Bought these two on Saturday, waited for shipping confirmation before posting the deal in case it was a dud.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/164000241884 (B8F)
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/164000242247 (E1/45U)
Excellent if you want a top rated power board with the trifecta (high joules, low response time, low clamping voltage).
RRP is about $259 (B8 series [B8G/F/+) and $179 (E1/45U)
PIZZA5 for an additional $5 off as well (thanks ln28909)
PIZZA5 for $5 off with $60+ spend works for these
oh yes I forgot about that. I used that code too I'll update the post now. Thanks
:) also how does this compared to like Belkin powerboard
Belkin don't post stats for clamping voltage or response time, so I've no idea. Usually (for other brands too) that means it's not good, but you can contact Belkin to find out!
Anyone want to explain to the lay person why this power board is worth away more then your standard 20$ one?
I also would love to know :)
Joules - the more energy the board can absorb, the longer it will last (this one is about the longevity of the product)
Response Time - how long the board take to "react". Anything under a nanosecond is essential. Not all boards post this stat, so it's probably not good.
Clamping voltage - how much before the board sends electricity to the ground line. The lower, the better. Even some good boards have a clamping voltage over 1000, when you shouldn't go above 400-500 really.
This is all stuff I have been researching this past week, so if anyone wants to correct my knowledge, please feel free.
So looking at these two boards, is the E1/45U better since it has a higher Joules/outlet than the B8F?
NVM, the B8F is probably better since it has a $200k warranty compared with $75k from the E1/45U
Depends on what you're protecting. E1/45U only has 4 sockets, hence the higher joules/outlet, but if you have say an A/V setup with more than 4 devices then you'll end up needing another E1/45U or replacing with the B8F instead.
The key thing about these Thor units is that they don't just protect against surges but also try to clean up the power noise as well. And not just on the power outlets.
The clamping voltage is important because that's the maximum voltage that will appear on a device while the rest of the spike is diverted to ground. Hence, the lower the better. A 1000V pulse to your expensive TV is not good, nor is if it takes several nano seconds to react before it clamps the voltage.
This is what you're paying for. If you have expensive equipment then you will likely want the better level of protection.
I have two Thor boards from years ago. One is for my A/V system, the other is for my computer gear. So far no issues, still working good (the green light tells you if it has failed it's self test).
I think the warranty is quite long for these also (5-6 years?)
but also try to clean up the power noise as well
Virtually all brand-name surge protectors have had EMI/RFI filtering for the past decade now. Nothing newsworthy about that.
So far no issues, still working good (the green light tells you if it has failed it's self test).
I would take that "surge protected" status LED with a giant bag of salt, especially once the board has been in use for 3 years or longer and has been subject to hundreds if not thousands of transient spikes, normal current fluctuations and electrical pollution that happens on a daily basis and will degrade the performance of the MOVs on the PCB inside.
Every single surge protector I've ever had, whether it be from Monster, Belkin, HPM, Huntkey, Jackson, Crest, etc, has never had the status LED go out, even when they've been continuously plugged for +6 years and I've actually had power surges cripple connected equipment and yet the board still claims that surge protection is active.
I think they're deliberately engineered to remain on, even if the board has suffered a catastrophic failure.
Every single surge protector I've ever had, whether it be from Monster, Belkin, HPM, Huntkey, Jackson, Crest, etc, has never had the status LED go out, even when they've been continuously plugged for +6 years and I've actually had power surges cripple connected equipment and yet the board still claims that surge protection is active.
I have a Thor and a few Dick Smith boards (all > 4 years old) where the Protected light has turned off. But I do have a Crest one (also just as old) where the Protected light is still on.
I have a Thor and a few Dick Smith boards (all > 4 years old) where the Protected light has turned off. But I do have a Crest one (also just as old) where the Protected light is still on.
At the end of the day, surge-protected powerboards are disposable products with a finite lifespan, just like HDDs or rechargeable Lithium-based batteries. Past 5 years they should be considered well and truly EOL and replaced, regardless of perceived longevity and functionality (especially if you're trusting them to protect valuable or irreplaceable appliances). The MOVs in them will wear out over time even when they haven't ever been exposed to a surge voltage/current spikes close to or above their rated thresholds.
@Miami Mall Alien: Didn't disagree with your point about the longevity of the boards - just wanted to point out that I have come across boards where the protected status light appears to function as intended.
Virtually all brand-name surge protectors have had EMI/RFI filtering for the past decade now. Nothing newsworthy about that.
by the way, this was posted by overshopper, below.
Pretty decent noise cleanup here:
Can't tell if you are saying if the B8F is worth it or not…
Joules - 1750J (assuming the lower value of the two stated) = not bad?
Response time - less than 1 nano sec = good?
Clamping voltage - 275V = good?
hoping someone in the know can weigh in on the current situation…
1750 is outstanding. Have a look at most of the Belkin or similar boards, they're around 300-600.
They don't even publish response time or clamping voltage stats, which are just as or even more important.
Clamping voltage is excellent. One I got linked to a while back ticked the joules and reaction time boxes, but had a clamping voltage of >1200 from memory, which is far too much.
why this power board is worth away more then your standard 20$ one
Those would be power boards that merely provide some extra sockets to plug appliances into.
These are surge-protected power boards. They're designed to protect appliances from power surges, voltage spikes and electrical overloading, as can happen during storms, blackouts, brownouts, etc. Though they'll likely be destroyed in the process of dissipating a serious power surge and require replacement, they can potentially save expensive appliances from being bricked.
Correct me if I am mistaken, but I thought my home contents insurance policy covers the replacement of expensive appliances being bricked from storms, blackouts, etc?
How do we correct you? We don't know what you signed up for?
@Indomietable: Unless I am mistaken, the standard contents policy offered by most reputable insurance companies provides similar coverage.
Except it won't replace valuable data, rare/priceless equipment with like-for-like substitutes nor will you get your appliances in a timely fashion even if the insurance company pays out. What if you're self-employed and working from home and left with no other means of generating an income for weeks? What if you have $50,000 dollars worth of vintage/high-end Hi-Fi equipment that is no longer in production and sells for 5 times that figure on the resale market and what you can get for the insured amount is comparatively garbage?
There's a million reasons why preventing the loss of expensive consumer goods is often a much better form of insurance than relying on home and contents policies to simply reimburse you with cash for your losses.
The main reason I chose to buy the B8F is due to its automatic shutoff feature (failsafe), which kills the board completely when the surge protection (which is more than regular power boards) has been completely used up. This on its own was enough to justify the high price (after having my LG OLED and amp blow in a storm). This is especially useful if you’re not home to unplug everything when a storm rolls in.
I’d much prefer a dead board to dead equipment, but Thor even replace the power board in this instance if it is within warranty.
At this price, I won’t be hesitating in getting a couple more.
The joule rating is the highest I've seen on a sub-$100 surge protector, but I'm not sure what, "4890 Joules. Equivalent to 1750 Joules using UL1449 Std" means.
So which is it? 4890 Joules or 1750 Joules? Because the latter figure would be an incredibly sub-par spec for a board of this RRP and more to the point, I've never seen surge protectors advertising anything other than one figure for energy absorption.
Except it's not really a sub-$100 surge protector.. it's just a great deal right now, but it's usually much higher :)
Also I think it's fantastic that, if they use their own joules rating, they also give the equivalent of the UL standard (which is the main certification standard for these things). I don't mind, so long as both numbers are quoted.
Cheaper brands might say "1000 joules" and you wouldn't know if they weren't talking about the UL standard or not.
Plus again, the number of joules is just one part of a list of things to look out for when buying a good protector. Arguably it's the least important; I'd rather a board clamped the voltage down correctly, in a fast amount of time, and did that 4-5 times before needing replacement, than one that let through a massive spike 20 times.
Except it's not really a sub-$100 surge protector.. it's just a great deal right now, but it's usually much higher :)
I think it's honestly overpriced at full RRP, bordering on Monster Power levels of price-gouging.
Cheaper brands might say "1000 joules" and you wouldn't know if they weren't talking about the UL standard or not.
Yeah but in that case, why not just quote the UL-certified rating instead of another number based on who knows what kind of measurement that can't be independently-validated?
Giving both numbers just seems to be a round-about way of saying they don't trust their own in-house figures and/or want to have a disclaimer there for legal liability reasons.
Plus again, the number of joules is just one part of a list of things to look out for when buying a good protector.
Yes but when you're claiming a joule rating that is considerably higher than any other consumer-level surge protector I have ever seen before (and I've bought tons of these things over the years), I does seem like they're banking heavily on being the market-leader in energy absorption for surge protectors in order to make a name for themselves.
I've never even seen Monster Power claim anything above 4,000 joules before.
Thanks OP ordered one !
thumbs up good stuff, enjoy!
Grabbed two of the B8F's. FINALLY a surge suppressor that's somewhere near on a par with Tripp-Lite's in America. Thanks, OP.
Shame I spent $40 on a random branded one at Officeworks last month. But with my new desktop computer coming in and a printer that's currently living on a plastic storage tub in the living room so that it can use the TV's power strip (my 5-outlet at my desk is full), I can justify a couple more high quality power boards. I live in an ancient unit, so a bit of extra caution is likely wise.
awesome! I bought two of the B8Fs as well :)
And 4 of the E1/45Us, haha.
Which is ridiculous really, because I got 6 units for less than the price of 2 of them at RRP.
I was on the fence between two B8F's and one of each. Now that you mention it, I probably should've gotten one of the E1/45U's in addition to the two B8F's. LOL.
As it turns out, my new (ridiculously expensive, "computerised") sewing machine that was delivered today came with a warning page packed on top of the Read Me First document, instructing the user to plug it into a good, reliable surge protector as current fluctuations can damage the electronic circuitry.
I wonder how many people have been caught out by that, getting their new machine and opening the box to set it up, only to find out, "Crap, I need a power board," and how many of those people just went out and got a $20 one.
Don't want to kill a $900 sewing machine, that's for sure. Alas, now I have to wait for THAT delivery before I set it up. Hopefully won't be too long.
yep, they are (in the grand scheme of things) a small investment to make sure your bigger purchases last a long time.
Wow these are cheap. Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the Thor boards are their high joule ratings. When I was looking to buy surgeboards a few years ago, I concluded that the Thors were the ones able to take the biggest surge hits and more likely than any other brand to survive a huge power surge.
The old Belkin AV ones use to advertise their joule ratings and the AV range use to cost $200+, however Belkin for some reason started to focus on cheap-mid level market and abandon their high end markets.
Electric mixer causes dirty power and Thor board cleans it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo8DJju_e28
I thought so! I would have sworn that an old Belkin I had (maybe 10 years old, long since decommissioned) was actually an AV-grade one as opposed to just a power point capacity extender.
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THANKS got one …..wanted 2 but discount applies to sale ….so have to purchase separately
they also have Thor Smart Filter $40 https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Thor-C2-Smart-Filter-Duo-2-Power…
I Would say the deal looks good, however this item does most certainly not have the highest Joules or Amps in its price range and $260 RRP seems over priced.
I Had one of these Belkin Products, Which state Joules and AMPS, however it broke down and the replacement also happened to break down.
Now i'm assuming they state the Joules and Amps in the general standards and not, in their own testing method like thor.
https://www.belkin.com/au/p/P-BV108130-3M/
At the Time the Belkin was very good for $60
But now i'll give this Thor a go.
however this item does most certainly not have the highest Joules or Amps in its price range
I've only ever seen one other surge-protected power board with a joule rating over 4,000 and that was this Belkin from 6 years ago that was rated for 4,720 Joules and 123,000 Amps Maximum Spike Current.
$260 RRP seems over priced.
Most certainly, that's Monster Power territory, regardless of the joule rating.
To Those Interested I Put in an offer for the Thor B8F of $75 AUD and it was almost immediately accepted now Combine it with the Code PIZZA5 And you can get it for $70.
(Note: You might be able to put in a lower offer but i did not Try This)
Here's My Paypal Receipt: https://i.imgur.com/VchB64P.jpg
ha, looks like he's increased his price by $5 to get the discount. A bit cheeky.
Oh thats sad, wasn't like that earlier.
I mean he could of just declined the offer.
Anyone recieved there's?
My smart protect is used. Box was opened and the board and plugs have signs of use. The plastic cover on the plug is missing and the warranty paperwork is all scrunched up…
Even the tv areas have threads that are worn out…
Very bad purchase!
Damn, that's pretty ordinary. Hope you get your money back. Mine's coming next week - let's see if it's a new one.
Got my 6 today. Mine look okay, but mate I'd be putting in a claim to eBay for that. The products were advertised as New. You should be getting New items, anything else is not on.
Crap, I just bought a couple of power boards today, when for not much more I could have got better ones.