Power Conditioners Technology Showcase
Jan 26, 2011 12:00 PM,
By Mark Johnson
APC AV S20BLK
If you take all the technology and innovation that’s packed into much of the AV gear these days, how the gear functions basically comes down to theories, developments, and contributions from Benjamin Franklin and Nikola Tesla. As we get more dependent on technology, and as it becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, electrical power is the lifeblood that’s needed to keep the wheels of industry turning, keep us connected to the rest of the world, and keep us entertained. Think back to when you may have experienced a power failure and realized just how much we rely on electrically powered devices. The electrical power that we use to operate AV systems, home theaters, digital signage networks, and command and control centers can be rife with AC fluctuations, spikes, and other anomalies, which can result, in the worst case, in damage of the sometimes delicate equipment—or at least its malfunction.
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A roundup of some of the latest power conditioning products….
Enter power conditioners. Designed for smoothing out the fluctuations, taming the spikes, and cleaning up the abnormalities, these systems have become more popular and necessary to help AV equipment perform at its peak and keep it safe from harm.
The majority of the systems are primarily aimed at the high-end home theater or audiophile markets with some systems designed for use in pro AV or recording applications. Some manufacturers also feature larger, wall-mount systems for whole house or large system applications.
Power conditioners to the people
The APC AVS20BLK network-manageable power conditioner features a built-in web server for remote monitoring and control, an RS-232 port, and environmental monitoring. In addition to battery backup, the unit provides automatic voltage regulation, as well as surge protection over AC, coaxial, and telephone lines. The S20BLK features isolated filter banks to control EMI and RFI. Also featured is the ability to sequence powering on or off of the 120V outlets on the device.
Belkin Power Console PF60
Belkin‘s Power Console PF60 features 13 programmable outlets; Belkin’s Phase 6 PureFilter circuitry with isolated digital, video, audio, and HiCurrent filters; and an LCD status display to monitor input voltage and output current on each of the outlets. Advanced overvoltage protection automatically disconnects power from equipment when the input voltage reaches a dangerous level, and it restores power automatically when the voltage returns to a safe level.
Power Conditioners Technology Showcase
Jan 26, 2011 12:00 PM,
By Mark Johnson
The Equi=TechModel Q balanced power system comes in seven different sizes ranging from 1kVA to 10kVA load capacities. All sizes feature a front-panel LED voltmeter, which indicates voltage at the input or output depending on the position of the voltmeter mode switch. At least 12 AC outlets are provided in the systems, including one unswitched ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) for use with components that require continuous power for a clock or to maintain volatile memory. Four outlets are specially filtered for digital components, and the remaining outlets are for analog components such as amplifiers and preamps.
ETA Systems‘ ETA-C15D is rackmountable and provides 10 total outlets (eight rear, two front). Two of the rear outlet and one front are unswitched. The ETA-C15D includes a front pull-out, dimmable LED lamp; a front-panel digital AC mains voltmeter; and an XLR socket for additional lighting on the back. The unit features RFI and EMI filtering and dual-clamping spike and surge suppression.
ExactPower manufactures whole-house power systems as well as rack- and shelf-mounted systems. The 1RU rackmount EP-C-15R uses 3d-order (18dB per octave) bi¬directional AC line filters to reject both common-mode and differential-mode AC noise and RFI. The device features six nylon-faced, hospital-grade AC receptacles as well as phone/network surge suppression and satellite and cable filter I/Os.
Furman Sound P-8 PRO Series II
Furman Sound designs and builds systems for audiophile/home theater use as well as for pro AV. The P-8 PRO Series II base model features the company’s Series Multi-Stage Protection Plus for surge and spike protection, Linear Filtering Technology for control of AC line noise. The unit includes eight rear panel outlets and one front outlet. Additional models in the series feature retractable LED lights with dimmers, voltmeters, and RMS current meters. The device is rated for 20 amps.
Juice Goose‘s JG 8 series features the JG 8LM with two dimmable, slide-out light modules and a 20-segment LED voltage meter. Eight rear-mounted AC outlets are configured to accommodate wall wart power supplies.
The Lowell ManufacturingModel ACSPR-2009-VTE includes a front-panel lighted on/off actuation switch, a 20-amp system circuit breaker, and a receptacle (always on) that is independently protected by a 5-amp circuit breaker and multicolored LEDs for visual identification of system status. The rear panel comprises one unswitched duplex outlet, one unswitched single outlet, one switched duplex, and three switched single outlets. Also featured is line-to-neutral surge suppression and Lowell’s over/under voltage tolerance envelope circuitry, which turns all receptacles off when line voltage exceeds 140V or drops below 100V. The unit will automatically restore power to the receptacles when acceptable line voltage is detected.
Power Conditioners Technology Showcase
Jan 26, 2011 12:00 PM,
By Mark Johnson
Middle Atlantic Products PD-915RV-RN
The PD-915RV-RN rackmount power distribution unit from Middle Atlantic Products features local and remote notification of surge-suppression status. Two front LED status indicators display the level of protection provided by the unit’s two stage surge and spike suppression. Additionally, the PD-915RV-RN provides notification of surge suppression status to any third-party monitoring device. The unit is equipped with eight rear outlets and one front outlet. Clean ground surge suppressor design will not pass noise contamination to the ground. Three USB-style ports (two on the back panel, one on the front) accommodate Middle Atlantic’s LT-GN gooseneck LED light for additional rack illumination.
Monster Cable Pro Power 3600
The Monster CablePro Power 3600 comprises 12 outlets for AC surge protection, three pairs of protected coaxial connections, and one-in-two-out surge-protected phone connections. Also featured are a digital meter for simultaneous monitoring of voltage and current usage, three remote trigger controls to remotely turn on/off external components, and front and back XLR lamp connections. The Pro 3600 incorporates Monster Clean Power Stage 3 v.2.0 circuitry (three isolated filter sections that include two analog audio filters and two digital filters, plus two ultra-high-current audio filters to provide AC power line noise rejection and intercomponent isolation).
Panamax M4320-Pro
Panamax‘s M4320-Pro is a 20-amp device that features eight RS-232C or BlueBolt controllable/programmable outlets. The M4320 also includes protection circuitry for two pairs of coaxial jacks, one 10/100 Base-T Ethernet line, and one telephone line. The front panel features a volt/amp meter, outlet status and warning LEDs, two programmable reboot buttons, an additional outlet, and a circuit breaker/main power switch. BlueBolt IP system control and monitoring comes installed in the unit. The RS-232 communication card is not installed but is included.
The PS AudioAV Power Center AV-5000 is a web-addressable power conditioner featuring 10 individually switched outlets grouped into five isolated AC power zones with common-mode and differential-mode AC cleaning. The AV-5000 also features autoreboot, which allows any device to automatically reboot should it become disconnected. The system provides complete control via RS-232, IR, or the unit’s internal webpage.
Raxxess Metalsmiths‘ PD-800 series power conditioners offer surge and spike protection, as well as EMI/RFI filtering for eight rear and one front outlets. A front-mounted 15-amp circuit breaker and a heavy-duty 12ft. AC cable are included. The PD-800L features pull-out lights with an on/off switch and dimmer control. The PD-800L and the PD-800 feature outlet placement arranged to accommodate wall wart power supplies.
Power Conditioners Technology Showcase
Jan 26, 2011 12:00 PM,
By Mark Johnson
The RGPC 600 RM Pro from Richard Gray¡¯s Power Company uses balanced surge protection design to ensure bidirectional protection and reduced ground interference. The unit features two individually triggered duplex outlets and surge-protected 75§Ù coaxial I/O. Also included is a convenience AC outlet on the front panel.
The iControl management system from SurgeX provides the ability to customize and monitor individual outlets and power settings on integrated IP-addressable SurgeX Series Mode power conditioners, online via remote access. Each conditioner includes eight individually controllable receptacles available in both 15-amp and 20-amp configurations. Multiple rackmount power conditioners can be configured on one iControl system. The system enables the creation and operation of custom sequences across a network, and the system can send email notifications based on user-defined, predetermined conditions and thresholds including outlet status, current draw, power consumption, and rack temperature. SurgeX Green Power enables automated power up/down of selected components on a customized schedule.
Torus Power RM 15 AVR
Torus Power provides wall-mount systems as well as standalone and rackmount units. The Torus RM 15 AVR provides power conditioning and automatic voltage regulation with 15-amp capability and 120V input/120V output. The RM 15 AVR provides stable output voltage in the range of 115VAC to 125VAC for any input voltage ranging from 85VAC to 135VAC using a microprocessor to monitor and control incoming voltages. The AVR series provides true isolation (using massive toroidal transformers) and features RS-232 and Ethernet interfaces and a built-in web browser.
Tripp Lite HT7300PC
The HT7300PC Isobar audio/video power center from Tripp Lite features 12 AC outlets configured in three filter banks—analog, digital, and high current—with EMI/RMI line noise filtering. Four AC outlets are sequenced and individually controllable. An IR remote control device is included. Dual LED displays plus 12 indicator LEDs show incoming voltage, equipment load and other operating conditions. Additional protected I/O includes gold coaxial, telephone/modem with built-in splitter (one line in/two lines out), and Ethernet connections.
