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Equipment Rack power (1 Viewer)

TommyHawk

Grip
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Messages
18
I love the pictures members post of their sleek equipment rack installations - beautiful Middle Atlantic racks with custom cables and everything (Mitchosky!), and reading some of the installs they all route heavy duty (20amp) power to the equipment room...

But where/how do all the components actually plug in? Do people use aftermarket uber-clean powerstrip(s) mounted to the frame and plugged into the wall? Can powerstrips handle the full load? Or are there, say, 5 outlets in the equipment room conveniently located near the rack, but far enough from signal wires?

That's weird, wild stuff (Carson).

Thanks
 

Leo Kerr

Screenwriter
Joined
May 10, 1999
Messages
1,698
Generally, until you get into the high power amps, a standard 15-a or 20-a circuit can handle the load.

One of the things we do at work is mount a "power rail" on the back of the rack. It's essentially a power strip with an outlet every, say, 5 inches along the 3-4' length. We also tend to use Surgex(tm) power conditioners - the "RT" version for remote turn-on. (low voltage pilot signal OR contact closure.)

Leo Kerr
 

Glenn Overholt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 24, 1999
Messages
4,201
If you are in an area that gets lightning strikes, DO NOT buy the $10 -$20 (cheapo) power strips. If they get hit, you'll be ok, but the safety part inside will fry, and the unit will not tell you that it is fried, and keep on working. So... if you get hit a 2nd time, everything plugged into it could get fried!

I have a Monster HTS 5000 reference power center. It comes with a guarantee, and also keeps the output steady. Oh, and it has 10 sockets in the back, and 2 more in the front! You can plug everything into it and not worry. There are cheaper units out there, and some have protection for cable, Sats and phone lines too. A wise investment.

Glenn
 

TommyHawk

Grip
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Messages
18
Ah, thanks for the description. Are these Monster/Surgex power components the way most (serious) people go? Anything to keep in mind when placing it in the rack, in an effort to keep power cables separate enough from audio - should it go at the very top or bottom? I know cable shielding will help with this, but...

I'm learning more about power conditioning and its importance with HT. I imagine using hospital-grade outlets for subs and the projector would be a good way to go.
 

TommyHawk

Grip
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Messages
18
Seriously - so these Monster/Surgex components just plug into the wall, say a 20amp outlet, and nothing else fancy, yes? Do you guys run a 15amp outlet for most components and a 20amp for the receiver/external amplifier(s)?

Anybody else use power rails?
Thanks
 

Glenn Overholt

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 24, 1999
Messages
4,201
Yep, nothing fancy. I have a 15 amp outlet, though. You have to remember that the receiver is drawing in all of the power, and any players, DVR's, etc., don't use that much.

Glenn
 

Brent_S

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 5, 2000
Messages
472
Tommy,

I'm not a big fan of Monster as a company, but you probably can't do much better for the money as a next step up from a basic power strip/surge protector than this buyout. Personally, I'm buying it mostly for the triggered outlets to switch on my amps with the pre-pro, so any noise filtering it does is a bonus.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=189-025

As Glenn says, make sure any surge protector you buy at least has an indicator to let you know when it's no longer providing surge protection. It's pretty easy to find in the $30ish models and it's the type of protection I've always used until I ordered the HTS3500 at the link above.

I'm running Adcom GFA-7000 and NAD 2400THX amps along with preamp, front projector, and dvd player off a 15 amp circuit with no problems. I've never once tripped the circuit breaker, even when pushing the amps hard enough to have their warning lights starting to flicker. I couldn't stay in the room at that volume so I can't imagine what it would take to actually trip the breaker or even send the amps in to protection mode.

-wbs
 

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