I have a barely 2 year old PD4645 converter with the red led indicator lights on the 12v fuse panel that light up when a fuse is blown or pulled from the buss.The problem I have run into is that the indicator lights have stopped working. Found this out the hard way when last week end I blew the fuse for my range hood fan/light while working on it. Went crazy trying to figure out the problem because I foolishly never checked the fuse (no indicator light came on). Finally physically checked all the fuses and found the problem. Until this happened the board and lights worked flawlessly ,now only the #4 & #9 circuits will illuminate when pulled. Anybody got ideas or suggestions?I've called Progressive Dynamics all the techs where out and gave Randy at best converter a call, and even he was scratching his head. The indicator lights themselves aren't burnt out cause I can jump them to light them up.

That is a strange one and is the converter I plan to use if our old OEM Magnetek ever dies.In my case if that happened I would not be happy but I would not put any effort into trying to fix that cool feature because all of these years I have never had it. :)

Gale Hawkins wrote:That is a strange one and is the converter I plan to use if our old OEM Magnetek ever dies.In my case if that happened I would not be happy but I would not put any effort into trying to fix that cool feature because all of these years I have never had it. :)Ya kind of what I was thinking too, but it sure makes things a lot easier and I've gotten used to it working properly.

I don't have a converter, or fuse panel, with lights that come on when a fuse blows. Does anyone know how the light is wired?I suspect the light is simply wired across the fuse and when a fuse blows due to a short, then 12v is present across the blown fuse. If you just pull the fuse with no short or heavy load in the circuit, or remove the short after the fuse blows (as the OP did), there is no voltage across the fuse socket and the light would not light.To check it out you could pull the fuse, recreate the short, and see if the light comes on.Don't forget to remove the short before plugging the fuse back in. :SJust my $0.02 worth.

tenbear wrote:I don't have a converter with lights that come on when a fuse blows. Does anyone know how the light is wired?I suspect the light is simply wired across the fuse and when a fuse blows due to a short, then 12v is present across the blown fuse. If you just pull the fuse with no short or heavy load in the circuit, or remove the short after the fuse blows (as the OP did), there is no voltage across the fuse socket and the light would not light.To check it out you could pull the fuse, recreate the short, and see if the light comes on.Don't forget to remove the short before plugging the fuse back in. :SJust my $0.02 worth.Your wiring theory (if I'm understanding it correctly) would have 12v present through the fused circuit whether a fuse was functional or not. That can't be correct.My intuition tells me that there is a sensor and/or relay that provides power to the indicator lamps.

I suspect that the 2 circuits that the lights did work on have a load on them. Maybe one was running the refrig and the other the CO and propane alarms???

Problem with converter fuse panel | Good Sam Community

tenbear
Explorer
Aug 12, 2013
Glad your new fuse panel arrived and works as you expect. Thanks for letting us know.

Maybe they hang a 1-2k resistor from the circuit side of the fuse to ground so there is always a small load there???
yankee_camper
Explorer
Aug 12, 2013
I received a new fuse panel Saturday and installed it in about 15 minutes. Working as it should. I'd almost like to send the defective one back to them to do an "autopsy" on it and see what the problem is/was. Maybe it's just me but even though it's fixed I'd like to know the hows and whys of the malfunction.Thanks for all the replies.
yankee_camper
Explorer
Aug 05, 2013
For what it's worth I finally got a hold of a service tech. at Progressive Dynamics explained to them my situation and they said that I was the first person to ever report this problem.They wouldn't even guess as to what it could be 'cause they've never heard of this happening (figures). They are sending out a new fuse panel. I will report back after I install it.Thanks for all the replies.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Aug 04, 2013
yankee camper wrote:
Just my $0.02 worth.
Your wiring theory (if I'm understanding it correctly) would have 12v present through the fused circuit whether a fuse was functional or not. That can't be correct.
My intuition tells me that there is a sensor and/or relay that provides power to the indicator lamps.

x2

No sensor, No relay, just the LED and a resistor wired across the fuse.

YES, if you measure the "Fused" terminal voltage with no fuse and no load it will be not 12 but 10 volts on many meters.

But if you put the slightest load on it it drops to zero very fast.

This has been a standard way of wiring blown fuse indicators since before I was born.. You use a SMALL light (The LED only passes a few mA) (few/1000 amp) so it is 100% safe to do it that way.

If you touch the fused terminal with a wet finger you won't even feel the shock the current is that low.
Gale_Hawkins
Explorer
Aug 04, 2013
I think it is not being a dummy but this is kind of complex for one with out a lot of education or one the job experience. I wish I still knew what the Navy taught me. In my case there are so many things of more importance to me today. :)

So far my fuse blowing was on the fire wall shorting out something when trying to fix something. That sucker was not easy to chase down either.
yankee_camper
Explorer
Aug 04, 2013
Not trying to start a war here but it obviously isn't or I wouldn't have posted the original question. Have had this converter for 2 years and has worked as it should until this situation came up last week-end.I do appreciate all your help though...Thanks.
tenbear
Explorer
Aug 03, 2013
yankee camper wrote:

Waaaaay beyond me???? Or am I the only dummy out there???

Not a dummy! I guess I didn't explain it very well.

Anyway, I think your fuse panel is working the way it was designed.
yankee_camper
Explorer
Aug 03, 2013
tenbear wrote:
Maybe I can explain it better.

Case 1 Normal, no load
Fuse: Good
Load: None
Circuit voltage: 12v
Voltage across fuse holder: 0v
Light: Off

Case 2 Normal, load on
Fuse: Good
Circuit voltage: 12v
Voltage across fuse holder: 0v
Light: Off

Case 3 Fuse blown or missing, short circuit
Fuse: not functional
Circuit voltage: 0v
Voltage across fuse holder: 12v
Light: On

Case 4 Fuse blown or missing, no short or load
Fuse: not functional
Circuit voltage: 12v
Voltage across fuse holder: 0v
Light: Off

Case 5 Fuse blown or missing, some load
Fuse: not functional
Circuit voltage: undetermined, depends on load
Voltage across fuse holder: undetermined
Light: Undetermined, on for large load, dim or off for small load

This all assumes LED and series resistor wired in parallel with fuse holder.

Hope this explains how this would work.

Waaaaay beyond me???? Or am I the only dummy out there???
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Aug 03, 2013
Jumping the fuse with a 20ma LED and 470 ohm resistor is just too hard I guess for these folks. Some genius in marketing or sales just HAD TO come up with a PC board with IC's to turn a three dollar objective into something to boost his prestige and salary.

Get rid of the garbage and fit individual 20 ma LED's and 470 ma resistors across each fuse. Get fancy and spend some money and get some BLINKING LED's and they will visually scream at you should a fuse blow. At an estimated duty cycle the LED's should last what (?) two to three hundred years...

If your converter or power supply should apply oh, say, 20 or so volts to the LED's they won't last too long...

No wonder China and India are kicking our ass...
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Aug 03, 2013
I have the "Stand alone" Version of that fuse panel...

Like all lights the indicator LED needs both a source of power (The "Battery" side of the fuse) and a GROUND.. IF you turn something on, the fuse blows, and you then turn the load OFF..........

There is no ground (The indicator grounds via the load) and it will not light.

I have one fuse that is dedicated to two 12 volt accessory outlets. It blew. I had to put a load in the socket to get the light to light. Worked too.,

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