Most consumers understand now that they need a surge protector for their power outlets however many people are not aware that dangerous electrical spikes can and do occur through coaxial cables as well.
Why Do I Need A Coaxial Surge Protector?
Lightning or faulty wiring can lead to expensive repairs that you will be responsible for if you do not have surge suppressors installed on all your coaxial connections. Most insurance will not cover the costs of repair or replacement if you have not taken this basic precaution. Coaxial surge protectors do attenuate the signal slightly but if you have a strong signal this will not be a problem for you. If a surge suppressor causes a problem with your satellite or cable TV then you have a problem with the wiring somewhere in the system.
Did you know that an in line coaxial surge protector could filter out video noise? A few consumers have reported having success in removing video interference from their cable & satellite connections by using a surge protector with coaxial connections. If you have cable or satellite internet you certainly need a surge protector on your modem because many computers suffer damage from power spikes through the coaxial connection.
What Should You Look For In A Coaxial Surge Protector
There are four things you should consider when purchasing a surge protector. Always choose a coaxial cable surge protector with gold plated connectors if the coaxial protection is part of a wall surge protector. Gold is an excellent conductor and can help minimize any attenuation you may encounter through the outlet. Any coaxial protector should offer you 100 ns (nanoseconds) or less surge protection reaction time. Anything higher and you risk damage to sensitive equipment. When you are shopping for a coaxial surge suppressor, you should look for one that has the highest Amp surge protective value possible. Finally, you should look for a suppressor that has an extended surge lifespan. Typically, a good number to look for is 300 surges or better.
If you are looking for peace of mind during unstable weather or power grid upgrades, a coaxial surge protector is an affordable solution for protecting your valuable electronics.
A few months back, there was a terrible electric storm in my neighborhood. It was the kind of storm that knocks out all the power for miles and miles. When the power came back on, I discovered that I had I lost an expensive high definition TV, and a cable box to a lightning strike. The fact that it was only the cable box and the TV that got fried made me suspicious that the surge had come through my coaxial line.
After that, I decided that I had to do something to protect my devices, so I bought this coax surge protector by Dayton. Everybody always buys surge protectors for their phone lines, and their power lines, but very few people consider the real danger of a lightning strike damaging your expensive audio video equipment through your cable line. It should be an obvious danger, because if you think about it, your cable gets knocked out by lighting almost as often as your power, and if you watch TV during a storm, the static interference should be a warning that lightning is threatening your equipment. I can’t believe I never thought about it before.
Buying a new TV, is all it took to convince me to go ahead and purchase one of these things. They’re incredibly inexpensive, and the audio video guru’s i know say they’re very reliable. Having surge protector like this could have probably saved me about 1200 dollars. There are a few different types of coax surge protectors, and this is the one my friends recommended to me. It was easy to install, and it’s had no effect on the quality of my TV signal.
I feel much more secure now that I know I have this hooked up. If I had realized these things existed, I would have protected my equipment years ago.
Anyway you have a great site here with lots of information about surge protectors. Just thought I’d share my story.
James