A/Vhpiles- Surge Protection

[Ironhorse]

I've got a UPS at the computer and a UPS at the TV. At the TV, the PVR is hooked up to the UPS battery section (less missed / half recorded / broken shows hopefully), the rest of the theatre components are hooked up on the "surge protection only" portion of the UPS.

Interesting comment about lighting damage through the coax cable though, I'm going to have to look into protecting that also.

[OBCT]

Originally Posted by Bent Wookie

So is a 'power conditioner' as a device a complete myth? Do they even work?

As far as the UPS surge protectors, are these what I am looking for:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...let_650VA.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...let_550VA.html

RE: Power conditioners.

I've done a little bit of research into these in the past. Basically what I've found is that the good ones do work, but that their practicality for the "average joe" is usually almost nil. Also, remember that some power conditioners include voltage regulation and some do not. Voltage regulators are more expensive and are most commonly used in touchy industrial applications.

As sclitheroe touched on earlier in this thread, modern consumer/prosumer electronics are designed to be plugged directly into regular old outlets and work "properly". Even though it's true that the electrical current coming from your city's power grid is not "clean" and "consistent", the real world effects of this "problem" are usually negligible for the components we use.

For a power conditioner to be truly useful (beyond a good power bar//surge/spike suppressor//UPS), a few factors are generally required:

- highly sensitive electronics (with the potential of immediate catastrophic data loss or precision-biased input/output material - ie. a music recording studio, etc.)

- a significantly volatile or "dirty" source of electrical current. This can be from a known existing wire issue or similar, or may be implemented to avoid potential issues. Note that the volatility needed to fulfill the qualifier "significant" will vary - each application's threshold will differ.

The primary place I've heard power conditioners lauded (outside of industrial applications) is by professional musicians doing live gigs. Apparently the "quality" of power can get pretty bad on stage, with wires and mics sprawling every which way. Cleaning up the electrical interference caused by these factors with a power conditioner can apparently improve the clarity, directness and smoothness of, for instance, an electrical guitar's sound, considerably.

So, all that said... there is potential for improvement of electrical signal (objectively, via decreased interference) in most any application, but the real world improvement (subjective change observed) is almost certainly insignificant for any devices you and I own - they just aren't built sensitive enough for it to matter.


RE: UPS Surge Protectors.

Yup, those look like good options. APC is a brand I'd never hesitate to recommend.

Originally Posted by OBCT

RE: Power conditioners.

I've done a little bit of research into these in the past. Basically what I've found is that the good ones do work, but that their practicality for the "average joe" is usually almost nil. Also, remember that some power conditioners include voltage regulation and some do not. Voltage regulators are more expensive and are most commonly used in touchy industrial applications.

As sclitheroe touched on earlier in this thread, modern consumer/prosumer electronics are designed to be plugged directly into regular old outlets and work "properly". Even though it's true that the electrical current coming from your city's power grid is not "clean" and "consistent", the real world effects of this "problem" are usually negligible for the components we use.

For a power conditioner to be truly useful (beyond a good power bar//surge/spike suppressor//UPS), a few factors are generally required:

- highly sensitive electronics (with the potential of immediate catastrophic data loss or precision-biased input/output material - ie. a music recording studio, etc.)

- a significantly volatile or "dirty" source of electrical current. This can be from a known existing wire issue or similar, or may be implemented to avoid potential issues. Note that the volatility needed to fulfill the qualifier "significant" will vary - each application's threshold will differ.

The primary place I've heard power conditioners lauded (outside of industrial applications) is by professional musicians doing live gigs. Apparently the "quality" of power can get pretty bad on stage, with wires and mics sprawling every which way. Cleaning up the electrical interference caused by these factors with a power conditioner can apparently improve the clarity, directness and smoothness of, for instance, an electrical guitar's sound, considerably.

So, all that said... there is potential for improvement of electrical signal (objectively, via decreased interference) in most any application, but the real world improvement (subjective change observed) is almost certainly insignificant for any devices you and I own - they just aren't built sensitive enough for it to matter.


RE: UPS Surge Protectors.

Yup, those look like good options. APC is a brand I'd never hesitate to recommend.

Fantastic. Thanks to both you and sclitheroe.

Any idea what kinda of power is recommended (Ilinked a 550W and 650W)?

[OBCT]

Originally Posted by Bent Wookie

Fantastic. Thanks to both you and sclitheroe.

Any idea what kinda of power is recommended (Ilinked a 550W and 650W)?

I don't know exactly what components you'll be running on the UPS, but my understanding is that the main draw of power (max wattage load) in a home entertainment center will come from the amp(s) powering the speakers and sub(s).

Producing a lower pitch requires more power for the same loudness (in decibels) compared to a higher pitch. So, high volume / bass-heavy material will draw the most power; low volume / treble-heavy material will draw the least power, comparatively. With this in mind, your listening habits should be factored in to the equation.

Also, the number of other concurrent devices is relevant... all their power requirements do add up.

It can be difficult to come up with a practical recommendation due to the variables. Here's a break-down of the differences.

650:
- costs $10-$20 more
- 100V / 60W higher output capacity
- 2 minute half-load / 1 minute full-load longer backup period for safe shut down
- adds co-axial video/cable protection
- wider spacing between outlets for larger type AC adapters, etc.
- half an inch wider
- one pound heavier

Everything else is the same, including: the manufacturer's equipment protection warranty of $75,000, RJ-11 phone line protection, RJ-45 network line protection, USB computer interface protection, etc.

For me, I'd probably go with the 650, but I could certainly understand someone opting for the 550, especially if they have fewer devices, rarely/never turn up the volume loudly, or do not need to hook up a co-axial (cable TV type) wire to any protection. As stated earlier, APC makes quality products, and their $75k warranty more than covers most consumers' connected hardware costs by a significant margin. I doubt you'd be disappointed by the 550.