30 Years, 5 Cities, Many Storms - Not One Failure


As I am tempted by offerings for the newest crop of expensive, high end surge suppressors and power conditioners, I thought I might share with the Audiogon community a particuarly inexpensive one which I have been using since 1978.

Through the years, I have moved at least 8 times, lived in 5 different cities through all seasons including stormy Northeastern winters, Summer "brownouts", total blackouts and countless late Summer, high humidity thunderstorms.

I have owned tube gear, solid state gear, televisions, video devices, LCD projectors - the works - typically leaving all my components on 24/7.

In my latest house, I reported in another thread that the village infrastructure is not so robust; my wall voltage fluctuates from 114 - 124 volts, and we reguarly see brownouts in the summer and power outages in both winter and summer when storms knock branches into the above ground power lines.

Would you like to know my low cost secret for protecting all these components?

NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That right, I have NEVER used a surge suppressor or power conditioner of any kind. I have never unplugged any equipment during a storm - in fact I usually didnt even turn it off.

So as much as I am always seeking new ways to throw money at this lifelong hobby of mine, I am little confused about all the fuss on power conditioners and in particular, surge suppressors.

Does this thread surprise any of you?
cwlondon
I have had equipment destroyed by lightning strike, though it was many years ago. I have since added surge protection and power conditioning. Power conditioning is a matter of choice. I suppose surge protection is, too, but the difference is that no harm will come from not having power conditioning.
Unfortunately, the only thing that makes a believer is to experience the unfortunate event. I put a burglar alarm in my house after it was robbed. I got hurricane shutters after being hit by hurricanes. I'm guilty of the same attitude.
Sometimes you can learn from other people's experiences. Sometimes you don't want to learn.
I've got a pc and ss, but I love to ride motorcycles and sometimes I run with scissors.
Putting a scare into folks with dire predictions is always a good tactic.

I gambled and lost ... cable box, two PC's, Nakamichi amp, garage door opener and a TV.

AND I MEAN it melted them down ... nothing could even be repaired. It was a total loss.
Are those Furman surge protections in some of the pictures of your systems for displaying or for surge protection ?