Hello,

We've had two thunderstorms inn the last three days. I realise I am
not sure what are sensible precautions to take and what are old wives'
tales: unplug the tv and don't use the phone seem plausible but keep
away from radiators, windows, and don't have a bath? Are they good
ideas or just mad?

Our tv equipment is plugged into one of those Belkin surge protector
extension leads, as is the computer but they look untidy on the floor.
I was thinking about getting more sockets put on the ring main to tidy
up these cables. Are there any cheap surge protector sockets, or are
the extention leads the cheapest way? I see that CPC sell some sockets
but IIRC they are £14 each for the surge protection and even more for
ones that filter RFI. By the way, is the RFI filtering worth having?
Do you know of any cheaper ones? I would have thought there would be a
demand for these protecting equipment in offices and industry?

What about telephone and tv protection? Other than the extension
leads, are protected sockets available?

I was thinking about the aerial cable. If lightning strikes, the
current will have to travel down the cable to the suppressor in the
extension lead. Won't it have melted the coax by the time it gets
downstairs? Shouldn't the suppressor be as soon as the cable enters
the loft?

To complicate things even further, we live in a dip, so we have to
have the aerial on a 16' pole and even then we need a masthead
pre-amp. That amp requires a power supply, so would I be right to
think the suppressor has to be after the power supply? Would it block
the power otherwise?

Is there anything I can do to prevent the 16' pole attracting
lightning? Whilst I realise the odds of a lightning strike are 1 in
3,500,000, there was report on the news about an unexposed house in
Derby being destroyed after lighting hit their aerial.

I guess these precautions only protect against small charges from
distant lightning? I guess a direct hit would be so powerful it would
melt whatever earthing or suppressors you had connected?

One last question: is there some sort of surge protector you can fit
at the CU to protect the whole house?

Thanks,
Stephen.