Updated 2012.
With surge protection on the hot plate of technological advances it seems everyone is cashing in on their own version of what is the best surge protector. RCA is right along in the fight to prove themselves as capable manufacturers of surge protection devices.
It doesn’t matter what model you choose, the RCA surge protector offers standard protection that should do the job for every nominal power surge occurring within your home.
A nice feature about these devices is the standard flat plug made to accommodate for tight places for instruments like flat panel televisions.
When I say they protect you from nominal surges, it means that their devices are good for everyday electronics that aren’t necessarily expensive, nor need high quality protection.
That’s not to say RCA doesn’t make quality devices, but the majority of their surge protectors carry a low Joules per outlet rating.
Keep in mind, this is my own rating system: I prefer 300 Joules per outlet as a baseline to safety. If you live in an area where power surges are prominent or lightning storms occur regularly, you are going to want protection in that range.
When I originally wrote this article in 2009, the best product RCA made had a rating of a little over 1100 Joules for a six outlet device. That’s still fairly high coverage for small items like digital clocks, but I wouldn’t bet the safety of my plasma television on it with less than 200 Joules per outlet.
Shortly after publishing however, RCA came out with a unit, the RCA 8 Outlet Universal Surge Protector, which has a rating of 2100 Joules.
That’s where competition comes into place in this industry. As power surges are becoming more commonplace and the public becomes more aware of them, manufacturers are finding that consumers want better protection and won’t settle for low Joule ratings to protect them.
RCA must have foreseen this and began developing better equipment to remain relevant in the surge protection market.
Still, 2100 Joules could be sufficient if it weren’t for the 8 swivel outlets (three of which are for transformers), three phone jacks, and two coaxial circuits. That’s a lot of connectivity for a relatively low amount of protection.
Now, chances are you won’t utilize every option on the device, which is probably what RCA predicted, so the 2100 Joules should be adequate in areas where surges are relegated to what occurs within the home and affects devices like stereo components, computers and large theater systems.
If you’re going to choose, there are other RCA surge protectors that don’t have this many options for protection and are probably a better choice for general home appliances. For home theater equipment, however, it would be better to find something with more protection than what the above RCA power surge protectors offer.
I would recommend the latest product in their line, RCA 8 Outlet with 3120 Joules surge suppression
One feature that does make this swivel surge protector worthwhile is the SurgeStat technology.
This is by far one of the most important feature on any surge protector, but it makes the RCA device an even more enticing purchase. It’s an indicator that lights up to show different configurations letting the owner know if the device is working properly.
Should the unit go down, there is an indicator to let you know you are no longer protected. If you are not properly grounded, you will be alerted immediately.
With this kind of service, you don’t want to settle for another device with low Joules protection.
There is also a $150,000 CEW attached to the five year warranty.
All in all, you can depend on receiving adequate protection from any device in the RCA surge protector line. They are built for functionality and special issues alike.
All of them, regardless of the level of protection, come with little perks that you wouldn’t normally consider, sufficient cord length, right angle plugs, and noise filtration on the higher end devices.
Because of the RCA tradition of quality, you can be sure to receive the same level or quality in their surge protection devices.
RCA Contact
Customer Support for Audiovox/RCA brands is handled over the internet via their FAQ’s “Ask a Question” System
Audiovox Corporation Headquarters
Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 9:00AM – 5:30PM
180 Marcus Blvd. Hauppauge, NY 11788
631-436-6499
