Reddit mentions: The best surge protectors

It sounds like you're wanting to mount a wall outlet + USB outlet into your table, and then run a cord from the table to the wall outlet, right? I'm considering doing this for a project as well and am definitely going to use a usb wall outlet, and then strip an extension cord (or get one of those fancy braided fabric cords), to run from the table to the wall. It will require wiring, but I figure that's an important skill to learn, as I can add similar outlets all kinds of places like my computer desk, workbench, or the wheeled kitchen island. There are lots of guides out there, and even though it's new to me, I'm sure it can be learned if I put some time into it. I'm getting over the fear of cutting my fingers off in woodworking by learning best practices and learning respect for the tools, I can do the same with electricity (and zapping my whole self, not just my fingers).

I'll also be able to add light switch boxes to homemade gizmos like on all of Matthias' machines. I really like how he has set up one switch to turn on both his sander and dust collector!

If you're hell-bent against wiring, you could try something like one of these travel surge protectors, mine has been good to me for years worth of use, but I feel like the trouble of mounting this elegantly would be much more hard work than learning to wire an outlet!

Okay, I definitely still have more questions and buckle in because there may be quite a few of them and I apologize for that but you didn't think you could change my mind, but we will see. I will try to explain my setup as detailed as possible. I will preface this by stating that I do believe I know more than the average user about electricity, but I certainly don't know a ton and I would like to know more as I have always been interested in electricity, technology, etc. I will also preface this by stating I live in North America, so American circuits information should be good for me.

My three circuits I use for electronics are always below 70% load and usually below 60% load I believe so that is a good start, certainly better than 90% load yeah? My UPSes are always under half load even when everything attached to them is at full load. My UPS I use is the CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD - I have 4 of them in total, 3 in my house 1 in my cottage. We will focus on my home for now since my cottage is rarely used whereas I am always home. I have three UPSes each on one circuit - each connected to one wall outlet/plug/receptacle (whatever you want to call it) - I believe the total peak draw or whatever of the UPS is 15A. One UPS is plugged directly into the wall, the other two are plugged into a surge protector - one of the surge protectors is this one: http://www.techexcess.net/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=P5308Y-ABA and one is this one: https://www.amazon.com/APC-11-Outlet-3020J-Surge-Protector/dp/B0012YFXSW - which one is better? After each of the 3 UPSes, they are plugged into a surge protector, and only ONE of the surge protectors has another surge protector plugged into it - I am out of outlets and I simply had to daisy-chain them, but I suppose I could rework my setup so there is no more daisy chaining.

For the maximum number of receptacles on a breaker/circuit, would receptacles be wall-plugs/outlets, or total number of devices connected to that circuit regardless of how they are connected? I assume that it would be total number of wall outlets, but I am not sure on that.

Again at stated earlier, my circuits are all well below 70% load at all times. I have not tripped any of my breakers since I have had 1 new breaker and circuit installed and one new breaker installed to replace an old one at my home, and one new breaker and circuit installed at my cottage - so that would suggest that they also are not being overloaded - unlike before but that is another story. I have ALWAYS known that tripping is bad, and recently in the last year I have taken it seriously enough to make sure something is done about it.

I have no idea what isolated ground is. I know the theory of ground to some extent and what noise is at least in regards to audio, but could you explain isolated ground and how to accomplish that etc?

As for removing my surge protectors in front of my UPSes, that is certainly something I can do, but I may need an extension cable for them - any issues with those? What guage should I be looking for to make sure a 15A UPS is okay? Can you link me to an example extension cable that you think would be suitable?

Also, what is worse in general - a surge protector in front of the UPS or behind the UPS (connected to the UPS) or are both bad? Basically, my UPS does not provide enough battery-backup plugs for me since it only has 8 and I have many more devices than that (although, I suppose I COULD technically unplug some of my devices and leave them unplugged), so should I plug a surge protector or just a power strip into the UPS and if so which particular model should I consider or would both a power strip or surge protector plugged into a UPS be a bad idea? In my current setup, is the number one "issue" the fact that there is one surge protector dasiy-chained into another surge protector?

As for lightbulbs, I have already replaced every single incandescent lightbulb with 9W or 18W LED bulbs at both my cottage and my home.

Any other general suggestions would be appreciated.

I think this is the closest I have come to the 10000 word limit on reddit, wow.

So I've been out of radio for a decade or so, but I'm thinking about heating things up again.

I have an Elecraft K2/100, and a fairly small lot to fit an antenna into. I'd like to do digital modes on 40m to start with.

I'm thinking of setting up an EFHW wire, like http://myantennas.com/wp/product/efhw-8010/, in an inverted V (6' at the ends, 30' up in the middle).

I'd also like to set up an upconverter, RTL-SDR, RPi3, and PC software to get a nice wide waterfall over HF bands - using the same antenna.

Questions:

1. do I need to protect the upconverter/SDR/Pi from the transmitter power, switching it out with a relay or something? Or, is the "antenna protection" on e.g. a ham-it-up sufficient?
   
   
2. I've read that I want wired ethernet, not wireless, in order to push SDR data from a RPi. In that case, is PoE viable to power both a Pi3 and the upconverter? Do people do this? with off the shelf outdoor-friendly modules, maybe?
   
   
3. I'd like to put another RTLSDR, set up for ADS-B with a dedicated antenna and filter, coincidentally right at the midpoint/apex of that long wire. Will I regret that as soon as I key up 100W?
   
   
4. We get very little convective weather here, but even so - it should be adequate to protect ethernet with https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008060BU0, and the long wire with the ground on the transformer box?

No one told me this when I started so I'll tell you:

I think we should specify here that "server rack" and "network rack" are built differently. If you want a rack for networking and just the 24 port switch and patch panel, you'd look at something like this. If you're wanting to eventually put a full-length server in, you'll need something like this instead the difference being that the second one is built to support the length and weight of a full server.

Keep in mind when you purchase a server you'll need to buy rails that attach to the rack for it. The server then sits in the extended rails, which slide back into the rack.

Startech makes pretty good stuff, IMO. I've seen them on here before. I have the four post rack that I linked to in the second post and it's served me well. The best thing you can do however, if you have the room, is to jump on craigslist and see if you can find an enterprise getting rid of their rack. Generally those are worth thousands new and the companies are selling them for $40, or something ridiculous like that. I didn't have access to a truck, so that's why I bought mine.

Note that with the large rack you can add networking equipment too, and can also get shelves to support things that aren't rackable.

For power you can either get a rackable UPS or power strip.

Hope this helps. Have fun.

Here's a handful of things a lot of new folks neglect:

Read reviews of the departure port (e.g., Ft. Lauderdale or Boston). Some ports are a pain to get to, get in and out of, and have little amenities (seats, bathrooms, parking, HVAC). If your cruise is slightly delayed due to customs or whatever, it can make the start of your trip miserable.

Cruise.com offers some of the best deals and bonuses out there.

As for viruses, wash your hands, be defensive regarding personal contact with strangers, door handles, elevator buttons, and use the hand sanitizer wherever available. Cruises are no better or worse than airlines or college dorms, in the sense that you get a diverse group of people together and people are bound to get sick, but a little prevention goes a long way.

Don't overpack. Take advantage of laundry deals onboard mid-week if you're worried about running out of clothes (often $20 for all you can fit in a paper laundry bag).

Consider getting something like the Belkin 3-Outlet Surge Protector. Rooms on ships have limited outlets, and having power plugs and USB plugs is really useful if you have phones, cameras, ebooks, whatever.

Do the math on drink packages ahead of time (wine, alcohol, or soda), and remember that 15% gratuity is tacked on to all purchases. Sometimes the packages can be worth it, but you may find out you have to drink a lot to break even.

Consider trying traditional cruising first...set dining times, the same servers all week, getting dressed appropriately. Yeah, it may seem a little odd, but it's good to know if you do/don't like it before you pursue a non-traditional approach like Norwegian.

Be careful not to buy drinks in "souvenir" glasses...it's costs you several dollars more and you'll likely not actually want them (some people do, though).

Check out cruisecritic.com for bunches of info.

Don't be shy about exploring the ship and telling people you're a first-time cruiser. You'll get plenty of advice - some of which may actually be useful!

A warning: Once you go for a balcony room, you'll never go back to porthole / interior room again. That said, interior rooms are awesome for sleeping, since you'll never see the light of day.

Don't expect to spend a ton of time in your room, so don't worry about the room quality too much.

Room service (barring certain items) is still free/included and nearly 24-hours on most cruise lines. Order breakfast on a port-day will not get you off the ship faster...going to the buffet or dining room is almost always faster.

Don't be shy about dinner seating...sit with other people...you may meet some interesting folks...that said, don't be shy about asking to be moved if they're complete jerks.

Vampire Power

like @totally_rocks talked about, vampire power is a thing. Stuff like microwaves, TVs, subwoofers, printers etc all use power while doing nothing. It's smart to measure both stand-by power and full on power usage.

https://smile.amazon.com/Belkin-8-Outlet-Conserve-Protector-F7C01008q/dp/B003P2UMNK/
Although mine has a 10 hour button that automatically turns back off, but basically the same. We have the DVR connected to one of the "always on" outlets so it will still record shows. But TV, receiver, subwoofer, roku, blu-ray all switched.

Or if you have appliances in, say, the kitchen, you can use a single outlet one like this:
https://smile.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Socket-Energy-F7C009q/dp/B003P2UMS0

If you're techie, look into Z-wave or like Kasa Smart Home stuff. They have all kinds of home automation things, including power outlet triggers that you can turn on and off based on any number of criteria (time, just got home, motion detected, etc).

I have a Kasa wifi bulb on my front porch and have it set to turn on at Sunset at full power until like 11pm, then dim to 1% all night to save energy, but not at the expense of a security deterrent. Then turn off at sunrise.

Merry Christmas OP!

I'm trying to get DJ equipment to start my dream of being a DJ. It's kinda already started because through lots of legwork and thrift-store shopping I managed to get some barely-passable home audio stuff, but it can't take the strain of DJing and can't be used for anything larger than ~40 people. I've had to turn down gigs because of it and judging by how frickin' hot it gets after I play for a few hours, it's going to be dead soon.

I made an Amazon list of what I need to buy to be at a semi-professional level. The cheapest thing that's independently useful would be the microphone, I believe, but literally anything is greatly appreciated, even if it's just a cord for something I don't have yet or something. The speakers are the most important thing by far, but they're extremely expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QJOZS4/ - Dynamic microphone (the condenser mics pick up all the background noise and are way more prone to feedback)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006NMUJA/ - Pop cover that would fit that mic

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Q802USB - Mixer (without it the speakers and stuff won't work)

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/traktor/dj-software/traktor-pro-2/ - Professional software (the one I currently use is free software lacking a lot of the functionality of this)

https://www.image-line.com/flstudio/ - Production software

https://www.amazon.com/Akai-Professional-MPK-Mini-Controller/dp/B00IJ6QAO2/ - Cheap keyboard MIDI with a drum pad to use with FL Studio

https://www.amazon.com/JBL-LSR305-Professional-Studio-Monitor/dp/B00F1DEI8G/ - Monitor speakers

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000068NW5/ - Cords for the montiors (I'd need 2)

https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-Speakers-Speaker-Stands-Travel/dp/B00M0EHEJE/ - Mackie Thump15s w/ cases and stands

https://www.amazon.com/Male-Female-Cables-long-cables/dp/B01IDI5OE2/ - Cables for the speakers and subwoofer

https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-THUMP18S-1200-Watt-18-Inch-Subwoofer/dp/B00IN2WHFI/ - Subwoofer

https://www.amazon.com/Stage-SS7745-Adjustable-Subwoofer-Attachment/dp/B002M8GBT2/ - Stand for the subwoofer

https://www.amazon.com/Stage-LS7730-Lighting-Stand-Truss/dp/B00119MJM6/ - Lighting truss

https://www.amazon.com/LaluceNatz-Lights-Multi-effects-Control-Lighting/dp/B011QEVO44/ - Colored lights (it would need 2)

https://www.amazon.com/Roxant-Super-Bright-Activated-Adjustable-Control/dp/B01LVXCDKX/ - Strobe lights (2 as well)

https://www.amazon.com/Large-Stage-Light-Party-Lighting/dp/B012TZCJHU/ - Hooks for the lighting (1 per light, 4 total)

https://www.amazon.com/Security-JFDWOPHT-Stainless-Safety-Lighting/dp/B01CSO5IIY/ - Security hooks for the lights (to save the lights if they fall from the hooks)

https://www.amazon.com/Furman-SS6B-Plug-Surge-Protector/dp/B0002D017M/ - Powerstrip (I'd need 2)

https://www.amazon.com/MAGMA-75541-Control-Stand-Controller/dp/B01MFHGS06/ - Laptop/controller stand

https://www.amazon.com/Numark-NV-Intelligent-Dual-Display-Touch-Capacitive/dp/B00M85GCTI/ - 4-deck controller

https://www.amazon.com/Magma-MGA47982-CTRL-Numark-Controller/dp/B00RK9Z40K/ - Case for the controller


Not going for a sob story here, but rather explanation of why I don't have money to spend on this stuff - I've got no family and I've got Lyme's Disease which I wasn't allowed to treat back when I had a family (strictly against modern medicine) and now can't treat because of an error made on my government-provided health insurance that's so far been going on for 8 months and is yet to be fixed. Lyme destroys your joints, so standing and walking for a retail job (not yet out of college) is extremely painful for days afterwards. Once I get treatment I'm going to put my nose to the grindstone and get two jobs to finance it, but still, anything helps. If you go through my post history you'll see mention of a few Christmas gifts, specifically a set of headphones, and those are from friends. I really really really appreciate them because they put a lot of thought into them and read reviews and all, but I wound up not being able to use them, but instead returned them and spent the money on a professional set of headphones, which is why there are no headphones on that list of links.

Nevermind, I can post several links obviously

Indoor Outdoor Projector Screen,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F1VLRZ6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

J-Tech Digital Ultra HD 4K HDMI to HDMI + Audio (Spdif + RCA Stereo) Audio Extractor Converter(Support Apple TV 4 Gen) Premium Quality https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YHS5E6Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_G8ZdIxDbFbxhh

VANKYO Leisure 510 Full HD Projector with 3600 Lux, Video Projector with 200" Projection Size, Support 1080P HDMI VGA AV USB with Free HDMI Cable and Carrying Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2Y5LX9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_MxYBCbDMFNHW7

Jeteven Polyester Hanging... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075WWRRZV?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

AUKEY Table Lamp, Touch Sensor... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AJ7F14I?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Mini Dj Disco Ball Party Stage... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074RKPSDK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Sennheiser HD 579 Open Back... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L1IIF1K?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Flash Furniture High Back Black... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012JJ2EEY?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

P3 P4330 Kill A Watt Ps 10 Surge... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OG94VW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

LG 29WK600-W 29" UltraWide 21:9... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078GL93KG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Onkyo TX-SR373 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver with Bluetooth https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XVGCBZ4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kCYBCbJTN8QJ1

Polk Audio T15 100 Watt Home Theater Bookshelf Speakers (Pair) - Premium Sound at a Great Value | Dolby and DTS Surround | Wall-Mountable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002RJLHB8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OCYBCbX2TX5XM

Polk Audio PSW10 10" Powered Subwoofer - Featuring High Current Amp and Low-Pass Filter | Up to 100 Watts | Big Bass at a Great Value | Easy integration Home Theater Systems https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002KVQBA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mDYBCbWN7VD6T

TCL 43S425 43 Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart Roku LED TV (2018) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DK5PZFY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3DYBCbZ7TGJ9X

Plus an Asus rog laptop gtx 1060 16gb ram, two ps3s, Corsair hs60 headphones, vmoda Crossfade wireless, a Google chromecast

$35 is expensive for a surge protector, but this one is quite good:

http://www.amazon.com/APC-P11VT3-Performance-SurgeArrest-Protection/dp/B0012YLTR6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1420586922&sr=8-2&keywords=surge+protector+apc

This is definitely overbuilt it protect against even strong surges. It's better to fry a $35 surge protector than a $700 computer.

That's interesting.

I just realized my original comment may have been misunderstood.

The "sense" socket that I described is not actually switched off at any time. The idea is that whatever is plugged into that socket gets continuous unimpeded power so that the IR detection is powered up and you can use the remote, at which point the board's current sensing notices the extra power draw and switches the other sockets on. And to clarify, the TV goes in the sense socket, the backlight power supply goes in one of the switched sockets.

For context this is the cheapest one I found on Amazon, just to identify what one looks like (it labels what I'm calling the "sense socket" the "control socket"): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JPDYYSM

I'm also very curious about what you said about the TV. It sounds like you may have gotten those two buttons to push out of the service manual, and already done that digging. What's the actual error code? That's fascinating and I wonder why it's happening.

Finally, if you do decide the relay solution is the way to go, you may end up appreciating posting to /r/electronics - finding 12V that's only energized when the rest of the TV is on sounds like a small rainy day project :P

I live in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida and it is considered the lightning capital of the USA. I installed a whole house surge protector at the main electrical panel box where the power enters my house. Home Depot sells 2 excellent Square D models to do this. One model costs about $32 and the other model costs about $100. (You only need one.) The whole house surge protector will give some protection to hard to protect devices like refrigerators, microwave ovens and washers and dryers.

Then my computers and electronics are plugged into APC surge protectors. The whole house surge protector will knock down the voltage from a huge power surge like a nearby lightning strike to a level that a normal surge protector power strip can handle without catching on fire.

Whole house surge protectors @ Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Square-D-36-kA-Single-Phase-Panel-Mounted-Type-1-Surge-Protective-Device-SDSA1175/100209321

And here: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Square-D-80-kA-Home-Electronics-Protective-Device-HEPD-HEPD80/203540660

APC Surge Protector @ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/APC-Protection-SurgeArrest-Performance-P11VT3/dp/B0012YLTR6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1519618270&sr=8-4&keywords=apc+surge&dpID=41X9mAHskyL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

EDIT: Just to be perfectly clear...Nothing will protect you from a direct hit lightning strike. These are meant to protect against most surges that you will encounter if lightning strikes nearby.

I find that for me, these seem to be a better solution;

APC Power Saving Surge Protector

or

Utilitech Power Saving Surge Protector

There is a set of outlets that are controlled by either your tv or pc and a set that are always on. This is good because you want your tv and game systems and such to be cut off with the tv but you want a dvr to stay on to keep recording shows. Or your monitors and peripherals to turn off with pc but router and modem to stay on.

I bought two of the APC ones on clearance at Best Buy and have saved about 8-10 a month on my power bill. The UT you can buy in store at Lowe's and is essentially the same. I recommend either.

here is what i used:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XJKOCBG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_dp_5s0HAbREM7Z6Y the lights make sure its set to cool white if you are buying your selfnow the cable for the top most light is a bit short so u can always cut and solder a bit from the bottom light to the top one if you don't want the mess that i havealthough i did try to make it as neatly as possible.for securing the wires i just used clear 4inch zip ties and tucked them behind the frame inside.https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-8-Outlet-Conserve-Protector-F7C01008q/dp/B003P2UMNK/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1540851234&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=remote+controll+surge+protector got this surge protector it comes with 6 outlets which are controlled by a remote so you can turn on all the cases with 1 button

https://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Tough-Double-Mounting-Inches/dp/B00OXVG9FW to secure the lights i used this double sided tape

and a bit of weather seal to keep the dust out on all 4 sides u can pick some up at home depot or fleet farm just make sure its 5/16th size

will be posting a big figure unboxing a bit later and how they all look inside the case.

​

Edit: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40275846/ forgot to link the bottom shelf so here it is pretty sturdy for the price

I'd suggest looking for one that shows an indicator whether or not that surge protector is still good.

You'll find them like this - https://www.amazon.ca/APC-P11VT3-11-Outlet-3020j-Protector/dp/B0012YLTR6/

Also take a look at the writeup by /u/hyperintake92 that he posted in this thread. Gives some good info on what to look for, for a surge protector.

As a note, I did very minimal investigation on that APC power bar. Was just the first one I saw that had a surge status light on it. I'm by no way saying that's the one for you, but I'm also not saying it's bad, lol.

Edit: Looked up the spec sheet on it; turns out it's actually a solid surge bar with some nice safety features built in. Link here

Thanks for your input.

I put the surge protector in because of the problem I've been experiencing, so yes it does happen either way.

I hadn't heard of power conditioners, but I've had a look into them. Some appear to be like more expensive surge protectors, and others look to be like serious rack mountable bits of kit that are significantly more expensive.

Are the ones that look like surge protected extension leads any good - or are they just mislabeled surge protectors?

There are tons of reasons, it could be bad grounding in the amp somewhere, it could be capacitors or tubes gone microphonic, etc, (Not sure if it's tube or solid state). Do you have a good power filter on the amp and pedals? I don't know what is the best out there, but I have a furman like this: https://www.amazon.com/Furman-SS6B-Plug-Surge-Protector/dp/B0002D017M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1475258359&sr=8-3&keywords=furman+power+conditioner that I like. that may be all you need, but I'd suggest at least looking to replace your tubes also, see if one is microphonic (You can also test this by getting a pencil and gently tapping hte tubes to see if you get weird noises in the tube when you do it. There are a few good videos on the internet showing microphonic tube testing.

> I'm thinking of setting up an EFHW wire … in an inverted V

If you're going to support the middle anyway, why not put up a dipole instead? You will have fewer RFI problems (in both TX and RX).

> I'd also like to set up an upconverter, RTL-SDR, RPi3, and PC software to get a nice wide waterfall over HF bands - using the same antenna. … do I need to protect the upconverter/SDR/Pi from the transmitter power, switching it out with a relay or something?

You're going to need a switch of some sort anyway.

If you don't want to use the K2 and the RTL-SDR at the same time, you just need a simple switch (example).

If you do, then hooking up two receivers at the same time needs a power divider (what cable TV setups would call splitter), and you'll want to switch that out of circuit for transmitting (I wouldn't expect one to provide enough port-to-port isolation to protect the RTL-SDR). The common kind of switch (or relay-operated switch) that would fit this application is called a transfer switch — it has four ports and can be used to take the divider out of circuit temporarily leaving a straight path between the K2 and the antenna.

> We get very little convective weather here, but even so - it should be adequate to protect ethernet with https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008060BU0, and the long wire with the ground on the transformer box?

Lightning protection is hard. First read about lightning protection for outdoor antennas. Once you understand that topic, only then think about how to protect the additional stuff. (The outdoor part must be considered disposable
in this case no matter what, I think.)

To answer '1', your speed would likely drop using the APC protector that is only rated at 10/100. It's possible that it won't and that they couldn't get high enough speeds to certify as 10/100/1000 but may still get pretty close.

​

To answer '2', yes you can absolutely use both cables. For short runs you won't notice any difference in speeds by mixing the cables. CAT6 is the same connections but using better shielding and twists the already twisted pairs to assist in being affected by interference over long distances.

​

To add a another option, you could use an in-line surge protector that is dedicated solely to the CAT connection. You connect both of your cables at either end and connect the ground cable to the ground prong on your outlet using a power cable that has the ground plug on it. https://www.amazon.com/APC-PNET1GB-ProtectNet-Standalone-Protector/dp/B000BKUSS8/ref=asc_df_B000BKUSS8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167126093426&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=505423349040086280&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9026802&hvtargid=pla-314322209240&psc=1

I just bought a standing desk and need to have a high powered PC, two monitors, and a high powered laptop on it. I need to have a surge protector (for the 4-5 necessary plugs) on the desk but the surge protector is not long enough to be on the desk and reach our wall outlet. Is it safe to have an extension cord running from the wall to the desk and a surge protector plugged into the extension cord? I will be rendering 3d images/game developing so these computers will be working overtime, including fan usage.

Setup looks like this: http://imgur.com/a/S625C

These are what I am working with:

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-6-Outlet-Surge-Protector-2-Pack/dp/B014EKQ5AA/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1486481396&sr=8-8&keywords=extension+cord

https://www.amazon.com/SlimLine-2241-Extension-3-Wire-8-Foot/dp/B000HJDATM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486481396&sr=8-3&keywords=extension+cord


Edit: Should I use something like this instead of the flat extension cord?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0153T1LSM/ref=twister_B01N1LGN94?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I would highly recommend investing in a high quality surge protector. I am an IT guy and would recommend either an APC Surge Strip or a Kill-A-Watt Surge Strip.

APC makes a solid product that we sell and recommend to all of our customers from home users to enterprise businesses. I use an APC Surge Strip on my entertainment center and PC setup. (Runs about $5000 worth of equipment)

I personally use the Kill-A-Watt for my grow room because of the extra display features and built in EMI filter to reduce line noise. (Runs about $2500 worth of equipment)

Did you shut off or unplug all other electronics within the vicinity of the speakers while they are powered on? I would be curious if you still get the noise. If no, power on each item 1 by 1 to see if that is causing the interference to start, and then if feasible, relocate.

If that doesn't work or isn't an option, you could try an RFI/EMI filter to see if it helps. You can try a more cost effective option like this, which depending on how strong it is may do the trick. I had a similar issue from time to time with a vintage receiver and this helped in my case.

Furman Power Conditioner (SS6B) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002D017M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.wx2DbB440QBE

You could also try a ferrite core filter than snaps onto the power cord itself.

Hope this helps!

Yes, they are definitely worth it. I recommend one of these (they make a 1000 watt version that I use). Drastically increases life of PSU. Also has easy replaceable batteries (should be available at best buy).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003Y24DEU/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?qid=1465213051&sr=8-5&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=battery+backup

I put 1000 watt version on all our PC's, and a 1500 Watt version on our home theater/entertainment system.

Also if you can, install this into your main panel, full home surge protector. Tis highly recommended and relatively cheap (takes two breakers).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CONA1OQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1465213282&sr=8-3&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=home+surge+protector

Should be available at home depot, is fairly easy to install, but because electricity I recommend paying an electrician for half hour of work to install it.

An easier route than doing monitor surgery (motherboards make it easier by having a header), I went with one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P2UMNK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have all of my monitors, DAC, speakers and subwoofer on it. I'd imagine you could pop open the remote housing and wire up MX switches to the PCB pretty easily (and now it's sounding like not such a bad idea to do with mine...)

Regarding your last point, it's always a good idea to bring a compact power strip with you when travelling. Something like this or this, though you may need a 3-prong to 2-prong converter for some places in Japan. They are great for nights when you have to charge multiple devices and make you a hero at airports.

I suppose you could do that, but it's definitely not ideal. You'd be essentially drawing power for up to 10 devices off of one outlet if you plug the 10 switch PDU into one of the outlets of the power conditioner. I assume it would probably be ok since both devices are rated at 15A, but I can't find any information on what one individual outlet on a power conditioner/strip is rated for.

If you're absolutely dead set on getting the 10 switch PDU and you still want a minimum level of filtering and surge protection, I would probably get something like this Furman power strip and plug the PDU into it. It still offers a standard level of EMI/RFI filtering and standard level surge protection and it's only $34. Plus, it has a built in circuit breaker so it would shut off in the event that anything did get overloaded. Along the same vein, this one has slightly better filtering and better surge protection for $43 and this one is the top-of-the-line one for both filtering and surge protection for $90. I would go with one of those if you want the filtering. (probably the $43 one if it were me)

Alternatively, you could forego the filtering and just get one of these for $10. That would at least give you the surge protection. The difference being, without the filtering you might notice a hum in the speakers or pick up radio stations in your equipment, etc. The filtering just lowers your noise floor to some extent and helps keep unwanted interference out. If you never use a microphone or electric guitar/amplifier you might not need it (except for the speakers). I would say surge protection is a must though.

Edit: I just found this two-outlet surge protector that has almost double the joules rating for surge protection as the $10 one-outlet surge protector I mentioned earlier and it offers EMI/RFI filtering (probably not as good of filtering as the Furman ones, but it still has some). That would probably be a good choice also.

Sorry for the wall of text, there are just so many options!

Nothing against you but i always wonder why people dont buy those 10$ protective power supply again lightning ? Save my computer one time :)

You know something like that => https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014EKQ5AA?psc=1

Strongly recommend the Belkin 3-outlet 2.1A power strip. It comes with two USB ports, is very compact, and comes with a pivoting head so you can fit it into any outlet situation. Please be careful to get the 2.1A model, especially if you have a tablet. Double check, but most electronics now are dual voltage and will be marked 110-240V to indicate that. Phone/laptop/tablet/camera chargers, electric toothbrush, etc. are commonly dual voltage. If you find that you only have, say, an electric razor that needs US juice, you're probably better off replacing the razor. Just get a plug adaptor, which will cover you in Western Europe except for UK and Switzerland. The simpler the plug adaptor, the better it will hold, as the multi-country ones have lots of internal prongs that you don't need.

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-SurgePlus-3-Outlet-Charger-Protector/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/

Are you powering up from a full shutdown? If so, you could enable the 'power on after power failure' in the bios and use a remote like the Harmony home control to switch on the outlet that the computer is plugged into. You'll get some bonus vampire power savings when the computer is off too...

You could also do a similar thing with a smart power strip that has a control outlet and a switched outlet (like this) so that your HPTC receives power when, for example, you turn your TV on.

Or if you want to get goofier, you could hack a wireless doorbell to work as a power switch for your computer.

Also, it sounds like you just need to bend the contacts in the case's power switch connector to make better contact with the mobo pins.

I think you are worried about lightning protection? I wouldn't worry about it on a direct buried cable, but if you want to be safe get this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BKUSS8/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1503629636&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=cat+6+lightning+protection&dpPl=1&dpID=31T2csu01XL&ref=plSrch

And if it were me, I wouldn't run 5 cables from your switch direct buried. I would run 2 and use 1 (the 2nd is just a backup) and connect to another switch in the other room. This gives you flexibility to do whatever you want in the new place. Your ISP is probably feeding you 50-80 megs or so? You can easily cover the whole pipe with a single 100 meg cable. You don't need to homerun al your drops

Huge improvement, well done!

Two thoughts to offer:

• velcro > zipties, because velcro is reusable and won't cut up your hands. Prob not an issue here tbh. This seems to be a holy war issue in /r/cableporn!
  
• They make power strips / surge suppressors where they both lay flat against the wall AND rotate -- if you ever replace the power, keep an eye out for those. I use one of these and love it for that feature
  
  Happy gaming!

As requested, here's the composition of the rack:

• NavePoint 12U Network Rack
  
• TP-Link TL-SG1024: 24 port rackmount switch
  
• TP-Link TL-SG1016PE: 16 port rackmount power over ethernet switch (needed for the Wi-Fi access points)
  
• TP-Link TL-R600VPN: Rackmount router w/ dual-WAN and VPN
  
• Rackmount Power w/ surge protection
  
• Rack shelf: Used to hold modem and NAS
  
• Patch Panel: 24-port Cat6 patch panel (wires go in the pack via punchdown connection, and you run patch cables to the switches)
  
• 12" Patch cables: For connecting between the patch panel, swicthes, other on-rack devices
  
• Synology 416play NAS: Movies, music, pictures, etc. 32 TB in all.
  
  Elsewhere in the house/other useful parts:
  
  
• Keystone Cat6 jacks: one per bedroom, 4 in my home office, 4 in the media room (not built yet), 3 in the family room
  
• 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-hole keystone wall plates: Buy the number of holes you want and just pop in the keystone jacks
  
• Blank keystone inserts: For when you have too many holes in the keystone plates
  
• Ubiquiti AC Pro x 3: Wi-Fi access points, roughly center of the house on each floor (basement, first, second)
  
• Punchdown tool: For doing the punchdown connections on the patch panel and on each of the keystone Cat6 plugs in each room
  
• Extra rack screws and washers
  
• J-Hook: There are two hooks on each wall, holding service loops for the Cat6 and Coax, respectively.
  
  Useful things I learned:
  
  
• I was originally going to run the wires myself, but never could find the time. Also Cat6 is expensive when not purchased in wholesale quantities (< 10,000 ft). So we hired a local electrician to run the actual wires. It took two of them about 1.5 days to run everything. This was well worth the money, since the project would have taken many months to do in the evenings/on weekends with a toddler running around.
  
• I did all the wall terminations. Since they were punchdowns, it was easy and took one evening after work. The electricians would have charged me another half-day of labor.
  
• I did all the network rack work. This also took one evening after work.
  
• Do NOT buy electrical/networking equipment from a big box hardware store. Always go to a specialized retailer, like an electrician supply store. Their prices will be 1/20th that of the big box store, you won't have to have anything shipped, and their employees actually know what they are talking about. So if you're looking for something that you don't know the name of, you can usually describe it.
  
• Newer construction may have fire breaks/blocks/stops which prevent fire and gases from traveling up the inside of the walls. This makes fire move more slowly and give you more time to evacuate. However, it also means you might need to drill holes/patch walls in order to run wires vertically.
  
• Put in a service loop. If you ever need to re-terminate for any reason (like replacing a patch panel), it will give you extra cable to work with. Do the same thing inside your walls behind the wall plates, since you might have to do the same thing there as well.
  
• Buy networking gear that is rated for the same speed (i.e., gigabit). Your network will only be as fast as the slowest part of it.
  
• Watch out for network loops. This is really easy to do and will cause your router to crash or perform suboptimally. I spent >2 hours debugging on of these as a result of connecting my router to itself by way of both switches.

https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-8-Outlet-Conserve-Protector-F7C01008q/dp/B003P2UMNK

You could get something like that.

https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Isobar-Protector-ISOBAR8RM/dp/B00005122S - More expensive alternative if you don't want the wireless ability but would like noise suppression. Tripp Lite is also the best company about honoring their warranty in the event of damage.

It definitely is hard to make up your mind sometimes, especially once you catch the home theater bug. Take your time and read reviews. This is a great forum that will be able to answer all your question about everything home theater. (https://www.avsforum.com/forum/index.php) In my theater I use pretty high end protectors from Brick Wall. Everywhere else I use these, which have gotten good reviews: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012YLTR6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I know you're saying that you've managed the cables in the last 2... but i see lots of dangly bits... could i recommend some good cable management sleeves? and a good remote-shutoff surge protector? and some grommeting?

Balloons are fun ! :D I think we should both be gifted something useful, such as this power outlet. I don't know about you, but I know I always lose those USB blocks haha. I hope your birthday is wonderful <3

Shelves... buy some rack mount shelves and put your gear on it. I personally dig these but you can get some lighter duty shelves for about $40. A rackmount PDU is also pretty awesome.

1. Yes, setting the gain knob on the sub to 1/8 of maximum would work. It would be worth doing some testing since you might be able to go higher depending on your source material
   
   
2. A power strip with a resettable circuit breaker would work; Furman makes various products like this which are designed specifically for use with audio and include some extra filtering circuitry; something like https://www.amazon.com/Furman-SS6B-Plug-Surge-Protector/dp/B0002D017M or https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BQ91Y6/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687562&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0002D017M&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=ETAW7VAVA9MJKWH1T8DZ

Said this before but if you are at a hostel extra chargers, iPhone and android wires and this bad boy ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/ ) can make you best of friends with your hostel mates.

I use this. Not quite 15, but it works great and has a good 400 joule rating. The one you link to doesn't have a joule rating listed, so slightly concerning unless you have separate surge protection?

You don't need to bury it, but you want to get CAT6 cable that's rated and shielded for outdoor use, something like this.

You should also get ethernet surge protectors, so that you don't fry your gear if you get hit by lightning or some critter chews your cables. You'd place one on each end of the run, like so:

[router]--~cat6~--[surge protector]--~cat6~--[surge protector]--~cat6~--[pc]

Hope this helps.

It's not either of the two you posted, but I have this and it's been great (plus, I make many friends at the airport):

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00ATZJ5YS/

Yes it is possible. There are many thousands of EMI/RFI filters sold as electrical parts, which we electronics hobbyists build into our gear. Here are 758 of them at UK Mouser, an electronics distributor: (LINK)

All you need to do is find consumer end-products which contain one of these.

Perhaps one of these products from UK Amazon might contain an EMI/RFI filter:

LINK#1

LINK#2

LINK#3

If so then you're good to go. If not and if you are desperate, you can buy some EMI filters (as components) from UK Mouser, put them in an insulated chassis, hook up the appropriate AC mains connectors, and build your own.

Since your dad is an electrical engineer, he will be comfortable reading product selection guides from manufacturers. Forward him these so he can read up on what's available and how well it works

Technical Info A

Technical Info B

It should be pretty easy to build. It's about as uncomplicated as any from-scratch build can be.

This guide here is pretty good although the computer he's building is a little more complicated than this one.

Since you're going to be using a stock cooler you can skip over that bit and refer to this guide here (but don't be as rough with the parts as he is).

You'll only be using one stick of RAM so when you get to that part you can just pick a RAM slot and stick it in, it doesn't matter which one.

The graphics card does't require extra power so you can ignore the part where he plugs in power to the graphics card.

As for accessories -

If you're building completely from scratch you'll also need a mouse, keyboard, monitor and operating system (OS). A DVD drive isn't technically necessary, but it's handy to have. Especially if you're getting the OS on disk like in the secondary parts list below.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type|Item|Price

----|:----|:----
Optical Drive | LG GH24NSC0B DVD/CD Writer | $14.88 @ OutletPC
Operating System | Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit | $88.58 @ OutletPC
Monitor | Acer G226HQLBbd 21.5" 1920x1080 60Hz Monitor | $79.99 @ NCIX US
Keyboard | Logitech MK120 Wired Slim Keyboard w/Optical Mouse | $14.33 @ OutletPC
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total (before mail-in rebates) | $207.78
| Mail-in rebates | -$10.00
| Total | $197.78
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-12-29 20:38 EST-0500 |

Some other things to consider purchasing are

An anti-static wrist strap

and

A chunky surge protector to protect your investment

Edit: and a wifi adapter if you need one

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: Belkin 3-Outlet Surge Protector


|Country|Link|Charity Links|
|:-----------|:------------|:------------|
|USA|smile.amazon.com|EFF|
|France|www.amazon.fr||
|Japan|www.amazon.co.jp||
|Canada|www.amazon.ca||




To help add charity links, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

I have done this numerous times and you can put as large a fan as have the ability to cut out. The top rear of the cabinet will be best and shouldn't affect the TV.

Look through your old electronics for a 12V transformer you can butcher or output from the PC. The xBox probably only heats up when running but the DirectTV box likely runs hot all the time. You can look at buying a Smart power strip like this and tell the fan to run only when the TV is on.

If you had a receiver, some models have switched outlets to turn on equipment when it is running. (Check your direct TV box for this as well) But that would only turn it on with the cable box which you might not run with the PC.

This might be more readily available, works well, havnt had any issues with them. This mounts on the pole, near your entry into the house. Use a small grounding rod + solid copper lead. I wouldn't worry much about lightning, as you said, everthing will fry anyways... but POE radios, like the one you are using are sensitive to static buildup. The wind, and especially snow/hail against the mast will create huge amounts of static charge, this has killed many radios (I worked at a WISP). The surge arrestor will ground this charge and make everything stable. Use shielded ethernet cable, for your sanity and as a tribute to those radios whom which we've lost.



https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-ETH-SP-External-Suppressor/dp/B00R20OIAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484862505&sr=8-1&keywords=ubnt+surge

My original plan was to build a small Ryzen server to run some VMs on. That plan eventually turned into looking at small racks and deciding I want to run ethernet throughout the house, so naturally I need it all to come together at one location. I bought a 6u rack (can technically hold 8u), a pdu, a tplink patch panel, and I got a free switch poe from Aerohive that I plan on using to power some security cameras. I found a 3u short rack mount computer case that can be mounted "backwards", which helps with air flow in these short racks and allows easy access to all of the io ports.

My Ryzen idea turned into a Theadripper build because of some crazy deals I got, and ended up being its own stand alone build. So I still don't really have a machine setup in the 3u case. I have a Dell board installed with an i7, but the psu has some weird proprietary connectors and the cables are too short for where the psu mounts, so I'll just look into replacing the board and psu at some point in the near future. I then plan on running proxmox and having this run part of a test lab, and maybe eventually act as a router.

I really, really like the pdu, but it's way over kill for this thing, so I'll probably just replace it with a nice surge protector, which will plug into an external battery backup.

I installed two exhaust fans into the top of the rack which run directly off the pdu. I could mount the patch panel 1u higher but the cables running into it would clash with the extra long screws the fans came with, so I will probably Dremel those screws in half when I get time.

The rack itself isn't bad. I had to get the first one replaced because it got destroyed during shipping. Other than having to tighten a few screws on the second one, works very well and came in great shape. I like this rack because it can be mounted on a wall or you can mount wheels to the bottom, which is comes with, and it looks nice while not weighing a million pounds.

Parts I'm using so far:

• Rack: V7 RMWC6U-1N
  
• Patch panel: TRENDnet 24-Port Cat5/5e Patch Panel
  
• PDU: CyberPower CPS1215RMS Surge Protector
  
• Fans: AC Infinity Axial 1225
  
• 3U case: PLINKUSA RACKBUY 3U
  

Required Hardware includes:

Item | Link | Exact Item I Used | Cost ($ CDN)
---|---|----|----
Raspberry Pi kit | link | Close Enough | $78.95
Arduino Nano | link | Yes | $25.99/5
50W 5v Power Supply | link | No| $26.45
5m WS2812B LED Strip | link | Yes | US$24.89
HDMI Splitter | link | Yes | $28.99
HDMI to RCA | link | Yes | $18.89
UTV007 Framegrabber | link | Yes | $17.99
RCA Male/Male | link | No | $2.59
Power Bar | link | No, but I might buy it | $20.85
Double Sided Tape | link | Yes | $6.45
HDMI x3 | | N/A | $10
Mini/Micro USB Cables | | N/A | $10

Total: ~CDN $260

I bought a CyberPower CPS1215RMS which is plugged into a APC 1500 (SMT1500) for surge and BBU. I got the APC for free from work...I'm also on a budget. The CPS1215RMS has been fine for me and after one incident at work where I accidentally bumped/flipped an uncovered switch on a PDU and cycled a full HP2920 switch stack I greatly appreciate having covers on PDU power switches. Thanks to that mistake we have redundant PSU's on those stacks now so it all worked out : )

Tripp lite, in my experience, make solid and reliable gear. If you get either of the one's you've linked you'll be happy. The only thing I'd say is one has a 15 ft. cord, which is alot of cable to hide somewhere or bundle up. The 6 ft. cords are typically plenty.

I use one of these, I have my amp set as the "control" and my pedal board plugged in to one of the switched outlets.

It might not be the best of you have a ton of pedals, but for my home setup it works great and I can use the other "hot" outlets for other stuff like charging my phone etc.

SquareD makes a whole home surge arrestor that can either fit into two slots (Homeline or QO panels only), or attach to the exterior of the Panel (Universal). Check with local ordinances before you take this on yourself. If you are comfortable working in a service panel and can safely disconnect the main while working, it should be a simple 30 minute or less install.

​

If he already ran cat5, install a switch in the shop and connect the cat5 to the switch (as well as connecting it to a LAN port on the router in the house). In the shop, you can add an access point for him to hang off of the switch to provide better wifi in the shop.

Where does the shop get power from? If it has it's own panel, I recommend getting some inline cat5 protectors and put them on both sides of the cat5 run. When extending networks to other buildings, it is best to use fiber, but that does complicate things and increase price.

https://www.amazon.com/APC-PNET1GB-ProtectNet-Standalone-Protector/dp/B000BKUSS8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481391077&sr=8-1&keywords=inline+cat5+protector

I recycled an old 12V 1A transformer. After cutting the barrel connector I soldered the female half of the fan extension cable that came with one of Noctuas (kept only the black and yellow +12V wires).

Of course you can also buy the whole thing on amazon for $11 but where's the fun!

I then connected the fans power supply to a smart power strip piloted by the ThinkPad charger so, when I shutdown or put the laptop to sleep the external fans (along with my external monitors and audio amplifier) shutdown as well.

> I plan on taking this with me on a cruise in a month, and am hoping it will be fine: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tUWyCb702R174

This is the best one.

I really wouldn't be playing games on the plane. More for doing some light productivity (Word, Excel, Visual Studio) or possibly videos, but for videos I have the iPad with 8-ish hours battery life.

For any real work or gameplay, you're correct I'd be tethered to a wall.

Flying Virgin America though, they have the power outlets next to every seat, even in coach, so there's that. I'm not sure how many other airlines have that.

You can definitely eke out another 30-60 minutes by dropping the brightness quite a bit. Windows 10 makes this easy with the Action Center where there is a shortcut to cycle through display modes.

Basically, if you can wait, wait. As with most tech, the model you buy is always obsolete a few months later.

I always carry a portable Belkin 3-Outlet mini-surge protector (Amazon link) in my backpack. That way, if the power outlet at the airport or coffee shop is in use, I ask one of the people plugged in if I can interrupt their work for a few seconds to add the surge protector and get myself some juice.

If you really need a mobile productivity machine, I'd say wait for the new MacBooks which Apple should release soon. They'll get 8 hours of battery life easily, however for gaming they may not be optimal. I think the current MacBooks are using nVidia, so there's a small chance they switch to AMD for the next round as they seem to flip flop now and then between refreshes. Ideally, nVidia releases the GTX 1050 and Apple actually uses them.

Was curious to hear what people's setups are like regarding surge protectors/power strips. I'm currently shopping for some surge protectors, something like this. Was wondering if people just plug everything into one. I'm talking about the TV, desktop computer, XBOX and other consoles, maybe even a laptop, printer, and the audio gear such as headphone amp + dac and speaker amps, etc. What do you guys use? Do you guys use a separate surge protector solely for your audio gear? Does it even matter, or should I just go for a 10+ outlet one and plug everything in and leave it at that?

I know you're looking for some calculations and power consumption theory, but while we're on the subject I thought you might also be interested in ways to accurately measure this kind of thing.

Here are some items you can buy to help monitor power usage:

https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4330-Kill-Surge-Protector/dp/B004OG94VW

https://www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU

Some of the lightning protection devices have hefty earth connectors, for example: http://www.amazon.com/APC-PNET1GB-ProtectNet-Standalone-Protector/dp/B000BKUSS8

I assume this is to provide a more attractive path. In the case of the media converter solution you just need to ensure they have similar earth connections (or at least the 'upstream' one)

For under $100 and an hour of an electricians time, you can have a whole house surge protector wired into your electrical panel. One of these or something like it: https://www.amazon.com/Square-Schneider-Electric-HEPD80-Electronics/dp/B00CONA1OQ

​

I highly recommend one of these in addition to point of use surge protectors. It only has to save your gear once to pay for itself many times over. Also, if you're handy, this is a DIY job.

8 AWG is way overkill. I have a dedicated 15 amp outlet to my rack. What I did was just run the equivalent ground sized on that service back to the panel. 15 amp outlets use 14/2, so I just ran a 14 AWG THHN wire back to the grounding bar of my service. Some will recommend running "one up" (if you run 14/2, run a 12 awg ground) on the ground based on the service, but meh. This will clear any static that builds up on it, and will clear any faults that hit the rack just as good as the existing 14/2. I think it makes more sense on bigger installations, not simple networking equipment.

You can ask COX about getting a drop into that room, but they probably won't do it for you unless you get TV service. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it, but I understand what you are saying. I haven't done anything with my coax, but since I have fiber to the home, all the TV is IP based and I can just run the televisions off the cat 5 jacks.

I would get a PDU for your rack, it will simplify everything when you put it in, and it has a 10 foot cable. I have it run into my UPS and my UPS plugged into the wall.

http://www.amazon.com/CyberPower-CPS-1215RMS-Rackmount-Power-Surge/dp/B00077INZU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1459167383&sr=1-1&keywords=cyberpower+pdu%5C

If you do get it connected via wired connection I would either get a surge protector with network cable surge protection like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012YFXSW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_qvNQCbYPK8DYG

Or get a network surge protector like this one: https://www.tripplite.com/datashield-in-line-surge-protector-network-phone-lines-1-line-rj45~DNET1

Just to be extra safe

Snow snow go away.
[Cuz they say two thousand zero zero party over,
Oops out of time
So tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999] (http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-SurgePlus-3-Outlet-Charger-Protector/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=EQJTOLVDS2H1&coliid=IKOYC27QU2BWO)

It sounds like it should work fine to me. However make sure you include a lightning arrester in there. Last thing you want is a lightning strike going right into your structured wiring.



Something like this:

Ubiquiti ETH-SP Ethernet Surge Protector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R20OIAY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mWewCbBHMH1WC

I have this and it works great: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-8-Outlet-Conserve-Protector-F7C01008q/dp/B003P2UMNK

What does the switch on the wall control? If you plan to repurpose that switch, what are you giving up?

> Furman manufacture a sequencer that does exactly this, with three separate timed events in sequence

Another option is a "smart" power strip. They have a current sensor on one outlet and then turn some other outlets on/off. When you switch off the "master" device, a few seconds later it will cut power to the other devices. Some example models:

• Tripp Lite AV88SATG
  
• APC P8GT
  
• Bits Limited SCG-3MVR Smart Strip
  
  I have an older APC model than the above, but they look to be very similar. It has a current sensitivity adjustment for the master outlet, which is nice, although I'd also like some control over the timing.
  
  This approach only gives you the proper power-on sequence, obviously, as it's always reacting to the "master" device, so it can't turn off the audio equipment until after it detects you've turned off the computer.

Gorgeous work!

May I recommend a right-angle surge protector?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JV3CKA/

Thanks. What about this one? Will this do a better job? - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012YFXSW/ref=twister_B079PXZ3KQ?_encoding=UTF8&th=1 (model P11VNT3), or the better priced https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J2EN4S/ref=psdc_10967801_t2_B0012YFXSW

​

Perhaps i can begin by hooking power via such a source first, and over time plan to pass the coax and Ethernet through it too for incoming internet.

Thinking there was probably some kind of electrical fault when you plugged the cable box back in(Like Chris said below, could indicate that your outlets are not properly grounded, but you would need an electrician to check that). Damage might not have been caused by the cable box.

If you don't have one already, definitely get a surge protector for your more expensive electrical appliances and don't use a regular power strip. The good brands come with a equipment protection warranty and they will cover the cost of your equipment if something like this happens. I have two from APC that I use (just make sure to keep all the paperwork that comes with it and register it with them if you get one to be covered if anything happens again). https://www.amazon.com/APC-P11VNT3-Performance-SurgeArrest-Protection/dp/B0012YFXSW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1467054605&sr=8-4&keywords=apc+surge+arrest

> Building my first PC and a thought that keeps coming to mind is what surge protector or UPC I should use for it.

Here's a pretty good article describing what surge protection means. Your household strips might be fine but if you want to be safe, actual surge protectors aren't expensive.

Yeah, I use something kinda similar to this: Autoswitching Strip Thingie

Rig the Pi/PC/etc with an external switch, and then plug it into the 'master outlet'. When you power on the Pi, that triggers the other outlets into powering up, and then your monitor, speakers, marquee, etc all power up. Pretty nifty.

>Every surge protector I’ve found that has Ethernet protection drops speeds to 100 base t, so that’s not going to work.

Really? Cause gig ones are easy to come-by. Don't know why the title is in Spanish.... https://smile.amazon.com/APC-PNET1GB-ProtectNet-Standalone-Protector/dp/B000BKUSS8/

I've used these though and gigabit works fine if your cabling is good.

I would suggest something like this for the speed control: http://www.ebay.com/itm/400298584224



There are heaps of different fan speed control options for computers, just adapt one to your needs.



To switch them on you might want something like this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002K8S2J6?pc_redir=1398262650&robot_redir=1

I’d s try an smart strip first before bringing in an electrician to solve the problem. See if that solves your issue first.

Maybe something like this: Smart Strip LCG-3MVR Energy Saving Surge Protector with Autoswitching Technology, 10-Outlet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006PUDQK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ybNOBb1X7NFK8

You could try this bad boy or something similar. It has two fans on the top that pull out the heat. From there it's up to you where to build ducts to move the heat, whether its out the door or somewhere else. Make sure to add netting to the end of whatever duct you put outside to help cut down on bugs (I also have this mounted inside to help with power cable management)

Another thing to check is if you have another room that's more insulated from heat than one with a glass sliding door. I currently have limited space in my apartment, but have blackout curtains on the windows by my gear to help cut down on other sources of heat, I also have an air conditioner nearby that detects the ambient temp and kicks on only when needed (also monitor the humidity in this room to make sure your gear is safe).

The hard truth of it though is that for each BTU your gear puts out you'll have to pay for the same BTU output from your A/C

Thank you so much! I'm in the UK, but I found this and this. Any idea if those would work/which one would work better, or do you have any suggestions for a UK compatible device?

Flush power strip, closer to wall color, rotatable or flush rotatable extension cord to use with your current strip

Mounting tape for the underside of the desk or the wall

Zip ties and anchors

Looks awesome!

Well like I said it's possible that you really did have a surge that damaged equipment. But the real questions are 1) how likely is it to happen 2) would a regular surge protector like this $20 APC model have prevented damage? 3) does spending more money actually buy you more protection?

Also you may be interested to know that your "APC BackUPS Pro 1500" only provides 354 joules of surge protection. The cheap model I mentioned above is almost 10x better.

I'm not saying that damage from power surges doesn't happen: I'm saying that expensive protection gear is probably not worth the cash.

Shopping list;

AmazonBasics 6-Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip, 6-Foot Long Cord, 790 Joule - White https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00TP1C1UC/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_H4B1DbVABEKV0


VIVOSUN 4 inch Inline Duct Booster Fan 100 CFM, Extreme Low Noise & Extra Long 5.5' Grounded Power Cord https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01C82SYZ0/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_33B1DbZQFHVBT



VIVOSUN 4 Inch Air Carbon Filter Odor Control with Australia Virgin Charcoal for Inline Fan Pre-Filter Included https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01DXYMBU6/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_D3B1DbXZRD3RS


Hydrofarm TM01015D Dual Outlet Grounded Timer https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B001Q1FZWA/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_.2B1Db0WE33FY



LED Lights Strip 5M 5050 SMD Waterproof 150LEDs RGB Color Changing Flexible LED Light Strip Kit https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07B5Z2Y34/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_H2B1Db47ZRW0K



COB LED Grow Light, Niello Full Spectrum Grow Lights for Indoor Plants, Higher Light-Gathering, Space Saving and Easy to Install, Professional Greenhouse Hydroponic Indoor Plants(150W) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07DJ5WZQD/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_M0B1DbJMFAJ20



Not included; tin tape, duct tape, 2" curved pvc tubes x3, zip ties, hot glue, and the Rubbermaid wheeled bin + lid.

I would highly recommend not doing this. A power sensing strip is cheap, and in the scenario I posted in another comment, would pay for itself very quickly in terms of energy saved.

option 1

option 2

I'd trust either of these, both a respectable names in the power distribution industry.

Also read through this for some other reviews/suggestions.

Any chance you could comment on whether this power conditioner will actually provide any benefit?

Bought it after a quick google search because I needed something ASAP and a couple sites recommended it.

Thanks for the reply. I'll try and answer your questions as best I can.

 

The black wire terminal was in contact with the bare metal ground wire, at the time I turned the breaker back on, causing the event. The circuit in question (where I was working on the receptacle) tripped, as did 2 or 3 adjacent circuits. The adjacent circuits tripped after I put some load on them soon after correcting the receptacle I originally screwed up. They reset with no problem and I have been using them fine since then.

 

The protectors are your average $15-30 belkin and apc "surge protectors" such as this one: Amazon link . As well as a standard 6 outlet barebones power strip. These just simply do not work anymore as tested with a simple receptacle tester. My house certainly has only 120 and 240v.

 

I do not know what to inspect, which is why I will be calling an electrician. All circuits appear to be working fine, except for the microwave running on any circuit.

A furman is the one that we went with.

https://www.amazon.com/Furman-SS6B-Power-Conditioner/dp/B0002D017M/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=power+conditioner&qid=1566859493&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Hopefully this one will do the trick for this go around. Anyway, thanks again for all your advice! Helped us out a lot

That's a great question actually. Here's a good example.

Here's a typical home 'surge protector', but they are only rated for 200 joules.

The thing to understand is that surge protectors can protect via several different methods, but the most common is for it to essentially fry the internal protection. You have to think of the rating kind of like the health meter in a video game. If you have a 1,000 joule surge protector, its probably wasted after ten hits of 100 joules.

If you want something that will protect expensive stuff from lightning, you're looking for something with a rating in the multiple thousands of joules. Like here's an example that's rated for 3,330.

Of course, there's more to it if you want to read about amp ratings and such, but that's the quick rundown.

This is why everyone's home router or printer seems to die every time a lightning storm comes around. Because they are plugged into a surge protector that likely had a very low rating, and its been in use for years and years.

/source: Am an IT guy with a computer science degree who routinely has to deal with server rooms and networking equipment that has to be protected.

1. Adjust the subwoofer level to roughly match.
   
   
2. Does the Klipsch output full range to the sub or is there a crossover? If no crossover, do not use LFE, you should experiment between 50Hz-90Hz, fine where you think the Klipsch’s bass rolls-off and start from there.
   
   
3. Adjust the phase/polarity to match; play a sine wave at the crossover frequency on your system and adjust the phase/polarity until it’s the loudest at the listening position (if the sub is not far away, have someone help you).
   
   
4. Your speakers are likely plugged into the same circuit as your computer, which likely is creating a ground loop. Either get a power filter or run them off an extension cord connected to another room (that’s on a different circuit).

Would this still be an issue if I were only plugging in EVGA computer PSUs? Those come with overcurrent protection I believe and won't pull more than what they're rated at. If not, would any of these work?

​

https://www.amazon.ca/Bestten-Outlet-Rack-Mount-Aluminum-Protector/dp/B01DKDI9VU

https://www.amazon.ca/ADJ-Products-PC-100A-8-Channel-Center/dp/B00KFZ98YO/

https://www.amazon.ca/Cyberpower-CPS1215RM-Rackmount-Power-Strip/dp/B00077IG3O

​

Or even a cheap thing like this? https://www.amazon.ca/AmazonBasics-6-Outlet-Surge-Protector-Power/dp/B00TP1C1UC

​

Thank you!

I bought an APC one for like $18 on Amazon I think, do brands matter

Edit: I think this one, looks like it: APC P11VT3 11-Outlet 3020j Surge Protector https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0012YLTR6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_oUoxCb20MT4W7

Power strips would be helpful in your situation. Comes with the added benefit of surge protection.

Haha if your end goal is just to turn on and off displays 2 feet away from the button then just get a power bar with a on off switch.

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-6-Outlet-Surge-Protector-Power/dp/B00TP1C1UC/ref=asc_df_B00TP1C1UC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167139094796&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14843112998803978512&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031934&hvtargid=pla-347254086437&psc=1

But of course this is just a joke, I am assuming you want to do this so you can learn about programming and some electrical design!

You can get the surge protectors with the plugs on the back. And if that doesn't fit, grab some 1 ft extension cords.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00077INZU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

Since I plug into a UPS anyway, I bought this power strip and label what each switch does. I love it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KFZ98YO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Belkin makes a mini surge protector that converts a single US 3-prong outlet into 3 outlets plus 2 more USB charging-only ports. The 3 prongs also rotate to help make it fit in oddly spaced areas.

I fly over 40 weeks a year and attend conferences, so that adapter has saved me plenty. Although there was one time when I was sharing with two other random people and had to unplug them both when I was leaving but they were not!

Agree. And instead of the power strip, buy a real surge protector. Not Wal-Mart crap either, but one that is used in a commercial office environment for individual workstations - at the very least.

Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/APC-P11VT3-Performance-SurgeArrest-Protection/dp/B0012YLTR6

I have only 2 wires in the sockets who makes noise as opposed to 3 in the good one, so I think it's not grounded.

I didn't know that about the surge protectors, I think I have to invest in another one because I didn't have this noise before. Do you have any ideas?
A power filter can also do the trick but they are expensive. I don't think you have to replace it in the future so it may be a good investment after all.

Your case is a bit more tricky because you have the problem at the university but a little surge protector can solve it. But like you said, they don't tell what technology they use...

This is great. Only thing is the price is throwing me off. Either Amazon is low balling the original price or Newegg is jacking up the regular to make the sale price more appealing..

Either way I'm getting this. Thank you OP!

If I was going to do this and didn't know how to terminate Ethernet cables and didn't have a big budget, I would get one of these plus two of these.

Put one surge protector at each end of the outdoor cable, and make sure the bolt hole in each surge protector is connected to an electrical ground with a good copper cable.

But it depends if you need something that is going to last a few months or if you need it to last multiple years.

Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006PUDQK/ (this specific one is no longer available, sadly)

I have a smaller one in our bedroom for a similar setup. No complaints. Of course, couldn't tell you if any money is REALLY saved or if it has paid for itself yet. But the theory is sound.

If you search for "smart strip" or smart power strip or something like that, there are a few others out there.

Mounted this under the desk for power to stay off the floor, and then they run from the PC through the wall to the monitor.

Great idea about drilling the hole...

https://www.amazon.com/Opentron-OT4126-Metal-Protector-Outlet/dp/B00O8NVPBI/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1527186399&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=industrial+power+strip&psc=1


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00193U3O0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the advice!

I have one of these Belkin surge protectors: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000JE9LD4/ref=aw_d_pd_electronics

and one of these APC Surgearrest surge protectors: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0012YLTR6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1397065424&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

As a side note, would my electrician be okay with me running the Romex (not connected on either end?

Maybe something like this for peace of mind?

http://www.amazon.com/Furman-PST-2-6-Power-Station/dp/B0009GH13Y/ref=zg_bs_11975661_7

or simply a decent surge protector like

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002D017M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2X5H3Q9X2KAV3

A power conditioner can lessen this effect of the hissing. It will not eliminated it, but lessen it. But if it is not annoying. I would just let it along. Something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Furman-SS6B-Plug-Surge-Protector/dp/B0002D017M/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3T51229Q7HX8I&keywords=power+conditioner&qid=1557245947&s=electronics&sprefix=power+condition%2Caps%2C347&sr=1-3#customerReviews

I'm going to assume that this computer is an HTPC, and that it doesn't need to be powered on unless the TV is also powered on, and that the TV/receiver are used exclusively for the HTPC.

The way I solved this had nothing to do with Linux config at all. I just use a smart power strip. It detects when the HTPC is powered off, and then also powers off the TV and the receiver. And then when I turn the HTPC on, the power strip turns on the TV and receiver. Probably not the type of answer you were looking for, but it's low tech, it works, and it saves energy. Make sure you use hibernate (or power off) instead of sleep.

This isn't the exact power strip I use, but it's an example of what I'm talking about: https://www.amazon.com/TrickleStar-Outlet-Advanced-PowerStrip-Joules/dp/B00JPDYYSM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1505688796&sr=8-3

I considered building one using:

• 1. An Arduino to sense the signal
     
     
• 2. Belkin Green Powerstrip
     
     If I had more time, I could have finished it. I was tweaking the audio detection algorithm and had a circuit drawn out for the 12V turn-on signal used in the remote. (It's a very simple PCB in the remote)
     
     I was using a line level signal for input, so it didn't really need any conditioning. The driver circuit to handle the turn-on wasn't very complicated (a transistor used as a switch to pull-up the push button switch input to 12V). The chip in the remote could be purchased and wired up stand-alone without modding the remote, but it seemed like more work to me.
     
     If there are any commercial solutions, AFAIK they were really expensive and not readily available.
     
     

OK. Cool. I do the same.

So then, connect the AVR to the TV using one of those switching power strips. They're usually marketed as "power saving power strips". With a quick look I found this one on Amazon.ca for C$38.

Another: https://www.amazon.ca/CyberPower-P705G-Energy-Saving-Protector/dp/B01G6VTIDG/

Your speaker need to be powered somehow. Once you have the figured out you could try a smart power strip like this: http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Strip-Protector-Autoswitching-Technology/dp/B0006PUDQK

I love this for my PAX travels. http://amazon.com/Belkin-SurgePlus-3-Outlet-Charger-Protector/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/

Look for a master-controlled power strip. It's a normal power strip except that one outlet is the master, and when its power consumption goes above a threshold then it turns on the other outlets. That way when the TV is off as the master, the other outlets are off. When you press the remote and the TV goes on it uses more power, triggering the strip to turn on the other outlets. They are readily available and work really well. I have one for my entertainment center and one for my desk. https://www.amazon.com/TrickleStar-Outlet-Advanced-PowerStrip-Joules/dp/B00JPDYYSM

I have one of these and it's great.

I have my NES and SNES plugged into the same strip because of that.

APC Surgearrest 3020J -- 11 outlets, angled plug, swivel attachment to the surge protector itself. Good build quality.
See the Wirecutter's review for in-depth analysis.
Buy on Amazon - currently $26.49

I use a similar power strip to one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002K8S2J6/

It has a "master" socket that turns on whatever is plugged into the "slave" sockets when the device plugged into the master socket is turned on. I have my receiver plugged into the master and my amps and TV plugged into the slave sockets. Everything turns on and off with the receiver. It's simple, cheap, and works great.

A leap here, but could it be the power that your computers are getting? Perhaps the power in your house has a lot of noise. Maybe you should try plugging in your laptop at a library and see if you can hear the noise through your headphones. Also have you tried different headphones? There are power conditioning power strips that might help if that's the issue.

I'd be very surprised if a Monster surge protector was any better than an APC one for half the price. APC specializes in that kind of thing and Monster specializes in marking things up immensely.

Have you tried plugging the Christmas lights with the in-line dimmer into a quality power conditioner?

Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/APC-2-Outlet-Mount-Power-Filter/dp/B000OF4R8C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480387480&sr=8-1&keywords=apc+c2

I have solved similar issues using power conditioners in the past.

> Power strip

I prefer one with USB ports - like https://smile.amazon.com/Belkin-3-Outlet-SurgePlus-Protector-BST300/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/ ... I travel with one of these about 50% of the time. It is awkwardly blocky but useful.

Have you noticed playing at different locations? Sometimes it's the power supply in your house/ studio. I know because one of the outlets in my little home studio always causes a little buzz. I've never noticed this playing out or in my band's practice space. You might want to try something like this?

I've had the Belkin power-strip with remote for a few years and I love it. Trick is to place the switch were you'll utilize it most. i switch mine off when I leave and when I go to bed.

1. 40" Vizio
   
2. Laptop
   
3. Bose desktop speakers
   
4. 2 phone chargers
   
5. Quadcore android mini computer
   
   http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Switch-Energy-Saving-Protector/dp/B003P2UMNK
   
   Some wall switches are integrated with a wall outlet, you can always plug in a power strip to one of those too.

Gladly! Here is the model I use in my apartment. A touch on the pricey side, but worth it IMO. They make bigger ones too, but I haven't had the need for them yet.

You could also buy a smart outlet strip. There is one control plug that is monitored. When you turn that device off it shuts off the other plugs and vice versa. TrickleStar 7 Outlet Advanced PowerStrip, 1080 Joules, 3ft cord https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JPDYYSM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5mwHybH5NFFHT

Yeah I personally wouldn't use that. Just measure up how much cable length you need a purchase something like this.

You can get a noise cancellation pedal like this best one:
http://www.amazon.com/ISP-Technologies-Decimator-II-Reduction/dp/B00DT59450?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_29&smid=A1DE673R49FK32

There are others that are cheaper but not as good. Your call.

You can also get a electrical noise filter powerbrick to see if that helps:
http://www.amazon.com/Furman-SS6B-Plug-Surge-Protector/dp/B0002D017M/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1464164456&sr=8-5&keywords=furman+power+conditioner

This.

AmazonBasics 6-Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip, 790 Joule - White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TP1C1UC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZoZPCbRYANGZ0

It’s highly recommended to plug in just about your whole pc setup into one to protect your computer and devices in case of a power surge.

With something like this: When you switch on whatever is plugged into the 'master' outlet, the 'slave' outlets switch on as well.

you could also for about the same price as USB receptacles get a small 3-4 outlet power strip with USB outlets build in. As a bonus they usually are also surge suppressors.


https://www.amazon.ca/Belkin-3-Outlet-SurgePlus-Protector-BST300/dp/B00ATZJ5YS

Maybe something like this?

TrickleStar 7 Outlet Advanced PowerStrip, 1080 Joules, 3ft cord https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JPDYYSM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8UB8CbP8E7GWB

Sorry this was the conditioner I got (UK specific obviously): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacima-Conditioner-Frequency-Interference-Filter/dp/B000PS5700/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1405533143&sr=8-14&keywords=ground+loop+isolator

>Edit: It's in frequently bought together section but I can't seem to find a North American one. Do you think just the isolator will do?

It definitely can't hurt to try. The mains conditioner is likely to not help much at all if it really is just ground loops. I only got one to cover all my bases just in case.

Does the shielded mean that the surge protector is built in? Or do I also have to buy something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Protector--Outdoor--Gigabit-1000Mbs/dp/B008060BU0/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1465012384&sr=1-1&keywords=surge+protector+ethernet+outside

EDIT: How does that even connect my router/pc if it's closed on one side??

If you go with copper, install lightning protection at each end of the cable, as close as possible to where it enters the building. Run a #14AWG or bigger copper ground wire from the protector to a suitable grounding place like an existing ground rod or a buried metal water pipe or a piece of rebar sticking up from a concrete foundation. Make the ground wire as short and as straight as practicable. Here's a cheap Ethernet surge suppressor. http://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-ETH-SP-External-Suppressor/dp/B00R20OIAY

As far as a surge protector, I use this https://www.amazon.com/APC-P11VT3-Performance-SurgeArrest-Protection/dp/B0012YLTR6. You should contact the manufacturer of your surge protector to see if it was a faulty protector.

As far as brands for tvs to get, there was a post recently about top brands. I'd look there and gather a consensus. Though, at the 35"-42", there will be a feature parity between most brands which is to say not too many features. That's kind of good for you because you can safely look through the 2015 models on Amazon Warehouse or something similar and get more bang for your buck since cutting edge features aren't really something you'll be checking in the box.

Replacing bc old outlet lost its grip.

So then this on top

Belkin SurgePlus USB Swivel Surge Protector and Charger (Power strip with 3 AC Outlets, 2 USB Ports 2.1 AMP / 10 Watt) and rotating plug https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Wlg2CbBHJXHTC

And this on bottom outlet should be ok?


Belkin 12-Outlet Power Strip Surge Protector w/ 8ft Cord – Ideal for Computers, Home Theatre, Appliances, Office Equipment and more (3,940 Joules) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J2EN4S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Amg2CbCCQ37RH

The really important bit is to use an inline ethernet surge suppressor on both ends. You can use the one in a UPS, if you already have a UPS nearby and handy. Otherwise you can use standalone "bullet" style suppressors like this or this, or you could go with a power strip with Ethernet surge suppression.

Note that the cost is very similar between the standalone suppressors and the full power strip, which might make a difference in your decision. The standalone is probably more robust protection against actual lightning-strike levels of overvoltage, but ONLY if properly grounded with the spade connector. If you're at all uncertain of your own ability to properly ground the suppressor, you should probably go with a power strip that plugs in with a three-prong plug, since the third prong grounds it for you.

And if it doesn't (or the USB ports stay powered up when the TV goes into standby,) you can use something like what I use, this Belkin power strip. I have these in a couple of places, and they work well.

Of course, the idea of using a power strip that costs as much as the computer you're using is a bit silly. I don't use it with the RPi. I've had enough file corruption without doing things like that to it.

My issue is while using my computer I can hear a somewhat high-pitched buzzing. It varies depending on the brightness of what is being displayed on my monitor and whether I am scrolling or not. If I am doing something intensive like running a demanding video-game then the buzzing will get really obnoxious.

My stop-gap solution has been to run the A500 at about 25% on the volume knobs and then run higher gain through my USP-1 preamp. I have put in an APC Power Filter but it hasn't solved the problem. Maybe if I run just the computer or just the amp into it....

You could always buy a master/secondary power bar/surge protector. They are pretty cheap.

>https://www.amazon.com/APC-P8GT-Power-Saving-SurgeArrest-Protection/dp/B002K8S2J6

I'm young and unplug most things too. You can also find lots of surge protectors that come with remotes which is pretty convenient.

I have both a battery and a mini 3 way outlet adapter in my bag for exactly this, sharing is caring

This one

Recommend bringing this and an appropriate adapter when travelling anywhere: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-3-Outlet-SurgePlus-Protector-BST300/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504242237&sr=8-2&keywords=belkin+travel+surge+protector

beyond that, a physical adapter for South Korea and a three-prong for Japan. the latter you can find at a home depot for less than a buck, and the former either try Amazon or Monoprice.

Are you supposed to put a ETH-SP on both sides of the outdoor cable? I would assume so... Let me know. I ran cat5 out to my shed for a camera and will be adding the cam in the spring. Thanks!

Two most useful items to have, travel power strip and roll up water bottle

https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-SurgePlus-Protector-Charger-rotating/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/

https://www.amazon.com/WINGONEER-folding-bottle-outdoor-mountaineering/dp/B07428NHMM/

This is what i used, it will make you more popular

Yes, I have this in the rack: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00077INZU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So, everything that is plugged into that will be grounded through that via the wall outlet, is that correct?

https://www.amazon.com/Furman-SS6B-Power-Conditioner/dp/B0002D017M

I've always wondered if something like this would help. Electricity isn't my strong suit as far as knowledge. I use one at home for an AV mixer and it made a huge difference in reducing hum and all kinds of anomalies. Maybe this is a good compromise compared to having to shell out the dough for UPS' for each device, in case their boss doesn't want an upgrade.

That is, if it gets the job done right.

Used one of these, slapped the remote switch on the top of the cabinet(cant see it while playing). https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P2UMNK . Still need to use the shutdown option on the retropie software to safely shutdown the pi, though I have not had any issues when its been shutdown incorrectly yet.

It isnt perfect as I have a floor lamp with a remote that apparently shares the same frequency, thus the cabinet sometimes turns on when I turn the light on. Unfortunately it also sometimes turns off when someone turns the light off..

Neat idea. Here is an example.
https://smile.amazon.com/TrickleStar-Outlet-Advanced-PowerStrip-Joules/dp/B00JPDYYSM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540396231&sr=8-3&keywords=energy+saving+power+strip

I can definitely take a few pictures for you. Give me a little bit and I'll post them.

Hardly anything shows under the desk. The main artery of cables are running along the back of the desk. Fastened to the underside is mainly the keyboard/mouse cables, usb extension (I superglued a 4 port usb hub to the front of the desk), and the cable running to my Z906 controller (also glued to the desk).

This is a life saver that any battlestation owner should be aware of! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O8NVPBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_19LJxbMK6JHFH

Those "Home Theater" power strips often test more poorly than very cheap ones.

For instance, this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012YLTR6 at $26 tests better than that Belkin.

You could try something like this if dirty power is an issue.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Furman-SS6B-Plug-Surge-Protector/dp/B0002D017M/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1549502401&sr=8-20&keywords=power+conditioner

​

Rack mounted power strips (for things that don't need battery backups) and rackmount 1U monitor console.

Also, document all switch credentials in something like Passwordstate, export all switch configs, color-code ethernet cables, and purchase ethernet cables to necessary length.

Like this or this?

Desk handmade by local cabinetmaker. Monitor section can be flipped and dropped 3"

13" Macbook Pro with Retina

32" 1080p LG LCD (Haven't decided what to replace with yet)

Mackie 402-VLZ3 mixer (being replaced by Denon Pro receiver)

Yamaha MSP5 powered monitors (yeah, yeah, I need to get stands. These are getting replaced by Genelec 8030s)

Wacom Intuos 3 graphics tablet

Late 2009 Mac Mini

FiiO DAC

First gen Xbox 360 to not have RROD

Logitech Bluetooth receiver

Cable raceway

TrendNet broadband router

Managed Switch

Short computer power cable

Short "Mickey Mouse" power cable

Short micro USB cable (for Chromecast)

Buy some of these, you slobs

20W amp

Qi wireless charger, didn't work well with my Nexus 4.

UniFi WAP

Flat-head power strip, behind my bed

Ikea MALM bed and nightstands.

They make surge protectors that switch some of the outlets based on whether one main device is plugged in and powered on. Plug the receiver / preamp into the main, and then plug the Behringer (or a 12v wall wart connected to the trigger port) into one of the slave outlets.

Edit: Here's a popular one.

You want something like this https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Strip-LCG-3MVR-Autoswitching-Technology/dp/B0006PUDQK

my recommendation would be to grab a surge protector and an adapter. That's what I usually do. I used to use this one. adapter It swivels, but my button it was really stiff. Also the plug doesn't fold down which irritated me a bit and I swapped it out for one that did. Edit: This one looks better. It has only two ports, but surge protection and a 3000mah battery which is cool. I think I'm going to grab one to replace my monster strip.

Saved me in a few small airports. Mini Travel Swivel Charger Surge Protector with Dual USB Ports

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-SurgePlus-3-Outlet-Charger-Protector/dp/B00ATZJ5YS

so would something like this work in your opinion.
http://www.amazon.com/APC-P8GT-Power-Saving-SurgeArrest-Protection/dp/B002K8S2J6

They are called smart strips.


amazon link for purchase

It's a Tacima 6-way Mains Conditioner.

If it's any help, here is the product page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacima-Conditioner-Frequency-Interference-Filter/dp/B000PS5700/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1413845493&sr=8-25&keywords=surge+protector+audio

Servers:

• 2 x Dell PowerEdge R710 (One running ESXI the other Proxmox)
  
• FreeNAS running in the bottom case.
  
  Networking:
  
• Cisco WS-C3560G-48PS-E 48-Port 10/100/1000 PoE 3560 Switch
  
• PfSense running in a barbones box I picked up on Amazon. (https://www.amazon.com/Firewall-Appliance-Gigabit-Celeron-Barebone/dp/B0741F634J/ref=sr_1_14?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1522374130&sr=1-14&keywords=pfsense+firewall)
  
  FreeNAS Server Case:
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0091IZ1ZG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  Rack:
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XZWJPHG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  Rackmount Power:
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00077INZU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  Extras:
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008X3JIVS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002D1GG0C/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0060RUVBA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E1Y5O6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  

Is that different from this power strip below in amazon?

https://www.amazon.com/Opentron-OT4126-Metal-Protector-Outlet/dp/B00O8NVPBI/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1480988313&sr=8-20&keywords=power+strip

https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Wire-Cable-PB800012-12-Outlet/dp/B0027D3LNG/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1480988313&sr=8-18&keywords=power+strip


https://www.amazon.com/Surge-Protector-Power-Strip-Workbench/dp/B01JDQPAB0/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1480987836&sr=8-21&keywords=power+strip

Hm, my initial research would indicated that the powered USB is an always on feature. I have found no indications of being able to turn it off. I use one of these to help control my systems power vampirism. I bet this would work out well for you. Just one more switch to turn off at end of day.

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Conserve-Switch-F7C01008q-Energy-Saving/dp/B003P2UMNK/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&qid=1323183075&sr=8-27

Edit: this would not let you sleep and wake with keyboard. You would be doing a full shutdown or hibernate on each power off.

Or stuff like this. We have one connected to the game consoles. TV goes off so does the PlayStation.

There are some power strips where the connector is fairly flat.

Like this:http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-6-Outlet-Commercial-Protector-Rotating/dp/B000JV3CKA/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1413002495&sr=1-2&keywords=power+strip

You need to get a powerstrip with master/slave outlets. Something like the APC P8GT.

Three always-on, One Master, Four Slave/Controlled outlets

In lieu of finding an external case with a switch you could:

1. Use a power strip with a remote control like this Belkin.
   
   
2. Make your own with this switch and these two jacks right here. You wouldn't even need to solder.

or something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Opentron-OT4126-Metal-Protector-Outlet/dp/B00O8NVPBI

Plenty of space for what ever you decide to plug in.

I use something like this. Opentron OT4126 Metal Surge Protector Power Strip 4 Feet 12 Outlet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O8NVPBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_rhkLBb59QFBNH

Check out something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-ETH-SP-External-Suppressor/dp/B00R20OIAY/ref=pd_sim_147_5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00R20OIAY&pd_rd_r=JSB3GXVMAQA08DDBPP62&pd_rd_w=W9CCZ&pd_rd_wg=XGsVp&psc=1&refRID=JSB3GXVMAQA08DDBPP62

Sounds like you need a different power strip.

If you have things plugged into a surge protector that could also be a problem point. I should've said that as well.

So if you do have the TV / lights plugged into a surge protector you may want to try a different one as well.

Amazon has a two pack for cheap (can never have enough surge protectors)

Get one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Belkin-6-Outlet-Commercial-Protector-BE106000-08R/dp/B000JV3CKA

Mount it on the wall / fireplace behind the TV and run the cord along the base of the platform. Use zipties to pull the excess wires together and secure to the surge protector.

You're not telling us much about your modem but...

My brother once called me because he was at a friend's house and having this same problem. After some discussion, I asked him to take a look at the power strip or UPS that everything was plugged into.

Power strips sometimes have a feature where there is a "master" port and a "slave" port. The master is watched for power draw, and when there is no power pulled on the master then the slave is turned off.

The friend had his laptop connected to the master port and his router on the slave port. Every time he turned off his laptop, the power strip would cut power to his router on the slave port.

Example power strip that works like this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002K8S2J6

I'm going to add this too. I use all three of these and they certainly keep my electricity costs down. My bills have been less than $27 for the last few months.

Any recommendations on a cordless power strip without surge protection? I took this with me two years ago and no one said anything (couldn't use it anyway, cause it has a blank prong for a second outlet): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU49AAO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kTWyCbSPHYREM

I plan on taking this with me on a cruise in a month, and am hoping it will be fine: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATZJ5YS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tUWyCb702R174

I have never heard of something for that purpose in a residential setup. I'm sure you could find something to do that but it would not be inexpensive by any means. Aside from local UPS protection for computers, etc; you may want to look into a whole house suppressor as jimjazz1414 suggested. I think that would help but it would only be a bandaid on a severed limb if that voltage spiked that high for any long period of time. Here is what he was refering too: http://www.amazon.com/Square-Schneider-Electric-HEPD80-Electronics/dp/B00CONA1OQ/ref=pd_sim_hi_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1026BT0TXVSB8W7EN6GT

You want an Ethernet surge protector, not a modem one. Modem ones 'can' cause issue but not always, Ethernet ones never cause issues.

Get this one: https://www.amazon.com/APC-PNET1GB-ProtectNet-Standalone-Protector/dp/B000BKUSS8/

And wire the green wire to earth somehow, I have mine wired to the Earth pin on a plug and I removed the other 2 pins on the plug.

The one you linked should also be fine and won't cause issues if you only use the Ethernet ports and not the DSL ports, but I havn't tried it, I prefer to have separate devices.

Same item but even cheaper on Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002D017M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1449109222&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=Furman+SS-6B+Surge+Block