Power surges happen from time to time, and most modern buildings have electrical systems that are designed to handle them. In the past, even with common electrical surges, surge protectors simply were not necessary; it is our modern electronics (DVD players, your TiVo box, etc.) that are easily damaged by too much electricity and need the protection of a coaxial surge protector for the security of these lines.
A lot of people use surge protectors on their electrical outlets, but many fail to realize that the same surges can happen through coaxial cables. Coaxial cable is used to connect roof antennas, satellite TV or cable TV & Broadband to your reception equipment. Let’s face it, a lightning strike on your roof antenna or satellite dish is pretty unlikely. However, it can (and does) happen – the expense of a coaxial lightning surge protector is so minimal compared to the damage such a surge would cause to your electrical equipment. Similarly, if you have cable TV or Broadband, coaxial surge protectors are an absolute necessity because a sudden spike can destroy your set-top box or modem.
When choosing an in line coaxial surge protector, you will need to look at two main things:
The first is the power that it can protect against – the higher the value, the safer your expensive video equipment will be; and
The second is what has called the attenuation (this is the technical term, but you can think of it simply as a reduction in power level). A video signal from cable or satellite TV, for example, will have a power level associated with it, which is measured in dBmV. If there’s already a low power level entering your home, the reduction that a cheap surge protector will make may cause “blocky” or freezing pictures. This is especially likely if you have the signal split into many rooms, because a normal digital TV splitter will reduce (or attenuate) the signal. So if you already occasionally have problems with the TV reception or Broadband, it is usually best to opt for a slightly more expensive protector that attenuates the signal as little as possible.
In any case, a standard and still good quality coaxial cable surge protector can be found by reading any surge protector review, and purchased for between $8 and $15 from any electrical retailer. For such a low price, you should consider it a one-off insurance policy on the safety of your electrical equipment.
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