Topband: Tripplite power outlet OPTION

[WØUN -- John Brosnahan]

At 05:13 AM 12/6/2006, you wrote:
>Here is the surge protection that I like.  Double
>the joule rating.  And an RFI rating.
>Plus its a 12-outlet strip that includes
>telephone and coax protection AND a second
>6-outlet strip for $19.88.  The 6-outlet strip
>includes some phone protection as well
>as surge protection although not as much as the 12 outlet strip.
>
>http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=535&item=328978&prDeTab=2&pCatg=5789#A
>
>
>The important thing is the coaxial cable shield 
>be grounded to the power line safety ground at 
>the strip, either directly or through a 
>capacitor, and the telco line be bypassed the 
>same way on the load side of the chokes I add.

Yep, the coax cable connectors are mounted on a 
small pcb copper ground plane that is tied
directly to the ground on the outlets.  And the 
telco line is also grounded the same way.
In addition, the telco line has two smaller MOVs 
and a pair of 250 mA fuses for protection.

The two main RF chokes are located directly on 
the input line and are about 8 turns of what
appears to be #12 wire around some sort of core.

There are a total of TEN large MOVs in the AC 
line, in addition to the two small ones on
the telco line.  And a large, yellow-cube X2 
capacitor.  Plus a number of other small components
to monitor the status of the device, including a 
transistor and an audible device that
really works.  After our last lightning strike I 
had two of these units making a racket to
notify me they had problems.

There is also some very small two-lead device on 
the center conductor of the coax lines
that MAY be a small gas tube to ground.

Not to mention the two LEDs that indicate 
"protected" and "ground" and a lighted power
switch.   There is also a neon bulb that appears 
to be in the "sonalert-type" circuit.


>Any beads or common mode chokes are added on the 
>power line or cable feed side of the common point, not on the equipment side.

Yep, the two chokes are on the power line side.


>This ensures all the equipment has a common RF 
>"ground" point. Any currents flowing between the 
>various lines arriving at the outlet strip will 
>bypass the equipment, all the equipment floats at the same RF potential.

So for $20 you get this power strip with 12 
outlets, protection and ground on the
F connectors, MOV protection and fuses on the 
three telco connectors, a number of
status indicators, PLUS another whole power strip 
with six AC connectors and MOV
protection as well as another telco line with protection.

It may not be the "ultimate" device of this type 
but it WORKS well -- I have blown
things NOT plugged into one and never blown things that are plugged into one.
If you value the second strip at, say, $5, then 
the main, 12-outlet strip is a very
good deal for the balance of $15.

--John  WØUN