Power bar/strip/surge protector

[Ace Gunman]

Maybe you can help me, gentle Tempers. I'm in the market (the very cheap market!) for a new A/V (audio/video) surge protector/power bar/power strip. What I have in mind is very specific, and although you'd think it exists, I haven't had any luck tracking one down:

I'm looking for a power bar with multiple switches. As you may or may not know, most have one switch and that controls the entire bar. Turn that off and you cut off power to the entire system. Well, my Xbox 360 and Wii are drawing power constantly, and I want to turn them off when I'm not using them. Basically, a bar that has a switch for each outlet, so I can turn off specific devices instead of all of them.

If this doesn't exist I'd be open to alternatives. Anything that suits my needs as long as it's affordable and reliable.

 

[WiiBlaster]

Could try a 2 Surge Protectors one for the Items you wont to Power Off completely, and the second for the items you dont mind to leave on StandBy

 

[Ace Gunman]

Could try a 2 Surge Protectors one for the Items you wont to Power Off completely, and the second for the items you dont mind to leave on StandBy

I've considered it, but I've heard (and I may be imagining this) that plugging two power bars into the same outlet panel (I'm just making up terms now

) is a potential fire hazard.

 

[MasterPenguin]

I've never actually heard of anything that suits your needs.. :/. But I do have an alternative, if you're ready to put a bit of extra $$ into it. You could buy several of the below [or anything similar.]:

Have one main one. Then, plug in your others, into the main one. Then, plug in one of your consoles into the alternative, and you can turn that off, without turning off the main power supply.

If that didn't make much sense, I'll gladly retype it [or make a picture..]

Good luck finding one. :s

*Quick Edit*: Wii Blaster said it. :|

 

[Ace Gunman]

It made sense, but see my above reply. I think that would apply to your suggestion as well. Outlet overload. Again though, that may not be the case. I'd have to research it.

 

[Fat D]

Well, we have different plugs here in Europe, but still I am powering nearly an entire room worth of techyness from a single outlet, mainly a PC with improvized 5.1 and dual-screen setup, two lamps and a wii.
And in what way exactly do you think chaining power strips is different from using one huge one?

 

[wilddenim]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Module...69&T=Module

Something like that?But for USA...

 

[Ace Gunman]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Module...69&T=Module

Something like that?But for USA...

Yes, actually. Something similar to that. A remote isn't necessary (in fact the less remotes, the better), but that's in the general area of what I'm looking for. Except for North America, as you stated.

 

[legendofphil]

I have a setup similar to what you are after, but I couldn't find one product to do it so I bought a standard switched extension cable (6 sockets/switches) and I bought a surge cube to go with it.
Mains -> Surge Cube -> extension cable -> TV, etc.

Belkin (USA) Surge Cube - this should do.

 

[Ace Gunman]

I have a setup similar to what you are after, but I couldn't find one product to do it so I bought a standard switched extension cable (6 sockets/switches) and I bought a surge cube to go with it.
Mains -> Surge Cube -> extension cable -> TV, etc.

Belkin (USA) Surge Cube - this should do.

Well, it may work, but again that brings us right back to two surge protectors in the same outlet panel. How curious that this is such an ordeal. You'd think such a product would be readily available. Sorry to trouble you all if we can't find a solution.

 

[wilddenim]

Woo... I've searched and searched. It's hard to find anything like this from Google.co.uk.

When I do find one, I'll post here or PM you, Ace.

EDIT: Oh didn't see the link I posted included a remote XD

Yes, less remotes the better!

 

[FAST6191]

Outlets. It is mainly a current draw/current overload thing when they say do not stick many in one socket (better to say that then have people overload it because they messed up the maths) although I will mention the special case of the coiled adapter: a coil around a hub is an electromagnet (although without a core and at a low current it is perhaps not so useful) hence you needing to fully extend it if you plan on using more current.

Sockets will then have a current draw limit, in the UK this is 13 Amps unless otherwise stated (some workbenches are lower, some are higher but the electricity supplier will likely have had to install such a thing.

Canada mains is a bit tricky in that there are several older and newer standards, 60Hz 125V AC is the standard and current limits are 15A for type A and type B (the more common one with an Earth pin) although some places have 20A type B as well.
Just a thought but the power (Watts) is defined as current draw (A) multiplied by Voltage (V)
P=IV=current*Voltage.
Currents add up for each device (device 1 uses 1 Amp, device two uses 3 Amps then you have 4 Amps used......)

I tend to solder such things myself but have you considered a timer/similar, not necessarily for the timer but they usually come with a switch to turn things on and off (worst case scenario you have a timer "permanently" switched off and just use the switch, that way it is also hard to overload the socket).

For the record most consoles have the power rating on the back of it/on the power brick, the PS3 and 360 are the most power hungry but they only clock about 300W at most while your TV is more problematic.

A note the four most common power hungry devices are the vacuum cleaner (frequently 1000W), the microwave (650-1000W or more even), the kettle* and the space heater.
Incidentally I also find they are the devices most likely to plugged into an available power strip and cause and overload with the vacuum cleaner as wielded by [insert female of choice] being the prime candidate for such a thing.

*1 gram of water= 1cm cubed and it takes about 4200 Joules to raise the temperature by 1 degree C and an additional 2,270 Joules to boil that 1g. 250 g is a single cup so you do the maths (power is energy divided by time). This is also the reason the whale huggers try to get people to only boil the water they need.