computer surge protection question

A

apostropheman

Guest
i got up yesterday and when i switched on my computer i found that 2 of my USB hard drives were not working. turns out the drives themselves were fine but the power supplies were toast.

they're 2 different brands with obviously different power supplies...different amperages 1.8 and 1.2. one is a "Digital Research" bought as a unit and the other is a "Dynex" (house brand from Best Buy/Future Shop) made from a desktop hard drive and the case as a kit. i returned both and exchanged the power supplies and cables and they work fine, no loss of data.

i have a 3rd USB HD, almost exactly the same as the "Digital Research" but branded differently, and it was unaffected. all 3 HD's as well as my computer, printer, wireless router, modem, etc... are plugged into UPS's.

my question is: what would cause this so that only the 2 HD's, but not the 3rd or anything else, was damaged?

i'm baffled:surprised:paranoid:
 

Rocky

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It must have been a spike.
Some of those tiny power supplies are really quite fragile, and the UPS wouldn't have protected it, as it's probably not a real UPS that actually runs off batteries all the time and truly provides protection.
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
this is what i'm using for a UPS
APC - APC ES - Product Information
270_fam.jpg
It must have been a spike.
Some of those tiny power supplies are really quite fragile, and the UPS wouldn't have protected it, as it's probably not a real UPS that actually runs off batteries all the time and truly provides protection.
 

Rocky

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this is what i'm using for a UPS
APC - APC ES - Product Information
270_fam.jpg
Yeah..
They really shouldn't call them UPS'.
A battery back up unit is more like it, and the spike protection would be minimal, if at all.
The real units cost hundreds of bux, and constantly run on batteries, while the AC charges them, when there's current.
Whereas these cheapo units we use, run on AC then switch over during power failures.
Anyhow, the bottom line is that a surge could have been enough to fry your power supplies, but not the UPS.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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We get surges all the time. go to Prodacom or Cecomsa and get you a good UPS for around RD1200 - that should fix the problem.
 
A

apostropheman

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We get surges all the time. go to Prodacom or Cecomsa and get you a good UPS for around RD1200 - that should fix the problem.
better thn my APC in the pic? i paid darn near double $1200 pesos for it :eek:gre:
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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I would sincerely suggest you also get a voltage regulator.
Grid->Regulator->UPS->Computer. That way power spikes or low voltages won't fry things.

Although they are heavy and ugly, they can be kept out of the way and they are worth their weight!!

HB
 

Chip

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I would sincerely suggest you also get a voltage regulator.
Grid->Regulator->UPS->Computer. That way power spikes or low voltages won't fry things.

Although they are heavy and ugly, they can be kept out of the way and they are worth their weight!!

HB

Yes, I have one of those too.
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
funny thing...NOT!

i went to the, huge, trouble to haul a really good desktop PC, minus the monitor, from Canada to the DR and in just a few short weeks it was TOAST!

now i really worked hard on it, tweaked it to within an inch of it's life and it was a major hassle getting it to the final destination. set it up, bought a monitor for it and got it running as an internet machine/jukebox for mi novia's colmado....complete with speakers as big as a small toyota :). she decides she needs the surge protector for something in the house, removes it, plugs the computer in directly to the wall socket and ZAP the HD's and the motherboard....at least, are fried!
 

Chip

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funny thing...NOT!

i went to the, huge, trouble to haul a really good desktop PC, minus the monitor, from Canada to the DR and in just a few short weeks it was TOAST!

now i really worked hard on it, tweaked it to within an inch of it's life and it was a major hassle getting it to the final destination. set it up, bought a monitor for it and got it running as an internet machine/jukebox for mi novia's colmado....complete with speakers as big as a small toyota :). she decides she needs the surge protector for something in the house, removes it, plugs the computer in directly to the wall socket and ZAP the HD's and the motherboard....at least, are fried!

When you tell here that she frien the puter, she will probably shrug her shoulders and say "well now you don't need the thingamabob (el coso)." :)
 

bigbird

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May 1, 2005
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You should use at least one surge protector on the line side of the UPS and at least one surge protector on the load side. I say at least one because you can never have too many surge protectors. Look for the joule protection rating as a guideline when buying a surge protector. The higher the number the better the protection. Aslo keep in mind that the standard plug in type surge protector most commonly used needs to be replaced every so often. Each time a surge protector see a voltage spike it's protection decreases a little.

I have a surge protector on my main house electrical panel, an in the wall type surge protector receptacle at my pc location and the regular strip type pulled into the wall outlet.

Overkill? I think not considering the cost of electronic equipment. Also make sure everything is properly grounded.
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
When you tell here that she frien the puter, she will probably shrug her shoulders and say "well now you don't need the thingamabob (el coso)." :)
you're psychic!

she was actually, initially, a little pi**ed at ME...but she found ways to make it up to me :cheeky:...in the end
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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What he's talking about is not a real UPS either.
Here's a real UPS.

Buy Tripp Lite SU1000XL - Price Comparison - Canada

I beg to differ, I have been working in an office with computers most of my adult life and the thing I have weighs at least 20 lbs and looks just like what we used back home. Maybe I am forgetting about the price but it was less than $100US and I have been running two computers, large and small format printers modems, wirelss router, etc, etc ad nauseum and have not lost a piece of equipment yet, knock on wood! :)
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
i would have thought my APC would do the job....as i was told when i bought it
I beg to differ, I have been working in an office with computers most of my adult life and the thing I have weighs at least 20 lbs and looks just like what we used back home. Maybe I am forgetting about the price but it was less than $100US and I have been running two computers, large and small format printers modems, wirelss router, etc, etc ad nauseum and have not lost a piece of equipment yet, knock on wood! :)
....but obviously NOT!:paranoid::bunny::bunny:
 

Rocky

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I beg to differ, I have been working in an office with computers most of my adult life and the thing I have weighs at least 20 lbs and looks just like what we used back home. Maybe I am forgetting about the price but it was less than $100US and I have been running two computers, large and small format printers modems, wirelss router, etc, etc ad nauseum and have not lost a piece of equipment yet, knock on wood! :)
Hey, I use the same crap too.
It's not a real UPS.
A real UPS costs more like 500 bux, and it runs full time on batteries.
The units we use, have switching times.
They run on AC when there's power, and switch to batteries when there's a power failure.
A real UPS runs on batteries all the time.
 
A

apostropheman

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...and it's the switching time that kills ya :(

(what did i expect for under $100 i guess)

lucky for me i didn't loose any data and no cost involved. i must consider the voltage regulator though...