[BARC-List] lightning protection

[Dan Malloy]

Hello to all,
   I got this from my ISP.  Since we all know about lighning, have =
technical minds, and anyone who reads this owns a computer, I thought =
I'd pass it on:

Surge Protection



        We receive many calls from across the country about modem =
related issues. In almost all cases the common denominator is the lack =
of a proper surge protector connected to the computer. We find that most =
people believe that they are properly protecting their computer, only to =
find out that the "surge protector" they purchased is not for a =
computer.

        There is an immediate way to determine if the surge protector =
you have is for a computer. Look to see if it has phone jacks in it. If =
it does not have phone jacks, IT IS NOT FOR A COMPUTER! Almost every =
system we receive for repair that has been hit by a "spike" or "surge", =
the current entered the system through the phone line. I want you to =
think about this for a moment. From the telephone pole in front of your =
home, to the back of your computer where you plug in the phone line =
there is a direct connection of copper wire (obviously a wonderful =
conductor of electricity). An electrical storm anywhere within 50 miles =
of your home is going to send electrical current through the phone lines =
in your area.

        You must protect the phone line from surges. This can only be =
done properly by purchasing a "Surge Arrest" or "Surge Protector" that =
has phone jacks in it. By the way, the difference between a "Surge =
Arrest" and "Surge Protector" is the name the manufacturer decides to =
call it. Those $9.95, so called surge protectors you can buy at Walmart =
and K-Mart are not for computers and this is what we inevitably find =
most people have their computer plugged into. It says right on the box =
for computers. I assure you, they are not!!!!!

        You are going to spend $30.00 or more for a decent surge =
protector and here's what you need to look for when making that =
purchase. Ask what the "joule" rating is. The higher the joule rating, =
the better the protection. My recommendation is a minimum joule rating =
of 1700 joules. The surge protectors we sell are rated at 2000 joules. =
The joule rating determines how much incoming transient electricity the =
unit is capable of dissipating (absorbing like a sponge) before the unit =
itself becomes damaged, there for allowing the incoming surge to reach =
your computer.

        When properly connected you will be running a phone cord from =
the phone jack on your wall to the "Incoming" phone jack on the surge =
protector. Another phone cord will run from the "Outgoing" phone jack on =
the surge protector to the modem in your computer, there by forcing any =
spikes or surges to pass through the surge protector before reaching =
your computer. If you do not protect your system in the manner described =
above, you will eventually loose your modem or worse your entire =
computer to a surge.

        A true story: Personal friends of mine living in New York state =
recently came home from an extended week end trip to find that they had =
obviously had a power outage while gone. All of the clocks in the house =
were blinking 12:00. We have all seen this happen. After settling in and =
putting the baby to bed they both turned on their computers to catch up =
on the email they missed while away. The husband's system wouldn't even =
boot. He called me and I tried unsuccessfully to get his system up and =
running. They had been hit by a powerful surge and while the wife's =
system was properly connected to a surge protector, including the phone =
line, the husbands was not. The surge was so powerful that not only did =
it fry his modem it passed through the modem and fried his hard drive. =
He lost hundreds of baby pictures and irreplaceable data. Moral of this =
story, women know more than men. (Grin!)

        Conclusion: $30.00 is a cheap price to pay to properly protect =
your computer investment. If you are not protected as described above, =
you have up to now been very lucky.=20

        Archives of previous newsletters can be viewed at: =
http://www.mwisp.net/newsletter/archives




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