All about surge protectors and Power Cube extension cords

A poor-quality or incorrectly selected surge protector can not only fail at the most inopportune moment for this, but also lead to a breakdown of a computer or expensive household appliances. On rare occasions, this accessory can even cause a fire. Therefore, it is worth considering the features and range Power Cube surge protectors and extension cords, as well as familiarize yourself with tips for making the right choice.

The rights to the Power Cube brand belong to the Russian company "Electric Manufactory", which was created in the city of Podolsk in 1999. It was the surge protectors that became the first products manufactured by the company. Since then, the range has expanded significantly and now includes a variety of network and signal wires. Gradually, the company optimized the production process by starting to independently manufacture all the necessary components.

Let's list the main differences between Power Cube surge protectors and their counterparts.

1. High quality standards and focus on the Russian market. All electrical equipment manufactured by the company meets the requirements of GOST 51322.1-2011 and is adapted to the occurrence of sudden voltage drops.
2. Correspondence of passport characteristics to real ones. Thanks to the use of its own components (including copper wires), the company guarantees that all its equipment will withstand exactly those current and voltage values ​​that appear in its data sheet without damage or interruptions in operation.
3. Affordable price... Russian equipment is noticeably cheaper than its counterparts from the USA and European countries, and not much more expensive than the products of Chinese companies. At the same time, due to their Russian origin and the full production cycle, prices for filters and extension cords do not depend on currency fluctuations, which is especially important in the context of the next global financial crisis against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. Long warranty. The warranty period for repair and replacement of the network equipment in question is from 4 to 5 years, depending on the specific model.
5. The presence of sockets of the "old format". Unlike most European, American and Chinese equipment, the products of the company from Podolsk have not only Euro-format sockets, but also connectors for Russian-standard plugs.
6. Affordable renovation. The Russian origin of the devices makes it easy and quick to find all the necessary spare parts for their self-repair. The company also boasts an extensive network of certified SCs, which can be found in almost every major city in Russia.

The range of the company can be divided into two categories: filters and extension cords. Let's consider each of the product groups in more detail.

The company currently offers several lines of surge protectors.

• PG-B - a budget option with a classic design (a la the famous "Pilot"), 5 grounded euro sockets, one switch with a built-in indicator LED and white body color. Main electrical characteristics: power - up to 2.2 kW, current - up to 10 A, maximum interference current - 2.5 kA. Equipped with protection against short-circuit and overcurrent, as well as a pulse noise filtering module. Available in 1.8m (PG-B-6), 3m (PG-B-3M) and 5m (PG-B-5M) cord lengths.

• SPG-B - an upgraded version of the previous series with built-in automatic fuse and gray housing. It differs in an assortment of cord lengths (options are available with a wire of 0.5, 1.9, 3 and 5 meters) and the presence of models with a connector for inclusion in the UPS (SPG-B-0.5MExt and SPG-B-6Ext).

• SPG-B-WHITE - a variant of the previous series, characterized by the white color of the case and the absence in the line of models with a connector for UPS.

• SPG-B-BLACK - differs from the previous version in the black color of the body and the cord.

• SPG (5 + 1) -B - differs from the SPG-B series by the presence of an additional ungrounded socket. Available in 1.9 m, 3 m and 5 m cord lengths. There are no models in the lineup designed for connection to an uninterruptible power supply.

• SPG (5 + 1) -16B - this line includes semi-professional filters for connecting high power equipment. The maximum total power of devices that can be connected to such filters is 3.5 kW, and the maximum load current, which does not lead to a power cut using the auto-fuse, is 16 A. ... The color of the body and the cord for all models of this line is white. Available in 0.5m, 1.9m, 3m and 5m cord lengths.

• SPG-MXTR - this series includes versions of the SPG-B-10 model with a cord length of 3 m, differing in the color of the cord and body. Available in beige, green and red colors.

• "Pro" - a series of professional devices for connecting powerful equipment (with a total power of up to 3.5 kW at an operating current of up to 16 A) in an unstable power grid. Equipped with modules for filtering impulse noise (attenuates a pulse with a peak voltage of up to 4 kV in the nanosecond range by 50 times, and in the microsecond range by 10 times) and reduction of RF interference (the reduction factor for interference with a frequency of 0.1 MHz is 6 dB, for 1 MHz - 12 dB, and for 10 MHz - 17 dB). The impulse interference current that does not trip the device is 6.5 kA. Equipped with 6 grounded European standard connectors with protective shutters. Made in white color scheme. Available in 1.9m, 3m and 5m cord lengths.

• "Guarantee" - professional filters for the protection of medium-power equipment (up to 2.5 kW at a current of up to 10 A), providing protection against impulse noise (similar to the Pro series) and high-frequency interference (the reduction factor for interference with a frequency of 0.1 MHz is 7 dB, for 1 MHz - 12.5 dB, and for 10 MHz - 20.5 dB). The number and type of sockets are similar to those of the "Pro" series, with one of them moved away from the main connectors, which allows you to connect adapters with large dimensions into it. Design color - black, cord length is 3 m.

The current assortment of the Russian company also includes a series of standard extension cords.

• 3+2 – gray extension cords with two-way ungrounded receptacles (3 on one side and 2 on the other) without a switch. The range includes models with a maximum power of 1.3 kW and 2.2 kW, as well as with cord lengths of 1.5 m, 3 m, 5 m and 7 m.

• 3 + 2 Combi - modernization of the previous line with grounded sockets and increased power up to 2.2 kW or 3.5 kW.

• 4 + 3 Combi - differ from the previous series by the presence of 1 additional socket on each side, which increases their total number to 7.

• PC-Y - a series of extension cords for 3 grounded sockets with a switch. Rated power - 3.5 kW, maximum current - 16 A. Available in 1.5 m, 3 m and 5 m cord lengths, as well as with black or white cord and plastic parts.

• PCM - a series of desktop extension cords with an original design with a maximum power of 0.5 kW at a current of up to 2.5 kA. The length of the cord is 1.5 m, the number of sockets is 2 or 3, the color of the design is black or white.

• Cord length - it is worthwhile to estimate in advance the distance from consumers who will be connected to the device to the nearest free outlet.
• Number and type of sockets - it is worth counting the number of planned consumers and assessing what type of their forks belong to. Also, it will not be superfluous to leave one or two sockets free, so that the acquisition of new equipment or the desire to charge the gadget does not become a reason for buying a new filter.
• Declared power - to estimate this parameter, you need to sum up the maximum power of all equipment that you plan to include in the device, and multiply the resulting figure by a safety factor, which should be at least 1.2–1.5.
• Filtration efficiency and surge protection - it is worth choosing the characteristics of the filter based on the likelihood of power surges and other power problems in your power grid.
• Additional options - it is worth immediately assessing whether you need additional filter functions such as a USB connector or separate switches for each outlet / outlet blocks.

For an overview of the Power Cube extender, see the following video.