Thought I'd Blown the Mount up!!!

[Fay]

I thought, I will go up the shed, as the batteries are up there, & test the GPUSB.

Attached correctly to the battery & suddenly the garage was filled with thick smoke. I thought it was either going to blow up or set fire. Good job I reached into the inferno & grabbed the cable out of the mount. The cable had burnt within 1' of the mount in seconds.

Seems it must be that the wires must be touching somewhere.
Frightened the life out of me. Have tested mount via mains & it seems ok.

Am now having alchoholic therapy!

[mickw]

If the shed burns down you could build an observatory 

[Fay]

I would probably gone to that great observatory in the sky myself as well!!!!

[Ian]

cool, you'd get a good view from up there :





Erm, 

[MarkS]

Fay, that's terrible.  What a scary experience.  I'm glad everything seems O.K. though.

What size fuse do you have in the lead?  Why didn't it blow?

[Fay]

That's funny you saying that, Mark. There was not one in there. It was only a cable with croc clips & the bit that goes in the mount. Where would the fuse go?

My son also asked about a fuse. 

[Mike]

Fay you know that any pyrotechnics must be saved for Deep Sky Camp.

[Fay]

Mike,

believe me, if anything had happened up the shed, you would have seen it from miles around!

My mounts legs are scorched!!!!!!

[mickw]

Fuses...........................
I assume you are talking about the lead from battery to mount - croc clips one end, mount plug the other.
You want one of these, or similar
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=20624&criteria=fuse%20holder&doy=12m4
And a pack of these - 6.3 amp or 10 amp - I think the HEQ5 uses 5 amp normal running and the purpose of the fuse is to stop things bad happening, like smoke and flames  
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&DOY=12m4&ModuleNo=462&criteria=

Cut one of the wires at the croc clip end, then fit fuse holder between cut ends, insert fuse and retire immediately  

Also, depending on how much damage has been done, you might need one of these
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=HH60Q&DOY=12m4

[Fay]

Mike,

really grateful for that info. I will get one, never knew about them, but obviously very important. I don't think the cable was man enough either. Is thickness of cable important? What thickness do you think I need?

[Fay]

Sorry, I meant Mick!!!!!!!!! Keep getting names wrong, well I have just got up.

[mickw]

That's OK Doris, easy mistake to make 
If you bought the lead already made up, the size should be OK.  Sounds like your problem was a short circuit, there's many cables that could survive being whacked across a fully charged battery - You can melt a screwdriver shoving it across a battery 
Never been much good at putting a name to cable sizes but tke a look at the cigarette lighter cable that came with the mount - something the same size or larger will do.
Also, virtually any flex from an old appliance - hair dryer, iron, radio should also be OK
If you have to buy it, this is plenty big enough (price is per metre) 6 or 10 amp
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=20666&criteria=figure%208&doy=12m4
Let me know if you want help

[Tony G]

Fay,

Sorry to here about the mount, but lucky for you as well that you caught it in time. I see Mick has been giving you links to Maplin's well just in case here is another.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=fire%20extinguisher&source=15&SD=Y

Every observatory/shed should have one.

Tony G

[Fay]

Mick you could have called me Bridgitte or anything but DORIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Fay]

Thanks Tony & Mick, I will go to Maplins & get all those bits on Monday