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Very warm, almost hot wires

BioSemiosi

Active member
If you don't test afterwards, don't you think it's much harder to draw a conclusion?
Without some tests beforehand, only conclusions can be drawn!
If the plugs are not connected and locked after clear, unpleasant situations may arise from the sealing.

I tested 3 types of led with values of 200-700W in different conditions such as 10-13°C above the manufacturer's limit at approx. 40-46-48°C RH 30-100% and several sensors but this is not important (find pictures in older threads) without problems or heated plugs. At most, the lifetime of the led may have been affected. In 2 models, plug and play connection type (male/female) without problems.

If out of 8 led panels you had problems with one, it can be a 50%-50% factory or use defect, you say that this is definitely the problem beforehand without a test. I say that it is difficult to exclude from the first a mistake and to say that the connection is not good.
Buy your own FCE6500 and do your funny test you want.
Do you think I should do some tests with you instead of trusting mars hydro assistance?
Are you an engineer? Why should I trust you and not Mars Hydro support?
But the most important thing is..
Do they feed you? :D
 

ZOnaVerde

Well-known member
Veteran
What does assistance have to do with a proposed test. I understand, you don't want to :D OK.
I don't use mars hydro!
 

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
lol, you are posting in Mars Forum, dude. IMO your tests don't make any sense. Mars doesn't make those connectors. All manufacturers buy their parts as cheaply as possible. Those parts are already tested. I't isnt possible for parts used to be 100% defect free. We are not part testers lol. We grow cannabis.
 

bibi40

Well-known member
IMG_20201126_212523.jpg
 

BioSemiosi

Active member
To appease the skeptics, doubters, testers...all those who care about my safety and security (WOW THANKS) I'm attaching the last message sent to me by MH assistance when I received the connector and I noticed that it was different, much easier to open and close (with the famous CLICK):


Hi,

Greetings from Mars Hydro,


Regarding your inquiry, we would like to confirm that after you change the connector, the light will work at 100% and the connector we sent you is better than your older connector, the quality is better.


Looking forward to your reply.

Kind Regards,


So..
The lamp was turned On for 2 days at 100%, it gives much more light than before (when the connector was damaged), the power supply is around 40 degrees celsius, I can put my hand down, the cable and the connector are very cold.. Now I put it back in the greenhouse with the plants and leave quietly, monitoring as I have always done for 20 years in the cultivation areas. Do not worry !
Thanks
 

blondie

Well-known member
Hate to resurrect this thread but my light started acting up again. I hadn’t used since July but a few weeks ago wires were HOT and I could not hold the plug. Taking apart I found all four screws that hold the wires in place we’re loose and some mild browning on the white wire, both sides. I tightened them down and felt noticeable decrease in temp until a day ago. Screws have loosened again and more browning of the wire. It’s Passed time for a new connector. I don’t feel safe running this light until I’ve received a new Connector. My other light, identical and purchased the same time is just fine and working great as a veg light. This one just has a defect and should be fine with a new connector. These things unfortunately happen but luckily I’m on top of it and it’s not bad (yet..) I cant stress to everyone just grab hold your connector now and again to make sure it’s not hot.

@Mars Hydro Led ... please reach out to me to resolve this. Thanks!!
 

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GF-Z

Active member
Hey mate, same here with my FCE-6500..disconnect all and check the connector (HOT) between the power supply and the light bars, probably it's burnt like mine.
Mars hydro assistance are kind to replace it because i'm still in warranty but..
I'm very disappointed, did I risk burning everything because of a cheap connector ?
Mars hydro assistance apologize for that but..
A "professional" 700 euros grow light shouldn't give you this problems in my opinion.
So now i'm waiting the connector to change it myself in 3 weeks..
That's good ? Not for me
I'm sorry to say that, i'm a big fan of mars hydro, still have some ts1000, tsl2000 and fc3000 working fine and I hope to solve the issue with FCE-6500 soon.
700 euros ? and dollar store connector in it ? Wow, thats a proffesional... RIP-OFF
 

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
That browning on the wire is very common. Any wire that gets warm will do that. The qty of parts that Mars buys I'm sure those are .5 cents ea. The typical markup on retail goods is a minimum of 50%. It depends on the products. Furniture is 200-400% markups.
 

blondie

Well-known member
The browning wasn’t there previously. And after it showed, it’s now a little darker. Given that and the fact I can no longer hold the connector due to the heat, something is clearly wrong. Time for a new connector.
 

Hammerhead

Disabled Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
The connector shouldn't make the wires hot. If the nuts/wires were loose like you said that would cause excessive heat. A new connector will do the same if the wires are not secure. It is a cheap fix. Check all of them and replace if needed.
 
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Mars Hydro Led

Grow on Earth Grow with Mars
Vendor
Hate to resurrect this thread but my light started acting up again. I hadn’t used since July but a few weeks ago wires were HOT and I could not hold the plug. Taking apart I found all four screws that hold the wires in place we’re loose and some mild browning on the white wire, both sides. I tightened them down and felt noticeable decrease in temp until a day ago. Screws have loosened again and more browning of the wire. It’s Passed time for a new connector. I don’t feel safe running this light until I’ve received a new Connector. My other light, identical and purchased the same time is just fine and working great as a veg light. This one just has a defect and should be fine with a new connector. These things unfortunately happen but luckily I’m on top of it and it’s not bad (yet..) I cant stress to everyone just grab hold your connector now and again to make sure it’s not hot.

@Mars Hydro Led ... please reach out to me to resolve this. Thanks!!
Sorry, we will solve it for you asap.
 

Ca++

Well-known member
You don't tin wires to go under a screw, it's bad practice. They will come loose, and tightening repeatedly will cut right through, it won't ever be right.

Tinning the wire makes it a single core. Single core is suited to fixed installations. This is a portable appliance, and should be on flex. The bunching of the strands offers some spring that the tinned wire doesn't. The screw should be compressing against the srping, that is pushing back. If you tin it, the aluminum deforms, like it's liquid. One day it seem fine, the next it's not. Which wouldn't be so bad if it left you with a nice interlocking shape of copper screw and single core copper wire. However, solder isn't copper. It's aluminum. What we should really have is not solder, but instead, a brass bootlace ferrule. Or just not bother, and have copper on copper.

Anyone having problems with these, that have the skills required, should think about chopping them off, and fitting a wago. The wago is nice, as it sets the holding tension. Many people can copy the electricians work, but not get that tension correct. Neither loose is good, nor so tight you are thinning the wire. Ultimately cutting it.

Edited a couple of typos
 
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exploziv

pure dynamite
Administrator
Veteran
What about putting electrical end pins on those wires to secure them better?
 

Ca++

Well-known member
What about putting electrical end pins on those wires to secure them better?
That's very similar to a ferrule. We use them in panels, where moving wires about occasionally is likely. I'm not sure they would fit in the plugs we are generally looking at. The plastic skirt is nice for handling, but probably not appropriate here. If we think about costing, I'm not sure what they would make them from either. I imagine we could be back to alloys pretty quickly.

The cord grip is probably worth another look, and the space inside the plug. Seeing them two wires so short, and straight, gives reason to look at the assembly method. If the two wires are screwed in, then the cable moved to center it for the grip, we have a compression and tension situation at the terminals.
This is out of my field, so I can't say if this is actually good or bad. It's something that may of been studied, but I'm not sure who learns that sort of thing. Maybe our space program works to such detail. I personally like my terminals under no external forces, as that's how they were specified.
 

blondie

Well-known member
The saga continues. Mars did step up and send a new oversized connector. Started a grow and connector was normal temp and I stopped checking it until a few weeks before harvest. The temp was very hot. I could barely touch it. I don’t know what’s up with this light but something clearly is. I opened it up now and All wires were secured. Screws were tight. But it’s lucky I didn’t catch fire. The little remaining plastic wire coating was melted and brittle. I feel very lucky. Now wtf to do with this turd of a light.
 

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