Storm started here sometime around 11pm-midnight...We were sleeping when the hit occurred.

Thanks
Chris

Where I was 11pm last night, there were distant flashes reflected off the clouds - I wasn't sure if I could make out a few faint rumbles or not.

I switched on an AM radio before firing up the PC - the crackles were few and faint, so I didn't worry about it much.

A while back; EPE magazine published a lightning alarm based on the Toshiba replacement for the ZN414/MK484 TRF chip. The Toshiba chip starts with TA, but I can't remember the 4 digit numeric bit.

 

Back when APC was almost the only brand in town, they were very solid. If you can find any of the old tan rectangular UPS's around (check ebay, like this one), they are ugly and simple, but the most reliable UPS's that I'm aware of. New batteries is all the usually need, and for the smaller units batteries are like $20-$25 on Amazon. They're fine for most household electronics. The larger ones are fine for computers too, if your computer happens to still have a serial port so it can auto-shutdown when the battery gets low. I've got one of these running my security cameras that is more than 20 years old, and it still works great. They look like this:

At work we bought a batch of newer APC 1500's, about 10 of them at work. They were great when they were new, but slowly every one of them died. I suspect they were victims of the great capacitor plague. We've since replaced them with newer APC 1500's that have been better, but we did have 1 failure for no apparent reason. I think it boils down to, they don't make them like they used to, so for most basic uses, see if you can find some old ones.

MrSoftware,
Thanks for the pic...I have, I believe not next to it now, a older E350 that was given to me as the battery was shot...I bought a new battery for 14 bucks and swapped it out and I was good as new...In fact I believe that is probably why I did not loose the new computers.

I will look at purchasing a bunch of these

Thanks Again,
Chris

 

Sorry for the question. What is this precisely? Anything fed by the mains?

 

Sorry for the question. What is this precisely? Anything fed by the mains?

It shows single point exterior grounding (usually to a house grounding rod) for any electrical connection (like coax shields, US mains earth connection) or a conductor (antenna mast) that needs to be grounded so there is no interior wiring current loop in the presence of Earth Potential Rise. If widely separated ground rods (or something like a sump-pump) must installed near the house the grounds usually are bonded together externally and separately from the house interior ground connection at the mains box.
http://ecmweb.com/design/10-worst-grounding-mistakes-youll-ever-make

 

Any suggestion on a UPS?

I would probably by 5 at once...And probably increments of 3-5 there after.

Thanks,
Chris

I use APC. I've tried others, but APC (at least for me) have always been the most reliable, both in personal and company use.

 

The APC higher end Smart-UPS online units are good quality but more expensive. For computers and sensitive electronics in areas with major power issues I would only use online units where the AC inverter section always supplies the power while the utility power only recharges the battery unless the unit is in a maintenance bypass mode. Because they are designed to run 7/24 the electronic and battery subsystems are generally much more reliable than cheaper standby units.

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/ext/ups/typesOnLine-c.html

 

All,
After investigation of the Sump Pump I found it to be in good working order.

Unfortunately the lighting in the basement is off...All breakers are on in the house...I reset each to confirm operation but still no power in basement lights...Is it possible that a breaker or the light switch got fried?

Further investigation on the TV shows that the power supply is not outputting the required 6 volts from either connector on the board. There is some unusual material all splattered around the larger transformer. A new board is less than $20 to my door. So we will start with the board and go from there. The main board is not even $25....Its a 32 inch LED TV around 2 years old.

The Router appears to be toast...but honestly unless it kicked right on anything more than a fuse would not be worth the effort. Found it on Ebay Manufacturer refurb $55.

The Blue ray player is a little more expensive than I remember ~$100 but honestly not worth the effort probably.... but I may try and troubleshoot things...Which brings me to my next question.....

The only experience I really have is repairing specific items and my college course like 10 years ago...Is there any good books/online resources for troubleshooting electrical items (refresher type of thing)?....I have many multi meters (some cheap some not so much), A Capacitor testing unit (ESR something or another (been a while since I used it last....Computer Monitor Capacitor issue was were it was last used.) I once had a very old scope...but somewhere in life it was disposed of....I even have a professional vacuum de-soldering station not to mention the simple hand held de-soldering vacuum tool....

Most of the time my electrical tools were bought for a specific need (repairing something) is there a "place" that most people start in electronics like power supplies/amplifiers, small projects.......



Thanks for the help,
Chris

 

All,
After investigation of the Sump Pump I found it to be in good working order.

Unfortunately the lighting in the basement is off...All breakers are on in the house...I reset each to confirm operation but still no power in basement lights...Is it possible that a breaker or the light switch got fried?

Is it possible that a breaker or the light switch got fried? Very possible.

Buy a Non-Contact electrical tester to check for power on the breaker outputs, wiring, switches and receptacles.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Non-Contact-Voltage-Tester/

 

Good to hear the pump is working.

Are you certain all the breakers are truly "on"? When mine trip, you can just barely notice a change in position. I have to feel them to be sure. When they trip, they are no longer hard on and you can feel a little softness when you push them towards the on position. I'd identify the one for the lights and toggle it before I gave up on it.

 

Good to hear the pump is working.

Are you certain all the breakers are truly "on"? When mine trip, you can just barely notice a change in position. I have to feel them to be sure. When they trip, they are no longer hard on and you can feel a little softness when you push them towards the on position. I'd identify the one for the lights and toggle it before I gave up on it.

wayneh,
I am positive its on...flipped each one off and then on....I may just pull the cover off and test voltages quick on the black wire. If its bad pull the breaker and due a continuity test on it.

Thanks
Chris

 

Yup, it's the place to start.

 

Is it possible that a breaker or the light switch got fried? Very possible.

Buy a Non-Contact electrical tester to check for power on the breaker outputs, wiring, switches and receptacles.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Use-a-Non-Contact-Voltage-Tester/

Nsaspook,
After the breaker test....that is the next step...That is one tool though I will need to buy...Just saw one recently and said that tool is for me...now I have a reason to buy it!

Thanks
Chris

 

The APC higher end Smart-UPS online units are good quality but more expensive. For computers and sensitive electronics in areas with major power issues I would only use online units where the AC inverter section always supplies the power while the utility power only recharges the battery unless the unit is in a maintenance bypass mode. Because they are designed to run 7/24 the electronic and battery subsystems are generally much more reliable than cheaper standby units.

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/ext/ups/typesOnLine-c.html

The fully online UPS in general are good, as you point out there's no switch-over delay, or related noise. In my personal experience with the smaller APC SmartUPS units, they run the batteries hot for some reason, which dramatically reduces the battery shelf life. I'm not sure if the unit itself is just warm all the time and that heat gets to the battery, or if they just over charge the batteries. The rack mount SmartUPS at work does not have this problem and we get many years from the batteries there.

 

Nsaspook,
After the breaker test....that is the next step...That is one tool though I will need to buy...Just saw one recently and said that tool is for me...now I have a reason to buy it!

Thanks
Chris

Just to point out, even if your little tester you purchase indicates no voltage, make sure you do a second test with a good meter.

kv

 

The fully online UPS in general are good, as you point out there's no switch-over delay, or related noise. In my personal experience with the smaller APC SmartUPS units, they run the batteries hot for some reason, which dramatically reduces the battery shelf life. I'm not sure if the unit itself is just warm all the time and that heat gets to the battery, or if they just over charge the batteries. The rack mount SmartUPS at work does not have this problem and we get many years from the batteries there.

The larger rack units are build like a battleship. I'm replacing the batteries on a unit (online but not APC) that's was in service at home for many years. It's nice and clean after blowing out years of dirt.

 

Just to point out, even if your little tester you purchase indicates no voltage, make sure you do a second test with a good meter.

kv

Agreed

 

All,
On a humorous side of things...I learned its national lightning awareness week;

19th-25th.

Thanks everyone,
Chris

In my first year electrical installation course, we got a lecture about lightning strikes and ground voltage gradients.

Apparently farm livestock are frequently killed by this because their fore and aft legs are so far apart. We were warned that humans should keep their feet close together when near trees in a storm - I got chucked out of class for pointing out that women were OK because they have a built in spark gap.

 

In my first year electrical installation course, we got a lecture about lightning strikes and ground voltage gradients.

Apparently farm livestock are frequently killed by this because their fore and aft legs are so far apart. We were warned that humans should keep their feet close together when near trees in a storm - I got chucked out of class for pointing out that women were OK because they have a built in spark gap.

LOL!

 

I gotchyur 3rd rail right here!

 

All,
Looks like the voltage detection stick will be the way to go...After testing all the breakers for Voltage (120-125 Volts) all tested good. Flipped the switch on the breaker in question and 0 Volts...so breaker seems fine... wiring (neutral and ground) tie in to the box looks good....So I am thinking at this point something else outside of the box.

It appears that the line goes up and over our utility room and into the basement... by way of our stairway to the basement...Looks (from a small access point) to be a junction box with three sets of wires...One for the hall light (not working) and one for the basement lights (problem area - no lights) and one feeder line...The drywall is not finished...so going to get the tool and remove the drywall and see whats up.

Thanks
Chris