Power Surge Protection Needed For DTV Antenna?

jj880 · 11-07-2023 6:47pm #1

Recently bought LG 55 CS6 TV. Fantastic set. First time Ive ever spent over 500 euro on a TV so want to keep it in good working order for as long as I can.

Every evening after the pixel clean completes I unplug from the mains to avoid any kind of surge during the night.

What about the aerial cable though?

Please see attached pics of my outside aerial, attic splitter booster and aerial cable in living room.

IMG_20230711_191556.jpg

IMG_20230711_191939.jpg

IMG_20230711_193118.jpg

I really dont know a lot about aerial cables. Picture signal is strong and clear. TV picks up 180 channels including saorview and UK freeview as Im on NI border.

I tried with a multimeter to read any AC or DC power from the end of the cable in my living room but I get no voltage reading at all. Multimeter definitely works. Used DC setting for laptop charger recently. Gave 19v reading.

Does this aerial cable carry power?

If so how should I be testing it?

Will a surge make it to my TV through this cable?

If so what can I do to prevent this?

Thanks in advance for any help.

L1011 · 11-07-2023 6:54pm

Aerial cables do not carry power in normal circumstances, and won't be in your case here.

There is a risk - a very, very limited risk - of your aerial being hit by lightning. In this case, a surge protector will probably get blown and still carry power to the TV.

jj880 · 11-07-2023 7:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120838605#Comment_120838605

Ok thanks. Your lightening strike scenario got me thinking though.

If a surge makes it to the TV in that instance what about a surge through the mains into the splitter in the attic. Would that make it to the TV?

L1011 · 11-07-2023 7:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120838710#Comment_120838710

Possibly.

People just live with these risks, though. I have never unplugged my TV from anything, even the sat connection which could easily have rogue power from another feed (satellite cables carry power from the box/TV to the dish).

There are more expensive things in this house plugged in beyond my 65" TV, namely a dryer and a fridge - nobody ever unplugs those.

The pixel clean process can apparently taken an hour sometimes so I definitely wouldn't stay up waiting for it!

jj880 · 11-07-2023 7:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120838783#Comment_120838783

Yeah after 2000 hours total viewing time it does a full clean.

Rest of the time its about 4 or 5 mins cleaning after 4 hours viewing. I have a set of LED backlights in a usb port on a low brightness. They turn off when the clean finishes so handy enough.

I have all my equipment (TV and android box 😅) hooked up to a 8 socket pure av (belkin) surge protector. Does mains, aerial and ethernet. Who knows how effective these devices really are though:

Well I have a better idea of the risk now. I guess you can't remove all risk. Unless you get some really expensive surge equipment that probably costs more than the TV.

sheehan6023 · 11-07-2023 8:47pm

With a TV that expensive you should seriously think of installing a lightning rod higher than the TV aerial.

jj880 · 11-07-2023 9:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120839122#Comment_120839122

Damn. Of all the replies I thought Id get I wasnt expecting a lightning rod. In my lifetime of 40+ years Ive only heard of 1 house in my area getting directly hit by lightning. I'll look into it but I suspect it may be overkill.

Im more worried about surges through the mains from storms as Ive had some PSUs blow before during the night.

sheehan6023 · 12-07-2023 12:46pm

Would probably be okay to use the amp you posted above for that.

Should be worried about the "Android Box" though, probably full of stuff you don't want on your home network.

jj880 · 12-07-2023 1:02pm

I dont like words like "probably" for this 😂 but I get there has to be some risk.

Android box has Kaspersky on it. Says its clean. Maybe that doesn't mean much but box cost me 35 euro and runs like a dream for 4k IPTV. I'll get a google certified box for my next one since Ive upgraded the TV.

sheehan6023 · 12-07-2023 1:37pm

They are pretty much all awful. Check out Linus Tech Tips video on Android Boxes from 13th April 2023, it will explain the details why.

If it has the type of malware that they say, I don't think an antivirus package will be much use.

jj880 · 12-07-2023 1:51pm

Even a MECOOL Deluxe or NVIDIA Shield?

Surely Google certification on a device counts for something.

I'll get a look at that video this evening for sure.

raspberrypi67 · 12-07-2023 1:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120839507#Comment_120839507

I think you just answered your own question there. The risk is very low. If you got some surge protection between your

plug of the tv and the socket, would give a little more protection. I work in electronics and in all my experience with house surges etc, I've never had any reason to protect anything to be honest. I'd be more worried about the actual house being hit by lightening...lol

jj880 · 12-07-2023 5:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120841978#Comment_120841978

Risk is very low but you never know if you dont ask. Maybe someone on here couldve had a handy way to remove the risk. Looks like thats not possible.

Im in a good habit of unplugging PC, TVs, gaming consoles at night now so should be ok.

Some might think that's over the top but as Ive said Ive had PSUs blow during the night from the mains. Where I live has a lot of thunder storms coming in off Lough Foyle in North Donegal. Im no expert but Im thinking a lightning strike on your house isn't the only way you can get a bad surge. Stormy weather in general can cause spikes near your house. Otherwise why have I had problems with PSUs before?

Due to the amount I spent on this TV I want to cover all angles possible. I got the LG 55 CS6 for 660 euro from Very.ie in March so it was a real bargain. My first OLED ever. Still a lot of money for me to spend on a TV. Dont want to waste a good deal as I dont think the price will be that low again any time soon.

jj880 · 12-07-2023 7:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120841844#Comment_120841844

Ok I watched it. Hes talking about the real cheapo no certificate dregs of these boxes. For sure you have no idea whats on them.

He also mentions using chromecast or nvidia shield near the end of the video. Fair enough. I would put the mecool boxes in the same basket. They are Google certified and licensed android tv boxes. Hence the price tag of 80+ euro for a decent spec. You would think the OS would be clean on those. I will probably go for a mecool deluxe box next.

lucernarian · 27-08-2023 2:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120838605#Comment_120838605

This is what happened with a phone line surge protector I used for a dialup modem. A lightning strike hit a nearby telephone pole, and the ELCB had tripped. The modem was fried, and I dismantled the surge protector. I could see 2 scorch marks on the PCB where electricity had jumped the gap between the copper tracks and continued into the modem and PC chassis which was thankfully earthed. A neighbour's PC suffered the same fate (without a "surge protector") and they just needed a new modem. Another neighbour who didn't have a PC connected to a modem instead got a blown out phone socket, but I didn't see this first-hand.

It's hard to say for sure but I think surge protectors might at best deal with substation/transformer failures and the voltage fluctuations that can happen. In the likes of north america, japan and a bunch of other countries, electricity poles can carry mixed voltages and storms etc. can result in the potential for crossed wires. I think they are a gimmick that's hard to disprove the utility of.

Gerry Wicklow · 27-08-2023 7:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121032330#Comment_121032330

They also protect you from earthquakes and alien abduction. Prove me wrong. 😜 Some items such as motors can create spikes on your mains supply as they switch on-off. These would be the kind of spikes they protect against. A lightening strike is a whole other level of energy that will easily overwhelm most of these devices.

I heard one story*** of a chap who unplugged his TV aerial during a thunderstorm 'just in case'. During the night he was awoken by a large flash and bang and got wet feet when he jumped out of bed. A nearby strike jumped from the aerial wire to his central heating radiator and blew a hole in it. As well as the fried electrics, it also cost a new carpet and radiator.

***[allegedly happened in Dublin mountains but possible urban myth]

jj880 · 27-08-2023 7:53am

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41212984.html

Jaysus. How much is that lightening rod installation?

Tow · 27-08-2023 8:19am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121032522#Comment_121032522

Probably expensive enough! I have seen were lightening hit the TV antenna, ran down one of the stay wires, jumped about a foot to an old style metal alarm box. The only damage was to the Alarm System and a burn mark on the paint between the stay and alarm box. The TV was fine!

Power Surge Protection Needed For DTV Antenna?

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