14 Jul
2001
14 Jul
'01
4:40 p.m.
I've been accumulating the damages from a recent thunderstorm. Wow!
Originally I thought
it was just a GFI breaker and the phones. But it turns out that a
computer got hit (just a PC),
and the cable box as well as a TV. I'm making a list (8 entries so far).
Thank God my bro-in-law
here in Maryland gave me a surge supressor that I put on my SWTPC. Makes
me think I need
more of those things.
Anyone else have such an event happen? Also, take this as a warning to
protect you most valuable
possessions. I intend to get a few more surge suppressors to protect
stuff. This is the one and only
time that this has happened to me, and I'm felling lucky.
Eric
14 Jul
14 Jul
5:26 p.m.
I've been accumulating the damages from a recent
thunderstorm. Wow!
Originally I thought
it was just a GFI breaker and the phones. But it turns out that a
computer got hit (just a PC),
and the cable box as well as a TV. I'm making a list (8 entries so far).
Thank God my bro-in-law
here in Maryland gave me a surge supressor that I put on my SWTPC. Makes
me think I need
more of those things.
Wow...and you're only a few miles from me. To the best of my
knowledge, with the exception of the occasional power loss, we
haven't had any problems from the various storms. Then again, I
don't run anything straight off of the wall outlet other than some
lamps and kitchen appliances.
Jeff
--
Collector of Classic Microcomputers and Video Game Systems:
Home of the TRS-80 Model 2000 FAQ File
http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/lakes/6757
5:55 p.m.
Do you typically unplug your machines during boomers, or leave them
plugged in?
I purchased a UPS/line conditioner back when I lived in an upstairs
apartment and my computer collection consisted of a 486 PC and QBUS
DECsystem 5400.
I did not suffer a lightning strike, but rain blew a surprising distance
in an open window across the room on my UPS and shorted it out during a
particularly bad T-storm. Fortunately I was in the next room when it
happened since it emitted impressive sparks.
Since then, I have a house with a basement and the collection has expanded
a great deal but I try to disconnect and power off all the equipment not
doing anything important during flashy storms.
Now there is a lot more to disconnect. Network cables to all the
machines, two of them to the linux box hooked to the cable modem, various
printers, monitors and speakers not always hooked to a UPS due to lack of
plugs or capacity. I imagine any one could be an entry point for a surge.
On Sat, 14 Jul 2001, Eric Chomko wrote:
I've been accumulating the damages from a recent
thunderstorm. Wow!
Originally I thought
it was just a GFI breaker and the phones. But it turns out that a
computer got hit (just a PC),
and the cable box as well as a TV. I'm making a list (8 entries so far).
Thank God my bro-in-law
here in Maryland gave me a surge supressor that I put on my SWTPC. Makes
me think I need
more of those things.
Anyone else have such an event happen? Also, take this as a warning to
protect you most valuable
possessions. I intend to get a few more surge suppressors to protect
stuff. This is the one and only
time that this has happened to me, and I'm felling lucky.
Eric
--
15 Jul
15 Jul
9:57 a.m.
Paul Thompson wrote:
Do you typically unplug your machines during boomers,
or leave them
plugged in?
I was on vacation. The machine was plugged in but off.
I purchased a UPS/line conditioner back when I lived in an upstairs
apartment and my computer collection consisted of a 486 PC and QBUS
DECsystem 5400.
I did not suffer a lightning strike, but rain blew a surprising distance
in an open window across the room on my UPS and shorted it out during a
particularly bad T-storm. Fortunately I was in the next room when it
happened since it emitted impressive sparks.
Wow, sounds intense.
Since then, I have a house with a basement and the collection has expanded
a great deal but I try to disconnect and power off all the equipment not
doing anything important during flashy storms.
Most of my equipment is not plugged in.
Now there is a lot more to disconnect. Network cables to all the
machines, two of them to the linux box hooked to the cable modem, various
printers, monitors and speakers not always hooked to a UPS due to lack of
plugs or capacity. I imagine any one could be an entry point for a surge.
On Sat, 14 Jul 2001, Eric Chomko wrote:
I've been accumulating the damages from a
recent thunderstorm. Wow!
Originally I thought
it was just a GFI breaker and the phones. But it turns out that a
computer got hit (just a PC),
and the cable box as well as a TV. I'm making a list (8 entries so far).
Thank God my bro-in-law
here in Maryland gave me a surge supressor that I put on my SWTPC. Makes
me think I need
more of those things.
Anyone else have such an event happen? Also, take this as a warning to
protect you most valuable
possessions. I intend to get a few more surge suppressors to protect
stuff. This is the one and only
time that this has happened to me, and I'm felling lucky.
Eric
-- 
17 Jul
17 Jul
8:17 p.m.
On Sat, 14 Jul 2001, Paul Thompson wrote:
Do you typically unplug your machines during boomers,
or leave them
plugged in?
None of my classic machines are currently plugged in, but I highly suspect
that their connections with the outside world will be arranged in a way
similar to that used on my PCs. The PCs, their monitors, and all network
hardware plug somewhere into a set of 3 UPS units. That means that I need
only to unplug 3 plugs to electrically separate the entire mess from the
world. Also, even though I believe it turns to fiber not too far away
from my house, I unplug the cable modem's coax from
the wall just to be
sure.
At that point, the room is waaaay to quiet!
--
Jeffrey S. Sharp
jss(a)ou.edu
14 Jul
14 Jul
8:17 p.m.
On Sat, 14 Jul 2001, Eric Chomko wrote:
I've been accumulating the damages from a recent
thunderstorm. Wow!
Originally I thought
it was just a GFI breaker and the phones. But it turns out that a
computer got hit (just a PC),
and the cable box as well as a TV. I'm making a list (8 entries so far).
Thank God my bro-in-law
here in Maryland gave me a surge supressor that I put on my SWTPC. Makes
me think I need
more of those things.
Anyone else have such an event happen? Also, take this as a warning to
protect you most valuable
possessions. I intend to get a few more surge suppressors to protect
stuff. This is the one and only
time that this has happened to me, and I'm felling lucky.
Save the surge suppressors for those items that you keep powered up.
Unplug the remainder! Save money, save hardware.
- don
Eric
8:33 p.m.
If you actually get a direct strike, or even a CLOSE one, do NOT expect a
"surge suppressor" to be adequate to protect anything.
BTDT
15 Jul
15 Jul
3:32 a.m.
On Sat, 14 Jul 2001, Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) wrote:
If you actually get a direct strike, or even a CLOSE
one, do NOT expect a
"surge suppressor" to be adequate to protect anything.
It's amazing what can and can not survive a nearby strike.
When I lived in New York our house set back quite a ways from the
road. We took a strike on the power line coming into the house. It
blew up my TRS80 Model III which was not powered on at the time
(Literally blew chips off the baord.) Did not hurt the Okidata
printer that was attached. But most amazing, sitting next to it
was a Terak 8510, which is an LSI-11/02. It was running at the
time and didn't even re-boot.
bill
--
Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves
bill(a)cs.scranton.edu | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton |
Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include <std.disclaimer.h>
5:29 a.m.
New subject: Info needed on HP 2161A power supply.
Hello list readers..
Does anyone have schematics for a Hewlett Packard 2161A power supply?
This is the power supply for the HP 2115 computers, and I beleive that it was
also used for older HP I/O extenders as well.
I'm having a problem with one of these power supplies, it simply will not turn
on.
All internal fuses have been checked, and a single bad fuse was found.
Replacing
this fuse had no effect and the replacement fuse does not blow.
The back of this power supply has a connector that suggests it may have some
sort
of power-control function (like for I/O expander applications where it is
turned on
by an external signal).
But the 2115 computer simply has 2 massive power cables, and nothing to connect
to this additional smaller connector.
A casual inspection of the 2161A's interior shows no clear power control relay
(this
is a high current linear power supply). Lacking schematics, its not easy to
figure out
what is supposed to be going on inside.
Lastly, when attached to the 2115 computer, applying AC power to the supply
(with all
power switches off) causes the cooling fans in the 2115 to start running. This
seems odd.
I would expect the cooling fans to only start once the power switch was turned
on.
Turning on the power switch has no noticiable effect. I have verified
continiuity from
the power switch (on the 2115) through the cables into the 2161A supply, but I
have not
followed it internally through the 2161A's maze of wiring.
9:42 a.m.
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17 Jul
17 Jul
9:23 a.m.
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16 Jul
16 Jul
9 p.m.
On 16-Jul-2001 Tony Duell wrote:
Even if they don't fail totally, a large spike can
damage them
sufficiently that their characteristics are changed. It's not a bad idea
to replace the MOVs (the components themselves are not expensive) in any
device that has received a large spike.
I sther anyway to tell if the MOV is failing?
During a thunderstorm last week, there was a large (but not earth
shattering) *KA-BOOM* and the power went out for about 20 minutes. Power
went out again the following noon, so I wandered out of town (I live in a
small village) to see what the work crew were doing. Seems to poles
needed replacing! The T bars at the top (what's the proper term?) were at
non-standard angles. Wind causing a transformer to blow? Rain? I don't
think it was a lightning strike, because the poles were halfway down the
hillside, with silos and trees nearish, but furthur up the hill...
Anyway, i have the following protecting my computer gear :
http://www.tripplite.com/products/surge/surge_specs.cfm?family=Isobar&p…
name=ISOTEL%204%20Ultra
I'm wondering if i should worry.
Most consumer-grade spike proteectors seem to use
somewhat underated
MOVs. You can get higher energy ones from electronic component
suppliers,
and there's no reason not to fit these. They're less likely to fail in
the future.
I dunno. I don't really trust my soldering skills anywhere near a
"critical" component like that...
-Philip
17 Jul
17 Jul
11:28 a.m.
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16 Jul
16 Jul
9:39 p.m.
On Mon, Jul 16, 2001 at 07:42:15PM +0100, Tony Duell wrote:
Most consumer-grade spike proteectors seem to use
somewhat underated
MOVs. You can get higher energy ones from electronic component suppliers,
and there's no reason not to fit these. They're less likely to fail in
the future.
What about using multiple ones in parallel? I have a lot of them that
I got in a "mystery box" once (from Circuit Specialists, in Mesa).
--
_______ Shawn T. Rutledge / KB7PWD ecloud(a)bigfoot.com
(_ | |_) http://www.bigfoot.com/~ecloud kb7pwd(a)kb7pwd.ampr.org
__) | | \________________________________________________________________
17 Jul
17 Jul
11:29 a.m.
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2:11 p.m.
On Tue, Jul 17, 2001 at 09:29:17PM +0100, Tony Duell wrote:
Yeah, that's what I thought; but I figured after the first one fries,
the next one is there to take the remaining part of the surge, etc.
But I guess if they fail closed-circuit, then the next one still won't
absorb much energy.
--
_______ Shawn T. Rutledge / KB7PWD ecloud(a)bigfoot.com
(_ | |_) http://www.bigfoot.com/~ecloud kb7pwd(a)kb7pwd.ampr.org
__) | | \________________________________________________________________
On Mon, Jul 16, 2001 at 07:42:15PM +0100, Tony Duell wrote:
I think what would happen is that the one that broke down first (either
because it had a lower volatage threshold, or because it was a bit
faster) would take almost all the surge. So you'd not gain much by having
them in parallel. Most consumer-grade spike proteectors seem to use
somewhat underated
MOVs. You can get higher energy ones from electronic component suppliers,
and there's no reason not to fit these. They're less likely to fail in
the future.
What about using multiple ones in parallel? I have a lot of them that
8407
days inactive
8411
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18 comments
12 participants
participants (12)
-
ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk -
bill＠cs.scranton.edu -
bshannon＠tiac.net -
chomko＠greenbelt.com -
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
donm＠cts.com -
ecloud＠bigfoot.com -
gwynp＠artware.qc.ca -
jhellige＠earthlink.net -
jss＠subatomix.com -
mikeford＠socal.rr.com -
thompson＠mail.athenet.net