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From: wjm@whuxk.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Protect Your Stuff from Power Line Spikes
Message-ID: <292@whuxk.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Oct-83 09:13:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: whuxk.292
Posted: Tue Oct 18 09:13:15 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 19-Oct-83 22:33:28 EDT
Lines: 26

There is a very simple way to protect yourself from power line voltage spikes.
You install a transient supressor (for all you fellow EE's out there on the net
it consists of some metal-oxide varistors connected between the "hot" side of
the line and ground).  A bonus is that it will also give your equipment some
protection against lightning strikes on or near the power line, but it is NOT
a substitute for proper lightning protection installed on any outdoor FM or TV
antennae.  There are two ways to do this:
1. If you want to protect your entire house, GE makes one that you can wire into
your circuit breaker box (local codes permitting, else you'll have to get an
licensed electrician to do it).  You just connect the two black wires to the
two "hot" wires coming into to the box on the "load" side of the main breaker
SAFETY NOTE - BE SURE TO TURN OFF THE MAIN BREAKER OR MAIN SWITCH BEFORE DOING
ANY WORK IN THE MAIN PANEL BOX AND KEEP YOUR FINGERS, TOOLS, ETC AWAY FROM THE
HOT CONTACTS ON THE "LINE" SIDE OF THE MAIN BREAKER OR SWITCH.
and the green wire to the ground connection in the box.
2. If you live in an apartment, or don't feel comfortable mucking around in the
panel box (and don't feel like getting an electrician in to do it for you),
Radio Shack makes a plug-in version that you can plug into any GROUNDED
(3 prong) wall receptacle. You plug the transient suppressor into the receptacle
and they plug your equipment into it.  It works quite well - I've been using one
for several years now.  They're also quite reasonably priced - around $12.00 or
so.
Bill Mitchell
Bell Laboratories
Whippany, NJ
(whuxk!wjm)