HeadsUp > Switch sub off for Thunderstorms

glen8

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You probably already know, but I thought I'd make a post just to remind everyone.

We had a thunderstorm this week. I wen't around unplugging everything but totally forgot about the sub (as it sits away in the corner out of sight).

Heard a LOUD bang which turned out to be the sub. Switched it on to check it and luckily it was still working. I did notice a loud humming noise when it was on power down tho.

Switched it off from the mains for 24hrs and everything ok again
 
October last year, a good ole East Anglian thunder storm did for my Denon AVR-3802, RGB input on the Screenplay 7205, Apple Airport and my cable modem. Idiot insurance company offered a 3806 and the fully loaded Airport as replacements without blinking. The moral - there's nothing like a quality (read not the cheapest) new for old insurance policy. It's a shame that the Infocus warranty service and NTL's customer service couldn't achieve the same results in less than three weeks.

I now have a Monster HTS-1000 mains conditioner/surge protector, although I'm currently eyeing what should be left 'plugged in' for the next upgrade.:devil:

Russell
 
russ.will said:
October last year, a good ole East Anglian thunder storm did for my Denon AVR-3802,

Russell


I remember that storm. It fried my 2805.
Irrepairable.

And my sub went all funny as described above.
(ironic its also called a storm ;) )

Annoying thing is, my surge protector was being used at the time.

Oh well, sh*t happens.
 
Nimby said:
I have more faith in Father Christmas! :devil:
Are you doubting his existence? The disappearing mince pies, his presence on NORAD radar. The evidence is all there. You hear some funny ideas on here, but really, this is beyond belief. Next, you'll be telling us that digital coax can change a sound.

Russell
 
Chaps.
Here's a thing. Whilst some will unplug all from the mains most forget to remove the coaxial downlead from their TV/Freeview/Sky. You can disconnect what you like from the mains but if have your TV/Freeview/Sky connected to your hifi/AV kit then the co-ax is route one.
I would also recommend removing any physical connections to a LAN network also if you think the storm is directly above you.
Those surge protectors always give me a laugh.
I have seen a vid of these things on the end of a short burst of 33kv (which is miniscule compared to the energy present in a strke) you are talking about contacts needing to be meters upon meters apart to prevent arcing at these voltages. Every wonder why HV lines on pylons are the distance they are?
Needless to say what once was a extension block with a couple of pretty neons on the side became a multitude of somethings considerably smaller, considerably hotter and considerably softer.
In the crudest terms a lightning strike will almost instantaneously boil a full sized oak tree. A maplins surge protector is not exactly up to the job really.
 
Steve.EX said:
In the crudest terms a lightning strike will almost instantaneously boil a full sized oak tree. A maplins surge protector is not exactly up to the job really.

Dunno why but that really made me laugh :D Was watching a DVD until a huge thunderstorm landed on top of cambridge earlier, like a muppet though I didn't unplug anything :D
 
Steve.EX said:
Chaps.
Here's a thing. .......A maplins surge protector is not exactly up to the job really.
Too true. I wasn't even hit by lightning, it just struck near by. Lord knows how many 'jumps' it had to make, or the path it took, but it did and it was enough for some of the components. But interestingly not all. I suppose a surge protector can at best widen the radius of survivability, but that's about it.

Do you know the weirdest thing was the sound of the strike. Do you remember the 'pop' sound Hydrogen made in the school lab when you lit it in a test tube. It was like that, but very loud. No echo, no rumbles, just a very, very large pop. V. odd.

Russell
 
Smurfin said:
Was watching a DVD until a huge thunderstorm landed on top of cambridge earlier, like a muppet though I didn't unplug anything :D
Make sure you're well insured and then plan your upgrades. One well placed strike and you could be upgrading to a full sized display.:devil:

Russell
 
Smurfin said:
Was watching a DVD until a huge thunderstorm landed on top of cambridge earlier, like a muppet though I didn't unplug anything :D

I'm close by in Bedford...the storm was a bit of a belter. I too was watching a film and so turned the wick up until I couldn't hear any other rumbles aside from the subwoofer :D
 
My wife came up to complain that she couldn't hear the thunder properly downstairs because of my loud organ music upstairs. :rotfl:

What thunder?
 
I remember I was at my mates house, asleep. Then suddenly the loudest thing I have EVER heard in my life went "BANG!". :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: I shot out of bed like no ones business. It turned out lightning hit the field right behind us and boy it was close. It fried something in their computers to do with the internet.

But the experience of hearing lightning that close is......er.....interesting.
 
Another little tip for protecting your investments from the world of electrical engineering is:
For those of you who suffer from supply black-outs, switch your distribution units off at the main switch. Wait until you can see signs of restored supply (other peoples lights on for instance) then turn your supply on. The loading on sub-station transformers is massive for a short time due to the direct on line load mixed in with a fair percentage of induction.
This can (and has several times now locally to me) lead to huge voltage sag, which in turn will cause large rises in current in your equipment which in turn leads to further voltage sag and so on (this all happening within a blink of an eye of course)
I am personally aware of quite a few personal, commercial and industrial claims against supply authorities because of this (and other under/over voltage 'incidents')
All that said we are the pround owners of one of the most stable national grids full stop. It is usually rock solid in relation to frequency and ionly vary rarely exceeds the 220-250v range (most problems being simple voltage drop with properties on the ends of long legs (as it were)
 
I forgot to add that my local supply authority who is indirectly my employer is renowned for its bitter refusal to accept responsibity for any issues relating to equipment damage. I am only aware of one time (that i actually was personally involved in with regards to an official report) that they actually admitted responsibility (this was a 80 dwelling warden governed complex) and met all insurance claims without hardly a whisper (you are always going to get someone who claims they had a huge mainframe type server with 16 plasma's etc etc)
All other incidents have been bitterly fought through the legal process to the very end :(
 
Our electricity company warns that satellite receiver users should unplug until the excitement is over during organised power cuts. These seem more prone to damage or failing to wake up after a cut.

I always unplug the dish cable from the satellite receiver during storms. The dish the biggest metallic object for miles around and look as if it would cop the first strike. Since the receiver is audio connected to the system it would make quite a mess.

The dish is also on the ground (surrounded in trees) as its too big for a wall. It must make it more vulnerable to a strike.
 
suniil said:
i love WOTW thunder scenes :), real ones are not that effective
I disagree.
Although there were no aliens or giant mechanical things coming out of the ground i have been fortunate to witness several thunder storms whos thunder has been truely biblical. They have had an real effect on me and awesome just doesn't come close to it. I tended not to use my (4) subs for a fews day afterwards as i have felt somewhat underwhelmed by comparison.
Thunder storms are the subsonic freaks (of which i proudly claim to be) dream, i rarely feel 'boyishly' excited but a big storm right overhead has my wholehearted attention everytime.
I have often wondered if it were possible to buy a high-res recording of a 60minute storm, you can keep your Rolling Stones :)
 

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