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No rack = No power conditioner?

B

Buzz

Feb 3, 2004
303
1
Metro Detroit
#1
I just read a comment in another thread that made me wonder, for those tired of carrying the rack case and just using a portable head in a shoulder bag, do you not use a power conditioner?

I did see a furman power strip once in Musicians Friend but don't know if that would work as well as one of their rack units.
I'm considering downsizing especially in the up coming Michigan winter season but don't know how safe I feel about not having some power protection.

Buzz
 
#2
I use a Furman SS-6B with my non-rackmounted heads, but to be honest, I also worry somewhat that it is not offering the same level of protection as my rack-mount power condititoners. Still, I figure it's better than not using anything.

If anyone knows of a non-rackmount power conditioner that it substantially better than the SS-6B, I'd be all ears...

Tom.
 
#3
I just got a 3 space rack bag for my new Thunderfunk and my Furman. Just to be safe. small and lightweight. You could also try some of those fancy power strips they sell at PC stores, they might do the same thing.(???)
 
#4
Unless you are spending a few hundred bucks, you aren't really getting anything that will do much more that a circuit breaker power strip anyway.

I have been using a plain old power strip and have had no problems at all.
 
#10
After one too many close calls with idiot-powered outdoor generators mis-set for 220v, I switched to this Furman Power Factor Pro around May of this year. It actually shut down and saved a bunch of costly equipment at an outdoor event including my Walter Woods Ultra. A mixer board not similarly protected was fried. So, yeah, I guess you could say it's been worth the money. Means hauling another unit but it's not racked and just goes on the floor by my rig.

Furman Power Factor Pro at MF
 
#12
SteveC said:
Now you're getting into protection. $230 isn't that much to pay for saving your WW head, is it.

It's hard to tell from the picture - how big is it?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the way I looked at it: $230 to protect $2300.

It's about the size of an old-fashioned desk calculator, if you can picture that. You know those old first generation jobs? Maybe 6 to 8 inches wide and similarly deep. It's got handles on the back and I just cart it around in a cloth bag with handles. No prob.
 
#13
boogiebass said:
Yeah, that's the way I looked at it: $230 to protect $2300.

It's about the size of an old-fashioned desk calculator, if you can picture that. You know those old first generation jobs? Maybe 6 to 8 inches wide and similarly deep. It's got handles on the back and I just cart it around in a cloth bag with handles. No prob.
Click to expand...
Sold!
 
#18
yeah, despite their nasty litigation history, the monster floor units look good, although the furman floor unit might be better.
the deal is kinda like this, 99% of the people that use expensive protection units (i use a pl-pro) will never need them. the other 1% will either be glad they had one or lose anywhere from $300 - $30,000 worth of equipment in a fraction of a second. I only personally know of one guy who had a major disaster due to no protective equpiment, but it cost him about $15K. Your choice.
 
#19
My Band will not play through generators period. It's in our contract if we sign one, but I always make that clear up front.

Here is a link to what I've been using.
Invalid Link Removed

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UL1449 listed - surge suppression (330V let-through), UL1283 listed - EMI protection, UL1363 listed - power tap, cUL approved to Canadian standards
 
#20
Power conditioners are a rip-off unless you use a sophisticated unit that carries a price tag of better than $200. For less than that what you're getting in the average power conditioner are three MOVs (metal oxide varistors) and three capacitors, total parts cost about two bucks. A midpriced ($100) unit will add a couple of inductors, parts cost another two bucks. The big catch is that in the case of the MOVs and capacitors most gear already has those built in anyway. Bottom line, either spend a lot or don't spend anything, because in between the two extremes you're not getting anything.
 

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