Let me try & respond to some of the comments made recently.
- First, a fuse will NOT protect a speaker from a DC fault.
If and when a fault occurs, the speaker wire, especially the tweeter wire
will melt and catch fire WELL BEFORE a fuse has time to act.
Therefore your speaker will be destroyed, saving the fuse. The ONLY
sure way to ensure that the fuse will blow before the speaker is to use
a crowbar circuit. I dont like the idea of that.
- Secondly, normal relays, regardless of whether they can carry
HUNDREDS of AC amps will NOT be able to break a DC circuit,
In a fault condition, The DC will arc and continue destroying
the speaker and the relay. At most, if one is lucky, the relay may save
the speaker but it itself will most definitely be destroyed. Look at
relay specs CAREFULLY and note that MOST are rated at no more
than 30 Volts DC. I have +/- 90 Volt rails.
- The amp I am building is high power BIPOLAR transistor based
so in case of a fault, it is more likely to fail as a short than an open
circuit and hence more likely to destroy speakers as compared
to a MOSFET output stage one. Hence the need for a reliable
speaker protector.
- Most commercial amps use a relay in the output MOSTLY to avoid
thumps when first powered on. Altho they MAY protect the
speakers in DC fault cases, their intention is the former not the
latter.
- Thirdly, SSRs made with back to back MOSFETS driven down
to a few milliohms will make a PERFECT wire, nobody (except
the superhumans on some of these threads on this site) will hear
the existence.
- As for the NASA fuses/relays, I know about them, they are
encapsulated in nitrogen under pressure so that they MAY be
able to break DC but they cost in excess of $200 or so for a
15 amp relay.
- The control circuit I intend to use is one by Rod Elliott and here it
is: http://sound.whsites.net/project33.htm
Thanks
- First, a fuse will NOT protect a speaker from a DC fault.
If and when a fault occurs, the speaker wire, especially the tweeter wire
will melt and catch fire WELL BEFORE a fuse has time to act.
Therefore your speaker will be destroyed, saving the fuse. The ONLY
sure way to ensure that the fuse will blow before the speaker is to use
a crowbar circuit. I dont like the idea of that.
- Secondly, normal relays, regardless of whether they can carry
HUNDREDS of AC amps will NOT be able to break a DC circuit,
In a fault condition, The DC will arc and continue destroying
the speaker and the relay. At most, if one is lucky, the relay may save
the speaker but it itself will most definitely be destroyed. Look at
relay specs CAREFULLY and note that MOST are rated at no more
than 30 Volts DC. I have +/- 90 Volt rails.
- The amp I am building is high power BIPOLAR transistor based
so in case of a fault, it is more likely to fail as a short than an open
circuit and hence more likely to destroy speakers as compared
to a MOSFET output stage one. Hence the need for a reliable
speaker protector.
- Most commercial amps use a relay in the output MOSTLY to avoid
thumps when first powered on. Altho they MAY protect the
speakers in DC fault cases, their intention is the former not the
latter.
- Thirdly, SSRs made with back to back MOSFETS driven down
to a few milliohms will make a PERFECT wire, nobody (except
the superhumans on some of these threads on this site) will hear
the existence.
- As for the NASA fuses/relays, I know about them, they are
encapsulated in nitrogen under pressure so that they MAY be
able to break DC but they cost in excess of $200 or so for a
15 amp relay.
- The control circuit I intend to use is one by Rod Elliott and here it
is: http://sound.whsites.net/project33.htm
Thanks