Difference b/w Monster Surge Protector & V-Guard Voltage Stabilizer for LCD TVs

[GeoTracks]

This may be an obvious question, but can someone explain what is the diiference between "Monster Surge Protector (1800 Joules) for about 5K" and "V-Guard Digitel Voltage Stabilizer for LCD TV".

Are these the same? Is there any difference? Which is more recommended and why?

I am looking to purchase one of these for my electronic equipment.

 

[adder]

well the monster is going to protect sudden surges of voltage,i believe it has a high voltage cut off.
a V-guard stabilizer on the other hand will do AVR .it will give a maximum ouput voltage of 240v when the input voltage is as high as 290v.it will also boost the voltage from as low as 140v.
from my own testing even when voltage is around 270v it gives a voltage of around 225v.
lcd sold in india have a operating voltage range of 110v to 240v.

i have this a similar type of surge protector made from power sentry which says it protects from a surge of upto 3500 joules.but it went kaput long back. http://www.powersentry.com/products/100384.php once its goes kaput u have to thow it away,u can't repair it.it has one way screw that only tights.but i did manage to open it by drilling out the screws,now its serves as a good extention box,the cable is 3/4th of a inch in diameter.for indian voltage conditions its won't stand a chance.even though it say it can handle upto 330v.

 

[GeoTracks]

well the monster is going to protect sudden surges of voltage,i believe it has a high voltage cut off.
a V-guard stabilizer on the other hand will do AVR .it will give a maximum ouput voltage of 240v when the input voltage is as high as 290v.it will also boost the voltage from as low as 140v.
from my own testing even when voltage is around 270v it gives a voltage of around 225v.
lcd sold in india have a operating voltage range of 110v to 240v.

i have this a similar type of surge protector made from power sentry which says it protects from a surge of upto 3500 joules.but it went kaput long back. Home TV/DVD and Computer Surge Protector - 100384 - Power Sentry? once its goes kaput u have to thow it away,u can't repair it.it has one way screw that only tights.but i did manage to open it by drilling out the screws,now its serves as a good extention box,the cable is 3/4th of a inch in diameter.for indian voltage conditions its won't stand a chance.even though it say it can handle upto 330v.

Thanks for your detailed post, @adder.

However, which one are you recommending, Monster or V-Guard?

I currently have 2 V-Guards, 1 for my refrigerator & the other for my CRT & TS. Was thinking of going in for the new Digital Stabilizer from V-Guard.
V-Guard_Products

Thoughts?

 

[adder]

Thanks for your detailed post, @adder.

However, which one are you recommending, Monster or V-Guard?

I currently have 2 V-Guards, 1 for my refrigerator & the other for my CRT & TS. Was thinking of going in for the new Digital Stabilizer from V-Guard.
V-Guard_Products

Thoughts?

well u can go for the VG crystal model,it can take a load of 2A or around 440watts.ur samsung lcd won't consume more then 120watts at ideal settings.
ur tata sky won't consume more then 25watts,so even if u add a dvd player and a blue ray player its still more then adequate .
now the VG crystal ouputs a max of 240v after which it cuts off the output .which is the opertaing range of ur samsung,the other models will output upto 253v before it cut off the output stage ,which is above the operating range of ur samsung.
its the same stabilizer i have.

 

[GeoTracks]

well u can go for the VG crystal model,it can take a load of 2A or around 440watts.ur samsung lcd won't consume more then 120watts at ideal settings.
ur tata sky won't consume more then 25watts,so even if u add a dvd player and a blue ray player its still more then adequate .
now the VG crystal ouputs a max of 240v after which it cuts off the output .which is the opertaing range of ur samsung,the other models will output upto 253v before it cut off the output stage ,which is above the operating range of ur samsung.
its the same stabilizer i have.

Thanks. What is the cost of this stabilizer?

 

[adder]

Thanks. What is the cost of this stabilizer?

well costs around 2.2k although others have bought it for a cheaper price

 

[GeoTracks]

well costs around 2.2k although others have bought it for a cheaper price

Thanks. That's a huge price difference. The VG for 2.2K+- versus the Monster Surge protector which is costing 5K. Only plus with the Monster surge protector is that it is giving about 6 to 8 power outlets. However, I will take a look at the Crystal VG recommended.

 

[sound_advice]

If I am not mistaken , the monster's also come with insurance to claim on any damages to Eqpt connected to it.Maybe that's why the huge difference in price

 

[sridhar-v]

Basically we use single phase connection for all our home appliances - this works out to around 230 to 240 volts. When a different phase wire gets crossed with the neutral you will get 440 volts at your home point. This happens quite often when branches fall on overhead distribution wires.

To protect against this the simplest method is to use a high voltage rupture disc connected in parallel with ur phase & neutral. The unit is made by Elpro and costs around Rs. 50. When there is a high voltage spike it ruptures & prevents high voltage reaching ur equip. I have put these discs in all my voltage stabilisers & distribution boards. Replacement is also very simple.

I have been saved from damage many times. I will post a photo tomorrow.

 

[adder]

If I am not mistaken , the monster's also come with insurance to claim on any damages to Eqpt connected to it.Maybe that's why the huge difference in price

well in india they don't offer any such insurance,i confirmed it with monster distributer in a expo.
i read somewhere even apc offer insurance for it equipment connected but again not in india.

@sridhard a stabilizer will regulate the voltage while u still get high or low voltage,u can continue to watch what ever u were watching in ur tv.unlike the protection devices which either cuts off the output voltage or suicide in a bid to protect the connected equipment.

 

[GeoTracks]

well in india they don't offer any such insurance,i confirmed it with monster distributer in a expo.

I talked to Reliance Digital guys yesterday. They quoted Monster surge protector at Rs.5.5K. They said that the equipment is 'insured' for $150K (equivalent in INR with some formula....they didn't know) which I found hard to believe. Explicitly asked them, is insurance is 'covered in India'? Their response, 'Yes'. Monster has registered offices in Mumbai & Bangalore. Once you buy the Monster from us, register it on Monster website. The web registration along with Reliance receipt should suffice.

Can anyone confirm it?

Of course I did not buy it. Moreover, the US website quotes around USD $50 for this which works out to be around 2.5K (at Rs. 50 per $1 exchange rate). Why is it being sold for 5.5K in India? Is it again the custom duty addition, I wonder?

I am planning to take a look at V-Guard Crystal soon, as suggested by @adder earlier. Called up one of the electrical shops around the area for pricing and they quoted Rs.2,350. Said VG recently increased prices. Is it true?

 

[adder]

I talked to Reliance Digital guys yesterday. They quoted Monster surge protector at Rs.5.5K. They said that the equipment is 'insured' for $150K (equivalent in INR with some formula....they didn't know) which I found hard to believe. Explicitly asked them, is insurance is 'covered in India'? Their response, 'Yes'. Monster has registered offices in Mumbai & Bangalore. Once you buy the Monster from us, register it on Monster website. The web registration along with Reliance receipt should suffice.

Can anyone confirm it?

Of course I did not buy it. Moreover, the US website quotes around USD $50 for this which works out to be around 2.5K (at Rs. 50 per $1 exchange rate). Why is it being sold for 5.5K in India? Is it again the custom duty addition, I wonder?

I am planning to take a look at V-Guard Crystal soon, as suggested by @adder earlier. Called up one of the electrical shops around the area for pricing and they quoted Rs.2,350. Said VG recently increased prices. Is it true?

well i am not sure about the insurance cover in india,but like i said before when i talked to monster distributer in an expo he said its not valid for india.
well this a a low volume import hence the higher price,apart from the customs duties.
i am not sure whether Vguard has increased its prices,but i am sure u can bargain a little more.

 

[GeoTracks]

well i am not sure about the insurance cover in india,but like i said before when i talked to monster distributer in an expo he said its not valid for india.
well this a a low volume import hence the higher price,apart from the customs duties.
i am not sure whether Vguard has increased its prices,but i am sure u can bargain a little more.

Went to stores to look for VG Crystal. A couple of stores actually informed me that VG Crystal was good for upto 36" LCDs. For anything bigger, they were recommending VG Digital 100. Price for the VG Digital 100 was quoted at 2.7K.

Any thoughts on VG Crystal versus VG Digital 100 based on store inputs as above.

 

[adder]

Went to stores to look for VG Crystal. A couple of stores actually informed me that VG Crystal was good for upto 36" LCDs. For anything bigger, they were recommending VG Digital 100. Price for the VG Digital 100 was quoted at 2.7K.

Any thoughts on VG Crystal versus VG Digital 100 based on store inputs as above.

well the VG crystal can power a 65" lcd and a STB without breaking a sweat.it can handle a load of 440 to 460watts.
so as usual stores give bull.

 

[iyersn]

check out at Croma - you get a Belkin Gold series surge protector for 2.2k (8 connections 2444 joules/ 86000 amps - these tecnical terms, I dont quite understand).
It has some insurance of Rs.1 lac for damages. Got one only today - not yet unpacked.
Hope this helps in some way.

 

[adder]

check out at Croma - you get a Belkin Gold series surge protector for 2.2k (8 connections 2444 joules/ 86000 amps - these tecnical terms, I dont quite understand).
It has some insurance of Rs.1 lac for damages. Got one only today - not yet unpacked.
Hope this helps in some way.

well these surge protectors won't protect from high voltages,they only protect from sudden surge.
a stabilzer on the other hand will regulate the voltage,in night times u constanly get voltages above 250v,hell sometimes it goes up even goes to 300v,many would have noticed their fans running at high speed at nigh,its due to high voltage,this is where stabilizer come in they regulate the voltage constantly and the output voltage is always below 240v,even when the input voltage is as high as 290v.

 

[iyersn]

well these surge protectors won't protect from high voltages,they only protect from sudden surge.
a stabilzer on the other hand will regulate the voltage,in night times u constanly get voltages above 250v,hell sometimes it goes up even goes to 300v,many would have noticed their fans running at high speed at nigh,its due to high voltage,this is where stabilizer come in they regulate the voltage constantly and the output voltage is always below 240v,even when the input voltage is as high as 290v.

I fully subscribe to your views.
Thanks.

 

[GeoTracks]

well these surge protectors won't protect from high voltages,they only protect from sudden surge.
a stabilzer on the other hand will regulate the voltage,in night times u constanly get voltages above 250v,hell sometimes it goes up even goes to 300v,many would have noticed their fans running at high speed at nigh,its due to high voltage,this is where stabilizer come in they regulate the voltage constantly and the output voltage is always below 240v,even when the input voltage is as high as 290v.

@Adder, thanks for your inputs. Agree with you on the Stabilizer versus Surge Protector points you mentioned.

Looked at both, the VG Crystal & VG Digital 100. Finally purchased the VG Digital 100 which is 3A. Plan to plug in my LCD, Tata Sky, 2 DVD players, VCR & HTS on this one.

Was quoted 2.85K for the VG Digital 100, but after after some negotiation paid 2.7K for it. Of course will need a surge protector / spike guard board for multiple outputs to be coupled with the VG Digital 100.

 

[crn12]

Thanks for the thread

I recently bought the 42" Plasma from Panny, I haven't bought the stabilizer yet, will check out the V-Guard 100, here in blore. Anything else should I have to buy to protect my equipemts?

 

[GeoTracks]

Thanks for the thread

I recently bought the 42" Plasma from Panny, I haven't bought the stabilizer yet, will check out the V-Guard 100, here in blore. Anything else should I have to buy to protect my equipemts?

The VG Digital 100 stabilizer with 3A capacity should suffice for your 42" Plasma + any other electronic equipment you plan to hook up. If you have multiple components connecting to the VG Digital 100, better go for a spike guard that will plug into the stabilizer, so that we get voltage controlled multiple outlets.