Author Topic: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?  (Read 5046 times)

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Offline TheRuler8510Topic starter

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Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« on: June 05, 2014, 12:07:14 am »

Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?

It looks like a MOV, but I don't think it is. I'll give some clues if nobody can figure it out. It will spoil the fun if I give up too much info too quick.

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Offline NiHaoMike

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2014, 12:28:22 am »
If it's not a capacitor (too obvious?), maybe it's a PTC or NTC?
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Offline T3sl4co1l

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2014, 12:58:07 am »
Obvious to less obvious options:
MOV
HV cap (I have some 10kV radial ceramics that are ridiculously thick)
Resistor, esp. high energy / bulk type
NTC, e.g. inrush limiting

Anything printed on the other side, or would that spoil it too? :P

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Offline mrflibble

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2014, 01:02:48 am »
Well, first guess actually would be a MOV since it looks so movish. Second guess would be one of them inrush limiters, as in ntc.
 

Offline TheRuler8510Topic starter

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #4 on: June 05, 2014, 01:08:36 am »
It is not a cap. There is nothing printed on the other side.

It reads 9 ohms, so it does not figure with the "0013" that is printed. It is undamaged (I think).

It comes from a power supply, and is in series with mains power. It seems like a waste to have 9 ohms there.

Thanks,
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Offline T3sl4co1l

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #5 on: June 05, 2014, 01:12:51 am »
It is not a cap. There is nothing printed on the other side.

It reads 9 ohms, so it does not figure with the "0013" that is printed. It is undamaged (I think).

It comes from a power supply, and is in series with mains power. It seems like a waste to have 9 ohms there.

Thanks,

Only seems like a waste at room temperature  >:D
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Offline fluxcapacitor

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2014, 01:17:45 am »
It looks like a resettable fuse .
 

Offline tom66

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2014, 02:03:09 am »
NTC. It limits inrush from the empty bulk capacitors charging.

It's 9 ohms at 25°C, which means peak current at 230V (325Vpk) is 36 amps
Compared to 100+ amps without an NTC, which can pop breakers, fuses, and damage bridge rectifiers.

Once the NTC warms up its resistance drops to a low figure so it does not waste much power.
 

Offline TheRuler8510Topic starter

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2014, 02:41:25 am »
Ah-ha, thanks guys--it makes total sense. I had not heard of an "NTC" before.

Regards,



"There are no facts, only interpretations."
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Offline NiHaoMike

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2014, 02:54:16 am »
The NTCs I usually come across are in dull green packages. A shiny blue one is new to me. MOVs often come in shiny blue, while PTCs often come in shiny yellow.

If it was in series with the input, it's most likely a NTC. I have, however, come across an oddball design (in an old TV) that had a 10 ohm (at room temperature) PTC with a relay bypassing it. My guess is they decided to reduce the part inventory since another PTC was used in the degauss circuit. The relay was two pole with one doing the bypass and the other energizing the degauss circuit.
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Offline tautech

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2014, 03:27:06 am »
Ah-ha, thanks guys--it makes total sense. I had not heard of an "NTC" before.

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Offline T3sl4co1l

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2014, 10:59:57 am »
Okay so... just saying...

Component Challenge!

Quote
It will spoil the fun if I give up too much info too quick.

For it to be a challenge... one presumes the challenger already knows the answer, and therefore can verify that the challenge has been answered correctly...
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Offline TheRuler8510Topic starter

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Re: Component Challenge! What is this Mystery Component?
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2014, 12:00:51 pm »
Okay so... just saying...

For it to be a challenge... one presumes the challenger already knows the answer, and therefore can verify that the challenge has been answered correctly...

Good Point...
"There are no facts, only interpretations."
--Friederich Nietzsche
 


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