##$%$#?!!!!!!!

[SoundDoc]

FARK FARK FARK!!!!!
Just getting through 2 weeks of hell!
Lets just say lightning and electronics don't mix....
I had literally JUST finished my CP, and we fired up some Marvel Vs. X-men, and about 30 mintues later, BOOM! Lightning hit the street light outside....  
Blew my TB mouse hack, my light gun, my mame machine CPU, MB, and Video Card, my Projection TV, Receiver, DVD, VCR, the TV upstairs, Cordless phones x2.... My main comps Video Card, & memory, My wifes comps CPU...
 AAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!

Talk about realizing just how dependant on technology you are. Still going through the insurance hassle, but with the flooding that happened around here about the same time the adjusters have been crazy! It looks like its going to be a few more weeks before I see any money / new gear, but the good news is their replacing everything that blew, with new. So its a brand spankin' new P4 2.6 to replace the p3 500 that was in the mame machine... new 54" HD widescreen TV to replace the 54 s-video 8 year old tv  New 7.1 reciever to replace the 5.1 reciever... etc....

This might actually turn out nice, all new equipment! But the hassle just sucks! I've been jones'ing to play games for like 2 weeks now, all the good movies are just comming out on dvd, and I have no way to watch them! the only TV that didn't blow was a 20" TV in my sons room.... Lets just say he hasn't been the happiest guy the last couple of days....

On a good note though, I didn't blow my Ipac! Thats the only thing that didn't blow! Basically, the CP I built has a 8 port USB hub in it, two ports wire to the front of the CP for player 3 & 4 controllers to plug in, the mouse/track plugs into it, so does the lightgun, and the ipac... It blew the hub, the lightgun, the two wingman controllers, the mouse/track, but the IPAC lived!

Hopefully I can get back to finishing the cab soon and post some pics (once my machine gets back online). I ran into a guy I did some computer data recovery for, and he happens to run a cabinetry business.... He laminated my CP for me in trade. All I can say is I never ever thought it could look so good! every angle on the CP he mittered the edges of the laminate and bonded, you can't tell its not a single piece! even the joint between the top of the CP, and the edge, the laminate "seems" to roll over the edge, no seam is visable, and its smooth, no sharp edge!

Wow, who thought posting could be so theraputic! I went from right pissed off, to excited about getting going again!

/rant

sd

[ChadTower]

Just to be sure:  now you know that spending the $100 on a whole house surge protector for your electrical panel is crucial to avoiding a reoccurrance, yes?

[Snarbald]

Last Wednesday work got hit by lightning at around 8 pm. Blew up all the computers, had to run manual until the middle of the day Friday (and those fixes were just temporary). All new computers were supposed to by overnighted and received by us on Saturday, they didn't show until Moday. (As we are not allowed to install anything ourselves for some reason) the tech support guy doesn't up until after 6pm on Tuesday - and he thinks he's there to run some cable or something. Then I get to break it to him that its his job to swap out all our messed up and loaner computers with the pile of boxes that say IBM on the side. Anyway, I hear the guy gave up around 11pm and now, a week later, we still don't have everything up and running. Oh well, at least I finally have a day off.

[SoundDoc]

ChadTower:

Thats the funny thing! Everything WAS surge protected. Actually what took most the equipment out (including my pda I forgot to mention that was sitting on the table not connected) was the EMP generated by the hit. The Home theater/TV centre is on a BIG surge supressor, as well as a very large ferroresonant transformer. What I have concluded happened, is that:

I currently have a temp line in from the street for my cable modem as Shaw is currently trenching in a new service...
Most the "power" came in on it, and straight into the cable modem (I use satellite for TV), blew the cable modem, and into the router, blew the router and onto the network, took out the 2 nics in the server that way. Not sure how it took out the mame machine and home theater, mame machine was on a very good APC UPS, and not tied into anything except the home theater through S-video, no network or anything so the only way into that system is through the coaxes for the dish, which are grounded, then into the satellite recievers, which are ok, and into the home theater.

Its all just speculation, but when your dealing with that much power comming into a system, theres little you can really do to protect yourself. (I don't have a whole house surge supressor yet, but have been looking at one. wouldn't have helped me here unfortunatly)

sd

[SirPeale]

I had the exact same thing happen.  It wasn't the lightning that fried everything, it was the EMP.  My monitor, which I was convinced was toasted (it wasn't, using it right now) had a huge rainbow thru it for a week afterwards (for whatever reason, it only degausses itself once in a while)

[Lilwolf]

Nothing does anything to lighting

my dad used to work for the EPA.. When he was there, the building was hit by lighting...  1/2 of their computers (and it seemed VERY random which) blew up...  And they had the best surge / battery backups available at the time.

They ended up rewiring the entire building so all computers where on special power network (seperated 100% from the main)... Then they had a giant, frankensten style switch that gave a 1/2 foot break when turned off.

They haven't had any problems since.

funny thing though.. MOST (used to be by far) computers the die from lighting is from their modem.  Because power lines cut the signal quickly and a lightening hit usually only kills a street before isolating it... phone lines used to kill computers for blocks and blocks around..  But I haven't had a computer plugged into a phone line in years.

[ChadTower]

ChadTower:

Thats the funny thing! Everything WAS surge protected. Actually what took most the equipment out (including my pda I forgot to mention that was sitting on the table not connected) was the EMP generated by the hit. The Home theater/TV centre is on a BIG surge supressor, as well as a very large ferroresonant transformer.

Yeah, as great as those consumer surge protectors are, they don't do much when you really need them.  Definitely get the panel protector.  I have this one:

http://www.smarthome.com/4870.HTML

Just put it in on friday when the replaced my whole panel (water damage, whee).

[hyiu]

well.... my home has not been striked by lightning before... (and hopefully.. it never will....) knock wood... knock wood...

but my office was.... (well.... I donno how close it strikes...)
I was working... (and in NJ suburbs...) and we hear the loud thunder and lightning....

then bammm.... all the lights flickered.... and all the computers... rebooted.... the surge protectors beeped like hell.....

but everything is ok right after....

so... the moral of the story is....

NO NEW COMPUTER FOR ME !!!!!!!  

[SoundDoc]

Actually I have a friend out here that is doing it "The Right Way"...

He's got a acrage east of where I am, and that's where he's building his new house. He's also a HAM (Amature radio operator) like myself, so he's quite into having many towers around (some in excess of 500').
Anyway, he's put up 5 wind turbines, and has a huge mother of a battery room. He's also has a 48KW 3ph 208VAC inverter!!!
His entire house/shop is(will be) completly isolated from the grid, and whatever power he doesn't use (right now he isn't using any really, house isn't built yet) he pumps into the grid and gets paid for. Nice little cheque every month from the power company...  Must be nice.

sd

[Santoro]

He's also a HAM (Amature radio operator) like myself

73 de W2DHS!  hi hi OM.  XYL is KB2UAL

(God I hate morse lingo.  Just as well- I'm only a Tech.)

[SoundDoc]

OY... now you make me remember coding....  

73 from! VE6RKY! Nice QSO OM. QTH?
Is this a first forum QSL? hi hi your 599
XYL is not active yet, maybe this fall...  
51!

I'm mostly VHF/UHF, haven't touched code since I got my licence. I'm having more fun setting up IRLP stations and playing with ATV.

Wonder how many other BYOA members DX?

sd

[hulkster]

wow that sucks, but its kinda good at the same time.  anyway, i dont know where you live, but we have storms here in Nashville, TN every so often (bad ones i mean) and everytime the lightning is bad, i totally unplug my computer/mame cab from the wall.  i know in this case with the emp it wouldnt have helped, but since i dont want to go out and buy some crazy backup system, unplugging it from the wall seems like the best way.

[Floyd10]

I was getting into it, and it's just too much work for something that I'mn not obsessed with. But that REALLY sucks. You think that if it was unplugged, they'red be no damage?

[MinerAl]

My dad used to work for a department store back in the punch card days of computing.  The "surge suppressor/UPS" they had was a six foot one ton fly wheel on the generator that was run by a little electric motor that was attached to the grid.  He said it took two days from a cold start to get it up to speed, but once it was it had something like a 12 hour back up capability on the monstor load of a 60's IBM room sized computer.

[SoundDoc]

Well its should start going better now, I just picked up my last 2 quotes for repairs. This has been the worst part. I mean, Its taken over a week, just to get a quote that my tv and receiver are bad. Plus, I had to find people to help me carry the projection tv upstairs, get a van to get it to their shop, and then today get another van to take it home, all for a single piece of paper that says,

 "TV non-fuctional, suspect main control board. Parts not availiable, unit non-repairable, suggest TV be Replaced"

I GAVE the service shop more info than that! which voltage regulators were shot, which IC was damaged, etc... I knew it wasn't repairable from the start, but still, for a week worth of waiting, and a $80 eastimate, I feel kinda cheated.... But as long as I get a new TV and reciever I'm happy.....  

Now I'm going to have to go and fork out more money for a HD revceiver for the satellite though!

(I can't wait to watch HellBoy.... My wife bought it Tuesday, and somehow thought that we could watch it..... without a dvd player, receiver, or tv....)

OH! I also just found out..... that the new TV I want, and they say will be the replacement, comes with a free XboX! (Xmame here I come).....

sd

[Floyd10]

  Damn your karmic ways!

[DarkKobold]

Last Wednesday work got hit by lightning at around 8 pm. Blew up all the computers, had to run manual until the middle of the day Friday

[Floyd10]

  hahahaha! Thats so funny. What is it from?

[Santoro]

Wonder how many other BYOA members DX?

Only other HAM I ran into was ElderCarribou who posted 8 times and vanished.

Dave