Truth be told, we have five power stripper / surge suppressors in our house. With computers, video game systems, entertainment centers and the octopus of wires under my desk, it isn’t a luxury item – it is a complete necessity. Not only does it allow you to safely run multiple electronic items but it protects those costly goods against power surges. I’ve only had the suppressors kick in a few times – mostly during bad storms – and I am glad that I decided to spend a few extra dollars especially when I think of how much it would have cost to replace or repair items that could have been damaged. Another great features is that you can power down all the items at once. When we go away on trips or there is bad weather in the forecast and we won’t be home, all it takes is a flick of the switch to have all the items shut off then for added precautions, I also unplug the power strip from the wall outlet. Yes, I am extremely paranoid.

RCA SCP600 Surge Suppressor

One thing that I loved about this power strip is that it didn’t tip over all the time. Before I mounted it to the side if the kids entertainment unit I could have all six slots in use and not have to worry about it flipping on to its side of falling off the shelf. It’s average size – about fourteen inches long and only a few inches high so it won’t take up a tremendous amount of room. Since this is something that is always on [unless we go away or there is bad weather rolling in] I was really concerned about how much heat it would be throwing off. Some power strippers tend to get a little warm if they are in constant use or if the items plugged into it are on for an extended period of time. After having this for over a year I can say that it is cool as a cucumber even after they’ve been playing video games for hours on end or watching a ton of movies.

This surge suppressor will accommodate six polarized or standard electronic appliances and once they are pushed firmly into the slot, they don’t move around, come loose or lose connection. This was something that I saw first hand after I mounted it vertically to the side of the wall unit and I considered it to be the ultimate test of this product. It’s well constructed, has a strong four foot cord, slides into the wall outlet snuggly and is well worth the suggested retail price of $10.00.

If you think you won’t benefit from owning a surge suppressor, think again. This is the perfect sized power stripper to have handy for the holidays – no more fumbling with extension cords or having to wonder how many strings of lights you can safely have running before you blow a fuse or create a fire hazard. All it takes is one flip of the switch and all your lights, ornaments and decorations are lit up or turned off. Because of the small size and the fact that it doesn’t tip over, it can be slide against a wall and kept out of sight. This is also a necessity for computers, entertainment centers with more than two electronic items, home offices and in the garage. The cord is only four feet long so it is a little limited in that area but otherwise this is one of the best surge protectors / suppressors / power stripper combinations I’ve purchased in the past few years. If you are planning on using this with a computer and use a phone line to connect to the internet, there are specialty products that will allow you to plug your phone line into the unit for additional protection.

You’ll know that you’ve got power when you flip the unit on and see a green light come on [left side]. This tells you that it is running and you can plug your electronics into it and have them protected. The indicator is small and doesn’t throw off much light so if you are a sensitive sleeper, this won’t bother you at all. Some of the power strippers have indicator lights that are so bright and strong what you are half tempted to flip them off so you can fall asleep. The second indicator [right side] tells you if the connection is grounded. Since this has never lit up for me I can’t tell you what color it is but the electrician that was here told me that the surge suppressor was working perfectly and I had nothing to worry about and that the house was grounded so I needed to stop biting me nails and obsessing over it. The last real perk of this item is the power button. It’s your typical rocker type button but its slightly recessed so it doesn’t accidentally get bumped. There’s nothing worse than having someone bump the power button by accident and losing the progress on a video game, computer program or in the middle of recording a movie.

Wall Mounting

This one is in the kid’s playroom and after months of fighting with the cord and having it slide all over the top of their small entertainment unit I decided to make use of this feature and mount it to the rear side nearest the outlet. I am by no means a master woodworker but I managed to have it securely attached to the entertainment center in about fifteen minutes. I strongly suggest that you remove most of the items from the area you will be working in before you start. I mounted it along the back seam of the unit where the two corner pieces connect. This way I would have a little more stability when I drove in the screws and items were plugged in or removed from the power strip. I checked to see where the nails and other hardware [from the unit contruction] were located and worked around them. After marking off the spots for the screws I used my handy dandy electric screwdriver, got them into place and mounted the power strip. I don’t know what the technical name for the type of hole that is used on the back of the power strip but it allows you to slide the item onto the screws then pull it down so it locks in place.

Warranty

This comes with a lifetime warranty against defects of craftsmanship and workmanship. If at any time during your ownership this is deemed defective you can send it to RCA / Thompson for a replacement, free of charge. In the event that they no longer make the model you will receive one of equal or greater value. Thankfully I’ve never had to take advantage of the warranty on this product but I am pretty pleased to know that if something happens they will replace it. The fine print about the warranty is pretty standard – the warranty is voided if you tamper, alter or attempt to repair the unit. This has a suggested retail price of $10.00 – if your life, the safety of your family and electronics worth trying to repair or alter this? Somehow, I think not …

The Bottom Line

This has been a great product for the kids room. No more tangled wires, wondering which plug is for which item and having to worry about using couplers or extension cords. One flick of the switch and everything is shut off and with the built in surge suppressor, I know that everything is safe if the power gremlins come calling. Since this was such a great deal - $8.99 at Target – I plan on picking up a few more to replace older power strips for the holidays. The ones that I have now, just for seasonal use, don’t have a surge suppressor on them but rather a perky little fuse on the side that cuts the power out when the circuit is overloaded. For the price this is a great way to protect your family, your home and your electronics. If you are in the market for a new power stripper you might want to spend a few dollars more and get one with a surge suppressor – and if that’s the case I highly recommend the RCA SCP600 Surge Suppressor.


As always, thanks for the visit!

^V^ Freak ^V^

© 2003 Freak369


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Since no photo is listed, you can check it out at this link http://www.rca.com/documents/SCP600(LG)_700929_25.jpg




Recommended: Yes