The
words of John Pecore, "As an expert in the Power Quality arena I have
searched for a device that could eliminate ground transient problems, it has
taken 10 years but the search is finally over, Spike
Block is that device. The
technology behind the Spike Block
is truly revolutionary and comes with UL Recognition.
Not since the introduction of the Optilator
have I been so excited about a new product. The
industry recognizes the outstanding performance of the Optilator
and how well it isolates the phone line from Gentner and Burk modems in your
650-foot (guaranty to be hit by lightning) towers.
The Optilator has become a
house hold word in the AM/FM Industry with it’s reputation and strong
qualities, 4 inches fiber optically isolating the phone line, eliminated a
ground loop between the building grounds and telephone box grounds.
The Optilator is not a
surge suppressor, it is a Fiber Optic device. No
other device manufactured today can compete with this Optilator
and Spike Block technology.
Since inception the Optilator
has surpassed all expectation, the competition are promoting it and recommending
it to all their distributors."
In every tower, or multiple building site there is a presence of grounding for
all equipment, both physically and electrically.
In multiple building applications using RS485 or 10BASET we have a serous
ground loop problem. Naturally to
eliminate that, we have suggested ground isolation transformers, which will do
the trick electrically, but if we examine some of the installs of the equipment
we notice that many cabinets that house our electronics are grounded.
This case ground can be a major problem, and create an internal ground
loop or feed back loop of EMI or EMP. We
also have problems with noise that sometimes distort the quality of the FM or AM
Signal. The Spike
Block is a cure against this kind of NEC problem.
In order to tell what it is, we have to explain the technology and why we use
it. Electronic systems have advanced in
speed and reduced in physical size. Electronic
circuit or “chip” manufacturers integrate more SMT on more and more circuits
or in a single chip enabling software manufacturers to increase the density and
complexity of programming. The result is
higher operating speeds and lower tolerance to damaging electrical interference.
At the same time the delivery of electrical power from an electric
utility as alternating current (AC), can become unstable, surge or vary, beyond
the design limitations of the overall system. This
may be due in part to the changes in the utility’s transmission demand, in
part to insensitive electrical system structural design, in part to the
conversion of AC to DC power, used to drive the common computer, network
communication systems, security systems, and naturally in part due to lightning
damage.
Vulnerability to electric impulses: many computer users are aware of the
destructive force of a local lightning strike and the electrical impulses that
are induced into building electrical distribution.
These impulses go directly into the electronic system via the power
supply or case ground. High energy
transients also come in many other sources such as inductive or capacitive
loads, including motors switching on/off, heat pumps, elevators controls, laser
printers, computer disk drives, irrigation system solenoids cycling and even the
common telephone line (naturally without the Optilator
attached). Not to mention your security
systems are also affected.
The design focus of today’s power supplies (AC power converter which supplies
DC power), is high efficiency and the smallest possible size.
Impulse immunity is not a prominent design constraint.
Generally, a computer power supply will use the building electrical
ground as a reference (ground connection) for all the voltages that are
supplied to a CPU, memory, hard disk, modem cards and security systems.
The ground is tied directly to all system components for UL safety and
internal and external communication.
Herein lies a growing and significant dilemma based on NEC Code for grounding,
and UL requirements for equipment to pass for life safety.
The ground connection has become a control path for irregular impulses
that result in system failure and in many circumstances intolerable “downtime”.
UPS’s
(standby, on-line, true-on-line and double conversion) surge strips, electrical
panel surge suppression and power conditioners are designed to protect the line
and neutral wires of a three-wire circuit where the third wire is a common
ground. Whether it is a single phase or
three phase circuit there can still be a serious voltage surge problem from
erratic voltage transients coming up the ground wire and
back into sensitive electronics and security systems.
The
power conditioning products mentioned above provide only normal mode protection
(line to neutral) even though some state that they provide common mode
protection (neutral to ground). Their
claims of common mode protection only allow shunting a high voltage transient to
ground. Unfortunately, as we have
proven, the transient energy then becomes bi-directional along the ground line.
Not all the transient energy goes to ground; a large part can flow up the
ground wire and across the switch mode power supply, case ground or
telecommunication devices with out the Optilator,
and back into the Gentner, Burk, computer, electronic device and security
system.
This technology, known, as Total Electrical Transient Eliminator, or Spike
Block is a patented technology (US Patent No. 6,385,029) that
effective controls the voltage transient problem described above.
This Spike Block, Blocks
high voltage transient frequencies from becoming bi-directional and
re-establishes them as uni-directional (one way), away from sensitive
electronics like Burk, Gentner Equipment, short haul modems, and computers.
In April, 2000 EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) released information
stating electrical transients, power sags and surges caused US Industry over $50
Billion in downtime during the calendar year, 1999.
In 2000 the figure exceeded $100 Billion.
Calendar year 2001, the figures doubled again.
The Spike Block is the
only known cure for the electrical transient problem.
The AM/FM/TV industry definitely sees their share of “downtime”.