On Sunday 17 October 2021 21:15:21 Douglas McGarrett wrote: > On 10/17/21 8:38 PM, David Christensen wrote: > > On 10/17/21 2:12 PM, Stefan Monnier wrote: > >>> normally when a storm comes through i turn off the PC anyways > >>> because I really don't want to have things fried (even if i do > >>> have the UPS and surge protection). > >> > >> Hmmm does turning them off make any difference w.r.t a surge large > >> enough to pass through the surge suppression? > >> > >> I thought the only effective way to make a difference is to > >> *unplug* them. > > > > +1 if you service is overhead and your concern is lightning strikes. > > > > > > David > > You should unplug the charger to the laptop from the AC line AND > from the laptop, and don't forget to disconnect the LAN if it is > wired. However, you can't disconnect everything in the computer area > or you'll go crazy! It would be a good idea to disconnect the router > from the modem and from power. I got a bad hit from lightning in July, > and it did take out the router and a desktop and a laptop, and damaged > a printer, not to mention other devices around the house--like the TV, > ferinstance! > --doug
Your service is probably both old and not up to code, probably grandfathered in if it was built before the NEC became the law here in the states. I brought mine up to code in 2008, as I installed a 200 amp service myself and have not lost ANYTHING but a wired keyboard since. The strike caused me to get a shock spark similar to a door knob, jolted me and killed the keyboard. I now use wireless keyboards for the extra air gap, and its all powered up 24/7/365.25. 6 of them in various locations. The idea between the NEC and various other regulations is that if the line gets hit, it should all bounce in unison so the voltage on every connected wire goes up and down in unison, so the connected stuff still see's only the 5, 12, or 24 volts that runs it. It all may be 250k volts away from ground for a few microsecnds. A dirt ground, other than whats legally connected at the meterhead, is a ground loop that upsets this balanced condition and will eat your lunch. This includes the old time practice of grounding a clothes washer to the copper cold water pipe. That is the case in this house, but that copper never touches dirt, its plastic before it leaves the house. All the network is wired from a cable modem which has lightning arrestors before the cable gets into the house. So I'm a big target, I should lose stuff, but I haven't. Who am I? For starters, I am a Certified Electroncs Technician, registered in Nebraska as NB-118. One who spent the last 18 years of his working life as the Chief Operator of a middle market television station, much of the time by myself. Now I'm your classic old fart of 87, and getting slowly rusty but I still know a few things about electricity. Cheers, Gene Heskett. -- "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author, 1940) If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable. - Louis D. Brandeis Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>
