Smart Strip LCG3 Energy Saving Surge Protector with Autoswitching Technology, 10-Outlet

[Metspitzer]

This says it automatically switches off to save power. If you are not using any power, how would turning itself off save anything?

[ransley]

Why dont you read up on what it does, a hint, it automaticly shuts power off to accesories plugged in after you power off a tv, or put a computer in standby or turn it off. Its a good idea

[Matt Williamson]

HTH

Matt

[N8N]

yes, I like that idea, e.g. being able to power off my monitor completely (not just "standby") when turning off computer. I do manually turn off power strips that have rarely used appliances, e.g. the TV in the spare bedroom, or the one that my cell phone chargers plug into, when they're not in use.

nate

[E Z Peaces]

When I shut down my computer, I switch off the power strip to kill the power to eight other devices. This strip does it automatically.

[ransley]

But its better, it shuts eveything off when computer goes into standby mode that would still consume power, like a HD, modem, monitor, speakers, printer. All my "extras" pull about 20 watts, thats about

1.50 a day at my rate 12 hrs a day in standby alone, if you leave these extras on all night you could save alot over a year. I read about one that uses a Usb port but this seems to be more versatile.

[Nate Nagel]

I'm sure a product like I'm envisioning exists but I haven't searched it out... I have two computers, both laptops. So the laptop should remain plugged in even when powered down, to keep the battery charged. But all the peripherals that are plugged into the docking station, like scanner, printer, monitor, etc - those could be completely powered off when the laptop is powered down, but that one "master" outlet would remain live. so then when I sit down to do some work, I hit the power button and all my peripherals come back to life. Et voila, no "standby" power draw

- monitors especially have this, because they need to detect when your computer turns on so they come back to life. Apparently pushing an extra power button is too much trouble for some people. Maybe the product in the original link works like this; I didn't read the copy very closely.

Useta be that you could buy these little power management boxes that would sit under your monitor with switches on it for all your peripherals and a master switch to kill everything when you were done for the day, but they never really caught on, despite being a good idea. I remember they were expenSive, although they really were probably just a basic surge protector, some receps, and a couple lighted rocker switches in a generic computer-colored case. Of course back in the day I also remember that the power switch on a computer was an actual power switch, and when you shut down your OS by a command, instead of actually shutting the computer off, when it finished doing whatever it needed to do a screen would pop up that said "It is now safe to turn off your computer" (or similar verbiage, depending on what OS you were running.)

I'm not that old, honest. (seriously, technology has come a LONG way in my lifetime, and I really am not that old. When I was a kid, the thought of having a little box about the size of two cigarette packs that would suction-cup to your windshield, display maps, and talk you through directions was just unheard of. Hell, my parents still had a black and white TV, and "computer games" meant my cousins' Atari. Think about it)

nate

[Tony]

You plug the pc tower into the marked Control Outlet. When it senses the power from the control outlet goes low, but not off, it turns off other outlets for printer, monitor, speakers..... but it leaves the PC turned ON standby! If it didn't you would have errors when the PC started up again. If you turn the PC off completely then it's just a matter of flipping one power strip off. The only advantage of the automatic one is for when your computer goes into standby while you are not there. But again, it doesn't turn off the computer.

[HeyBub]

Huh!

20 watts x 12 hours = 0.24 kwh = $6.24/kwh!

At a more believable rate of 10¢/kwh you're "wasing" 2.4¢ or about

75¢/month.

Ah, I see. The $1.50 you quote is for a MONTH, not a day (at about 20¢/kwh).

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Do you inplug you TV or turn it of from remote? Do you see clock running on your microwave oven when it is not cooking anything? Well? Having problem understanding the product description?

[ransley]

h).- Hide quoted text -

So in two years it might have a payback, I might save 1.50 a month, but my electric supplier has two rate increases starting this year, then they will be approved 2 more next year. For me it would be worth getting since my computer goes into standby 10x a day, or whatever, for most of the day. The only downside in my modem would take a few minutes to boot. For tv system setups it would also work well

[trader4]

Actually, there are SOME applications where this thing makes sense, like the PC with accessories connected and all located close enough to plug in to one strip. But the typical home entertainment gear or microwave oven sure aren't good examples. Every time the power goes off here, I have to go reset the settings in some of the home entertainment gear, eg selection of the appropriate input, so it will work again. Some settings that aren't retained are even buried in a second level menu. And of course, once you use this to turn off your TV, you aren't going to turn it back on with the remote. Then, there are the various items that have clocks in them, etc.

[Wayne Boatwright]

On Thu 25 Feb 2010 07:17:38p, Nate Nagel told us...

Circumstances often dictate what one needs, or needs to do. In my case, I run a small home network 24/7, consisting of 1 server, 4 PCs, 2 laptops, 3 different types of printers, two scanners, 2 external backup drives. I have a permanent VPN connection to my office 40 miles away, and I typically work 4 days a week at home. Every piece of equipment is Energy Star compliant, so maximum shutdown is automatic, although there is a certain amount of standby power being consumed. My backups and hardware/software updates run automatically during the night. It's simply not possible/practical to physically turn all of this equipment completely off at the end of use.

As to appliances with clocks, televisions with clocks/timers, programming memory, etc., every single one would have to be manually reset if the total power were cut off to these devices. Again, not very practical.

We have, however, made a few efforts to help offset power consumption; e.g., replaced all incandscent bulbs with CFLs (except for a very few decorative bulbs), use light sensors and timers on exterior lighting (also CFLs), replaced refrigerator and stand alone freezer with Energy Star compliant units.

That's about as far as we are able to go at this point.