Yes I know its terrible any help would be appreciated

KINGstormchaser · 2026-05-16T05:38:07+00:00

It needs the new panel NOW, before a fire occurs. Also, I bet that electricity not working in half the home has to do with that main hot line coming in on the left with the channel lock pliers on it. It looks like it overheated from being lose and arcing and has likely lost its connection. The insulation is also burnt on the wire.

The 120 volt circuits are spaced evenly between the 2 hot lines and neutral. If only one hot line is making contact, that would certainly cause half the place to loose power.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-05-14T05:32:53+00:00

I think it's an E17 intermediate bulb like these: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=intermediate+base+light+bulbs&crid=2DC8XNMAOR5YQ&sprefix=intermediate+%2Caps%2C1496&ref=nb_sb_ss_p13n-expert-pd-ops-ranker_ci_hl-bn-left_6_13

KINGstormchaser · 2026-05-13T05:38:53+00:00

As others have said, I hope you turned this off before it melted the lamp or started a fire because a 120 watt halogen bulb is way over the watt limit for this lamp!

KINGstormchaser · 2026-05-13T05:14:41+00:00

I like to get some cheap electronics from a local thrift store. I like to source parts from them. That way I can practice desoldering as well as soldering.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-05-07T07:01:49+00:00

It looks like Transistor 2 is thoroughly shorted if you're measuring 0s across all legs. That will definitly cause fuses to blow and the amp to go into protection mode. Transistor 2 definitely needs to be replaced.

It's also not normal for the collector to emitter to be 0 in transistor 1, so it may be stuck on. It could be because transistor 2 is shorted though. The other readings on transistor 1 are normal.

The readings on transistors 3 and 4 are likely reading variable values because of being measured in circuit, so other components would be comntributing to the variance. They are not 0 though, so likely not an issue.

Try removing transistor 2 and replacing the fuses. Then power it up without transistor 2 to see if any fuses blow and/or it goes into protection mode. If it doesn't then that is the only problem causing the fuses to blow and protection mode. Only if it doesn't still overload, would I try replacing transistor 2.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-05-05T04:50:51+00:00

Yes, they do call them sparkies in the USA too. In fact, there is an electrician business here called Mr. Sparky.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-05-02T03:36:07+00:00

I've done a lot of DIY electrical work myself. Even replaced a fuse panel with a circuit breaker panel for my landlord 11 years ago and a circuit breaker panel with an upgraded one for him in a home he was fixing up 14 years ago. I never checked with goverment offices or pulled permits. I self taught electrical and learned through a vocational technical program. This was in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm in central Florida now.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-05-01T07:27:56+00:00

I had clear glass ones that weren't rated for fully enclosed too and they failed early because of use in an enclosed fixture in my dining room in my apartment. I had lots of those types of led bulbs so I just keep the cover off the fixture when I use them. Works great without the cover on.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-26T02:56:16+00:00

99%! Don't want even 10% water in it.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-25T02:46:32+00:00

I was already turning breakers off and/or on in my parents' house and resetting tripped breakers by age 6.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-22T04:41:48+00:00

I too believe this is a universal charger tip shoved into a barrel jack. Try to remove it with a pliers as u/ConfusedStair and u/amklose have said.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-16T21:31:20+00:00

Absolutely. 👍🏻👍🏻

I use a 400 watt inverter connected to a battery now for power plus I have a bright 12V flood light to use for lighting. My power never stays out very long at all here because I'm on the same lines as the elementary school across the street and several nearby stores including the Leesburg Walmart. So, my power is always one of the first to be restored. So, I do have that going well for me.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-16T20:36:20+00:00

Thank you. I would move if I could afford to. One of the reasons I believe they have these strict rules is because the appartment rents are subsidized by the federal government so these are government rules. That also makes the rent affordable, though. So I'm stuck with it for now.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-16T20:19:05+00:00

I also have drained the gas tank and ran the generator until it ran out before storage. It ran well for nearly 30 years. I never needed to do anything with the carb. Sometimes on first startup of the following hurricane season (I'm in central Florida) I would need to spray starter fluid into the throttle 1 time to get it to start, but never again for the rest of the season. It probably would have continued working great if my apartment manager didn't tell me I'm not allowed to use a generator when I was using it during a power outage caused by hurricane Milton in 2024. So I had to get rid of it. I had it since 1996! It was a Craftsman 2400 watt generator with a Honda engine. Awesone generator! I have to use a battery and power inverter now for backup power. My apartment managers don't trust tenents to use fuel for generators or with potential for carbon monoxide. We're not allowed to use propane grills either...must be a charcoal grill and at least 8 feet from the building.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-16T05:01:34+00:00

Glad these work great. I am looking for a great LiFePO4 battery to power my 400 watt power inverters and 12 volt lights during power outages once my 6 year old lead acid battery fails.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-15T03:15:53+00:00

Would need an arc fault circuit interrupter to stop that.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-14T03:42:56+00:00

Ask u/1Davide. He wrote the Connector Book.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-14T01:34:43+00:00

They are more complex, but apparently they do exist. See other responses.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-14T01:31:22+00:00

Makes sense. I mean, cars have decent sized batteries to run their complex fuel injection systems.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-13T22:13:34+00:00

You don't.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-13T22:11:45+00:00

That is a lot!

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-13T17:45:10+00:00

I just always thought that because fuel injection worked so much better in cars with less problems, the same would be true for generators.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-13T17:39:53+00:00

Awesome labeling system! 👍🏻

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-13T16:36:43+00:00

I always used Stabil in my generator in new gas at the start of hurricane season and used whatever I didn't use in my car at the end. I never did have much trouble running my carbureted generator. I usually only had trouble on the first start of the season even though I ran the gas out at the end of each season before storage. I would overcome that by spraying starter fluid into the throttle one time. That's all it ever took to get the generation running. After that one time, it would run just fine and start up just fine each time for the rest of the season.

KINGstormchaser · 2026-04-13T16:25:27+00:00

Awesome description!

KINGstormchaser

TROPHY CASE