Customer Reviews

APC PF11VT3 11-outlet SurgeArrest with Tel2/Splitter and Coax Protection

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Unlike many power-strips/surge protectors I've bought in the past, the APC model PF11VT3 is well designed to accomodate all types of transformer plugs and regular power cords. The "Pivoting Strain Relief" cable makes it very convenient to set up in tight places and the cord management clip does a very nice job of keeping cords orderly. This review comes after only about 3 weeks owning so it's too early to see if the surge protection works (it may be working without me knowing it). I haven't hooked it up to a phone line, so no comment there. My one disappointment came when I hooked my coaxial cable up to the unit. My internet signal degraded to the point where I had to remove it and hook it back up directly to the cable modem. Documentation and instructions were very clear. Overall I like it and intend to buy another for a second computer (no cable hook up for this one).

Overall, I like this surge protector and would buy it again. I bought it primarily because of the 11 outlets, six of which are spaced out to accommodate big brick-style transformer plugs. I did a lot of digging to find the surge protector that had the most outlets in this configuration, and this unit always came up. It has worked just fine for the month or so I've owned it. I particularly appreciate the angled plug, which allows you to use the second plug in a wall outlet without a problem.

I only have two quibbles with the APC--the color and the stiffness caused by the plug-activated safety shutters. Plugging and unplugging cords requires some force to overcome the safety shutters, which could be a problem if you are trying to get something plugged or unplugged while the unit is in an awkward position or hard-to-reach location. On a much more minor note, the black unit and cord stand out quite a bit against light-colored walls and carpets, even when tucked behind a desk.

I don't use the phone or coax plugs, so I don't know if my unit has the problem (or "feature") other reviewers have reported with Internet signal degradation.

I really likethe design on this Protector, and bought 3.

It allows you to plug multiple transformers in, and still have room for regular plugs. Slipping plus in is a firm push, but not that tough.

I also like the fact that it gives you a warning light if you get up around 12 amps.. Cool, but you have to keep in mind a 15 amp circuit shoulldn't have 12 amps to one plug..

The cord restraint system slides out to hold all the cords, then wedges backin to hold them in place. A bit hard to set up, and a zip tie could achieve the same thing, altough this is way easier if you change things.

Seriously, this is a great product. 11 outlets with 6 of them spaced out for BIG plugs is a wonderful feature to have. 3 of the spaced outlets have "always on" power, meaning that they have juice even when the unit is turned "Off". It has 3 led's, one green that lets you know when it's turned on, one yellow that lets you know when there's an overload, and the coolest feature, one red to let you know that there's a problem with your internal wireing at the outlet. That's right, this will tell you if your outlet is properly grounded! Now this unit comes with telephone and cable jacks for surge protection, but if you use either dial-up or Cable internet it will kill your connection. I only suggest using the phone line for your actual phone, and the cable for your tv. The plug activated protectors is a great feature. Sure you have to push extra hard to get the plug in the socket, but it also helps provent dust and other unwanted items out of the plug sockets as well.

I bought two surge protectors at the same time. One was the Monster AV 800, the other was APC Performance SurgeArrest 11 (PF11VT3).

The APC has many more features compared to the Monster including a phone line splitter, safety shutters, a cord manager, always on outlets (vs. switched outlets), a higher joule rating, and 3 more outlets. This is all for the same price. So, there is no question that APC provides the better value.

In addition, in my tests, I saw no degradation of cable signal on my 42 inch HDTV, compared vs. the Monster and vs. no surge protector so I don't know what the problem Tony was having in his review.

Similarly, the safety shutters do make it slightly harder to plug-in and out the various equipment; but (1) I use it as a permanent protector so I plugged everything once and leave it as such, (2) you simply have to show a little more care and patience as you plug it in or out. It's not like you need an additional person to help you or a rocket science degree; it's just slightly harder. So, I see it as a minor inconvenience for a major safety feature.

I bought this one for its coaxial cable protection function, but the result is terrible. It greatly degrades the signal. When I use it with TV, the program on TV became unclear. When I use it with computer, the high-speed internet kept dropping.

I intended to return it to Amazon, and I found Amazon's return policy is that only partial refund for opened products. How can I know it's dysfunctional before I destroyed the package and used it? In the future, I only buy stuff at online stores with local stores, such as bestbuy or circuit city, so that I can easily get refund.

When I passed my cable TV signal through this surge protector, it degraded the signal so much that half the channels became unwatchable. I have been using an older APC surge protector that did not have this problem. Needless to say, I am very disappointed.

For some reason it is EXTREMELY hard to get the plugs into their sockets. It's almost like the slots have a hard plastic cover inside the sockets. Anyway, you really have to work to find the right angle to get the plugs inserted without breaking something inside the outlet. Once the plugs are in, they'll stay in. The 11 outlet design is very handy though and really allowed me to clean up the rats nest of plugs and outlet bars.

I've been using APC power products for a while now, and I've always had good luck with them. Those 3 items were all different kinds of battery backups. When I needed a surge protector for my room, I knew right where to look for one, and that was APC. I found this product, and it's been working great for a few months now that I've had it. I love having the 6 outlets on the outer edge that are spaced out, as with most surge protection products, you waste some outlets on larger power plugs, but that is not the case with this surge protector.

While the safety shutters on the outlet make it harder to plug and unplug devices into the outlets, I think it's a fair trade-off for the added safety and security that it provides for, and it's still very easy to do, it's not a big deal.

So we needed a new power strip for our computer, printer, monitor, external hard drive, etc. I figured a surge protector would be a wise investment so I researched online. This one had good ratings all around except for all these reviews that whined about the plugs being very difficult to plug-in/plug-out. I had NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. However, be sure that your electrical outlets are grounded (three prong) because if they are this product will not be effective against an electrical surge, only as an expensive power strip. No problems with it at all.