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Lightning hit in backyard and knocked power out at house yesterday.
Even though we had items in surge protector we lost:
1 cable modem
1 wifi router
1 directv box
1 ps4
Bummer.
What is interesting is there was a TV plugged into the same surge protector as the direcTV box and the ps4 and the TV survived.
Possibly additionally interesting is that none of them show any outward signs of damage or any smell or anything. I also tested the power supplies they use (except internal PS4 one) and they all work fine.
None of the items will power up -- none of their power lights light up. Nothing.
I was wondering how this could happen -- since the house is well-grounded and we had valid surge protectors. I read this interesting article which explains it:
Lightning Myths - Surge protectors and UPS devices provide total lightning protection :: Storm Highway Weather Library[^]
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In which order were they attached to the surge protector? So, was the TV last in line?
Also, don't surge protectors offer some sort of guarantee that they'll replace items? However, pretty sure they are not intended to protect from a lightning strike.
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items only replaced if the surge comes down the line
- usually some widget inside they can check to see if that's the case.
(and if it's a Chinese / non domestic brand, - regardless what the box said you know you're SOL)
Home & Contents Insurance a better bet for a claim.
Sin tack
the any key okay
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I'm sure you're right - never had the issue.
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R. Giskard Reventlov wrote: So, was the TV last in line?
It was last in line. Those other components gave the last full measure to save large flat panel expensive TV. 
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A nearby lightning strike does create an EMP - generally anything inside a metal box is safe (most tv's have thin metal shield to halt interference mostly from itself, The shield doesn't necessarily have to be grounded (although would be better), ungrounded still acts more a pulse reflector-sink (depends on pulse type whether it bounces or eats the pulse).
most modems / routers / gaming consoles live in a plastic box (and rarely grounded / sheilded) nothing to reflect or sink pulses away from those tiny little chippie dodads inside.
- you can always wrap those in tin foil if worried lightning may strike twice, and/or eat spiders and stand in the back yard next time - might gain some super powers.
Sin tack
the any key okay
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Several comments
(1) A surge protector does not act like a "force field" like you see in comic books. It is more like a bump in the road to transient noise on a transmission line. The seat belt in your car similarly won't protect you if your car hits a wall at 100 mph. A lightning strike is a big event.
(2) The electrical barrier that is formed by a surge protector works both ways. If the lightning strike was on your house, then everything in your house will get zapped and the surge protector will protect your neighborhood from the damage coming from your house.
(3) Surge protectors are usually (not always) on the power coming into your house. Lightning strikes can enter your house in other ways, notably television antennas, cable tv connections or communication lines (hello RS232). No surge protector will help you with these (and may work against you - see #2).
(4) If there are several devices in parallel (ie. plugged in and at least partially turned on and/or connected), a large transient such as lightning will find the easiest path to ground. The weakest link will be overcome, leaving the survivors potentially unscathed. One device will give itself sacrificially to save its friends.
I'm retired. There's a nap for that...
- Harvey
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H.Brydon wrote: Lightning strikes can enter your house in other ways, notably television antennas, cable tv connections or communication lines (hello RS232).
I think I just learned this the hard way. Or, easy way depending upon how you look at it.
I don't think most people know this either. I have never really considered it.
H.Brydon wrote: leaving the survivors potentially unscathed. One device will give itself sacrificially to save its friends.
That seems to be what happened with the TV. Well, the TV was the most expensive so it was worth it. I guess. 
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Years ago, we got hit with a ground strike, which took out the Fax, the telephone exchange, a hardware engineer who had to get extremely drunk to forget it, and every single IDE disk controller card in the building whether the computer was powered or not. If it was plugged in, the card failed - replaced each card and all computers survived.
Unlike the company down the road which had a VAX connected to a UPS. No electrical damage, but the lead acid cells exploded and ate the PCBs out of the computer...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Wow! That is a serious lightning strike.
Amazing it took out computers which weren't even plugged in.
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That's the EMP lopatir mentioned.
I've been told by the dad of an aquaintance, that they had a lightning strike a tree next to their summer house. Despite everything being disconnected only the electric mixer survived.
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Wow!
Jörgen Andersson wrote: Despite everything being disconnected only the electric mixer survived
That sinks it. I'm building my next computer, wifi router, etc out of parts made from KitchenAid mixers. 
Also, I'm going to start storing everything in large lead trunks. Wait, no, i'm going to line the walls of my house with lead. That should be safe. 
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Copper mesh, or better gold mesh - you want the best conductor, not the densest material which stops Gamma radiation.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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OriginalGriff wrote: Copper mesh, or better gold mesh
Silver is an even better conductor than gold, and it's a lot cheaper!
(OTOH, it tarnishes  )
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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OriginalGriff wrote: which stops Gamma radiation
It's too late, I've already been affected and now when I get angry I Hulk* out.
*Hulk (comics) - Wikipedia[^]
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Not meaning to be flippant, but lucky you!
A couple of years ago I was sailing off the coast of Turkey, and we got zapped by lightning. My boat is in no way earthed to the sea, so the 22 metre metal stick in the middle takes on the potential of the air, not the water, and that saved our bacon. The first strike hit the water 20 metres to port, and the second 15 metres to starboard. Had they actually hit the boat it (and us) would probably have been destroyed.
It wrote off US$20k of marine electronics in about 2 seconds.
...and no, there wasn't a voice from the middle of the thunder clouds "F&*k it, missed again."
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Chris C-B wrote: sailing off the coast of Turkey, and we got zapped by lightning.
Now that would be really scary.
Great story.
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Phone line.
It is always vulnerable in a lightening strike. I lost my internet box due to one once and always disconnect it now. Main protection is of course just on the power supply.
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I like the one from DMC very much, but the original one has more drive 
modified 19-Jan-21 21:04pm.
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Looking forward to this[^] hitting the market. Hope the price is not over the top.
Michael Martin
Australia
"I controlled my laughter and simple said "No,I am very busy,so I can't write any code for you". The moment they heard this all the smiling face turned into a sad looking face and one of them farted. So I had to leave the place as soon as possible."
- Mr.Prakash One Fine Saturday. 24/04/2004
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Trouble is that you're probably looking at spending about the same money again to get the RAM it should have to start with...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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