Need a little help with getting a surge protector. Never have used one before but since I've gotten a very nice tv and a few other gadgets I wanted to get one to help protect my stuff. I been doing some research for one but good grief it's so confusing on which one I would really need. I'm looking for some insight if anybody has any. This is what I have: a sharp lcd/led tv, bluray player, xbox360, sound system/dvd player, and a hd receiver. What I might have found is this a Monster Cable MP HTS 700 but open to anything. Thanks for the help.
surge protector help
- Thread starter bear489
- Start date
[quote name='bear489'] I been doing some research for one but good grief it's so confusing on which one I would really need. [/QUOTE] Confusion creates sales. Many completely different devices are all called surge protectors. Start by viewing the manufacturer spec numbers.
A protector adjacent to the TV must block and absorb surge energy. Destructive surges are typically hundreds of thousands of joules. How many joules in a protector you are considering? Hundreds? Just enough above zero so that subjective claims can call it 100% protection.
A $4 power strip with ten cent protector parts sells in Wal-Mart for $7. View its numbers. Compare them to what Monster provides. The similar circuit sells for $7 or $70.
Did you know that reversed speaker wires will distort the sound? So Monster also sold speaker wires marked for the amp and speaker ends. Then sold that $7 speaker wire for $70. People could even hear the difference. Monster has a long history of identifying scams. Then selling an equivalent product for even higher prices.
Many completely different devices are called surge protectors. Your telco's $multi-million computer is connected to wires all over town. Therefore suffers about 100 surges with each thunderstorm. How often is your town without phone service for four days while they replace their computer? Never? Of course. Because telcos all over the world use a completely different solution - also called a surge protector. They earth a 'whole house' protector.
Protection is always about where those hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate. Either something adjacent to the TV must stop and absorb it. Or that energy is harmlessly diverted to earth before it enters the building. Telcos even 100 years ago earthed a 'whole house' surge protector. Because earthing is where joules must dissipate.
Your TV cable enters the house without any protector. Because best cable protection is a wire from that cable to earth. Best way to connect a surge harmlessly to earth is a wire. It must be low impedance (ie 'less than 10 feet', no sharp wire bends, no splices, etc).
Telephone and AC electric cannot be earthed directly. So a 'as short as possible' connection to earth is made by a 'whole house' protector. More responsible companies provide these well proven solutions including General Electric, Siemens, ABB, Intermatic, Leviton, Keison, and Square D. A Cutler-Hammer solution sells in Home Depot and Lowes for less than $50. All companies that any guy knows for their integrity - which is not Monster.
Critical is what does the protection. That is not a protector. A protector is only a connecting device installed when a wire cannot make that connection. Connected to what does all protection. Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? Single point earth ground. The earthing - which only you are responsible for maintaining and upgrading - defines the protection. An effective protector connects a surge to protection. Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate.
Telcos also want up to a 50 meter (150 feet) separation between the protector and computer. That separation increases protection. How many feet between your TV and the Monster? 6? What kind of protection is that? Read its numeric specs. Similar to a protector that sells in Wal-Mart for $7.
The superior and well proven 'whole house' protector costs about $1 per protected appliance. If your TV needs protection, then so does the furnace, dish washer, clock radios, dimmer switches and GFCIs in the kitchen and bathroom. What most needs protection during a surge? Smoke detectors. More reasons why informed consumers earth one 'whole house' protector. And do not waste money on a Monster for everything.
How many joules will that Monster somehow absorb? Most will recommend a Monster because it has a highest profit margin.
A protector adjacent to the TV must block and absorb surge energy. Destructive surges are typically hundreds of thousands of joules. How many joules in a protector you are considering? Hundreds? Just enough above zero so that subjective claims can call it 100% protection.
A $4 power strip with ten cent protector parts sells in Wal-Mart for $7. View its numbers. Compare them to what Monster provides. The similar circuit sells for $7 or $70.
Did you know that reversed speaker wires will distort the sound? So Monster also sold speaker wires marked for the amp and speaker ends. Then sold that $7 speaker wire for $70. People could even hear the difference. Monster has a long history of identifying scams. Then selling an equivalent product for even higher prices.
Many completely different devices are called surge protectors. Your telco's $multi-million computer is connected to wires all over town. Therefore suffers about 100 surges with each thunderstorm. How often is your town without phone service for four days while they replace their computer? Never? Of course. Because telcos all over the world use a completely different solution - also called a surge protector. They earth a 'whole house' protector.
Protection is always about where those hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate. Either something adjacent to the TV must stop and absorb it. Or that energy is harmlessly diverted to earth before it enters the building. Telcos even 100 years ago earthed a 'whole house' surge protector. Because earthing is where joules must dissipate.
Your TV cable enters the house without any protector. Because best cable protection is a wire from that cable to earth. Best way to connect a surge harmlessly to earth is a wire. It must be low impedance (ie 'less than 10 feet', no sharp wire bends, no splices, etc).
Telephone and AC electric cannot be earthed directly. So a 'as short as possible' connection to earth is made by a 'whole house' protector. More responsible companies provide these well proven solutions including General Electric, Siemens, ABB, Intermatic, Leviton, Keison, and Square D. A Cutler-Hammer solution sells in Home Depot and Lowes for less than $50. All companies that any guy knows for their integrity - which is not Monster.
Critical is what does the protection. That is not a protector. A protector is only a connecting device installed when a wire cannot make that connection. Connected to what does all protection. Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? Single point earth ground. The earthing - which only you are responsible for maintaining and upgrading - defines the protection. An effective protector connects a surge to protection. Protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules dissipate.
Telcos also want up to a 50 meter (150 feet) separation between the protector and computer. That separation increases protection. How many feet between your TV and the Monster? 6? What kind of protection is that? Read its numeric specs. Similar to a protector that sells in Wal-Mart for $7.
The superior and well proven 'whole house' protector costs about $1 per protected appliance. If your TV needs protection, then so does the furnace, dish washer, clock radios, dimmer switches and GFCIs in the kitchen and bathroom. What most needs protection during a surge? Smoke detectors. More reasons why informed consumers earth one 'whole house' protector. And do not waste money on a Monster for everything.
How many joules will that Monster somehow absorb? Most will recommend a Monster because it has a highest profit margin.
As interesting as that was, I got the same feeling from that post as I used to get during a college exam that I didn't know was happening that day because I was too busy skipping the class for the entire month.
OP: Monster is like Obama, Don't Splurge on Surge. Buy one that looks solid, has a properly high joules count and the needed amount of outlets + 2 or more spares for expansion.
If you were to go to my house or most any other CAG's and see our "protection" setup, you'd go through the five stages of grief almost every time.
I have a nice looking Belkin that I bought for
OP: Monster is like Obama, Don't Splurge on Surge. Buy one that looks solid, has a properly high joules count and the needed amount of outlets + 2 or more spares for expansion.
If you were to go to my house or most any other CAG's and see our "protection" setup, you'd go through the five stages of grief almost every time.
I have a nice looking Belkin that I bought for
bread's done