Is a power conditioner really necessary with axfx?

[mr_fender]

Looking at the specs, it shows the protection range between 97 TO 137 VAC with an overvoltage shutdown level at 140 VAC.
Surge protection response time is 1ns, but doesn't give any other specs on the regulation. It's probably about as good a level of protection as you're going to get short of a parallel or offline battery based power solution.

Generally, too much voltage is more dangerous than too little. Too little can still lead to malfunctions in equipment or corrupt data when a digital unit suddenly turns off unexpectedly, but at least for physical damage, overvoltage and surges are usually the ones that tend to kill devices. Voltage and current are directly proportional and it's the current and subsequent heat that fries things.

Nothing is going to completely protect your gear from something like a direct lightning strike to your home's electrical system. It's just WAY too much power to contend with. However you're far more likely to get a surge that bleeds into the line from a strike some distance away.

 

[Rex]

Surge protection response time is 1ns, but doesn't give any other specs on the regulation. It's probably about as good a level of protection as you're going to get short of a parallel or offline battery based power solution.

The specs for power-protection gear always seem to be lacking a few important details like that, preventing you from completely knowing how much protection you’re getting.

Nothing is going to completely protect your gear from something like a direct lightning strike to your home's electrical system. It's just WAY too much power to contend with. However you're far more likely to get a surge that bleeds into the line from a strike some distance away.

This. The seat belt in your car can save your life, but it won’t help you if you get hit by a freight train going at 80 MPH.

 

[mr_fender]

The specs for power-protection gear always seem to be lacking a few important details like that, preventing you from completely knowing how much protection you’re getting.

Yeah it's pretty frustrating when you're trying to make an informed decision.

 

[wnlively]

In your opinion, how bad is this for digital computerized equipment and how much protection does a unit like the furman p1800 AR provide?

I would think that’s a very good unit. Nothing will stop a lightning strike . I normally don’t leave any thing plugged in that I’m not using ( years of seeing what lighting does)Most circuits are designed to operate +or - 10% . Usally if you have grounding issues the lights in part of your house will be very bright. One trick to check a for a bad ground Is to plug in a iron and let it stay on a bit . The iron will cause the voltage to swing from low to high.
I always tie the grounds together in my house power panel . A lot of electricians fail to do this . But if your not familiar with a house power panel you can get hurt or killed

 

[wnlively]

Another rule is , if it’s not broke don’t fix it

 

[dr bonkers]

I had my Digitech GSP-21 and Peavey TNT130 get screwed up by a lightning strike that happened down the block. After that, I use Tripp-Lite surge protector and a power conditioner with all electronics. I never had a problem since doing that.

 

[APOGEE123]

what you need is a power regulator. It will
protect you from a power surge and brown out
which could fry your equipment just as fast.

 

[Andrew Male]

No, not where I live, power cables are buried, we never have brownouts and we never have lightning affect electronics.

It's plugged into a surge protector and that's all it needs.

 

[Steven Persson]

Since we have a 3U rack instead of 2...

I don't know why it would be different to other units but maybe someone has some more detailed technical knowledge that can help us decide.

If you only play at home and live in an area with good, stable electricity it's not needed. When thunder comes around just unplug. It's the cheapest solution of them all

 

[johnnypig]

I had my Digitech GSP-21 and Peavey TNT130 get screwed up by a lightning strike that happened down the block. After that, I use Tripp-Lite surge protector and a power conditioner with all electronics. I never had a problem since doing that.

I lost a PC motherboard to lightning as well.

At home I use the basic APC G5's for audio and pcs, then the battery backups for our fish tanks so we have time to get the generators running in blackouts.

Fish are more expensive than Axe FX by a large factor!

 

[guitarzan_josh]

I've been using this, but only because I don't want to bump to a 6U rack case. My 4U has the Axe and a Matrix. I've been using this for a few weeks and it makes me feel better, and just $70. https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PGP--black-lion-audio-pg-p-portable-power-conditioner

 

[Greg Ferguson]

If the strike is two feet away, all bets are off.

If the strike is two feet away we might not live and won’t care about the Fractal anymore.

 

[Rex]

If the strike is two feet away we might not live and won’t care about the Fractal anymore.

Maybe. Maybe not. Lightning is funny that way.

 

[∞Fractals]

 

[mr_fender]

No, not where I live, power cables are buried, we never have brownouts and we never have lightning affect electronics.

It's plugged into a surge protector and that's all it needs.

Never say never. Power lines are all underground in my neighborhood, but we still had several appliances damaged by a strike that was about 100 or so yards away from our house. That amount of raw power is VERY unpredictable.

 

[Werpinater]

I lost a PC motherboard to lightning as well.

At home I use the basic APC G5's for audio and pcs, then the battery backups for our fish tanks so we have time to get the generators running in blackouts.

Fish are more expensive than Axe FX by a large factor!

We have started that for our fish too! Unfortunately still in apartment life so not able to setup a generator for the fish, but batter powered/backups with intermittent timers for our aerators have helped us. We got caught in the first derecho in the upper Midwest/Great Plains this last summer and lost a goldfish in the power outage. But our Pleco was fine and the surviving Goldfish has the most will to live of any fish I’ve ever seen! And yes, fish can be expensive! But fun!

 

[johnnypig]

We have started that for our fish too! Unfortunately still in apartment life so not able to setup a generator for the fish, but batter powered/backups with intermittent timers for our aerators have helped us. We got caught in the first derecho in the upper Midwest/Great Plains this last summer and lost a goldfish in the power outage. But our Pleco was fine and the surviving Goldfish has the most will to live of any fish I’ve ever seen! And yes, fish can be expensive! But fun!

It sucks losing friends :/

 

[Andrew Male]

Never say never. Power lines are all underground in my neighborhood, but we still had several appliances damaged by a strike that was about 100 or so yards away from our house. That amount of raw power is VERY unpredictable.

I will say never, I've lived 41 years without any electrical equipment being damaged, you do you. I live in the UK, maybe we just have better protection around lightning strikes, because I've never heard, even anecdotally, a lightning strike or a brownout busting equipment. 240/50 maybe just hits diff.

 

[Bruce Sokolovic]

I will say never, I've lived 41 years without any electrical equipment being damaged, you do you. I live in the UK, maybe we just have better protection around lightning strikes, because I've never heard, even anecdotally, a lightning strike or a brownout busting equipment. 240/50 maybe just hits diff.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/el...ng-strike-to-blame-for-massive-uk-power-loss/

 

[unix-guy]

If you only play at home and live in an area with good, stable electricity it's not needed. When thunder comes around just unplug. It's the cheapest solution of them all

And in the middle of the night while you're sleeping and a storm creeps in?