lightning protection

[Halfgaar]

I did some checking. My surgeprotector looks like this: It has three parts
that look like caps (do you think they're the two caps and the MOV?), 2
fuses, a light and a component I can't identify. Phase, neutral and ground
are all connected to it. There's no common mode choke (what does it do? Is
that part of line conditioning?).

I've also got some questions:
- In the howstuffworks article, it said that a electromagnet-like part is
used for lineconditioning. Is line conditioning probably the thing I need
to eliminate clicks and plops in my amplifier?
- my surgeprotector has a clamping voltage of 750 volt. The article said
higher than 400 is junk. Does this mean mine is junk? I mean, is higher
than 400 V perhaps only too high for 120V power grid? The powergrid here is
230V.
- Mine doesn't have an UL rating, no energy absorption specs, no response
specs. Are those bad signs?
- The PDF you linked a few replies back, said that surgeprotection on the
powerline and not the phone and the cable is just a good as no protection.
Are there seperate phone and cable protectors? And do cableprotectors
decrease signalstrength?

I guess the main thing I'd like to know is whether or not my surgeprotector
is adequete.

Halfgaar
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[tube2ic]

I did some checking. My surgeprotector looks like this: It has three parts
that look like caps (do you think they're the two caps and the MOV?), 2
fuses, a light and a component I can't identify. Phase, neutral and ground
are all connected to it. There's no common mode choke (what does it do? Is
that part of line conditioning?).
If they all look alike they probably are all MOV's. But, it's is hard

to tell with just what you describe. They could be 2 MOV's and 1 CAP
for all I know. Can you transcribe the markings? It would give me some
clue. Also try to describe what is connected to what. Is it connected
like a triangle with each device the side of the traingle and the
corners the three AC wires? (That description sounds terrible but you
get my drift?
Can you describe the component that you can't identify?
The common-mode choke is part of line-conditioning which you
apparently don't have.

I've also got some questions:
- In the howstuffworks article, it said that a electromagnet-like part is
used for lineconditioning. Is line conditioning probably the thing I need
to eliminate clicks and plops in my amplifier?
Yes. The electromagnet-like part is your common-mode choke.
- my surgeprotector has a clamping voltage of 750 volt. The article said
higher than 400 is junk. Does this mean mine is junk? I mean, is higher
than 400 V perhaps only too high for 120V power grid? The powergrid here is
230V.
I do not have a standard answer to this question. It depends on the

design. It will definitely be higher than the number for 120V. On the
other hand, 400V is roughly 3 times the 120V line. By that yardstick,
750V sounds about right for 230V. I don't normally design AC mains
suppressors and work mainly on the telephone and data side so I do not
have design data to give you an authoritative answer on this one.

- Mine doesn't have an UL rating, no energy absorption specs, no response
specs. Are those bad signs?
Not neccessarilly. Some countries are gung ho about ratings for

everything (eg Marketing driven societies) Some are more laid back. It
definitely helps if you do have a rating as that gives you an
indication that the design was verified to conform to the rating.

- The PDF you linked a few replies back, said that surgeprotection on the
powerline and not the phone and the cable is just a good as no protection.
Are there seperate phone and cable protectors? And do cableprotectors
decrease signalstrength?
That statement applies only to two-link connections, where the

appliance is connected to both AC mains and telephone(modem) such as a
PC or a TV Set-top box that is connected to cable and to AC mains.
I would say that the statement is probably quite true.
Cable protectors (I presume you mean for cable TV) do attenuate signal
if they are not built for the application. Always use recommended
equipment on cable and telephone networks. On telephone networks,
dial-up modems are more forgiving than xDSL. Always use a protector
that is designed for the application. Also it is not a matter of
simply hooking up protection to every wire that enters the equipment
being protected. You need to tie all the grounds of these equipment
together at one point to the power ground for the surge protection to
be properly effective. You often get a powerstrip with all the
protection included for a PC or the UPS has it built in. But I
suispect that those were designed with dial-up moodems in mind and not
xDSL.

I guess the main thing I'd like to know is whether or not my surgeprotector
is adequete.
It is very hard to tell Halfgaar. It probably is but you probably

should not expect a more definite answer from a newsgroup.
Vinay

 

[tube2ic]

What would the cap be part of? Is it possible it's designed without a cap? I
can only open up the powerstrip on the end, so I can hardly see the
components let alone what's written on them. I could see the part I
couldn't identify. I should have written down what it said, but I remember
something like "xxx k" (132k for example). The thing that I would think of
would be a resistor, but it doesn't look like it at all. It's more like
those plastic bags of blood.... A blown-up rectangular cube...
And because I can hardly see the device, I also can't see how it's
connected.
A resistor is usually in series and is much lower in value (upto a few

hundred ohms only) It is sometimes used in lieu of an series inductor
as it is cheaper.

I have a dial-up modem, but maybe sometime I'll have xDSL. BTW, I should use
a protector that is designed for the application? Does that mean a dial-up
modem requires a different protector than an xDSL modem?
Modems work at frequencies higher than those used by a telephone. An

xDSL modem uses higher frequencies than dial-up modems. The shunt
elements in the surge suppressors can attenuate the signal at higher
frequencies because they have parasitic capacitance. A surge protector
designed for xDSL would be designed not to attenuate the signal.

The thing I need then is an AC protector with phone and cable integrated,
since my VCR and computer are both connected to the TV cable and the
phoneline and the VCR are connected to the computer. And the radiocable
enters my receiver, which in turn is connected to AC, the computer and the
VCR...

Good Luck! I have never seen one with all the protectors rolled in one

yet.

-Tube2ic-

 

[Halfgaar]

Thanx for all the info. I think I know enough (well, for now at least ).

Halfgaar
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