Belkin (BP11223008) (BP112230-08) Surge Suppressor

BELKIN  12  OUTLET  SURGE  PROTECTOR  BP11223008

           Does every one need a surge protector?  Well if you are serious about protecting the integrity of your expensive electronic equipment from electrical surges and voltage fluctuations, the answer is a resounding YES.  The brand name Belkin has long been a trusted name in the field of surge protectors and related electrical devices.  Belkin makes many different types of surge protectors with different features, as well as different levels of surge protection.  A relatively good quality surge protector that sells for a very reasonable price is the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector, Model BP11223008.  Read on and see if the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector might have some of the qualities that you would be looking for in a surge protector to safeguard your precious home electronic devices, such as your computer and related peripherals, or perhaps your home theater system.  

            In making any purchase, it is always wise to make sure that one is getting the most for their money.  Bearing this in mind the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector offers a very good value for your Dollar.  The Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector has list price of $64.99, but it can readily be found selling at a discount for as little as $24.99 from some of the better national electronics retailers and Internet dealers.  However, before placing a purchase make sure to check on shipping and handling fees, as these hidden costs can eat away at your discount.   Also if you are going to place an order for this particular surge protector, be sure that you are specifying Model BP11223008, as Belkin makes a number of different 12 outlet surge protectors that offer different features and levels of protection, and you if you like the one that I am reviewing here, you must specify this particular model number.

            The Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector has a number of very good features.  Firstly, it has 12 individual outlets.  There are 4 stationary center outlets, and 4 pivoting outlets on either side.  These outlets are relatively widely spaced and can accommodate a number of large transformer plugs without losing access to the other outlets.  It would have been preferable for the outlets to be more widely spaced, so that no outlets are lost to a user, but then the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector would have to have been somewhat bigger, and consumers seem to prefer a surge protector to have the smallest footprint possible. I found that even with the rotating feature, because the side outlets were so close, that one should expect that they can only comfortably plug in two of the large transformers on either side of the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector.  Nevertheless, being able to plug in a total of 4 large transformer type plugs is still pretty good, and it leaves the 4 center outlets still quite accessible.  While we are on the subject of outlets, I should also mention that the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector also offers 1-in, 2-out RJ11 telephone/fax surge protection, and coaxial protection as well.  This is a handy feature to have as well, as it makes the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protect more versatile in its potential uses. This would probably be a good place to list the dimensions of the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector.  This surge suppressor weighs 2.35 pounds, and it is 2.2 inches high, 12.25 inches long, and 7.5 inches wide. 

            The Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector is rated at 4320 Joules, and the manufacturer offers a $300,000 Connected Equipment Warranty of the equipment that is properly connected to this surge suppressor. To those of you who may be new to the world of surge protectors, a Joule is a measure of electrical energy, and the Joule rating of a surge protector gives an indication of the level of protection that a surge protector offers, and the higher the Joule rating of the surge protector, the greater the protection.  A good surge protector should offer at least 1,000 Joules of protection, and as you can see the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector offers 4320 Joules of protection, which is quite a lot
of protection for the money that this surge protector sells for.

          There are a few other important things to look for in a surge protector with regard to its ability to protect your delicate electrical equipment besides its Joule rating.  One of the most important features to look for is the level of Clamping Voltage the surge protector is rated for.  Clamping Voltage is the voltage level at which the surge protector cuts in and diverts the power surge.  The lower the Clamping Voltage that a surge protector is rated at, the better the protection for your equipment.  Most surge protectors have a rating of 400 Volts, or 500 Volts.  However the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector is rated at 330 Volts, which is quite good.  Of course all of this protection is not going to be much help if your surge protector is not plugged into a properly wired outlet.  The Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector can also provide valuable information to you in this regard.  There are 2 diagnostic LED's on this surge protector.  One glows green when it is providing proper protection, and another glows red to let you know that the line you are plugged into is properly wired.  These are very important features for a surge protector to have.

          The Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector also has an 8 foot heavy duty cord with an angled input plug, and mounting tabs, in case you wanted to mount this unit to a wall.  Having an 8 foot plug is a very desirable feature of the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector because it must be plugged directly into a wall outlet in order for it to function properly.  A surge suppressor must never be plugged into an extension cord, as its ability to divert power surges to the ground line of your home may be compromised or nullified this way. The 8 foot long cord that this unit comes equipped with gives you sufficient cord to make it relatively easy to position the surge protector in the most suitable spot for all of your equipment to be plugged in.  I must confess, that I would have preferred a 12 foot cord for my particular needs, but that is another story.

           The Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector has a built-in filter bank that reduces or in some cases can eliminate EMI/RFI noise and interference, including noise generated by other equipment that may be plugged into the unit.  To those of you who may be new to the world of surge suppressors, RFI stands for Radio Frequency Interference and EMI stands for Electromagnetic Interference.  Electrical current can be contaminated by difference sources of noise such as from AC power lines, the electric motors or you refrigerator or dish washer, or even from some of the components that might be plugged into your surge suppressor, such as the spinning motor of a DVD player.  The Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector has a filter bank which serves to reduce or eliminate these troublesome electronic artifacts, giving you better sound quality over your speakers, and potentially better picture quality over your monitor or T.V. screen, that is should you decide to use it for your home theater system.  If there is any complaint or problem about the design of this surge protector, I would have to say that it is the On/Off button.  This appears to be spring loaded, and I have had problems with similar mechanisms on other devices.  I would clearly have preferred a switch, as I find devices with that type of design tend to last a lot longer than devices that have a push button On/Off Switch.  On the other hand, I usually just leave my surge protectors turned On.  If I am very worried about the possibility of a lightning strike, well then I unplug the surge protector from the wall outlet just to be on the safe side.
             
          Well who is the Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector best suited for?  This surge protector would be good for someone who is looking to protect their personal computer and related equipment.  It can also be used to protect a home theater or home stereo setup, although I feel there are better choice for that purpose.  The Belkin 12 Outlet Surge Protector offers good value for the money, and it is well designed in most respects.

            Well I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my review, but now if you will please excuse me, I must get back to practicing my guitar.