🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi Adrian,

I'm not an expert, but in case you don't get another answer the info may
help you.

> Hello, I`ve had an standard amiga 1200 (PSU 25 watts) for over 4 years
> without using a surge protector and never once needed to have it repaired.
> 
> I`m sure there have been times when someone has switched on or off a high
> wattage device like a hoover or electric heater in another room and the
> amiga has never suffered from a voltage surge or drop. I was thinking of
> getting an electric heater (1000 watts) in the same room as the amiga. Does
> it help the further away the high wattage device is?
> 
It's not so much the distance but the electrical isolation that counts. If
the heater is on a different circuit (ie. if the breaker in the fuse box
blows because of the heater, the Amiga is should be minimally affected by
power drops).

> Since the room only has one wall socket to try and distance it i would plug
> the heater into one of those 3 way cube sockets, a four gang extention
> would also connect to the 3 way cube socket which would then connect the
> low wattage items like TV, Amiga, stereo etc.

Not a good idea. To minimise fire risk and overloading/heating of the cables,
plugs etc. (including the cables in the walls) you should always connect high
wattage equipment (heaters, washing machines etc.) to thier own power socket.
`One device, one socket' has always been the rule no matter how little power
is consumed, but we all no that it isn't possible. I would need over 20
sockets just for the computers for example.

> In the manuals it says
> Commodore strongly recommends that you use a multi-outlet power strip with
> surge protection to protect from damage to computer data (that doesn`t
> matter it`s just like a software crash or would it affect a floppy disk? I
> don't have a hard drive BTW) and/or computer itself.

The computers' Ram and Clock are the first things that are likely to be hit
by a power surge/drop. The PSU itself already has its' own form of surge/drop
protection in the form of Voltage Regulators, capacitors and resistors but
these are the things that will probably die first during a power surge. The
idea behind them is normally to prevent `spikes' which happen when other
equipment is switched on and off as well as the normal variations that occur
during transmission from the National Grid to your Computer. An external surge
protector/filter is always a good idea. Personally i would recommend a
separate one for the monitor as well.

> I`ve got the
> multi-outlet power strip - i think AKA four gang oblong extention, although
> mines a square rather than an oblong, does it matter? - why is it that
> Commodore doesn`t just recommend the surge protector on its own?
> 
A Flat one is better than a cube for heat dissipation, not that you should
even approach that stage. If the cable from the socket to the extension feels
warm to touch, you are overloading the extension.

> If i put in a 1 amp fuse would that protect the amiga which would be 25w /
> 240v = 0.104 amps? I believe 1 amp is the lowest. Actually isn`t there a
> fuse inside the Power Supply Unit? what amp is that?
> 
I can never remember the formalae, i have to look it up when i need it but
the A1200 PSUs that i have are already fitted with a 2A fuse.
> 
> P.S. What sort of things does the amiga ever need to get repaired anyway
> and what causes them? I also heard that more powerful computers are more
> delicate because of smaller chips. Also if the heater can be gradually
> turned off if it has a dial then there wouldn`t be any sudden surges? I
> suppose it depends what the lowest setting is.
> 
AKAIK the things that die first on an Amiga are the floppy drives followed
by th CIA chips abundant information on diagnosis and repair is available.

What you say about gradually turning the heater on and off is ok when the
heater is new and has a good quality rheostat. If you have a dimmer switch
fitted to a light you can see the light flickers when you turn it. The light
flickering allows you to see the drops and surges. The same heater woks the
same way. Turn the heater on first and leave it on one setting and then you
should switch the computer on.

Glenn.

   ______    Team AMIGA    ____        A4000 040/28 18Mb
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Gremlin@I-Memory.dame.de  (Glenn Mrosek) ++49 (0)571 508316