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From: milo@ndmath.uucp (Greg Corson)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari16
Subject: Re: 1040 hardware notes
Message-ID: <132@ndmath.uucp>
Date: Sat, 23-Aug-86 15:09:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: ndmath.132
Posted: Sat Aug 23 15:09:51 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 24-Aug-86 05:13:23 EDT
References: <8608051143.AA13767@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <2689@mit-hermes.ARPA> <82@eneevax.UUCP> <905@batcomputer.TN.CORNELL.EDU>
Organization: Notre Dame University, Math Department
Lines: 26

A warning to those who would put surge suppressors on their phone lines...it is
VERY important that those suppressors be placed at the point where the phone
line enters the house (or as close as possible).  Remember that surge 
suppressors work by presenting a dead short to high voltage pulses...phone wire
is relatively high resistance stuff (compared to zip cord) and can get VERY
hot if a high voltage surge goes down it and is shunted to ground.

I saw some pictures in EDN magazine showing what happened to someone who
had these suppressors on his phone line...he took a lightening hit and the
phone cords leading to his modem (with surge protector) got so hot they left
black scortch marks in his rug!  Phone lines without the protectors didn't get
hot at all.  It probably takes a fairly close lightening hit to do this...but
not a direct hit (nothing else in the guy's house was damaged).  

So if you install a surge protector...install it on the terminal block where 
the phone line comes into your house...better safe than sorry.

Greg Corson
pur-ee!iuvax!kangaro!milo

P.S.  I have 5 (yes F I V E) modems in my house...we have dual surge protection
installed for free by the phone company.  Carbon point arrestors on the pole
and gas point ones on the service pannel in the house.  I have never had any
problem with lightening.

P.S.S. Why 5 phone lines...I run a multi-line BBS system (219) 277-5825