Meet Fritz der Netzverteiler aka a mains distributor. Some time ago I obtained various NOS/NIB parts and stuff and it appeared that most of it was German produced stuff of high quality. I also wanted to switch off all my equipment with just 1 knob, having seen too many molten adapters and stuff breaking down when people were not at home.
The challenge was to make something that switches off all my audio devices and filters mains voltage when switched on. It should be built with NOS/NIB quality parts, be small, have the outlets at the backside, look industrial (DDR Design as I call it) and unobtrusive and it should be safe & sturdy. So it started and, again making matters more difficult, it should be done with hand tools and recycled stuff. Since most parts are of German Qualität the device should also look and behave German I thought
I encourage to pronounce all German words as German as you can.
The switch is a Naim und Krauser CG4 type with nice look and feel, since I am in the EU both L and N are switched. The mains filter a 25A rated industrial Netzfilter with MOVs and GDTs for over voltage protection and Blitzschutz Mains fuse is a 5A T(Träge) so Leistung is limited to 1 kVA (say: ain kaa-vow-aah) in total which is more than adequate with my stuff. The casing is a waterproof casing of Gussaluminium for which I have a tic. The holes for the Kopp Schuko outlets were filed by hand. Had the casing sandblasted, then pulverbeschichtet in anthracite… and left it only to buy a ready made distributor. By now the project was already too big to fail regarding cost and time.
Recovering from a nasty flue I saw the device and decided to finish it. Now this always ends up with something going wrong and this time it was only a Knipex sidecutter that failed due to stupidity. Of course the casing is way too small and I found out that I should have wired the outlets before I assembled the other parts ;-)
Fritz has a red 230V Leuchtdiode that only glows when he is switched AUS! in analogy to TVs and other stuff that have a red LED glowing when the device is in standby. It helps finding Fritz in a dimly lit living room. When switched to EIN! then no LED disturbs.
Anyhow, I leave it up to you to either like it or really hate it but mostly to give you an idea what else can be built besides nice electronics. For some reason I could not find 4.8 mm Faston connectors used on the fuse holder so these are in backorder.
All I can tell is that Herr Fritz does his job tüchtig. Wiring will be redone. Scheiße!
The challenge was to make something that switches off all my audio devices and filters mains voltage when switched on. It should be built with NOS/NIB quality parts, be small, have the outlets at the backside, look industrial (DDR Design as I call it) and unobtrusive and it should be safe & sturdy. So it started and, again making matters more difficult, it should be done with hand tools and recycled stuff. Since most parts are of German Qualität the device should also look and behave German I thought
I encourage to pronounce all German words as German as you can. The switch is a Naim und Krauser CG4 type with nice look and feel, since I am in the EU both L and N are switched. The mains filter a 25A rated industrial Netzfilter with MOVs and GDTs for over voltage protection and Blitzschutz
Mains fuse is a 5A T(Träge) so Leistung is limited to 1 kVA (say: ain kaa-vow-aah) in total which is more than adequate with my stuff. The casing is a waterproof casing of Gussaluminium for which I have a tic. The holes for the Kopp Schuko outlets were filed by hand. Had the casing sandblasted, then pulverbeschichtet in anthracite… and left it only to buy a ready made distributor. By now the project was already too big to fail regarding cost and time. Recovering from a nasty flue I saw the device and decided to finish it. Now this always ends up with something going wrong and this time it was only a Knipex sidecutter that failed due to stupidity. Of course the casing is way too small and I found out that I should have wired the outlets before I assembled the other parts ;-)
Fritz has a red 230V Leuchtdiode that only glows when he is switched AUS! in analogy to TVs and other stuff that have a red LED glowing when the device is in standby. It helps finding Fritz in a dimly lit living room. When switched to EIN! then no LED disturbs.
Anyhow, I leave it up to you to either like it or really hate it but mostly to give you an idea what else can be built besides nice electronics. For some reason I could not find 4.8 mm Faston connectors used on the fuse holder so these are in backorder.
All I can tell is that Herr Fritz does his job tüchtig. Wiring will be redone. Scheiße!
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I think I see your problem. Your main power switch is four pole. The front two poles are wired from the AC mains to your circuitry and load by heavy gauge wire.
The rear two poles also can carry mains current but through much thinner wire. I suspect if for some reason there is a short circuit on that path, those smaller conductors will fail before the fuse blows.
Also some missing screws on the power outlet! Other possible issue is if the output power cords weigh enough that they will drag the switching unit from where it should sit.
I actually have recently seen a mains powered unit that had no fuse and was CSA labeled with a sticker. Suffice it to say the bridge rectifier failed and took out the power transformer. The smell notified the user. As this unit was in a wood cabinet contained in a church building used once a week, it could have been very bad.
Overall not a bad unit. But as it is your project I feel encouraged to “Bust your chops.”
The rear two poles also can carry mains current but through much thinner wire. I suspect if for some reason there is a short circuit on that path, those smaller conductors will fail before the fuse blows.
Also some missing screws on the power outlet! Other possible issue is if the output power cords weigh enough that they will drag the switching unit from where it should sit.
I actually have recently seen a mains powered unit that had no fuse and was CSA labeled with a sticker. Suffice it to say the bridge rectifier failed and took out the power transformer. The smell notified the user. As this unit was in a wood cabinet contained in a church building used once a week, it could have been very bad.
Overall not a bad unit. But as it is your project I feel encouraged to “Bust your chops.”
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The mains Drehschalter is a 8 pole version even with the other poles at the lower side. The thin teflon isolated wiring is 300V AC rated and nur for the LED, it also is fused with the 5A fuse. Now even with 0.25 mm Litze wire the 5A will blow when shorted...
Still, there will be an extra Sicherung for just the LED. It will be used instead of the wire bridge now used. Forgot to mention that. This 230V LED was given to me and it was used without fuse in an also German industrial 16A switch.
Still, there will be an extra Sicherung for just the LED. It will be used instead of the wire bridge now used. Forgot to mention that. This 230V LED was given to me and it was used without fuse in an also German industrial 16A switch.
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Good thinking! The Deckel is (unfortunately) a "higher" lid than necessary. I think there is no problem and that it is, read: will be, safe. A tie-wrap could be used to make sure it never will get squeezed. When I take it apart for rewiring I will shove extra insulation over the thin cables anyway.
Here a picture of Fritz being Fritz in cable spaghetti he was meant to solve....just for testing the RCD's of my house and Fritz an der Arbeit as I wait for 4.8 mm Faston connectors....
Here a picture of Fritz being Fritz in cable spaghetti he was meant to solve....just for testing the RCD's of my house
and Fritz an der Arbeit as I wait for 4.8 mm Faston connectors....Attachments
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Richtig but the challenge was to recycle and to use what is available and that happen to be a few of these cast aluminium boxes new in box. I know they exist with a lower lid but then I would need to buy the casing, if still available, with the lower lid. It will definitely look better.
Anyway I will get to being busy with the flue. Have a nice day!
Anyway I will get to being busy with the flue. Have a nice day!
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Now we sure don't make fun of those nice people but....
MTV AD Gunther - a black guy coming out as German - YouTube
MTV AD Gunther - a black guy coming out as German - YouTube
Haha, Fritz is a cool name, so german, somewhat old fashioned nowadays.
Made me think of this film scene:
https://y.yarn.co/306e8e93-e461-4705-bdec-2fa812fc5e57.mp4
Made me think of this film scene:
https://y.yarn.co/306e8e93-e461-4705-bdec-2fa812fc5e57.mp4
Ho ho! Nothing altmodisch with Fritz! In the Deutsch speaking Raum there are millions of modems and routers that are called like that. Just wait till you see my Selbstbau media player Brunhilde.
FRITZ!Box | AVM Deutschland
FRITZ!Box | AVM Deutschland
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Meet Fritz der Netzverteiler aka a mains distributor. Some time ago I obtained various NOS/NIB parts and stuff and it appeared that most of it was German produced stuff of high quality. I also wanted to switch off all my equipment with just 1 knob, having seen too many molten adapters and stuff breaking down when people were not at home.
The challenge was to make something that switches off all my audio devices and filters mains voltage when switched on. It should be built with NOS/NIB quality parts, be small, have the outlets at the backside, look industrial (DDR Design as I call it) and unobtrusive and it should be safe & sturdy. So it started and, again making matters more difficult, it should be done with hand tools and recycled stuff. Since most parts are of German Qualität the device should also look and behave German I thought
The switch is a Naim und Krauser CG4 type with nice look and feel, since I am in the EU both L and N are switched. The mains filter a 25A rated industrial Netzfilter with MOVs and GDTs for over voltage protection and Blitzschutz
Recovering from a nasty flue I saw the device and decided to finish it. Now this always ends up with something going wrong and this time it was only a Knipex sidecutter that failed due to stupidity. Of course the casing is way too small and I found out that I should have wired the outlets before I assembled the other parts ;-)
Fritz has a red 230V Leuchtdiode that only glows when he is switched AUS! in analogy to TVs and other stuff that have a red LED glowing when the device is in standby. It helps finding Fritz in a dimly lit living room. When switched to EIN! then no LED disturbs.
Anyhow, I leave it up to you to either like it or really hate it but mostly to give you an idea what else can be built besides nice electronics. For some reason I could not find 4.8 mm Faston connectors used on the fuse holder so these are in backorder.
All I can tell is that Herr Fritz does his job tüchtig. Wiring will be redone. Scheiße!
Nice!
I think that part has at least 50 years in used time.!
I also have something similar, but may a bit more modern..
Remote controlled Outlet with 230 Volts and around 2 Amps Switchable with the controller on a distance of 30 meter as they state in user manual..
and can be used for 4 different devices..
I know it works for 10 meter without flaw..
Use it when I test Amps where no speaker protection is installed. if something goes wrong, I have at least 3 Second to switch the amp off from the place I sit.. I also use it to display the waveforms on a Nearby standing Scope, which is hooked up to the output of the AMP currently running..
Also to switch light on in my working room..
BTW also made in Germany, *or Italy* but for Swiss Connection Standards
Enjoy weekend guys
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Grüezi! Coincidentally ... I built a RF controlled (encoded!) 2 channel Lichtschalter for switching on/off 2 Hochspannungsleuchte.
The high voltage daylight lamps were for my workshop and when they warm up and are mistakingly switched off they need time to cool down before they can be started again. When connected to a normal light point and switch this is not always understood by laymen that then start switching on/off the light switches repeatedly which does not make things better.
So I built the remote control and the control box safe & sturdy and then realized that a standby PSU was always powered on Secondly I am the only one that bothers about the lamps The more one gets into domotica stuff the more one longs for mechanical switches after a while.
BTW I see you device is mounted straight above a Heizkörper/radiator. This will not make for a longevity of 50 years with that one.
The high voltage daylight lamps were for my workshop and when they warm up and are mistakingly switched off they need time to cool down before they can be started again. When connected to a normal light point and switch this is not always understood by laymen that then start switching on/off the light switches repeatedly which does not make things better.
So I built the remote control and the control box safe & sturdy and then realized that a standby PSU was always powered on
Secondly I am the only one that bothers about the lamps The more one gets into domotica stuff the more one longs for mechanical switches after a while.BTW I see you device is mounted straight above a Heizkörper/radiator. This will not make for a longevity of 50 years with that one.
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Well I hope I survive it but it seems to get better, thank you! That is sad to hear. Strange thing is that one immediately thinks of covid simply forgetting that the flu is also still here to nag us.
What else can we expect after 1.5 years of lockdowns etc.? A return of the Black Plague (Schwarzer Tod)?
What else can we expect after 1.5 years of lockdowns etc.? A return of the Black Plague (Schwarzer Tod)?
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This Radiator is never switched on.. its there for about 5 years already, still does it's job..
BTW my 3 Class A Amps standing in front of it, enough heat.. the top one gets as hot as70 degrees, when in High Power Mode, which is rather seldom.. Present time it runs in Low Power Mode, 168Watts from the Outlet.. The Class A then gets only 40 degrees..
Wish you good health, and a soon recovery..
Luckily I've had that 2018 in China, SARS 1.. this now keeps me free of that one..
but I almost died that time in Guangzhou China..
Saw the reaper that time very close...
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