Power Centers ... a hoax or not? Have to give my away ... replace or not?

[bizmord]

Hi guys,

So a friend of my wants his power center back. (Monster HTS3600)

Is there a need to replace it with another "power center" or am I good with just this
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-12-Outlet-Pivot-Plug-Surge-Protector/dp/B000JE9LD4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1439745422&sr=8-6&keywords=power+strip

If not ... I was looking into getting these

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Cable-PowerCenter-1500VA-Rack-Mountable/dp/B001ISJ48C/ref=sr_1_38?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1439656665&sr=1-38&keywords=outlet+power+center

http://www.amazon.com/Panamax-MR4300-Management-Protection-Conditioning/dp/B00ILH7KJI

http://www.amazon.com/Panamax-M5300-PM-Outlet-Clean-Power/dp/B000SXWGAQ/ref=pd_sim_23_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=0SCWXEC1VVQVJ9N08SY1


thank you.

 

[DD66000]

imo, and experience, do not spend more than $50 for a power strip.
10 years ago I tried a MC $400 unit....in no way did I see or hear an improvement compared to a $30 power strip...took it back to BB for a refund.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

If you live someplace with power issues they can be helpful. For instance, a buddy of mine, where he used to live every few years some piece of electronics – stereo gear, wireless phone, etc. – would suddenly die a mysterious death for no apparent reason. If I lived in a place like that I’d definitely have something.

However, most of these units’ protection breaks down over time as they squelch small power surges, and the problem is you never know at what point they are no longer working – as a surge protector that is.

On the other hand they can be great for system power management if you have a lot of components, and some can have features like delayed on and off that’s great if you have outboard power amps. That’s what I use mine for, not for the supposed power conditioning.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Rickster71]

I have a Monster HTS-5100 that I found on ebay cheap. It saved me from an over voltage issue a few years ago.
I came home from work and heard a relay in the unit tripping and resetting. The voltage readout said 168-Volts. I got my multi meter and checked my power coming in at the meter, it was that high. So I shut off the main breaker and called the POCO. They were there in ten minutes.
The short story is, they found a tree limb shorting two feeds coming up my block.

My $0.02.
I'd find one cheap, don't pay full price. Do the power drill test. Plug in a drill or other power tool and test for noise in your system with/without the power center. Mine stops the EMI. If yours doesn't, don't buy it.
Get one that has an indicator LED that shows when the MOVs used for protection are depleted.

 

[gene]

Hi guys,

So a friend of my wants his power center back. (Monster HTS3600)

Is there a need to replace it with another "power center" or am I good with just this
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-12-Outlet-Pivot-Plug-Surge-Protector/dp/B000JE9LD4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1439745422&sr=8-6&keywords=power+strip

If not ... I was looking into getting these

http://www.amazon.com/Monster-Cable-PowerCenter-1500VA-Rack-Mountable/dp/B001ISJ48C/ref=sr_1_38?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1439656665&sr=1-38&keywords=outlet+power+center

http://www.amazon.com/Panamax-MR4300-Management-Protection-Conditioning/dp/B00ILH7KJI

http://www.amazon.com/Panamax-M5300-PM-Outlet-Clean-Power/dp/B000SXWGAQ/ref=pd_sim_23_10?ie=UTF8&refRID=0SCWXEC1VVQVJ9N08SY1


thank you.

If you open the owners manual of a Monster Power / Surge Supressor it tells the consumer to unplug their product during a lightening storm. That doesn't give me great confidence that the product will protect your equipment under those circumstances.

I'd recommend picking a product that is designed to meet UL/CSA and even better if its certified by a 3rd party like Interek. A few brands that I trust in this arena are: APC, Furman and Panamax.

Surge protection is a good thing and as others have stated here, power management is a very useful feature these devices offer.

In terms of "improving" the audio or video quality of your gear, that's BS.

 

[slipperybidness]

If you open the owners manual of a Monster Power / Surge Supressor it tells the consumer to unplug their product during a lightening storm. That doesn't give me great confidence that the product will protect your equipment under those circumstances.

I'd recommend picking a product that is designed to meet UL/CSA and even better if its certified by a 3rd party like Interek. A few brands that I trust in this arena are: APC, Furman and Panamax.

Surge protection is a good thing and as others have stated here, power management is a very useful feature these devices offer.

In terms of "improving" the audio or video quality of your gear, that's BS.

Well, to be fair, there isn't much out there that will protect from a direct lightning hit.

I will say that I have had success eliminating hum from the cable TV system when routing the coax through the connections on my surge protector. Didn't necessarily improve the sound so much as solved a problem.

 

[gene]

Well, to be fair, there isn't much out there that will protect from a direct lightning hit.

I will say that I have had success eliminating hum from the cable TV system when routing the coax through the connections on my surge protector. Didn't necessarily improve the sound so much as solved a problem.

True but surges and over/under voltage can be helped with a good device. Usually the devices that protect against lightening only do so one time then its time to replace the MOVs.

Hum can be eliminated by tying all of your chassis grounds together at a common pt such as the power conditioner or just a metal pole.

 

[Montucky]

Well, to be fair, there isn't much out there that will protect from a direct lightning hit.

Which is exactly why during a major storm, I'll run around the house unplugging all sensitive equipment. I'm probably being paranoid, but I figure there's no harm in making darn sure nothing happens to my stuff.

That said, I'm also a fan of whole home surge protectors. In the past, my electrician has installed them for me and the whole thing is pretty cheap, even with both parts and labor. I've been meaning to get one for my current home, but I'd still probably be overly cautious.

Back to the power centers though, any of these jokers claiming they help your video quality are full of it. You should read some of the Amazon reviews. "Colors were more vibrant," and the like. HA! However, I really do like the power management that some of them have. I like seeing incoming voltage and having a bit more control options. For the most part though, a good old fashioned UPS or high quality surge protector is MORE than sufficient for most of your power needs.

 

[Cos]

If you open the owners manual of a Monster Power / Surge Supressor it tells the consumer to unplug their product during a lightening storm. That doesn't give me great confidence that the product will protect your equipment under those circumstances.

I'd recommend picking a product that is designed to meet UL/CSA and even better if its certified by a 3rd party like Interek. A few brands that I trust in this arena are: APC, Furman and Panamax.

Surge protection is a good thing and as others have stated here, power management is a very useful feature these devices offer.

In terms of "improving" the audio or video quality of your gear, that's BS.

I had the Monster 3600MKII it worked great, but I went with a Furman (which I got a dealer cost) just for that reason with Monster. In my old townhouse I did have more line noise(speaker noise) w/o than with and I tested multiple times. In my new house I have completely new electrical run with 200amp breaker box with dedicated (2) 20 amp circuits. It is definitely grounded properly, and there is really no difference with vs. without.

 

[tcarcio]

About 2 years ago I was considering getting something better than just the simple surge protectors I got at Walmart. I stumbled onto the Belkin PF-60 here, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCUQFjABahUKEwjp6eS-sLHHAhWGkh4KHXZyClg&url=https://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=443690&ei=vHzSVembNoalevbkqcAF&usg=AFQjCNEG2hrZD5XQZ3DPzMYt8etus6Up7Q&sig2=g8YzxsQobypvFPUidkxMYg I did get a deal on one for $120 and I was happy with what seemed like a pretty good deal. I didnt realize how good until 2 nights ago when I was watching a movie and didnt realize that there was weather in my area. Well all of a sudden there was a loud crack outside and all the lights and everything in my HT went out. I saw the front of the Belkin flashing into protect mode and then after about 5 -10 seconds it turned everything back on and all was fine. I am absolutly certain that if I didn't have that Belkin I would no longer have at least some of my components anymore. I will never be without on again. Yes I understand that if you see weather coming you can unplug everything but I still have the peace of mind that if I go out and a storm hits while I am out my HT is protected. My advice, GET ONE.....

 

[highfigh]

True but surges and over/under voltage can be helped with a good device. Usually the devices that protect against lightening only do so one time then its time to replace the MOVs.

Hum can be eliminated by tying all of your chassis grounds together at a common pt such as the power conditioner or just a metal pole.

That might work if the cable guy actually grounds the feed, but they rarely do up here. Sometimes, they remove the coax from perfectly good distribution splitters and amplifiers, saying that their QC department doesn't allow them to pass the signal through anything other than their parts and accessories but, having spoken to QC managers, installation managers and upper tier tech support, I know that's not true.

I bought a Panamax because it shuts off below 90VAC and above 140VAC, reacting in something like 2 uSec. I did see less interference (noise bars) on my last TV when I connected it through a Furman AC-125A but my house is old, the circuits have been treated like farm animals and I'm lucky this place hasn't burst into flames. I have my whole system receiving power from the Panamax and this morning, the TV shut off and I didn't know why. I have a window AC unit that also shut off, but I didn't know that until a couple of hours later.

I see a lot of power "protection" units that don't bother to crowbar until 300VAC- not interested. I don't mind sacrificial protection if the manufacturer is honest about it, the way Panamax/Furman and TrippLite are. I have a small WattBox, too- one of these days, I'll connect it to my Variac and see what it does when the voltage goes nuts.

 

[highfigh]

About 2 years ago I was considering getting something better than just the simple surge protectors I got at Walmart. I stumbled onto the Belkin PF-60 here, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCUQFjABahUKEwjp6eS-sLHHAhWGkh4KHXZyClg&url=https://www.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=443690&ei=vHzSVembNoalevbkqcAF&usg=AFQjCNEG2hrZD5XQZ3DPzMYt8etus6Up7Q&sig2=g8YzxsQobypvFPUidkxMYg I did get a deal on one for $120 and I was happy with what seemed like a pretty good deal. I didnt realize how good until 2 nights ago when I was watching a movie and didnt realize that there was weather in my area. Well all of a sudden there was a loud crack outside and all the lights and everything in my HT went out. I saw the front of the Belkin flashing into protect mode and then after about 5 -10 seconds it turned everything back on and all was fine. I am absolutly certain that if I didn't have that Belkin I would no longer have at least some of my components anymore. I will never be without on again. Yes I understand that if you see weather coming you can unplug everything but I still have the peace of mind that if I go out and a storm hits while I am out my HT is protected. My advice, GET ONE.....

Rather than become complacent, it might be better to consider the possibility that the power to your house was interrupted before you watched the lights go out. One (lights going out) takes time, the other (power interruption) really doesn't. Sensitive electronics doesn't like large changes in voltage (in either direction) and the processors definitely don't like the power going off/on/off/on repeatedly. Brown-outs and minor surges aren't as bad but if you look at the specs for the Belkin, pay attention to the shut-down voltages- if it's much higher than 140VAC, be careful.

FWIW, I haven't unplugged my equipment in years, unless I was going on a trip and wouldn't be home for at least a week but sometimes, I forget. We also have some pretty spectacular lightning and my power sometimes goes out, but I have yet to replace a single piece of equipment. I consider myself very lucky.

 

[slipperybidness]

A couple years ago, my neighbors house took a DIRECT HIT by lightning!

I was standing in my kitchen, and saw it out my window! I went outside in the pouring rain to have a look. I could see a hole in their shingles, and a few pieces of their shingles were laying on my back patio, still smoldering!!!


EVERYTHING ELECTRONIC in their hours was toasted. Fridge, washer, drier, TV, etc, if it was plugged into an outlet, it was toast!

Power flashed off/on in my house, and all my gear was plugged in (through a cheap surge protector)! I got danged lucky! The only thing that toasted of mine was my aging Dell Tower PC that I was already considering replacing, gave me a good excuse to upgrade.

But yeah, when I'm at home and a storm rolls through, I typically unplug everything.