cool tech July 6, 2012 posted by Nigel

Protector ONE makes your old surge protectors completely redundant

protectorOne small Protector ONE makes your old surge protectors completely redundant

Say what? You’ve got one of those old surge protector boxes? Really? No wait, you mean you also installed a bunch of surge protection power strips for your computer and electronic gear? Oh dear. Seems like you missed out on the news chum. Things are different now, if you live in Europe at least.

The Protector ONE surge protection unit doesn’t just protect a few of your electronic gadgets, it protects them all, as long as they’re within a 5 metre radius from where the unit is plugged into the wall socket. They’ve got to be on the same circuit of course, but hey, most sensitive electronic stuff tends to group together in herds (usually in the corner of the room, right?). Anyway if you want to take advantage of this super new tech, you’ll have to move to Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland or Denmark. Sorry rest of the world, you’re currently out of luck (geddit?). €62.33.

About the Author:

Nigel is the managing editor of the Red Ferret, as well as a freelance columnist for the Sunday Times newspaper in London. Loves tech and fancies himself as a bit of a futurist, but then don't we all?

Nigel – who has written 5164 posts on The Red Ferret Journal.

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phil_fotot

That's sort of like this, but not as good: http://www.smarthome.com/4860/Leviton-51120-1-Who…

Whole house units are much better and they don't eat a socket in the process. Granted, you do need an electrician or be capable of messing in the breaker box (and have the proper permit and inspection), but it's not a highly technical installation. It takes about an hour to install (and an hour waiting for the building inspector to show up and sign off on the work).
- http://www.redferret.net Nigel Powell
  
  Yeah nice, but the idea of messing about with building level electrics is not something I'd contemplate, and once you've paid for a professional, you're talking LOTS of money. I think the Protector ONE is a pretty good compromise really, especially t that price?
  - phil_fotot
    
    The device costs less than $300. A licensed electrician would bill about an hour to install it. Then your entire house is protected. The toaster, all the computers, the refrigerator, stove, microwave, TV, routers, cable boxes, furnace, heatpump, AC compressor, alarm system, washer, dryer, ac adapters/chargers, electronic clocks and radios….
    
    Go count the circuit breakers are in your panel (Mine has 420. Now multiply _your_ count by $65 and see which choice is cheaper to install. It might seem like you're making out by only using one, but considering all of the items in a home that have circuitry that would fry if are unlucky enough to have a lightning strike and you'll see why I think a whole house surge protector is a better idea.
    - http://www.redferret.net Nigel Powell
      
      I'm sorry, $300 plus…what $100 to install? Vs $77? There's no comparison. And to be honest I have no interest in protecting my cheap Chinese toaster from frying. Sure if you have a house full of very expensive electronics like automation, etc, but for most people a surge protector for the most important bits like computing and HiFi system would do just fine.
      
      And I'd be able to use the additional $300 I saved to buy replacements or repairs IF I needed them. And that's a big IF, because where I come from massive damage from power surges simply is not a regular part of life.
      - phil_fotot
        
        I guess it depends on the value of your plugged-in electronics, then. I know that I'd be spending thousands to replace/repair mine. My appliances (refrigerator, stove) all have microprocessors (granted, not very powerful processors, but still) and I have a network server.
      - http://www.redferret.net Nigel Powell
        
        Yes I agree. If your home is full of very expensive electronic gear, it will pay to spend extra on a full system. I guess I'm just saying that most of us have only a few vulnerable devices, which doesn't justify the extra cost.
Titus

"Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland or Denmark" why's that then? there's no reason you can't use this device throughout europe using a simple adaptor plug. (such plugs are physical adaptors, only the sockets are different, EU mains supply is standardised to 230V @50Hz)
kan

I was thinking the same thing as phil. Actually, I just had a whole-house surge protector installed on my breaker panel. Definitely worth it.
Philip Green

Similar items are on sale in the Netherlands, but I don't understand how plugging this into one wall socket will protect something plugged into a different wall socket so I don't buy it (won't buy it).
On the other hand, I do spend my hard-earned dosh on a load of other stuff that I also don't understand …
- http://www.redferret.net Nigel Powell
  
  Don't knock it till you've tried it? :) Actually I don't see how it works either, but I'm willing to be convinced Philip.