Xref: utzoo comp.misc:2707 sci.electronics:3205
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ames!pacbell!att!icus!limbic!gil
From: gil@limbic.UUCP (Gil Kloepfer Jr.)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Protecting computer equipment
Summary: Lightning: No protection!
Message-ID: <152@limbic.UUCP>
Date: 1 Jul 88 05:24:55 GMT
References: <1187@gmu90x.UUCP>
Reply-To: gil@limbic.UUCP (Gil Kloepfer Jr.)
Organization: ICUS Software Systems, Islip, NY
Lines: 26

In article <1187@gmu90x.UUCP> dana@gmu90x.UUCP (J Dana Eckart) writes:
|>Namely, what can I do to 
|>reduce the risk of damage via power and phone lines, particularly
|>from lightning.  

Correct me (those electrical engineers out there) if I'm wrong, but there's
no real way of avoiding damage from lightning short of pulling the plug out
of the wall socket and running things off batteries.  I believe that there's
always a chance of getting damage from lightning through the electric lines,
even with a UPS or line conditioner.  Damage through the phone lines is
even more possible.  The best protection is to pull the phone lines and
power plugs on your machines.

One point to note in particular -- those "surge protectors" are relatively
useless against lightning strikes (contrary to what folks buy them for).
They are for surges on the power lines induced by motors, etc.  Lightning
would fry the MOV (the device which provides the protection) up if it were
strong enough to fry your machine.  In short -- I would NEVER depend on
a surge protector in a lightning storm.

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| Gil Kloepfer, Jr.                  | Net-Address:                           |
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