I started looking for a surge protector for two reasons – firstly I had just read a very worrying article in a magazine and secondly my new PC warranty said that it was only valid if “the system is protected against electrical interference and spikes”. So – what is a surge protector and why is it so important?
Although it has never happened to me, power surges can cause serious damage to your PC, or any sensitive electrical equipment that is connected to the mains. They are caused by a sudden increase in supply, or by thunder storms and lightning strikes. It’s not just the mains supply that is at risk from this sort of thing either – phone lines and TV cables (should your PC have a TV card installed) can all carry the dangerously high voltages/currents that can potentially ruin your PC and its components.
Surge protectors also “clean up” the electrical supply coming from the mains – another bonus as long term exposure to electricity that is full of electrical “noise” can have cumulative effects on your PC, or so
I’m reliably informed!
So, what can be done to protect your PC from these worrying power surges? Well – I would strongly recommend shelling out a mere £30 on the Belkin SurgeMaster 8-way surge protector.
One of the best things about this piece of kit is that right from the start it offers reassurance that your precious PC and other electrical stuff is safe. On the box there is a large sign saying “£40,000 connected equipment warranty”. This is quite simply excellent. On closer inspection this means that anything that is connected to the unit and is damaged as a result of a power surge will be paid for by Belkin, up to a limit of £40,000. Isn’t that nice of them? There are (naturally) a load of terms and conditions that apply – but on the whole it seems as if this warranty is a good-un’!
As if this wasn’t enough, the surge protector also comes with a lifetime product warranty, so that if anything goes wrong with it you can simply swap it for another.
When mine arrived in the post, the first thing I noticed was the solid feel to it. The product feels as if it is “designed to last” (oh no – I’m turning into my grandparents!). There is a thick, heavy duty, 2 metre power cable to connect to a standard power point, and there is a large amount of reinforcement around the flex to ensure it remains firmly where it should.
With my model, the SurgeMaster Maximum Series, you get eight separate power points, all of which are protected. Usually I would be suspicious of connecting eight separate power hungry devices to a multiplier strip, but with the Surge Master I feel completely safe. Mind you, I haven’t managed to fill up all eight yet, but I’m sure it can be done when you consider all of the extra peripherals that require separate power supplies.
Another small but useful point about the SurgeMaster is that it has two of the power outlets slightly more spaced out than the other six – this is meant for those heavy plugs which incorporate a transformer and are often very large. Sometimes these can be very badly deigned so that they take up the plug they are put in, plus another one because they are so big. This used to really annoy me, because I was very short on power points before buying this product, but now it is no problem!
The actual unit is a bit on the large size, but considering that it has eight outlets it isn’t too bad, and size doesn’t really matter when it is stuffed away under your desk. There is a nice big master switch on the unit, which can turn off all of the points, and the switch lights up to let you know everything is on.
There are also two smaller indictor lights on the unit as well. One of these is to show that everything connected to the unit is protected, and the other shows that it is earthed correctly. Again, these reassure you that all of your kit is safe.
I mentioned earlier that it is not only power supplies that are at risk from large currents passing throughout the system (referred to as spikes). Also, telephone/fax lines need protecting. However, the unit goes one better that this – incorporating a line splitter too. This is great – one phone input, and two protected and safe phone outputs. I find this especially useful, as I only have one line for both internet access and a phone, so I can use both of the outputs here, connecting one of them to my modem.
And if you are worried about yet another trip out to the shops to buy a simple phone cable to run from the phone point to the unit, then stop right there – Belkin supply a wire of medium length with the unit. As well as phone lines, TV signals from coaxial/aerial cable are protected by the unit too. Just use the supplied wire to go from the socket on the wall to the unit, and then plug in your TV card to the output on the unit. It really couldn’t be simpler.
On the back of the box is a diagram of the inside of the protector to show you how it works. Basically, it is full of different sorts of circuit breakers, fuses and capacitors (these help to remove electrical noise from AC currents,) to protect you against anything that the electricity company may throw at you, up to 39,000 amps (that sounds like enough!).
All this for only £30, and a lifetime warranty for both the unit and anything connected to it. This is a fantastic deal.
If you don’t want to spend that much and would settle for fewer power outlets, then there are many other models in the Belkin SurgeMaster range. They do similar units with six and four outlet sockets, and these both come with the same phone protection (and the six-socket model includes the aerial protection too). Belkin now also make a MasterCube – this simply plugs into the socket on the wall and gives you a clean, protected output in one plug – as you’d expect this is a lot cheaper at just over ten quid.
I suppose that the next step on from basic surge protection is UPS (uninterruptible power supply). This is a unit which plugs into the mains, and has several clean and protected outputs (like a surge protector). However, it has the massive advantage of being able to supply electricity for around 10-40 minutes (depending on how much power your system consumes) during a power cut. It does this by using a re-chargeable battery, which immediately kicks in when the mains power fails. This can be a life saver if you are in the middle of something really important. UPS units are typically £80 to £150 in cost, and if you are willing to spend this much then I recommend it, as they have the same features as the surge protectors, plus much more.
To conclude, I think that the Belkin SurgeMaster Maximum Series has been one of the best buys I have ever made when it comes to electrical equipment – not only has it provided complete reassurance, but it has exceeded expectations in nearly all areas. Definitely worth the money – I recommend this to all computer users.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
brilliant op! You know a lot about computers don't you!
ndf9876 07.03.2003 13:13
Excellent opinion...although I wouldn't have necessarily said that Belkin were the cheapest surge strip manafacturer around, they are a name associated with quality.
The Superior Series offers surge protection for your general electronics, home ... more
appliances,and more. This model boasts 1940 Joules, 45,000 Maximum Spike Amperage, 6-sockets telephone and modem/broadband protection. It has £100,000 Connected
Postage & Packaging:Free Delivery Availability:3-7 days
The Maximum Series offers high-end surge protection for your advanced ... more
computers,peripherals, phone/fax, DSL/cable modems, and more. This model boasts 2700 Joules, 75,000 Maximum Spike Amperage, 8-sockets, and a lifetime £175,000 Connected Equipment
Postage & Packaging:Free Delivery Availability:3-7 days
Power surges and lightning strikes are not the only things that can damage your home ... more
electronic equipment. Simply switching appliances on and off can create electrical imbalances that cause cumulative, permanent damage to your computers, peripherals
Postage & Packaging:Free Delivery Availability:3-7 days
Advantages: Safety from Lightening strikes, £40,000 connected equipment warranty, Tidy all your leads in a nice and compact unit. Disadvantages: None (I hope)
brianlfc 26.09.2001 (21.10.2001)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Belkin SurgeMaster
Advantages: Safety from Lightening strikes, £40,000 connected equipment warranty, Tidy all your leads in a nice and compact unit. Disadvantages: None (I hope)
brianlfc 26.09.2001 (21.10.2001)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Belkin SurgeMaster
Jan 13th, 2003
very helpful by (100%):
