Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rochester!cornell!batcomputer!eacj From: eacj@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Julian Vrieslander) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: Surge Suppressors Message-ID: <2005@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> Date: Mon, 12-Jan-87 20:52:41 EST Article-I.D.: batcompu.2005 Posted: Mon Jan 12 20:52:41 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 14-Jan-87 19:00:26 EST References: <1094@Shasta.STANFORD.EDU> <1016@sfsup.UUCP> Reply-To: eacj@batcomputer.UUCP (Julian Vrieslander) Organization: Theory Center, Cornell University, Ithaca NY Lines: 28 Recently there was a comparative review of surge/spike protectors in one of the IBM PC rags (sorry, I can't remember which one - they all look the same). Quite a few (10-20?) devices were tested with simulated glitches, and the article reported substantial differences in the effectiveness of the products. Some units provided legitimate protection, some were worthless, and I remember that there was at least one unit that INCREASED the risk of surge damage: it caught on fire! The authors suggested that different types of components are needed to protect against different types of power line disturbances (surges, spikes, RFI, etc.) and that the better boxes contained a variety of devices: RLC filtering, MOV spike absorbers, gas discharge cells, relays, etc. One unit that was recommended was the Datashield model 100. This comes with 6 outlets, 2 of which are "super-filtered", and has a total capacity of 10 amps. It also has a brown-out alarm, and a switch for manually resetting after it trips out. The manufacturers claim that this allows you to avoid the burst of dirty juice that often comes when the lines come back on after a power failure. Price is about $75-100 (depending on source). Feeling superstitious, I bought a couple for my lab. Do they work? I don't know, but they haven't burst into flames yet. -- Julian Vrieslander (607) 255-3594 UUCP: {cmcl2,shasta,ihnp4,rochester,uw-beaver}!cornell!batcomputer!eacj ARPA: eacj%batcomputer@cu-arpa.cs.cornell.edu BITNET: eacj%batcomputer@crnlcs.bitnet