Page 1 of 2
Lightning v Hifi
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 5:27 pm
by tweet_my_ribbon
Lightning 1 CD player 0
Power amp/speakers and CD player are usually left powered on and connected to the same mains block. Heavy lightning storm hits the TV aerial and renders it useless. I was out at the time so couldn't unplug. House alarm got zapped. The NVA amps and speakers survived but the CD players electronics are dead.
The CD player has a mains lead with only live and neutral and no mains earth. Does this mean it's earthed internally ? I recall that Richard mentioned something along the lines of "mess up the earth at your peril" or words to that effect. Would the lack of an earth to mains mean the surge had nowhere to go exept into the electronics ?
Expensive weather.
Re: Lightning v Hifi
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 5:53 pm
by Daniel Quinn
I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have mattered.
Re: Lightning v Hifi
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 1:09 am
by antonio66
When I read the title of this thread, I thought, only one winner, sorry about your cd player
Re: Lightning v Hifi
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 5:38 am
by karatestu
I remember somebody's complete system getting smoked whilst he was out at work. I have had a router killed by lightning.
These days I always unplug the hifi, TV, router etc if I am at home and a storm is overhead. Hifi is ALWAYS switched off and plug pulled from the wall when not in use. It's not enough to just turn it off. Saying that you need to be quite unluckily to have something damaged.
Re: Lightning v Hifi
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:03 am
by TheMadMick
The only saving grace is there are quite a lot of rather good CD players for not many pennies out there 2nd hand.
Re: Lightning v Hifi
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 8:21 pm
by r3xj0hn570n
Surge protection starts at your switch/distribution board.
https://www.hagerelectro.com.au/e-catal ... /41417.htm
it's a short job for an electrician to install one of these.
Re: Lightning v Hifi
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:10 pm
by Geoff.R.G
If your TV aerial gets struck by lightning a surge protector will be as much use a chocolate fire guard.
Re: Lightning v Hifi
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:03 pm
by r3xj0hn570n
Geoff.R.G wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:10 pm
If your TV aerial gets struck by lightning a surge protector will be as much use a chocolate fire guard.
TV antenna? If you still use one, nothing will save your tv. Mine is connected to an android box.
Re: Lightning v Hifi
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:55 pm
by Geoff.R.G
r3xj0hn570n wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:03 pm
Geoff.R.G wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:10 pm
If your TV aerial gets struck by lightning a surge protector will be as much use a chocolate fire guard.
TV antenna? If you still use one, nothing will save your tv. Mine is connected to an android box.
Not just your TV, pretty much everything on the same circuit is at risk. More likely in the UK where we have ring mains distribution.
Re: Lightning v Hifi
Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2021 12:11 am
by r3xj0hn570n
Geoff.R.G wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:55 pm
r3xj0hn570n wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:03 pm
Geoff.R.G wrote: ↑Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:10 pm
If your TV aerial gets struck by lightning a surge protector will be as much use a chocolate fire guard.
TV antenna? If you still use one, nothing will save your tv. Mine is connected to an android box.
Not just your TV, pretty much everything on the same circuit is at risk. More likely in the UK where we have ring mains distribution.
Once you get over 2000V pretty much anything can happen, even jumping a split isolated SMPSU backwards (Colin Wonfor, where are you?). Hmm, a ring main (also used in NZ and Australia) would provide for some "interesting" behaviour, a huge inductive loop...