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With the current thread about Joey's misfortune and a rash of friends of mine would have lately lost computer equipment and other sensitive electronic equipment due to lightening.
I believe it would be good to remind everyone of the imortance of a GOOD surge protector.
Not just on your computer but any plotter or digital printer as well.
Most people may have a good one on thier computer but fail to cover thier plotters.
When buying a good protector make sure it covers "lightening strikes", has a good $ coverage warranty, and has an outlet for your phone line if you use a modem.
"Power strips alone are NOT surge protectors."
Don't cheap out here!!! buy a good one.
I lost a APC battery backup in a flood, it took the hit and fried, protecting my computer. I called APC and they replaced it free of charge. I spent $80.00 for that device and it took the spike.
And you should never daisy chain surge protectors. if you have one protector plugged into another, you may cancel out the protection all together.
With all these storms raging across the US right now, It would be better to be safe than sorry.
------------------ Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA bob@creativesignworks.com
"Some people's kids"
Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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In our recording studio control room we have a number of systems "leapfrogged" together, each one a surge protector, but all of them plug into a main surge protector that cost $689.00, but it comes with an ironclad guarantee. If it fails, the insurance on that particular supressor pays for all equipment lost. A computer's bad enough, but when you have over $280,000.00 in equipment in one room..................nuff said.
------------------ St.Marie Graphics & Makin' Tracks Sound Studio Kalispell, Montana stmariegraphics@centurytel.net http://www.stmariegraphics.com 800 735-8026 We're chiseling every day of the week! :^)
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It's also important to read the fine print in the manuals so you dont get a false sense of security.
No surge suppressor, not even a battery backup equipped with suppressors, will protect your equipment from a DIRECT lightning strike.
They'll work if lightning hits say 5 miles away and creates a surge, but if the lightning hits your shop, your equipment is toast.
It's important to remember we're talkin about a static charge with enough voltage to jump a couple miles worth of open air. That's several million volts.. it only requires 50,000 volts for an arc to jump 1", so it's pretty obvious the bolt will bypass all the electrical surge components and head right for the stuff that really matters.
------------------ Mike Pipes Digital Illusion Custom Graphics Lake Havasu City, AZ http://www.stickerpimp.com
Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Just read the warranty on the protector I bought last night for Joey. It does state that all equipment attached would be repaired or replaced if damaged by a transient voltage/spike or lightning strike.
Now what does transient mean?
It also states the it must be plugged directly into a grounded power supply, and must not be "daisychained" together in a serial fashion with other power strips, UPS, or othersurge protectors or extension cords.
This is from Belkin, and it was also told directly to me from APC.
I did not know this before,
You should just read the warranty for each device you buy.
------------------ Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA bob@creativesignworks.com
"Some people's kids"
Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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Tell you what, I have a Power Authority II by Belkin Components (it has the phone line protection too). It has a guarantee as well. I had a lightning strike right next door to me, (the neighbor saw the strike and he said it looked as though it came through his front door). When it struck I heard a popping sound coming from the surge protector, (it's one that sits under the monitor), I thought my computer was toast, but all it did was restart. Whew!
I usually unplug everything, I don't trust bad storms and computers. Mike is right on with the lightning analogy, if lightning can jump a mile in the sky, why couldn't it pass through the surge protector? The only thing the lightning affected is the phoneline section of my protector doesn't work, I guess that was the popping sound I heard.
Tony B
------------------ Tony Broussard
Best advise received: Don't take any wooden nickels......if you do...burn'em!
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Be sure you are protected.... UNPLUG.... even with those Power Protectors you can be damaged.... and They don't all stand behide there warranty... I have sold these devises for years and have repaired many of the computers that were connected properly with out have a phone line connected and the ones with phone line connnecters built in. I have helped people file claims on $80-$800 protectors and funny thing is I have only seen a couple of claims that the customer got anythng back other than another Surge Suppressor... Had one that got 3 in one location. warranty to 30,000 equip for each. The customer saw the hit in his Vet clinic take the hit. and i personally connected the systems up. no extra plugs hangin around, but the Surge company would not warranty anything.. they said the building was wired wrong!!!! They didn't even ask for pictures or hardware to examine.. customer went to the better business. they didn't do much more than send the power company a couple of letters and said oh well... Same has happened on several occations over the past 20 years for us... Most of the time they will send out another Surge... but don't count on anything extra, Protect yourself (UNPLUG, if you can). Don't mean to sound so negitive, but the big boys got lots of money to keep you off there backs. I replaced about 10 modems just last week, almost all of them had blown chips from either power surge or lightning.. even when the computer is unpluged from the POWER be sure to UNPLUG the phone line.. cause the surge DOES come in on the phone line, and can damage more than just the modem also. Thanks Steve
------------------ Steve Garver Iola Computer Products Iola, Kansas sgarver@kscable.com
I have always had surge protectors for every part of my computer system and currently have a battery backup power supply/surge protector for the computer and monitor as well.
So far I have replaced at least 5 modems due to lighning storms. ALL of them were hit by a storm that arrived while I was not at home. I have never sustained any computer or other hardware damage. JUST modem damage.
If I hear rumblings in the sky I unplug everything, including the telephone line to the modem.
------------------ Dave Grundy AKA "applicator" on mIRC "stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!" in Granton, Ontario, Canada 1-519-225-2634 dave.grundy@quadro.net www.quadro.net/~shirley
Transient voltage is just a fluctuating voltage. It could be a drop in voltage,it could be an increase in voltage, but the increased voltage is not as severe as a spike. Transients are like roller coasters, Spikes are like bungee jumps. I guess that makes a lightning strike like a skydive.
------------------ Mike Pipes Digital Illusion Custom Graphics Lake Havasu City, AZ http://www.stickerpimp.com
Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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I agree with you Si....NOW will you please explain that theory to Shirley when you see her in Alabama? Please?????
Actually, I have all of my equipment insured on a separate policy. Since they are what I use to earn a living I believe it is only wise to insure them. So in the event of severe damage it would be covered, lightning damage is included in the coverage. Only problem is that the deductible is $500 so a modem isn't covered.
------------------ Dave Grundy AKA "applicator" on mIRC "stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!" in Granton, Ontario, Canada 1-519-225-2634 dave.grundy@quadro.net www.quadro.net/~shirley
[This message has been edited by Dave Grundy (edited August 19, 2001).]
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I unplug if I'm around and there are storms moving in. I have a surge protector that I bought last year.
One point no one has mentioned yet... When you buy a surge protector and read everything, they will tell you (least mine did) that they should be replaced every 2 or so years. Guess the little normal voltage fluctuations from the electric company wear them out after a while. Just because you got a surge, doesn't mean it's still strong enough to protect you.
------------------ Chris King Paper Works & Graphix Indiana, PA
Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Had a nearby lightning strike a few years ago. It zinged the cordless phone right then and there, 'puter seemed Ok until about a week later. Then the screen looked like everything on it got yanked right out the back of it. Surge protector didn't even slow it down--lightning that is-- and it also didn't have the courtesy to die until about a year later. Biz rider on the household insurance covered it after a small deductible, so it could have been worse. Unplug all if it looks or sounds threatening.
------------------ Bill Preston Fly Creek, N.Y. USA wpreston2@stny.rr.com
Posts: 943 | From: Fly Creek, N.Y. USA | Registered: Jan 2000
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Mike is right on with the lightning analogy, if lightning can jump a mile in the sky, why couldn't it pass through the surge protector? The only thing the lightning affected is the phoneline section of my protector doesn't work, I guess that was the popping sound I heard.
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