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OT: cheap line conditioner for PC okay?

My question is in the last paragraph.

For many months, I've been using a cheap voltage regulator made by APC.

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It looks junkie inside, I accidentally cracked one of the apparently cheap brittle LEDs (I've handled/abused hundreds of optoelectronics devices without breaking).

The good news is that my computer no longer spontaneously restarts. I hear the regulator clicking every once in awhile, sometimes several times a day, sometimes not at all. Lately the top LED (overvoltage I guess) has been on for hours at a time. Currently it indicates normal. Of course it's not a UPC, but it doesn't require a battery either.

I understand that the regulator pulls more current when the house outlet voltage is low, but I doubt my computer equipment would strain anything. I'm looking at this regulator, that makes smaller adjustments providing for more voltage levels.

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Assuming my house electricity supply sucks and fixing it is not an option. Is the regulator protecting my computer (homebuilt, much time/money invested) and could a better regulator significantly increase the protection? Or does the junky regulator I already have really only protect my power supply? Then again, I've heard that power supply failure can cause significant other problems.

Thank you.

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discussing electronic and technical stuff (or most complex, fact
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Reply to
John Doe
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If it ain't broke . . . .

Reply to
Homer J Simpson

Well I guess. I don't know of any problem related to the cheap line conditioner. And as far as I know it has stopped spontaneous reboots. It does what I expected, the computer is either on or off. When the power is off for more than an instant, the computer just shuts down. My speakers do not go through the line conditioner but go directly to the surge suppressor and sometimes a glitch is enough to make them pop, but that happens without interrupting the computer that's connected through the conditioner. Sure seems like it ain't broke.

Reply to
John Doe

That doesn't look like a junky regulator to me... seems quite well suited for your computer system. The regulator provides nominal surge protection (702 joules), but you might want to put a serious surge protector (=> 1000 joules)between the wall receptacle and the regulator. Assuming that you have the input voltage switch set for 120V (US), if the High Line LED is on for extended periods, then you need to contact your power company and get them to adjust your line voltage down to 120V.

Also assuming that the model of line regulator you have is the 1200 watt model, your computer should be quite happy with it. The regulator should supply proper power for the life of the computer. (Also assuming that you don't have 2 or 3 old laser printers connected as well).

As always, with power conditioning equipment, be sure that you don't exceed the VA rating of the regulator. Add the wattage on the nameplates of all connected equipment. If the sum of the nameplate watts exceeds the wattage rating of the regulator, either get a larger regulator or remove equipment until the loads are less than the regulator's rating.

Cheers!!

--
Dave M
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address)

Life is like a roll of toilet paper; the closer to the end, the faster it goes.
Reply to
DaveM

APC is a fairly well recognised brand, I doubt they'd put out an under-perfoprming product.

A photo would help. the bit about not using it with motor devices seems odd.

This switwces automatically between 4 settings, The tripplite documentation goes into more detail than the APC docs which is probably a good thing. from the documentation the APC unit sounds like it's based around a tapped autotransformer, this is no new technology, but is very reliable.

It's not protecting the computer hardware much more than a regular line filter would, however the increased stability will help your operating system integrity.

that it can.

tripp-lite offers $25000 free insurance for your connected hardware.

Bye. Jasen

Reply to
jasen

Also remember to include a power factor

Reply to
Terran Melconian

Look again at those APC specs. Everything claimed in APC specs is supposed to be performed by a computer's power supply. Anything the APC product does is made completely irrelevant by what should be inside a power supply. If the APC accomplishes something, then time to question a human who bought that power supply.

For example, what happens when AC main voltage drops so low that incandescent bulbs dim to less than 40%? Computer must work just fine. It must also start just fine. This demanded by industry specs even 30 years ago.

Many buy power supplies using only dollars and watts. Then spend hundreds to correct what is missing because they saved ten or twenty dollars. Note numbers in that APC spec. For example, problems could enter on computer's green safety ground wire. APC would do nothing - does not even claim - to filter or surge protect that wire.

Solution to line conitioning etc starts with where such filtering, etc is required by industry standards, FCC regulations AND other functions inside power supply. Those many functions must be solved inside a computer's power supply.

Reply to
w_tom

I do believe APC protects ALL incoming wires... at least on the non-hobbyist models. My son has a rack-mounted one that includes $100K of insurance.

...Jim Thompson

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|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
|  Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems  |    manus    |
|  Phoenix, Arizona            Voice:(480)460-2350  |             |
|  E-mail Address at Website     Fax:(480)460-2142  |  Brass Rat  |
|       http://www.analog-innovations.com           |    1962     |
             
         America: Land of the Free, Because of the Brave
Reply to
Jim Thompson

View that insurance 'fine print'. So many 'exemptions'. APC specs, as provided here, claim to protect from what? Spec numbers don't even define many types of surges - let alone define which wires have protection. Provided were general numbers that protect from what? They don't even say. Provided only enough information to promote myths among the naive.

Companies with superior reputations - that actually provide effective solutions - include Cutler-Hammer, Square D, Leviton, Intermatic, Siemens, GE, etc. APC and Monster Cable are not on that list for obvious reasons.

View what another discovered when dealing with APC's warranty: W D Loughman on 11 May 2001 in comp.os.os2.misc entitled "UPS advice"

But again - conditioning from what? Radio waves from the local station? Harmonics? Excessive power factor? Filtering for FCC regulations because that function was missing inside a power supply? Intermittent electricity created by a wall receptacle wired using stab lock rather than attached by side mount screws? What does the OP want to condition? Instead a 'magic' conditioner does everything?

Assume we need filtered 'line conditioning'. Some manufacturers that provide serious conditioners are Zerosurge, Surgex, and Brickwall. Why do 'real' line conditioners costs so much more? What really does the APC do for less money?

Above functions must be in power supplies that sell on accomplishment

- not selling on price to a computer assembler who needs no electrical knowledge to be certified.

Meanwhile, if filtering was on all wires, then the conditioner could not be UL approved. What exactly is supposed to be accomplished - what is missing inside that power supply?

Reply to
w_tom

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