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Author Topic: Engl Invader making LOUD buzzing and giving me electric shocks...  (Read 7908 times)

musicmaker29

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Re: Engl Invader making LOUD buzzing and giving me electric shocks...
« Reply #15 on: September 20, 2010, 12:25:27 PM »
hi,

As I'm reading this I am understanding little of it.  to the OP - if this is the case for you/your friend as well (i.e. you aren't understanding either) then turn off the amp, get your cheque book and go down to a professional tech to get it sorted.

If it turns out that the amp is not faulty get your wiring checked at home.

On a related note - what do people think to those £10 RCDs you can get to go between the plug and the socket?  Do they work?  I don't always trust venues when it comes to electrical safety and would sooner sort it myself as far as poss.  Do they often trip for no reason/false trip?

cheers, Alex

Dmoney

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Re: Engl Invader making LOUD buzzing and giving me electric shocks...
« Reply #16 on: September 20, 2010, 03:19:32 PM »
I think of it this way...

A fuse is only a way of stopping electrical gear catching fire in a fault. It is not there to protect the person using the equipment. It does go SOME way to doing that but it isn't to be relied on AT ALL for the protection of people.

so if you have a multisocket with only a fuse in, and that fuse is 13amps, then the fuse will blow when 13amps of current is pulled through it. you could power a lot of stuff through that fuse before it blows, or you could fry yourself a few times over before it blows too.
The RCD does what you say. looks at in and out going current and you body becomes a connection to ground, the RCD detects the current loss and switches off the power. Much more effective at saving your life than a fuse.

so the answer is really that you need both. fuses to protect gear from damage, and RCD's to protect you from damage.
The amp will have a mains fuse, in addition to the fused socket (if you're using a fused extension lead). If you had a 13amp fuse in the kettle lead, and a 3amp fuse in the mains input of the amp, you'd expect the 3amp fuse to go well before the 13amp in the kettle lead. if the kettle lead is in an RCD, the RCD could trip before the fuses blow...

in your RCD muiltiway... you'd have 1 fuse in the 3pin plug, then the RCD, the a fuse in 3pin plug after the RCD, then a mains fuse in your amp. the fusing in the multiway's 3pin has to be big enough to allow for equipment to be used at all the outputs. however the RCD doesn't care.

I've used one of those £10 RCD's before for using power tools on sites. It didn't give me a problem but I never checked it out fully. You probably don't want to get scammed and buy a rubbish one.

dave_mc

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Re: Engl Invader making LOUD buzzing and giving me electric shocks...
« Reply #17 on: September 20, 2010, 07:41:14 PM »
^ thanks, i'd forgotten about the fuse in the plug coming from the amp :lol: :oops:

Yep, all of that makes sense, that's what I pretty much thought already- the fuse is to protect the equipment, the RCD is to protect the person using the equipement. Thanks! :)

^ ^ I got mine from johnny shredfreak... it claims to be equal to the UK minimum standard for them. I assume they're telling the truth, but have no proof to back that up. Maplin sells one too (but the last time I was buying from maplin it was out of stock). Mine has never tripped on me yet.

EDIT: if I were gigging I'd DEFINITELY have an RCD (in fact I'd have a couple in case one decided to break). Heck I only play at home and I use one. :lol: