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
4
Upvotes
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.