Surge protector is a lie?...

[Commander Kinsey]

I have a Micromark surge protector. Just a plug (not as in to connect an appliance, it just plugs into a socket to absorb surges, no cable comes out of it). I was interested in the LED on the front which says \"protection active\", so I opened it to look inside to see how it knew if it had expired. What do I find? An array of varistors as expected, but the only connection to live was through a clumsily soldered on piece of fusewire about 1-2 amps thickness. So.... it blows the fusewire as soon as there\'s an infinitely tiny surge, so therefore can\'t absorb much of it anyway? What\'s the point in that?

 

[Peeler]

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 08:35:54 -0000, Birdbrain Macaw (aka \"Commander Kinsey\",
\"James Wilkinson\", \"Steven Wanker\",\"Bruce Farquar\", \"Fred Johnson, etc.),
the pathological resident idiot and attention whore of all the uk ngs,
blathered again:

<FLUSH the subnormal sociopathic trolling attention whore\'s latest
attention-baiting sick bullshit unread again>

--
damduck-egg@yahoo.co.uk about Birdbrain Macaw\'s (now \"Commander Kinsey\" LOL)
trolling:
\"He is a well known attention seeking troll and every reply you
make feeds him.
Starts many threads most of which die quick as on the UK groups anyone
with sense Kill filed him ages ago which is why he now cross posts to
the US groups for a new audience.
This thread was unusual in that it derived and continued without him
to a large extent and his silly questioning is an attempt to get
noticed again.\"
MID: <be195d5jh0hktj054mvfu7ef9ap854mjdb@4ax.com>

--
ItsJoanNotJoann addressing Birdbrain Macaw\'s (now \"Commander Kinsey\" LOL):
\"You\'re an annoying troll and I\'m done with you and your
stupidity.\"
MID: <e39a6a7f-9677-4e78-a866-0590fe5bbc38@googlegroups.com>

--
AndyW addressing Birdbrain:
\"Troll or idiot?...
You have been presented with a viewpoint with information, reasoning,
historical cases, citations and references to back it up and wilfully
ignore all going back to your idea which has no supporting information.\"
MID: <KaToA.263621$g93.262397@fx10.am4>

 

[Slevin]

Commander Kinsey wrote:

I have a Micromark surge protector.  Just a plug (not as in to connect
an appliance, it just plugs into a socket to absorb surges, no cable
comes out of it).  I was interested in the LED on the front which says
\"protection active\", so I opened it to look inside to see how it knew if
it had expired.  What do I find?  An array of varistors as expected, but
the only connection to live was through a clumsily soldered on piece of
fusewire about 1-2 amps thickness.  So.... it blows the fusewire as soon
as there\'s an infinitely tiny surge, so therefore can\'t absorb much of
it anyway?  What\'s the point in that?

Simple. When the light goes out you give Micromark more of your
money...but I think you knew that.

 

[Brian Gaff]

Well, it is probably only meant for spikes caused by things switching on and
off. I did, some years ago buy a packet of Surge protection vdr devices from
RS and fitted them inside plugs where there was room. One day there
apparently was a lightening strike nearby, and my stuff was fine except for
1 blown 5 amp fuse on a lamp. Interestingly these vdrs specs had an
amazingly small reaction time and could for a split second dump many amps,
but only over around 360v ish. So it was what one might call a limiter, I
suppose. Many appliances have something like this inside, I\'m told but never
looked.
Incidentally, I had a Samsung Fax machine, many years back trashed by a
lightening strike to the public telephone wires about a mile away. It just
rolled out black paper, It was under warranty, and the bloke who fixed it
changed the pcb saying its a common fault, now fixed by a surge suppressor
on the board.


Of course if you do really get a very local strike, I have seen the result
in a local factory. Every bit of electronics had its mains input circuit
trashed and nearly all the internal wiring had to be replaced and the
sockets were in fact blown off the wall and melted.
Really a sobering thought.
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
\"Commander Kinsey\" <CK1@nospam.com> wrote in message
newsp.11mvh4qamvhs6z@ryzen.home...

I have a Micromark surge protector. Just a plug (not as in to connect an
appliance, it just plugs into a socket to absorb surges, no cable comes out
of it). I was interested in the LED on the front which says \"protection
active\", so I opened it to look inside to see how it knew if it had
expired. What do I find? An array of varistors as expected, but the only
connection to live was through a clumsily soldered on piece of fusewire
about 1-2 amps thickness. So.... it blows the fusewire as soon as there\'s
an infinitely tiny surge, so therefore can\'t absorb much of it anyway?
What\'s the point in that?

 

[Peeler]

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 10:55:49 -0000, Brainless & Daft, the TV-watching and
pity-baiting senile \"blind\" mole, blathered again:

> Well,

Well, back to feeding the trolling swine again, you disgusting pity-baiting
troll-feeding senile swine?

 

[dyno dan]

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 10:55:49 -0000, \"Brian Gaff\"
<brian1gaff@gmail.com> wrote:

Of course if you do really get a very local strike, I have seen the result
in a local factory. Every bit of electronics had its mains input circuit
trashed and nearly all the internal wiring had to be replaced and the
sockets were in fact blown off the wall and melted.

I had a ground strike near me a few years ago. Apparently the surge of
electricity in the ground was picked up by my satellite TV antenna\'s
underground wire. The satellite receiver was fried AND SO WAS the UPS
+ surge control unit that the satellite receiver was plugged into.
Nothing else in the house was affected.

When lightning is real close, I now unscrew the dish antenna from the
receiver and just watch things that I had previously recorded.

-dan z-



--
Protect your civil rights!
Let the politicians know how you feel.
Join or donate to the NRA today!
http://membership.nrahq.org/default.asp?campaignid=XR014887
(use cut and paste to your browser if necessary)

Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars.

 

[Anthony William Sloman]

On Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 1:24:18 AM UTC+11, dyno dan wrote:

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 10:55:49 -0000, \"Brian Gaff\"
brian...@gmail.com> wrote:

<snip>

> Protect your civil rights!

Allowing every lunatic to own a gun might be seen as a \"civil right\", but it is bit silly.

> Let the politicians know how you feel.

They need to know which of the constituents can\'t think straight.

> Join or donate to the NRA today!

Why bother. The NRA gets its money from gun manufacturers who want to maximise their market by selling to every half-wit who think that owning a gun is useful for self-defense, when the guns are much more frequently used by half-wits to delete themselves from the gene pool when they happen to feel depressed.

That\'s no loss. But some of them kill other people in the process.

<snipped access to dangerous nonsense >

> Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars.

A bizarre misconception. Are you sure that you aren\'t Flyguy posting under s new nym?

--
Bill Sloman, Sydney

 

[Peeler]

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 07:28:46 -0800 (PST), tardo_4, the notorious,
troll-feeding, senile idiot, blathered again:


> A surge protector doesn\'t absorb surges

Let\'s not forget, all you idiotic troll-feeding senile assholes on ahr that
the troll you gladly keep feeding has a \"degree\" in electronics which he
repeatedly and proudly uploaded on the Internet! He clearly THRIVES on
senile idiots on Usenet! <BG>

 

[Ricky]

On Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 5:56:02 AM UTC-5, Brian Gaff wrote:

Of course if you do really get a very local strike, I have seen the result
in a local factory. Every bit of electronics had its mains input circuit
trashed and nearly all the internal wiring had to be replaced and the
sockets were in fact blown off the wall and melted.
Really a sobering thought.

Most people don\'t even know what a power surge is. A surge is from a nearby lightning strike, that induces current into the long lines of power and phone, just like a transformer.

People read that a $10 outlet strip can work magic and protect them from bad stuff. There\'s very little you can to to protect your equipment actually.. The worst stuff seems to be from the phone lines, rather than the power lines. Probably because there is much less load on the phone lines, so the voltage can spike higher.

Surge protection is inherently lifespan limited. By passing the current of a surge, the power is absorbed into the protection device. Every device has limits and can be destroyed. Then you no longer have protection. A device that you plug into an outlet to protect the whole house, is inherently limited in its ability to protect, by the parasitic parameters of the house wiring. A proper device to protect the house, will be wired into the power panel where it can have maximum effect. Even then, it has to be checked after every event to see if it needs replacement.

I\'ve only ever had problems on modem type devices. Never on anything expensive. I don\'t bother with these gadgets. People will talk about the appliances they\'ve lost, but no one can show any events of protection. I just don\'t see where they are worth anything. They are like an elephant shield. \"It\'s working, isn\'t it?\"

--

Rick C.

- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[John Larkin]

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 08:35:54 -0000, \"Commander Kinsey\"
<CK1@nospam.com> wrote:

>I have a Micromark surge protector. Just a plug (not as in to connect an appliance, it just plugs into a socket to absorb surges, no cable comes out of it). I was interested in the LED on the front which says \"protection active\", so I opened it to look inside to see how it knew if it had expired. What do I find? An array of varistors as expected, but the only connection to live was through a clumsily soldered on piece of fusewire about 1-2 amps thickness. So.... it blows the fusewire as soon as there\'s an infinitely tiny surge, so therefore can\'t absorb much of it anyway? What\'s the point in that?

Cheap chinese appliances with fake UL and CE labels need fake chinese
surge protectors with fake UL and CE labels.

Micromark seems to be sold in the UK but not in the US.

 

[Peeler]

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 09:38:43 -0800, John Larkin, another obviously brain
dead, troll-feeding senile asshole, blathered:

Cheap chinese appliances with fake UL and CE labels need fake chinese
surge protectors with fake UL and CE labels.

Somewhat like trolling assholes like him need troll-feeding senile assholes
like you!

 

[John Larkin]

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 18:08:16 +0100, Peeler <trolltrap@valid.invalid>
wrote:

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 07:28:46 -0800 (PST), tardo_4, the notorious,
troll-feeding, senile idiot, blathered again:


A surge protector doesn\'t absorb surges

Let\'s not forget, all you idiotic troll-feeding senile assholes on ahr that
the troll you gladly keep feeding has a \"degree\" in electronics which he
repeatedly and proudly uploaded on the Internet! He clearly THRIVES on
senile idiots on Usenet! <BG

What degrees do you have? You sound like a classic engineer-hating
technician. It ain\'t our fault we went to college; most of us were
there for the girls.

 

[Rod Speed]

On Sun, 12 Mar 2023 05:13:07 +1100, John Larkin
<jlarkin@highlandsnipmetechnology.com> wrote:

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 18:08:16 +0100, Peeler <trolltrap@valid.invalid
wrote:

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 07:28:46 -0800 (PST), tardo_4, the notorious,
troll-feeding, senile idiot, blathered again:


A surge protector doesn\'t absorb surges

Let\'s not forget, all you idiotic troll-feeding senile assholes on ahr
that
the troll you gladly keep feeding has a \"degree\" in electronics which he
repeatedly and proudly uploaded on the Internet! He clearly THRIVES on
senile idiots on Usenet! <BG

What degrees do you have?

Electronic sniping and a short circuit between the ears.

> You sound like a classic engineer-hating technician.

Nothing even remotely like that, not even a certificate in dunny cleaning.

 

[Frank]

On 3/11/2023 5:48 AM, Slevin wrote:

Commander Kinsey wrote:
I have a Micromark surge protector.  Just a plug (not as in to connect
an appliance, it just plugs into a socket to absorb surges, no cable
comes out of it).  I was interested in the LED on the front which says
\"protection active\", so I opened it to look inside to see how it knew
if it had expired.  What do I find?  An array of varistors as
expected, but the only connection to live was through a clumsily
soldered on piece of fusewire about 1-2 amps thickness.  So.... it
blows the fusewire as soon as there\'s an infinitely tiny surge, so
therefore can\'t absorb much of it anyway?  What\'s the point in that?

Simple. When the light goes out you give Micromark more of your
money...but I think you knew that.

Surge protectors are a lot cheaper than appliances like microwave, TV or
computer. I had problems with all before using surge protectors.
Living in a treed area, high tension line would fall onto low tension
line to houses causing the voltage surge.

 

[John Larkin]

On Sun, 12 Mar 2023 05:29:00 +1100, \"Rod Speed\"
<rod.speed.aaa@gmail.com> wrote:

On Sun, 12 Mar 2023 05:13:07 +1100, John Larkin
jlarkin@highlandsnipmetechnology.com> wrote:

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 18:08:16 +0100, Peeler <trolltrap@valid.invalid
wrote:

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 07:28:46 -0800 (PST), tardo_4, the notorious,
troll-feeding, senile idiot, blathered again:


A surge protector doesn\'t absorb surges

Let\'s not forget, all you idiotic troll-feeding senile assholes on ahr
that
the troll you gladly keep feeding has a \"degree\" in electronics which he
repeatedly and proudly uploaded on the Internet! He clearly THRIVES on
senile idiots on Usenet! <BG

What degrees do you have?

Electronic sniping and a short circuit between the ears.

You sound like a classic engineer-hating technician.

Nothing even remotely like that, not even a certificate in dunny cleaning.

It\'s sad how many damaged people there are. And that they gravitate
here.

 

[Peeler]

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 10:13:07 -0800, John Larkin, another obviously brain
dead, troll-loving senile asshole, blathered:

Let\'s not forget, all you idiotic troll-feeding senile assholes on ahr that
the troll you gladly keep feeding has a \"degree\" in electronics which he
repeatedly and proudly uploaded on the Internet! He clearly THRIVES on
senile idiots on Usenet! <BG

What degrees do you have? You sound like a classic engineer-hating
technician. It ain\'t our fault we went to college; most of us were
there for the girls.

LOL Blithering senile idiot! Simply unbelievable! Fucking stupid senile
morons that took over Usenet a few years ago! LOL

 

[Peeler]

On Sun, 12 Mar 2023 05:29:00 +1100, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

<FLUSH the abnormal sleepless trolling senile cretin\'s latest trollshit
unread>

--
Richard addressing senile Rodent Speed:
\"Shit you\'re thick/pathetic excuse for a troll.\"
MID: <ogoa38$pul$1@news.mixmin.net>

 

[Bob F]

On 3/11/2023 10:13 AM, John Larkin wrote:

What degrees do you have? You sound like a classic engineer-hating
technician. It ain\'t our fault we went to college; most of us were
there for the girls.

LOL! Not the engineers I know.

 

[Ricky]

On Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 1:13:21 PM UTC-5, John Larkin wrote:

On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 18:08:16 +0100, Peeler <trol...@valid.invalid
wrote:
On Sat, 11 Mar 2023 07:28:46 -0800 (PST), tardo_4, the notorious,
troll-feeding, senile idiot, blathered again:


A surge protector doesn\'t absorb surges

Let\'s not forget, all you idiotic troll-feeding senile assholes on ahr that
the troll you gladly keep feeding has a \"degree\" in electronics which he
repeatedly and proudly uploaded on the Internet! He clearly THRIVES on
senile idiots on Usenet! <BG
What degrees do you have? You sound like a classic engineer-hating
technician. It ain\'t our fault we went to college; most of us were
there for the girls.

What is it about Larkin, that he can never ignore a troll. When people here can show him he is wrong, he takes great offense and killfiles them. But a pure troll like Peeler, he can\'t seem to ignore.

I think the answer is clear. Larkin is just a troll himself.

--

Rick C.

+ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
+ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Ricky]

On Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 1:47:32 PM UTC-5, Frank wrote:

On 3/11/2023 5:48 AM, Slevin wrote:
Commander Kinsey wrote:
I have a Micromark surge protector. Just a plug (not as in to connect
an appliance, it just plugs into a socket to absorb surges, no cable
comes out of it). I was interested in the LED on the front which says
\"protection active\", so I opened it to look inside to see how it knew
if it had expired. What do I find? An array of varistors as
expected, but the only connection to live was through a clumsily
soldered on piece of fusewire about 1-2 amps thickness. So.... it
blows the fusewire as soon as there\'s an infinitely tiny surge, so
therefore can\'t absorb much of it anyway? What\'s the point in that?

Simple. When the light goes out you give Micromark more of your
money...but I think you knew that.
Surge protectors are a lot cheaper than appliances like microwave, TV or
computer. I had problems with all before using surge protectors.
Living in a treed area, high tension line would fall onto low tension
line to houses causing the voltage surge.

This is the sort of anecdotal claims that perpetuate the use of pointless surge protectors. If you have a power line cross, that would put not just a few joules of energy into your wiring, but the full potential energy of the high voltage power lines!!! You don\'t have any surge protectors in your house that will prevent that \"surge\" from damaging equipment.

I also live in a \"treed\" area. Some years ago, a hurricane remnant dropped trees all over the area, including on virtually every power line. I did not suffer any damage to anything in the house, other than my olfactory sensor, because there was no running water for a week.

People often don\'t really understand what surges are about and feel the $10 \"protector\" they buy will accomplish something. It\'s not very likely to help in all but a few cases where the \"surge\" is of high enough energy to damage an appliance, but low enough energy so the protector will actually protect, and not just blow out along with the appliances.

--

Rick C.

-- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
-- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209