*Sigh* Smoked something else... But why?

[arcenite]

Alright, I got a blue strobe light from Xoxiode.com. I hooked it up to my fanbus and it worked flawlessly. I decided I did not like my mounting options, so I decided to mount it to where a fan would go. I cut the wire so I could run the wire outside of my case and back in, and it would allow me to bolt the light to the chassis. Okay. I twist the copper wires together, turn the computer on, flick the fanbus's switch and... *SMOKE* The fanbus committed suicide.. What did I do wrong? I want to get another baybus and another strobe but not if I am going to have this problem. Please help Thanks in advance.
Bill

 

[chizow]

Did you make sure you connected the line and ground wires properly? Did you make sure none of the wires were touching? Sounds like you shorted it b/c it wasn't properly connected. You're lucky you didn't kill anything else. Whenever you're making you're own connections, make sure you connect everything correctly, red to red or + and black to black or - (minus).

Chiz

 

[ScrapSilicon]

 

[arcenite]

Sorry, it was only a single wire that I cut... Thanks for your reply

Bill

edit: when I twisted it back together I put electrical tape over the showing wire...

 

[chizow]

Do you have a link to a picture of the fanbus? It may have intertwined wires within a sleeving within the single wire that you cut if there was only 1 wire. If thats the case, you may have inadvertently crimped the ground and line wires together. I'm having a hard time picturing the type of wire coming from the fanbus, but I can't recall the last time I've seen a PC toy with only a line and no ground.

Chiz

 

[arcenite]

Here

I love my digital camera.

the only thing I did to this setup is cut the one black wire that you can see the ends of. Originally that was one wire, molex connector connected to fanbus. Thanks for your replies chiz..

Bill

 

[arcenite]

another thing i forgot... when i was testing after I had blown the first switch, I had connected only the one end of the wire (not the strobe, the other cut side...) to the fanbus.. when i turned it on, the switch blew again.. i thought that was really strange..

Bill

edit: to clarify, no power was going through the wire...

 

[chizow]

NP. Yah man, it looks like both the red and black wires join up into a single sleeving that lead up to the strobe. Take a look at either of the cut ends and see if you can distinguish two wires within the main sleeving. It looks like you crimped all of them together which would 100% lead to a short. Next time, when you strip the wires, gently strip the main housing and then individually strip and crimp the ground (black) and line (red wires). Or, you can cut the wires closer to the molex connectors and strip and crimp them there.

Chiz

 

[arcenite]

if i look very closely i can see one set of wires wrapped in a very very hard to see white covering.. sigh. thank you so much for your help chiz

Bill

p.s. i think that's the stupidest thing i've ever seen (and done)

 

[chizow]

Heheh np, coulda happened to anyone, but again, you're lucky you didn't fry anything else (like your PSU or your board, video card, etc.). :beer:

Luckily it was a non-essential toy that's easily replaced.

Chiz

 

[arcenite]

Yeah... I am going to go rip the strobe apart and see if there's an easier way to splice the wires... I have work in the AM, so goodnight Thanks once again chiz!

Bill