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(IDIOT ALERT) Fadal voltage too high fried 30 ohm resistor?

TheOldCar

Stainless
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Location
Utah, USA
Finally got a better RPC dedicated for the little Fadal. American Rotary AD20 and I was very impressed with the quality. Way smoother than the hodgepodge of idlers I had running before. And MUCH MUCH better parts & build quality than the Phoenix RPC than runs my lathes.

Wired it right, tested it and hooked up the Fadal. Starting running the machine, everything smooth until I smelled smoke. Plastic burning smoke.

-------EDIT: This smoking was on the Fadal, not the phase converter-----------

So glad I caught it in time. It was a 55W 30 ohm resistor on the circuit board with a bunch of fuses and caps at the bottom. (I apologize for not correctly naming which board that is).

Green board had begun to burn right next to the center of the resistor.

Supply voltage to RPC is the same as always, I thought. Well output wasn’t! Idiot.

So I plugged both converters in to compare, and the American Rotary was 239, 240, 250 leg to leg. The homemade crapper was 200, 191, 210!!

Idiot. I never adjusted the transformer leads. Just assumed power would be the same.

Transformer leads and jumpers are adjusted to tap 250V now.

Surely the over voltage fried the resistor? Not the braking resistor in its own box, just the 55W 30 ohm mentioned above.
 
Last edited:

doug8cat

Titanium
Joined
Jul 10, 2008
Location
Philadelphia
I run 2 American Rotary units, and have never had a problem. They really do make quality product and in my expierence have great customer support. Not sure what excatly happened in your case. I would call them for further advise as to how to proceed.
 

TheOldCar

Stainless
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Location
Utah, USA
The American Rotary is amazing!

My old RPC was putting out lower voltage and I was too dumb to remember/check/notice that.

I'm just asking the experienced Fadal users if too-high voltage fried the resistor. I explained the RPC swap because it immediately proceeded the burnout.
 








 
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