Daz3d&Confus3d said:
yeah darien I was really just looking for protection because of my power fluctuations and instability here in Oklahoma. thx I ordered a decent Tripp-Lite so that should give me some more piece of mind
I've been using Tripplite Isobar power strips for computer equipment for years. I'm quite pleased with them.
I recently bought a bunch of 6-outlet Isobar Ultras off of Ebay for a song and I now have them on my stereo and TV too.
I also have a few Powervar and Oneac isolation transformers like the one listed on Ebay above. (I got them used from Ebay also, and have that same 11A model
that went for about $30, along with 4 others of varying sizes.)
I read through some white papers and tech info, and also quizzed a couple of engineers on this type of thing.
For standard audio equipment with linear power supplies, you're probably best off with good power strips like the Tripplites. For switching power supplies as used in computer equipment, an isolation transformer can help out (and won't hurt anyway).
There are a couple of things to be aware of.
One is that large isolation transformers like the ones from Oneac or Powervar may make noise. It seems to vary somewhat from sample to sample. It's likely that, the larger the transformer, the more noise you'll get. A buzzing transformer may not be what you want in your listening room.
Surge suppressors, powerstrips, and the Powervar and Oneac units use Metal Oxide Varistors (MOVs) to protect your equipment from voltage surges. MOVs can only take so many surges before they fail. So this is a part that can wear out. Be aware of that before buying this kind of thing used. The Tripplite Isobars have an LED indicator to tell you whether the MOVs are still functioning or not (as do some other brands of surge suppressors that I've seen).
Some of this type of equipment comes with an insurance policy for the equipment being protected. I suspect that these vary in quality depending upon the company. I've never tried to make a claim, so I don't know whether they're worthwhile or not.
I'm not sure that any of these devices will really protect you from a nearby lightning strike. They're a good idea to have and use, and they will probably help out during the course of normal operations, but I wouldn't count on them 100% to block lightning if the strike is close enough. So you definitely will still want to switch off delicate equipment during a thunderstorm.
One piece of advice I can offer is that, if the power does go out, go around and shut off whatever you can. When the power company fixes things and the power comes up, it usually flickers a few times before stabilizing. That's not going to be very good for anything that's plugged in and turned on. Some of the flickering may be due to the huge startup load from all kinds of motors and power supplies as the power comes on; which then is an overload for the power company and their protection equipment triggers... So turning things off is good for the power company too, as well as for your belongings.
