Lightning sucks! My poor stuff!

Shino · Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 9:36 am Post subject: Lightning sucks! My poor stuff!

We had a huge storm yesterday and it decided it wanted to fuck with my shit. I don't know if my house got struck, or the power lines, or what... but when I woke up... shit was fucked up!

I fell asleep with my TV on, well the tube was blown and the colors were all distorted.

I went downstairs to see if anything else was wrong.

First thing I noticed was that the light was on and the ceiling fan was off. EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of the way I left it the night before.

Everything below was on surge protectors.
- Cable modem had no power
- Xbox didn't power on
- Gamecube didn't power on
- Dreamcast didn't power on
- Nothing shows through the HD input on my TV... not sure if this is b/c my HD input is messed up or b/c my system selector is messed up. I have to explore this later today. God willing, it's the selector.

Then, having to go to work, I went upstairs to get ready. As I'm getting ready to leave, my garage door doesn't open. The circuit was flipped. I flipped it back and the door immediatly started going up... and the motor never stopped. The button for the opener didn't respond, I had to cut off the power to it and disconnect the door from the opener so I could close the door.

After all this, MY PS2 LIVES ON! It was on the same surge protector as the other systems... but it survived.

I don't give a crap what anyone says about the quality of Sony's systems... the PS2 lived and everything else fried. As far as I'm concerned that says a lot!

Anyway...
TV - $450
Xbox - $150
Gamecube - $100
Dreamcast - $???
Cable Modem - $60
Garage Door Opener - $150
HDTV - $a lot
System Selector - $80

The TV is under warrenty still.
the Cable Modem is rented so that will be replaced
The HDTV is under warrenty
the Systems Selector is under warrenty.

So I will have to replace the systems and the garage door opener. So that's about $500

I guess all things considered, I got pretty lucky. I still have my PS2, none of my computer stuff was affected besides the modem. And, structurally, everything seems fine. Well tonight I will start my efforts to get everything up and running again.

Man this Sux!

Shandriz · Your Death Shall be Swift Gender: Joined: 28 Sep 2003

*snuggles* and you'll be getting 200$ of that 500$ tonight when I come over, 'cause I owe you it for my computer ^_- Just gotta make sure I stop off at the bank on the way up.

Venus · PO Skirtdropper Gender: Joined: 19 Sep 2004

That sucks majorly Shino! Im so sorry!! These popup thunderstorms in the south during the summer are terrible cause some are terribly stong cause of all the unstableness..we had one the other day that like almost blew a tree over on my house...which wouldnt have been good!! Hope everything works out for you! Sorry to hear about all that..but just think..it couldve been worse..you couldve been left with nothing...but its just as bad!

reaper · I miss you Shar Gender: Joined: 28 Dec 2002

If that stuff was on a surge protector u may wanna check out if they cover it, cause I know the one I have covers you for $10,000 worth of equip hooked up to it. And if it gets fried they replace it, dunno how but thats what it said when I baught it lol

Andsectoid · Router Monkey of DOOM!!! Gender: Joined: 18 Sep 2003

Dood that sux. Bawl

Sorry to hear your stuff got fried. Living in Florida we got a ton of these. You would know if it was a direct hit. The house next door got a direct hit in Tampa. It sounded like they dropped the house from 200 feet. It not only toasted just about everything in the house, including the AC unit, it also fried some wires inside the wall. No outlets on the same corner of the house that was hit worked. They had to replace the wiring on that side of the house.
I learned through loosing many TVs, computer, microwaves, stereos, cordless phones, VCRs that serge protectors work against surges. Not strikes. I have a surge protector that even caught fire after a strike. I leaned that there is no protection better than a UPS. Lol, every time the power blinks off and on you get a deafening beep from the UPS units in the lvingroom.
And as far as replacement of items on surge protects they usually require the reciepts, whitch I never keep.

Shino · Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2005 10:10 am Post subject:

K-chan · Murr! Gender: Joined: 23 Nov 2004

Ick that sucks Shino! We lost a tree yesterday but fortunately it wasnt near the house like the last one. I've said it before and I'll say it again....I hate storms! Hate hate hate!

RivaOni · Full English! Age: 41 Gender: Joined: 24 Sep 2002

sorry to say it, but thats the great thing about having a earth wire in plug sockets Smile

less likely for things to blow plus i think our house comes with a surge protector built into all the plug sockets. anything playing up (like say a dodgy toaster) and the whole house gets switched off until u unplug the offending item and flip the switch back (sometimes this may involve some trial and error to find the correct item)

but that really does suck dude, hope u can get everything back ujp and running fine and dandy again soon

Hoth · Guitarist Gender: Joined: 10 Oct 2002

Well mr shino.. You dont have to worry about the XBox.. I got that covered. You get the used 3 times one in my room that is all cleaned and available to have. 100% free to life.Yeah i think almost everything in are place is hooked up to lithuim battery backups.. Hehe.. which reminds me we need to stock up on more of those.

BWS-1 · Otaku Lord Gender: Joined: 25 Sep 2002

Wow lightning DOES suck o-o

At least here, in Frenchland, most of the time lightning shows up it just PRETENDS to be mean and all frightening, it doesn't actually KILL stuff in your house or anything ^^;

Good to know most of your equipment is still under warrenty!