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Here in the Southeast (coastal SC to be exact) we get some pretty nasty storms from time to time. I have personally been hit by lightning twice in the last 5 years. So yep, I'll pull the plug(s). |
I don't but I should. I live in Kentucky and we do get our share of storms. |
Yes, and disconnect the tuner antenna down leads and extra ground them. |
I pull them too. Easy in the main system since everything runs off a single power bar. |
Yes. It's easy, and the potential catastrophic damage that you can avoid makes it a no brainer. I've lost two trees to lightening strikes. They were beautiful ashes. Wish I had them back. |
Some years back, I was living in a house at the top of a hill at the edge of a deep and wide valley. When a thunderstorm rolled in, you'd really know it -- and it tended to stick around. One not so fine day, a storm was a-comin', so I unplugged everything. Everything. And when the house got hit by lightning -- YOIKES!!! -- it still cooked the amp and one of the speakers. (The amp sat on the floor between the speakers on one wall while the sources and the preamp were on another wall. A pair of interconnects that were maybe 15 feet long connected the pre to the power. Apparently, when the house was struck, everything (the walls?) got charged enough to spark the interconnects enough to fry something in the amp, which in turn blew out a speaker. So now I leave everything plubbed in and turned on all the time. Unless I hear a thunder storm a-comin', of course. |
I should and I don't. I live in South Florida, lightning capital of the country. During the upcoming "rainy season" (if we get one! we've been suffering a drought.), I'd have to unplug everything all the time because we get thunderstorms all the time and, often, without much notice. All my outlets have built in surge protectors and almost all my equipment is run through power conditioners, but it's still not as secure as unplugging. Like I said, I should but I don't. |
i too live in Fl. on coast, i just make sure my gear is off. it lightenings here everyday for 5 mos. and i would never leave my house if i was that worried. if it is REALLY close and i am home i consider it, but by then it is probably too late.good question tho! made me realize how lightening is no big deal after 15 yrs living in top spot in usa for strikes. |
In Estes Park, you'd be foolish to rely on a surge suppressor.
I pull the power strips for video, audio and computer systems. |
I lost an amp (it was turned on) and a big screen TV (not turned on, but plugged in). I have a whole house surge protector in the main breaker box.It did not do a thing. Pretty useless, actually.
The TV tech told me a lightning strike can jump the gap in a switch that is switched off, so unplug everything that matters. |
Nope, have them plugged in to a quality surge protector. So just hope it does its job. As long as it's not a direct hit the equipment should be fine. |
I too live near the lightning capital of the world (Tampa, FL) and I used to, but I have had friends with everything unplugged lose equipment like Hodu did, lightning makes a huge EMF pulse, enough to cook electronics just sitting nearby, you don't need them to be plugged in to lose gear.
Now I run all my gear off PurePower conditioners with battery backup as I fear brown outs more than surges, but they protect from that too. |
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Ever since coming home to the smell of electrical stench that comes from an amplifier hit by lightening, I have always unplugged my system. It's a smell that is unforgettable. Even while sleeping at night, if I hear a passing thunderstorm, I wake up and immediately unplug it. |
I only plug my gear 'in' when I want to listen .
I too live in Florida and have seen lightening strikes without any apparent storms ! |
I flip the breaker switch; it's a lot easier and I don't have to worry about reapplying my expensive quicksilver contact enhancer to the plugs' blades afterwards. Some may argue that flipping the breaker is less effective because of arching across terminals during a storm or that when the breaker is reapplied a surge can damage the gear. I have never experienced these negatives in my 26 years of being in this hobby. |
Moral to the story.Audio lovers should not live in Florida |
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In most cases I do... I had the pleasure of having lightning fry my preamp, amp & speakers. |
I find it easier to flip the breakers to the outlets that my system is plugged in to. |
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I used to keep a 7270 McIntosh power amp unplugged for 5 months at a time if I was not using my stereo. I now have a Cary V-12R tube amp and a Cary SLP98P tube preamp. I live in Pinellas County FL. Lightning capital of the Northern Hemisphere. YES unplug anything valuable, no matter how great your surge protector claims to be or you'll be sorry like a few people I've met. You would not beleive the chain reaction lightning can cause. My stereo had 17 components, 6 speakers and a sub. Now it has been reduced 6 components and 2 speakers and I keep a second smaller stereo just for lightening storms. BE CAREFULL |
Are you in the red zone?
http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/lightning_map.htm |
No. I've lost equipment to a nearby lightning strike, but I think of that as a freak happenstance and I don't think the added protection is worth the trouble everytime it rains. |
NO No No , DO live in florida...it is beautiful and quite special !
Polk432 ; shouldn't you be on the other side of me in Polk county ? LOL . Sorry , had to !
Didn't I read someplace that it is a good thing to plug and unplug in order to keep the prongs free of tarnish and dirt buildup ? |
If you live in Florida and it rains after 9PM.You dont have to unplug your equipment.THE ELECTRICITY IS SHUT DOWN ALONG WITH THE RESTAURANTS |
Yes..... 2 plugs. one for the amp, and one for the power box for everything else. here in N. Tx, you'd be crazy not to... |
North Texas here as well and I unplug for every storm, we get some real light shows here! |
I always unplug during thunderstorms. To the one person who just flips a breaker. A current surge from lightning can arc across the few millimeters gap of the contacts in the breaker. It is safer to pull the plug. |
Curious - those of you who lost equipment, how successful were you (if attempted) at getting them replaced by insurance? Is that covered usually? |
I had no problem with State Farm they even replaced my speaker cables & interconnects. |
No my audio would be the last of my concerns if my hoouse was struck by lighting.The only thing I do is dig out the candles and have faith in God! |
