Surge Protector

Just out of curiosity, why wouldn't you use a "Battery Back-UPS" type of surge protection on a system of this sort? I'm curious because the high-end chain Tweeter Etc. sells exactly that to use with their systems along with a line conditioner that runs about $3500. When they come into your home to do installations, they recommend them, also. I would think that a surge protector of this type would be far superior compared to those over-glorified power strips most manufacturers pass off as surge protectors. Consumer Reports did an article on them a few years back, and through running a series of tests, they found that most of those power strip-style surge protectors are good for one surge, then they are pretty much useless. And sadly, you will never know when or if they were surged, so you really have no idea when or if they have been rendered useless by a surge. I see a lot of them advertise claims like $30,000 to $50,000 protection for equipment hooked up to them, but I'm sure if you ever tried to get them to replace your equipment, they would have 300 reasons why your equipment failed other than poor protection from their product, or that you don't know how to use it properly or something to that effect. Unless you're some kind of quality control person or electrical engineer or technician that could show proof of your clai, you would have a hard time convincing them that their product failed and they owe you X amount of dollars to replace the fried components hooked up to their surge protector. I'd rather have a good battery back up system, that would absorb a lightning strike without passing it on to my equipment, and a rider on my homeowners policy, than to hope or assume that one of those power strips will save my system, and think someone will actually reimburse me for the $21,000 worth of equipment I have, if it should happen to fry. By the time they pro-rate your system, you can be sure you won?t be happy with what they will be paying you to ?reimburse? you for your failed equipment.
PS I had a lightning strike right outside my home office window a couple of years ago. My monitor was hooked up to one of those power strip-style surge protectors, and sparks shot right out of the front of the monitor straight at me. Between the sparks heading straight for my face, and the unbelievably loud crash of the lightning striking about 3 feet from where I sat, I jumped back and the chair and I went over backwards. It scared the heck out of me. I had to replace the monitor. My PC was hooked into an APC Battery Back-UPS system, which was plugged into the same wall outlet as the so-called surge protector, and survived just fine. Somehow, my underwear survived too. Lol. I use to buy the more expensive surge protectors too, in the $59 - $69 price range, thinking more was better, but I found out the hard way that it didn?t matter. I have three Back-UPS systems in my house now, protecting all of my sensitive electronics and I?m thinking of getting another one. I never tried to put in a claim for the monitor against the surge protector?s manufacturer, because I assumed they would just say that it wasn?t made to take a direct strike like that, and besides, it gave me an excuse to use on my wife to get a bigger better monitor. Since then, I swear by Battery Back-UPS systems, so I am curious why you made that statement.

battery ups's are just to make sure the fans are still running in your equipment if there is a power outage. rarely will ANY surge protectors protect you from a lightning strike right in your back yard cause thats just way too much power for a surge to handle. the best way is to unplug your equipment completely during a lightning storm.

power conditioners with batteries or not are DEFINITELY needed...but just dont rely on it 100% of the time to save your equipment. just like dont rely on the airbags in an old honda civic when a freight train is comming at you at 60mph. (just an analogy)

Just bought new 50" Sony XBR1 LCoS. Also purchased Monster HS3500MII power center w/surge protection. I now want to purchase a UPS. If I plug the tv into the UPS and then plug the UPS into the HS3500, will I have a problem, since the UPS also has surge protection? Anyone know??? Thanks

it'll void any warrenty that either power surge's come with. (even though its hard to get those warrenties anyways)

Thanks for the reply.