Surge Protection - Poll and ramblings

[Lee H]

This week has seen some of the most bizzare and most craziest weather with quite a few thunderstorms this week hitting nearly the whole of the UK.

Over the past few days, I've had more and more reports from people saying that various things have been affected in their house by lightening strikes, power surges and whatnot damaging various computer components and other electronic equipment ( even a high ranker heres been affected - although I'm not naming no names..... )

Do you use "Surge Protection" at home on computer to protect it as this thundery weather is no doubt going to get worse due to global warming?

Have you had damage caused by these storms - If so, any anidotes or funny things happen?

[Nick]

Yes yes, so my router blew... for some reason, my ADSL line doesn't like the surge protector I did have on there... I had to take it off or have no net at all...

Everything else is surge protected though... the only thing that isn't, and STILL isn't, is my phone line...

[Tumble]

not really needing a surge protector here - although it probably wouldn't hurt - as the earth trip on our mains supply is SERIOUSLY sensitive... not that we get that sort of weather here often... last proper thunderstorm we had was over 18 months ago.

We always do a roaring trade in fax machines after a storm though

[Dougal]

I have seen a lightning bolt hit a jogger on the top of the hills round here.

Bloke was a bit burnt but still walking.

[Skii]

Yadda yadda

You'll be telling me to wear seat belts in my car next.

[Nick]

Tumble, the phone line isn't connected to your leccy in anyway....


And Skii, I know, its silly isnt it? I got stopped the other day for that. I got let off when I explained that I couldnt put my seat belt on on account of my hands being tied up with my phone and my doughnut... at which point I dropped me fag in my coffee....

My case comes up nest week.

EDIT: Superb! Off topic in 5 posts!

[Lee H]

I've seen first-hand the damage lightening strikes can do to electronic equipment.

It wasn't a PC but a CB radio where the antenna on the roof got struck and the CB radio in my friends room decided to fly across the room and then fall into little bits all over.

[Lee H]

Tumble, the phone line isn't connected to your leccy in anyway....


And Skii, I know, its silly isnt it? I got stopped the other day for that. I got let off when I explained that I couldnt put my seat belt on on account of my hands being tied up with my phone and my doughnut... at which point I dropped me fag in my coffee....

My case comes up nest week.

...and the fact that you was applying your mascara, lipstick and blusher in your rear-view mirror as well

[Mike Fishcake]

I use protection!

Not because I have any experience of it, but I'd rather not have. Besides, I needed a 6-way extension socket anyway, and the surge protected one was only a few quid more.

[Dougal]

[QUOTE=Nick]Tumble, the phone line isn't connected to your leccy in anyway....
QUOTE]

But it is close enough to ur cables normally to get a jolt of healthy power.

[TiG]

Surge protection against lightning strikes = not having your PC turned on or connected to any external system, including adsl, network etc.

Using any electrical equipment with a thunderstorm overhead has its own set of risks.

Lightning within a mile is turn it all off and read a book time imo.

TiG

[tiggerai]

Surge protection against lightning strikes = not having your PC turned on or connected to any external system, including adsl, network etc.

Using any electrical equipment with a thunderstorm overhead has its own set of risks.

Lightning within a mile is turn it all off and read a book time imo.

TiG

Ditto.

[Ruggerbugger]

I've lost two NICs to lightning, one strike hit the surgery across the road whilst I was in the house - made me go all tingly. I have boggo surge protection on my two four-way strips, but nothing more. I'm more concerned about surges through the cable network nowadays because my NIC is integrated into the mobo. NICs seem to be unusually sensitive, although both times their sacrifice saved the rest of the system.

Perhaps the poll should have separate options for power-strip protection and UPSs?

[oralpain]

I use decent surge protectors on all my computers.

Anyway seat belt laws for adults are moronic. If I want to be ejected through the front windshield of my car and die, that is MY choice and no one has any business telling me otherwise.

[0iD]

Worth the money imo, got one small ups with surge protection fukelling the PC's & screens. Everything else runs thro plugboards with surge prot. Cant afford to have my kit fried & living on top of a hill adds th the risk.

Remember, play safe kids

[Howard]

You'll be telling me to wear seat belts in my car next.

Nah, they kill more people than they save.


Or is that airbags?