Hi Everyone,

Any advice or recommendations on the need for or brands/models of portable surge protectors. Based on my computer experiences, I'm inclined to get one to help protect the various circuit boards in the various appliances and components in the RV but don't know if it's really necessary. They seem to be pretty spendy but then I also found a receipt in our Barth binder for almost $700 to replace a circuit board in Tonka's Splendide washer.

Thanks, all advice, comments and recommendations are appreciated.

Wally

The simplest surge protector is both effective and very inexpensive - as in free.

Tie a figure-eight knot in the power cord to all the appliances. A surge causes a magnetic field, and by folding it back on itself, the current is minimized. It's not effective on all surges, but it does work.

As for surge protectors in general, I'm not convinced they work except within a narrow band of situations.

Here in north FL, we get a LOT of strikes every year, and I've yet to lose anything to lightning or other surges. Besides the knots, all the TVs, the computers, and the answering machine are on UPSs. One of the major sources of surges is when power is restored after an outage; the UPSs maintain battery power until the power settles down.

In the coach, when lightning is in the area, I run the TV off an inverter and the reefer on propane. If there are a lot of local strikes, I unplug.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
One of the major sources of surges is when power is restored after an outage;

same here. When we lose power, I run outside and flip the main breaker. Then watch the street lights.

Rusty, are you using a sine wave inverter or modified sine wave?
I have a mod-wave on the boat but have not used it for anything other than resistance loads.

I use a Xantrex Pure Sine for the satellite, DVD player, and TV, mod sine for the laptop.

I had a lighting direct strike with a surge protector would not be without one.Three of us got hit from one pole strike the other two were damaged to a total of over 20,000 .WE only had a surge protector one switch one refer card anything within 6ft of the inverter which was blown. WE bought one before we left the repair shop.our 110 was not touched call it luck.the other two had burnt wires all over the coach and half of there electrical appliances out mine cost $460.. GET ONE FIRST
LENNY

OK, I tied figure 8s in all my powercords, just hope you are not pulling my leg here (it reminded me awfully close to tying sailors knots ...). Doris

So would tying a figure 8 in your main power cord outside the coach work too?

This figure 8 thing is news to me... never heard it before Rusty mentioned it. Still haven't researched it yet.

Nah, Rusty's not pulling your leg. It's legitimate. I have used this for reducing interference and line noise, and it is sure to help against surges. My own feeling is that it would be hard to predict the amount of lightning protection, since lightning can be so powerful and unpredictable. It will give a fair amount of protection against the overvoltage surge when power comes back on after an outage. I have seen more damage done from surges than lightning.

You could go even farther and use a ferrite bead, ferrite choke, or a common-mode choke in the cord. We are building in lightning territory, and I will probably use common-mode chokes in our power cords for delicate stuff. We will also shut off everything but the fridge and freezer during lightning storms.

Coupla nights ago, we had several strikes within a quarter mile. The AZ monsoon season is really something.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadow man:
So would tying a figure 8 in your main power cord outside the coach work too?

I am having a trench dug this week for 350 ft of power service. The cables have to be in conduit, so that could be a problem. Steel conduit is out due to its shielding effect, which would negate the left-hand rule. Poly conduit could be a possibility, and the heat this week could help it bend and tie into the figure eight.

My backhoe guy might think I was crazy, though.

We need Ron (or was it Dale) from years past. I think he was a rocket scientist or something. He also had a wicked sense of humor and could really take the ball and run with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill N.Y.:
This figure 8 thing is news to me... never heard it before Rusty mentioned it. Still haven't researched it yet.

It is basically sort of a bootleg choke. Inductive reactance slows the rise of a power surge, making it less damaging.

If you study the "left hand rule", and (to a lesser degree) the "right hand rule", you will get an idea of the science behind it.

I never tried to measure the effectiveness of these things against surges, but the theory is good.

I have also wound a power cord neatly around a paint stirring stick to make a choke to reduce line noise. I found this out accidentally when I used a "cord shortener" and noticed a cleaner sound through my stereo headphones.

Interestingly, the improvement only showed up with electrostatic headphones. Dynamic headphones did not show the difference. I checked it on the oscilloscope, and it was real.

The use of a knot was discovered by a sailor in the late '70s. He worked in DC, and knotted all the power cords to his equipment. A severe thunderstorm passed through the area, and the other services suffered a lot of damage. His equipment had none.

A pinch of salt over the left shoulder is good too.

Thanks Everyone,

At first I thought Rusty was just yanking my chain but with a really straight faced reply. Then I remembered an experienced and very highly paid IT consultant who spent time tying multiple knots into every single cord in our server room and then telling me it was cheap insurance. What the heck, I’ll tie the knots. Come to think of it, our cat’s absolutely terrified of electrical storms but for some reason still carries her tail pointed proudly straight up like a little furry lightning rod. I wonder if a figure eight knot would reduce her risk.

Wally