Maintenance

The Power Distribution Box should require little maintenance during normal operation. When checking instruments powered from the box, check the following:

  • Check the band clamps on the tripod or tower and tighten as needed.
  • Check the tightness of cable ties to be sure the cables are not straining the box.
  • Check the tightness of all conduit fittings at the power supply and Power Distribution Box and secure if needed.
  • Check the electrical connections and tighten as needed.
  • Check all cables for rodent damage and replace if necessary.

Voltage Regulator

The voltage regulator/charge controller has two internal fuses to protect the circuitry. One spare fuse is included in the unit to replace a blown fuse. If the charge controller fails to function properly, check the fuses and replace the open fuse with the spare.

Fuse Indicators

An open fuse will be indicated by the following:

  • Power supply fuse: If the Power LED will not light, check the system power supply to be sure it is adequate. If the charger has power but the LED is dark, the power supply fuse may need to be replaced.

Replacing the Fuses

Note: When removing the cover, wear an anti-static wrist strap to prevent accidental static discharge that may damage the circuitry.

  1. Disassemble the charge controller.
  2. Remove the screws that secure the back plate and remove the plate to gain access to the fuses.
  4. Check the fuse with an ohm meter.
  5. Resistance of <1Ω (ohm) across the fuse indicates that it is OK. Replace the fuse if necessary.
  6. To remove a fuse, grip it with a needle-nose pliers or tweezers and pull it out of the mount.
  8. Install the spare fuse in place of the blown fuse.

The fuse is a 4 amp Nano2 SMF Fuse (Littelfuse part number 0453004.MR). Contact Littelfuse, Inc. for replacements: http://www.littelfuse.com/contact-us.aspx.