I realize this video is a year old, but if you haven’t received a corrective action report from Lex Lighting, you should follow up with them and pressure them for this documentation. If they fail to deliver, I’d advise presenting a report of your incident along with Lex Lighting’s failure to take corrective actions to CE.
@HotblackDesiat042 - Thanks for taking the time to comment. To the best of my knowledge no corrective action has been taken. The unit was still available for sale the last time I checked. I find their apologies rather empty and worthless considering the seriousness of the issue and their apparent lack of action. I may take your advice. The plus-side to this is that if you type Lex Lighting f400 fogger into Google, my video appears near the top of the list.
@RoadRunnerLaser It usually takes a good number of instances such as yours to mandate a recall on a product. I know it may sound callous, but it’s the unfortunate truth, and unless yours is one of several incidents it won’t affect the marketing of the product. I know how feel though. And while I’ve never really dealt with CE, I would have to suspect that they would at least require a corrective action be performed by the manufacturer. Next time look for something UL listed.
@HotblackDesiat042 IMO, there should be some serious design revisions for the device. Just from what you’ve shown in your video, I’m sure that UL would never approve of 240v being present on the receptacle with it off. Also I’d be willing to bet that they’re using an underrated XLR connector, as all the ones I’ve seen with a crimp style terminal are rated for 50v, whereas the XLRs rated for 125v-250v are always solder terminals.
@danny999911 - This wasn't a "wear and tear" issue, something that is likely to happen over time. This is how it arrived from the factory. It is an issue caused by a very bad and dangerous design compounded by very shoddy manufacturing and/or quality control. The cable-grip hadn't been crimped (crushed against the cable) so the prongs stood proud and made contact with the metal shield of the XLR plug making it live.
The controller appears to require 240v and rather than use a connector which would be safe for this purpose, they decided to use an XLR socket. Why the designer chose to use an XLR socket for this purpose is anyone's guess. They claim to be doing "everything they can to resolve the issue", which doesn't include removing this unit from sale until it's been redesigned to be fail-safe, it appears.
@RoadRunnerLaser Now that is just plain STUPID! I can't imagine how would one put a quality copper cable into an XLR connector. It is clearly not designed for that! Someone's brain must have warped into the twilight zone to figure that is a good idea.
Did you know that before purchase? I wouldn't buy that if my job depended on it.
@SGresponse - No. I didn't know until one hand was on the case and I grabbed the XLR with the other. Otherwise, there was no indication that the socket was carrying mains voltage. My first thought was that there was a loose wire inside the unit. When I discovered that it had actually been built this way and that the only fault was a simple oversight in crimping the cable-grip which was in contact with the stripped end of the wire / end of the pin, thus making the shroud live, I was horrified.
@SGresponse - There are clear warnings that the front of the unit may be hot during use (as one might expect from a fogger) but nothing to suggest that the XLR carries anything which might give someone enough of a bite to make them fall off a ladder if they touched it unexpectedly. I've never known any other application where an XLR is carrying more than 50v.
@SGresponse - Considering the potential seriousness of this issue, I consider their apology to be somewhat hollow especially in light of their continuation in selling this unit (and the others in the range) regardless of the potential danger.
They are lucky that it was me that they apologised to and not my widow. Next time, they might not be so lucky. If they are sued and the claimant shows that they were made aware of this issue already, they are likely to face very serious consequences.
Jesus christ that IS unacceptable, someone could be killed! Doesn't someone test these things before they go out? Well at least they acknowledged your video, can't fault someone for admitting their mistake even when it is this irresponsible.
@TheFounderUtopia - If they'd tested the fogger, they'd have found it to be working as per design.
If they'd tested the controller, they'd have found it to be working as per design. Only testing to see if the shroud was shorting to one of the pins would they find any problem and that wouldn't prevent the unit working.
My issue is that I consider the design itself to be unsafe.
As you say, top marks for acknowledging the issue. What are they going to do now? Recall EVERY unit sold?
@TheFounderUtopia - It would be unlikely that they would recall every unit - Imagine the cost of such a procedure. That would be the kind of event which could finish a company. However, I don't think that the person responsible for that element of the design should get off scott-free. I was lucky in that it happened to me when I was at ground-level. Someone could have been working up a ladder in a lighting rig and accidentally touched that connector. Not much point in apologising to a corpse.
I realize this video is a year old, but if you haven’t received a corrective action report from Lex Lighting, you should follow up with them and pressure them for this documentation. If they fail to deliver, I’d advise presenting a report of your incident along with Lex Lighting’s failure to take corrective actions to CE.
HotblackDesiat042 3 weeks ago
@HotblackDesiat042 - Thanks for taking the time to comment. To the best of my knowledge no corrective action has been taken. The unit was still available for sale the last time I checked. I find their apologies rather empty and worthless considering the seriousness of the issue and their apparent lack of action. I may take your advice. The plus-side to this is that if you type Lex Lighting f400 fogger into Google, my video appears near the top of the list.
RoadRunnerLaser 3 weeks ago
@RoadRunnerLaser It usually takes a good number of instances such as yours to mandate a recall on a product. I know it may sound callous, but it’s the unfortunate truth, and unless yours is one of several incidents it won’t affect the marketing of the product. I know how feel though. And while I’ve never really dealt with CE, I would have to suspect that they would at least require a corrective action be performed by the manufacturer. Next time look for something UL listed.
HotblackDesiat042 3 weeks ago
@HotblackDesiat042 IMO, there should be some serious design revisions for the device. Just from what you’ve shown in your video, I’m sure that UL would never approve of 240v being present on the receptacle with it off. Also I’d be willing to bet that they’re using an underrated XLR connector, as all the ones I’ve seen with a crimp style terminal are rated for 50v, whereas the XLRs rated for 125v-250v are always solder terminals.
HotblackDesiat042 3 weeks ago
Right, I own one of these... thanks for making me aware of this issue - I haven't had the machine very long so luckily it has not happened.
If I don't want to waste £40, what can I do to make it safe? I'm not an expert, don't know what you mean by crimping.
danny999911 1 month ago
@danny999911 - This wasn't a "wear and tear" issue, something that is likely to happen over time. This is how it arrived from the factory. It is an issue caused by a very bad and dangerous design compounded by very shoddy manufacturing and/or quality control. The cable-grip hadn't been crimped (crushed against the cable) so the prongs stood proud and made contact with the metal shield of the XLR plug making it live.
RoadRunnerLaser 1 month ago
Do I understand correctly? They send 230V through an XLR socket?...
What, in the name of Odin's Thunderballs, for?
SGresponse 1 year ago
@SGresponse - Yes. You understand correctly.
The controller appears to require 240v and rather than use a connector which would be safe for this purpose, they decided to use an XLR socket. Why the designer chose to use an XLR socket for this purpose is anyone's guess. They claim to be doing "everything they can to resolve the issue", which doesn't include removing this unit from sale until it's been redesigned to be fail-safe, it appears.
RoadRunnerLaser 1 year ago
@RoadRunnerLaser Now that is just plain STUPID! I can't imagine how would one put a quality copper cable into an XLR connector. It is clearly not designed for that! Someone's brain must have warped into the twilight zone to figure that is a good idea.
Did you know that before purchase? I wouldn't buy that if my job depended on it.
SGresponse 1 year ago
@SGresponse - No. I didn't know until one hand was on the case and I grabbed the XLR with the other. Otherwise, there was no indication that the socket was carrying mains voltage. My first thought was that there was a loose wire inside the unit. When I discovered that it had actually been built this way and that the only fault was a simple oversight in crimping the cable-grip which was in contact with the stripped end of the wire / end of the pin, thus making the shroud live, I was horrified.
RoadRunnerLaser 1 year ago
@SGresponse - There are clear warnings that the front of the unit may be hot during use (as one might expect from a fogger) but nothing to suggest that the XLR carries anything which might give someone enough of a bite to make them fall off a ladder if they touched it unexpectedly. I've never known any other application where an XLR is carrying more than 50v.
RoadRunnerLaser 1 year ago
@SGresponse - Considering the potential seriousness of this issue, I consider their apology to be somewhat hollow especially in light of their continuation in selling this unit (and the others in the range) regardless of the potential danger.
They are lucky that it was me that they apologised to and not my widow. Next time, they might not be so lucky. If they are sued and the claimant shows that they were made aware of this issue already, they are likely to face very serious consequences.
RoadRunnerLaser 1 year ago
Jesus christ that IS unacceptable, someone could be killed! Doesn't someone test these things before they go out? Well at least they acknowledged your video, can't fault someone for admitting their mistake even when it is this irresponsible.
Glad you're ok. :)
TheFounderUtopia 1 year ago
@TheFounderUtopia - If they'd tested the fogger, they'd have found it to be working as per design.
If they'd tested the controller, they'd have found it to be working as per design. Only testing to see if the shroud was shorting to one of the pins would they find any problem and that wouldn't prevent the unit working.
My issue is that I consider the design itself to be unsafe.
As you say, top marks for acknowledging the issue. What are they going to do now? Recall EVERY unit sold?
RoadRunnerLaser 1 year ago
@TheFounderUtopia - It would be unlikely that they would recall every unit - Imagine the cost of such a procedure. That would be the kind of event which could finish a company. However, I don't think that the person responsible for that element of the design should get off scott-free. I was lucky in that it happened to me when I was at ground-level. Someone could have been working up a ladder in a lighting rig and accidentally touched that connector. Not much point in apologising to a corpse.
RoadRunnerLaser 1 year ago