me as being beside the point, at best; and completely false, at worst.
Moving on from this particular side bar, now…
Cheers.
Steven is saying pretty much the same as me, difference is I’m an old hippy and Steven is from London, where they do things differently and speak their mind 
(Of course, this song is as much about American attitudes as anything but is very funny especially in the spoken bit at the end “show me your teeth” - “do you know the queen? What’s she like?”)
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There’s a song for every street and place in London. There’s even a song about my local train station. So far my favourite is a musical about our local park. It starts fairly normal and then gets weird. The chap with the crystal balls taught my son guitar.
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weird is good
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The guitar teacher was a hippy type, we have them down here as well, I’m married to one. He may have been a hippy but he was a lovely guy. He took my son from beginner to Grade 8.
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but did he have good teeth?
grade 8 guitar is pretty advanced stuff - i got as far as grade 7 violin but by that time i was more interested in electric guitars and girls
the music theory grade exams i took have proven to be my most useful “arty” studying.
It’s the idea that the rating or performance of the fuse is in any way related to the hifi component. It’s to do with the plug and the connecting cable.
ps i am famously unmoved by musicals as i am with contemporary dance, but the skills in staging and performing always impress me.
that musical looks fun though
That musical is pretty good given the likely budget. Not sure where they found the string quartet.
His teeth were fine and he was always clean and well presented, with an extensive collection of corduroy clothing. They did have that “slept in” look.
My wife swims in the ponds (1:03) most days in the summer and that big table and chairs made a reappearance recently. I think swimming in ponds is good for a hippy CV.
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