Surge protectors can keep expensive electronics safe | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Surge protectors can keep expensive electronics safe | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Sunday, July 15, 2007

Surge protectors can keep expensive electronics safe

By Kevin Hunt
Hartford (Conn.) Courant

Now that you've bought a big-screen HDTV, it's time to protect your investment.

Power outages aren't the only threats to your delicate electronics. Even an air conditioner's compressor switching on can upset the electrical flow to the rest of the house, potentially damaging or straining homeentertainment equipment.

When you drop $1,000 or more on an HDTV or surround-sound system, there's no excuse to leave it unprotected. Ever seen a light bulb explode during a violent thunderstorm? Now imagine a bolt from above frying the innards of your new 42-inch plasma.

You need a surge protector. It doesn't have to kill your budget, but it must live up to its name.

A voltage surge lasts 3 or more nanoseconds. A spike lasts up to 2 nanoseconds. Get a surge protector with a lightning-quick response — look for one with a response time under 1 nanosecond. That will minimize equipment damage.

Check the energy absorption abilities of the surge protector, measured in joules. Look for at least 750 joules, preferably more than 1,000.

High voltages also enter the house through cable and phone lines. Is your HDTV connected to a cable box? The cable box, and the incoming cable line, must be protected. That goes for a phone line, too, if you use one for TiVo or your network computer. Get a surge protector with cable and phone inputs-outputs.

Most surge protectors use metal oxide varistors, usually called MOVs, to eliminate unusually high voltages. Look for a surge protector with an indicator light showing whether the protective mode remains active.

Does the manufacturer offer a connected-equipment warranty that replaces any equipment damaged despite being connected to the surge protector? The higher the warranty, the safer you should feel.

Above all, don't get a surge protector that diminishes your home theater's picture or sound. Those same MOVs that protect your equipment also can screw up its performance. Here are two that offer protection and preserve (or even improve) performance without costing a lot of money:

The Panamax Max 2 Series (panamax.com): A family of five protectors that plugs directly into a wall outlet. The basic model, which protects two incoming lines, costs $40. Response time is less than 1 nanosecond, and its energy dissipation is rated at 1,350 joules. Panamax offers a $5 million connected-equipment protection policy. That should cover just about everyone.

Monster Power HTS-2000 MKII PowerCenter (www.monstercable.com): The HTS-2000 MKII offers protection for a home theater, with 12 outlets, three sets of coaxial-cable connections and a pair of phone-line connections. The 27-inch-long power strip includes 2,775 joules of protection and digital meters that monitor incoming voltage and current use. It also offers a $250,000 connected-equipment warranty. It retails for $230.

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