[SunRescue] An intriguing idea...

[Tim]

Eric Ozrelic wrote:
> 
> > >>Now I have plenty of time to gracefully shut down, or just leave it on
> and
> > >>tough out the storm (of course, I disconnect from the phone line).
> Helps
> > >>with uptime.
> >
> > I have a line filter on my modem cable to make sure it handles
> > spikes/lightning.  It's actually a very good Panamax 4-outlet surge
> > suppressor with one hell of a guarantee on it. =-)
> 
> Nobody and nothing can guarantee against lightning. Maybe surges & spikes,
> but
> not lightning.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Eric Ozrelic
> aka ProjektSUN
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Rescue maillist  -  Rescue at sunhelp.org
> http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue


This brings back an interesting story.  Anybody remember the Chaos Manor
column that used to (maybe still is) in Byte magazine?  Jerry Pournelle
[sic] wrote it.  he told of a incident where someone in his neighborhood
crashed into a power pole, and dropped a 10,000 volt distribution line
onto the neighborhood power line.  It sounded exciting, incandescant
lights that happened to be on actually exploded.  In his house, which
was full of computers, every computer that was plugged into a surge
suppressor of any kind, even cheapies did fine, but the supressors all
released their magic smoke.  His primary machine was plugged into a UPS
(I don't think he said the brand) which not only protected the machine,
but switched back to line current when the line was fixed.  The company
that made is was so impressed that they gave him a new one so they could
take apart the old one and figure out how it lived.

Don't remember how old that story is, but I seem to remember his big
machine was a 386.

Tim