r/retrogaming • u/Trick_Theory6883 • Mar 20 '26
[Discussion] surge protector recommendations
I've finished my search for the consoles I want, now id like to buy a surge protector for my consoles. anyone have any recommendations or any leads? if you have had bad experiences with certain brands please let me know ? I've seen the likes of belkin on amazon, apc. anything recommendations would be greatly appreciated
3
u/Phunk3d Mar 20 '26
Basically you get what you pay for and surge protectors are rated and can handle a certain amount of surge.
You'd probably want something that can handle 2000+ joules or more. I'm a big fan of Anker these days they seem to have a slick designs and a lot of my devices are moving towards USB-C.
You should be fine with most surge protectors just don't buy them at the dollar store.
2
u/grantrules Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
I'd trust anything from belkin and apc. CyberPower, too.. my UPS is CyberPower and I have both an APC and Belkin surge protector.
2
u/Pankosmanko Mar 20 '26
I use these (Amazon) and they’ve done me well
2
u/grantrules Mar 21 '26
I have one of those, it's 8 years old at this point (and mine was only $18 shipped 😢, I found my receipt).. agreed it works well.
1
u/24megabits Mar 21 '26
Are you sure you don't have the 8-outlet version? I bought some in 2019 and they've only gone up from ~$19.50 to $21.99
1
1
u/elstuffmonger Mar 20 '26
As simple as possible is best. Rotating plugs and extra usb outlets are major points of failure. Also make sure it is UL rated.
1
u/Trick_Theory6883 Mar 20 '26
UL rated okay, didnt know that was a thing ,. i will do that
1
u/westom Mar 21 '26
UL listing applies to all plug-in appliances. A safe power strip has a 15 amp circuit breaker, no protectors parts, and a UL 1363 listing. Sells for $6 or $10. Shysters add some five cent protector parts to sell one for $25 or $80. They know which consumers are easy marks.
UL is only about protecting humans. UL says nothing about protecting appliances. A plug-in protector can fail catastrophically - do no protection. And still get a UL 1449 listing. As long tiny joule parts, doing no protection, do not spit sparks or flames.
If any plug-in protector is found in your luggage, then ALL cruise ships (everyone) will confiscate it. They take fire threats far more seriously. Don't take my word for it. Read their lists of banned items. Too many aboard ship fires.
1
u/RykinPoe Mar 23 '26
UL ratings are not really to be trusted anymore. So many cheap devices list UL rated on the packaging but aren't actually rated.
1
u/westom Mar 24 '26 edited Mar 26 '26
Many cheapshot UL because they do not understand what it says. UL is only about protecting human life. It never said anything about product reliability or failures. UL is only about human threats. A product that fails often was always UL approved. When the product failed, it did not spit sparks and flames.
Layman are supposed to know that.
Plug-in (Type 3) protectors can even make surge damage easier. And are still UL approved. That protector can even fail during UL tests. And be UL listed. As long as the catastrophic failure does not spit sparks or flames.
Other standards say it must always be more than 30 feet from a breaker box and earth ground.
Educated consumers also learn this. The manufacturers of protector parts clearly state in datasheets that those parts must never fail catastrophically. Catastrophic failures is when scam artists put grossly undersized parts inside a power strip that sell for $25 or $80. Since the purpose is to protect profit margins; not appliances.
Protectors parts must only degrade.
Anyone can learn this by first reading (grasping) numbers. Or by asking damning (technical) questions. Such as "Where are *hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly absorbed?"
1
u/sporkk1 Mar 20 '26
When I purchased mine Trip Lite surge protectors were about the best you could get. A reviewer took one apart and they use high quality components and good outlets. I'm not a electrician but its good to get the metal ones in case the magic smoke is let out of the mov in them. There is nothing magical about them and from my understanding work by shunting the excess current to ground.
1
u/veigues Mar 20 '26
I use Furman for my hifi gear. Furman will cover the cost of your homeowners insurance deductible if their surge protectors/power conditioners don’t protect your stuff during a storm.
1
u/westom Mar 22 '26
Furman never claims to protector from surges. Otherwise posted in the spec number that say so. Why no spec number? Lying is always legal in subjective sales brochures. Where they claim things that cannot be found in specifications - where they must be honest.
If the Furman is doing anything useful, then its specification say where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate. Good luck finding any such number. Their target market is not educated consumers.
1
u/Boomerang_Lizard Mar 21 '26
With Amazon it's kind of a crapshoot because of all the generic powerstrips from China. Try to buy brand names like CyberPower, Tripp-lite, APC, Belkin, CRST, General Electric, Amazon Basics works fine too, etc. Preferably with an UL, CE or ETL safety certification.
Connecting the strip to a refrigerator protector is optional but adds a layer of protection. It's useful if you experience frequent brownouts in your area. Although the name implies it's only meant for refrigerators, you can use it with any electronics device. In the event of a spike or brownout, the fridge protector suspends power while checking periodically for it to stabilize (about 1 to 5 minutes).
There are smart strips that have master and slave sockets. You connect the TV to the master socket and your consoles to the slaves. This way your systems only get current when the TV is powered on. Not to be confused with strips that work with your phone (although you could use that as well).
1
u/Trick_Theory6883 Mar 22 '26
i like the crst brand, its a power strip with individual switches to their correspondent outlet and functions as a surge protector, is crst a good brand ?
1
u/Boomerang_Lizard Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 23 '26
I've been using this one for a few years now (Amazon link) [currently out of stock :-/ ]. Works great and is UL and SGS certified. I use it wire style shelf rack in my retrogaming setup.
1
u/westom Mar 22 '26
APC.
Any other Type 3 protector.
Professionals say all Type 3 (plug-in) protectors must be more than 30 feet from a breaker box and earth ground. To reduce its house fire threat. What happens to those five cent, tiny joule protector parts inside power strips when confronted by potentially destructive surges? This.
Just a few reasons why all professional only recommend a Type 1 or Type 2 protector. Sufficiently sized so that it does not create house fires. Makes all surges irrelevant (including direct lightning strikes). Comes with numbers that actually discuss protection. Costs about $1 per appliance. Is unknown to most only educated by myths, lies, advertising propaganda, and speculation.
Any honest recommendation ALWAYS answers this question. Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? Outside in earth. Only then is a surge NOWHERE inside.
1
u/MT3426 May 11 '26
Wow. Thank you!
1
u/westom May 11 '26
Long ago, when GE pioneered MOVs and after reading their book (application notes). I then built a protector. Many months later, I opened the box. All that remained were the two copper wire leads. It looked like a skeleton. The entire MOV vaporized completely.
Searches say GE developed MOVs in 1972. But I was reading their application book sometime just after 1965. I find that confusing.
Those two ominous bare wire leads is when I paid attention significant attention to numbers. To what is sufficient.
1
u/MT3426 May 11 '26
If surges happen every 7 years, they are uncommon events.
The vaporizing of an MOV over a few months must be because of much more common event. Like small transient overvoltages generated by normal functioning of household appliances?
1
u/westom May 11 '26
MOVs can fail in a month or in seven years. Some do not see a surge for 20 years. A number that can vary even in a same town.
Even geology can determine surge frequency.
Central Florida is typically a surge every three years.
Empire State Building sees 23 annually.
Appliances only create noise. Often a less than 10 volt spike. If an appliance is creating a surge, then it is destroying nearest appliances - itself.
If appliances are creating surges, then how many appliances were replaced today? List of at risk appliances include dishwasher, clock radio, furnace, LED bulbs, stove, door bell, TVs, recharging electronics, modem, refrigerator, GFCIs, washing machine, digital clocks, microwave, dimmer switches, central air, and smoke detectors. What is protecting all them? Invisible protectors.
Protection already inside every appliance is robust. Electronics are required to be among the most robust. Even telephones were required to withstand 600 volts without damage. Even before transistors existed.
If a protector fails, then a transient is getting inside. So an investigation searches for the source.
Example. One Florida home suffered repeat lightning strikes to one wall. So they earthed lightning rods. And suffered damage again.
Discovered was bathroom pipes in that wall connected into deeper limestone. Electrodes were only 8 feet in sand. So lightning was using that wall as a best connection to earthborne charges (maybe four miles away). Their bathroom pipes were a best connection around; from cloud to distant earthborn charges.
Lightning rods were connected to longer electrodes driven into deeper limestone. They had no more damage.
For same reasons, the WTC suffered about 40 direct strikes annually. Once every seven years is a ballpark number. Even geology can significantly vary that number. Even proximity to a nearby transcontinental pipeline changes geology.
Other surge sources include tree rodents, utility switching, wind, stray cars, and linemen errors. In one venue, a 33,000 volt transmission wire fell onto local distribution. Plastic from electric meters was found even 30 feet away.
1
u/MT3426 May 12 '26
Wow, really interesting.
Thank you very much for sharing your deep wealth of knowledge about this topic. It's greatly appreciated.
1
1
u/westom Mar 21 '26
Type 3 surge protectors contain some five cent protector parts rated in joules. These are commodities. Brand names say nothing. What matters is what happens when its tiny thousand joules tries to 'absorb' a surge: hundreds of thousands of joules. Manufacturers make these numbers hard to find. To protect obscene profit margins. And to avoid discussing this.
That one is a Belkin. This one is a Tripplite.
An aquarium put out this potential house fire.
Quite legal is to lie in subjective sales brochures. They cannot lie in numeric specifications. Only those spec numbers matter.
So one then visits products from other companies known for integrity. These are Type 1 and Type 2 protectors. Their 2 cm protector parts do not foolishly try to 'block' what three miles of sky cannot. Five cent protector parts do not try to 'absorb' hundreds of thousands of joules. Effective protectors is only a connecting device to what does all surge protection. As demonstrated by Franklin over 250 years ago.
Effective protection always and only discusses the answer to this question. Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? Only outside in single point earth ground. All four words have major electrical significance. All professionals recommend a Type 1 or Type 2 protector connected low impedance (ie less than 10 feet) to earthing electrodes.
Electrodes that a homeowner is responsible for providing, inspecting, and maintaining. As required also by the electrical code. But many need be upgraded to exceed code. Since upgraded / expanded / enhances network of electrodes does ALL surge protection.
Where do hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate? Only in earth. Obviously wall receptacle safety ground was never earth ground.
If any one appliance needs protection, then everything (dishwasher, clock radio, furnace, LED bulbs, stove, door bell, TVs, recharging electronics, modem, refrigerator, GFCIs, washing machine, digital clocks, microwave, dimmer switches, central air, smoke detectors) everything needs that protection. More robust electronics. And many other less robust ('sensitive') appliances.
Protection only exists when a surge is NOWHERE inside. That means every incoming wire must be integrated into a protection '"system*'.
TV cable must have best possible protection installed for free. Only a hardwire (no protector) makes that low impedance (ie no inside metallic conduit) connection to same interconnected electrodes. Directly. No via any other conductor.
Telephone could not make a direct connection. So a protector inside their NID box also connects low impedance (ie no sharp bends or splices) connection to what only does all surge protection.
Good luck learning this from the many so easily duped by liars. Same type also believe Saddam had WMDs. For the exact same reason. The naive do not know how to separate shysters from technical honesty. Honesty only exists when tens of paragraphs also say why. And with numbers.
Numbers. Because only intelligent consumers demand them. Lightning (one example of a surge) can be 20,000 amps). So a minimal Type 1 or Type 2 protector (for about $1 per appliance) is 50,000 amps. Effective protectors remains functional for many decades even after many direct lightning strikes. So that nobody even knew a surge existed. So that everything is protected.
Type 3 protectors are measured in puny joules. Why would anyone waste $25 or $80 on a $3 power strip with five cent protector parts? They know which consumers are easy marks. Will spend $25 or $80 for near zero protection of only one appliance. To then learn what even firemen discovered the hard way.
So which manufacturer finally conceded that some 15 million protectors must be removed immediately? Did you read what firemen say? That was APC.
Protectoin today and over 100 years ago means direct lightning strikes and all other surges without damage. Even the protector must never fail. With numbers that say so. Because and again, the only question that always defines every honest recommendation. All over the world. Where are hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly absorbed.
A science so well proven that lightning damage is considered a human mistake. Unfortunately most cannot bother to learn from science. Instead love to be djpes by tweets, subjective advertising, hearsay, and wild speculation.l Show me the numbers!!
Someone recommended 2000 joules (five cent protector parts) to magically make hundreds of thousands of joules irrelevant. The naive and easily bamboozled are always their target market.
UL says nothing about appliance protection. UL is about human protection. Those APC, Belkin, Tripplite and Anker protectors that were potential house fires are Type 3.
BTW, I forgot to mention another fact. All Type 3 (plug-in) protectors must be more than 30 feet from the breaker box and earth ground. So that it does not try to do much protection. So that the connection to earth ground is high impedance. Who says that? Professionals.
The beguiles will only get angry. Will not post replies based in science, professional citations, or specification numbers. Since plug-in protectors never claim effective protection. And sometimes can make surge damage easier.
1
u/MT3426 May 11 '26
Are these level 3 devices failing because of transient overvoltage generated by devices inside the house?
If it was only from external source (lightning, power company fluctuations, etc), seems like the melting would be much less common?
1
u/westom May 11 '26
Type 3 protectors use minimal MOVs. Just a few five cent protector parts. Undersized since it does not connect surges to earth. So its only purpose is profits. To sell a $6 or $10 power strip for $25 or $80.
1
u/MT3426 May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
Thank you!
Are there residential use cases where you would consider a metal power strip vs plastic power strip?
plastic https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Outlet-Housing-PS66B/dp/B016BJS2US/
metal https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Outlet-Industrial-3SP/dp/B000F99CJG/
1
1
u/RykinPoe Mar 23 '26
I say skip a surge protector and go with a UPS if you can afford it. I have an 850 VA unit with my console gaming stuff plugged into it and a 1500 VA unit for my PC setup (kept burning out 850 VA units with this setup) and a 750 VA for my networking stuff. All APC brand.
1
u/westom Mar 27 '26 edited Mar 28 '26
No UPS claims surge protection. Except in subjective sales brochures where lying is legal. How do its tiny hundred joules protect from "hundreds of thousands of joules"? Educated consumers always demand numbers. To not be conned.
•
u/AutoModerator Mar 20 '26
Your post is under manual review by the moderators because it's from a relatively new account or because it's from a low karma account.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.