I got my APC 15 installed yesterday and initial thoughts are:
This unit is nice looking; perhaps not as "tech" looking as the Monsters and perhaps not as 'elegant' as the Belkin pf60 but somewhere in between. It is very heavy and has the largest power cord I've seen except for appliances such as clothes dryer and stove. The APC H15 has 15 amp or 1.5KVA capacity therefore the large power cable is required. The plug, however, is angled and does not block the other outlet.

It has 12 outlets nicely arranged in 4 groups (6-digital , 2-video, 2-audio, and 2-high current). The high current outlets can be controlled via 12 volt trigger but can also be live without the 12 volt trigger after a desired delay. I had read that the unit has sequenced on/off but in reality the only 'sequenced' on/off outlets are the 2 high current outlets being activated by set delay without trigger or by trigger & set delay. I recently purchased the Pioneer vsx03 AVR and the trigger out of the Pioneer was not strong enough (only 50mA) to trigger an older device (which apparently requires 200mA) but the APC detected the 12v and the outlets responded as they should.

The lcd meter is very nice; you can select to see:
1) Volt in & Volt out
2) Volt out & Amp out
3) Power out & percent of power usage or
4) Volt in & Frequency in.

I think one of the primary differences between other popular power conditioners and this APC H15 is that the APC also has automatic voltage regulation. You can set the voltage range from narrow for stable incoming power which results in conditioned 120v +/- 5% or normal which results in +/- 10% or wide for really unstable incoming power which results in +/- 15%.
I live in an area that has pretty consistent power so I set it to narrow and during my first day of watching, the voltage varied only slightly (between 119 ~ 123) therefore the APC H15 didn't need to boost or trim the voltage. This would indicate that I and probably many other people wouldn't need the voltage regulation but it's nice to know that it is there just in case.

It also has two sets of coaxial inputs; one for SAT and one for Cable/Ant. The Cable/Ant also serves as a splitter since it has two outputs. However, when I connected my D*TV HD DVR, I only got one antenna signal through the unit. The SAT passed the signal fine but I couldn't get the other signal through the Cable/ant input. I'll call APC and see if there is a bandwidth design issue or if I have a faulty unit.

My equipment consists of plazma TV, medium priced AVR, BD, DVD, SAT box, and some other misc such as laptop, XBOX, wireless bridge, etc. but with all my equipment powered on, I only used between 28~33% of the capacity. In another post, someone mentioned that the APC H10 had plenty of capacity and with my setup, that would be true. I didn't really need the extra capacity of the H15 but I like the visual of the LCD monitoring meter which is not provided on the H10 and if I ever upgrade to a separate power amp, the extra capacity might be needed. Additionally, the price difference between the discontinued silver color H10 and H15 was only $30. If someone were buying the black model, the price difference is substantial and I would recommend the H10 unless large power amps are being used.

All in all, I'm very happy with the unit and with the discontinued price of $150, it is head & shoulders above many other units selling for twice as much. The unit has a 5 year warranty but this is built like a tank and would expect it to last much longer.

Good to hear you like it.

I was hoping for the angle plug (and it did have it).

Tony

The weight of the unit (16.10 lbs for both units) and cord size are definitely instant attention grabbers when the box is opened.

I see the silver H15 is now sold out on the APC outlet site.

I see the silver H15 is now sold out on the APC outlet site.

I just checked audioholics.com site and it doesn't state that they are sold out. However, at this price, I'm surprised they didn't sell out on the first day. I'm happy I am one of the lucky ones to get one for that price. The H10 is also a good deal but for $20 difference, the H15 seems to be a better deal and certainly will obtain more complements.

I'll call APC and see if there is a bandwidth design issue or if I have a faulty unit.

Actually, I emailed them. They are very responsive. Apparently, I have a defective coaxial/RF protector jack. They say they will replace the unit. It's not going to be fun unplugging everything and taking out of the cabinet but it's feels great to deal with a company that actually helps and does what is right. :D

I just checked audioholics.com site and it doesn't state that they are sold out. However, at this price, I'm surprised they didn't sell out on the first day. I'm happy I am one of the lucky ones to get one for that price. The H10 is also a good deal but for $20 difference, the H15 seems to be a better deal and certainly will obtain more complements.



Actually, I emailed them. They are very responsive. Apparently, I have a defective coaxial/RF protector jack. They say they will replace the unit. It's not going to be fun unplugging everything and taking out of the cabinet but it's feels great to deal with a company that actually helps and does what is right. :D

How do you know it is defective? Didn't fit :)?


tony

How do you know it is defective? Didn't fit ?

I can't get a signal through one of the coaxial/RF protectors. Other than that, everything works great and I really like the look. I have it under my DTV HR10 DVR and the silver face and blue lights match the DTV unit.

I haven't gotten the apc unit yet. I had verizon fios installed yesterday. He told me I shouldn't be plugging it into a surge protector, etc..


Tony

I had verizon fios installed yesterday. He told me I shouldn't be plugging it into a surge protector, etc..

Everything that I've read states that if you don't use the coaxial and telephone protection on equipment that is plugged into a surge protector that you're still at risk. The high voltage &/or current can come through the coaxial through the unit and then even to other units connected to the surge protector. I went ahead and plugged the telephone cord (for DTV usage) and one of the two coaxial downleads to the APC H15. Right now, I have one downlead going straight to the DTV DVR since the second coaxial jack doesn't seem to work. I haven't noticed any negative impact on the DTV signal. As long as that's the case, I'll leave it plugged into the APC.

Everything that I've read states that if you don't use the coaxial and telephone protection on equipment that is plugged into a surge protector that you're still at risk. The high voltage &/or current can come through the coaxial through the unit and then even to other units connected to the surge protector. I went ahead and plugged the telephone cord (for DTV usage) and one of the two coaxial downleads to the APC H15. Right now, I have one downlead going straight to the DTV DVR since the second coaxial jack doesn't seem to work. I haven't noticed any negative impact on the DTV signal. As long as that's the case, I'll leave it plugged into the APC.

Sounds good. I was going to ask the verizon guy to make me a 2 ft coaxial but didn't bother after he told me that. Now I have to go find a short one.

I hope that the apc unit they are selling so cheap is not a refurbish, etc. It so much hassle to unplug all the cables, etc.

tony

I hope that the apc unit they are selling so cheap is not a refurbish, etc. It so much hassle to unplug all the cables, etc.

Where did you get yours from? The one I got from Audioholics.com is not refurbished or at least no indication, appears to be factory sealed new.

I was going to ask the verizon guy to make me a 2 ft coaxial but didn't bother after he told me that. Now I have to go find a short one.

The APC H15 came with two RG6 coaxial cables (even with gold plated connectors) but they are 6 foot long. I'm a little disappointed that only one of the RF jacks works with my DTV signal. I heard back from APC support today (they are very responsive) and they want me to try another RF input just to test.

I purchased from Audioholics. Glad it comes with cables.

I have dealt with APC at an IT level. They are very responsive :).


Tony

I have the same unit in black. Overall I'm happy now, but it was a rough ride. I got a good deal on it (not as good as you!) and APC is a good brand.

I ordered mine from B&H. About 1-2 days of use, the unit would just shut off. Couldn't get it turned back on. These things happen -- I called B&H (not APC) and they cross shipped a replacement. The cross ship arrived before I shipped the original back. I took it out of the box, and heard bits of metal rolling around inside the case. Not good -- I didn't even bother trying to turn it on.

This time I called APC. Great people to deal with -- nice to know companies stand by their product and are easy to get in touch with. They ship a replacement to me, no CC or anything, and then I can ship it back on their dime.

The 3rd unit now arrives as I ship the first 2 back ... no loose parts, all looks good. Plug it in... no LCD! Actually, it did work but I couldn't read the screen. Clearly a problem.

So, in 2 weeks time, I'm on my 4th unit. Luckily, this one has held up for ... 3 or 4 months now, no problems.

Overall I'm pleased with the unit. NOT happy with the 3 failed units, but APC was great to deal with. I'm willing to chalk this up as karma for having good luck with all my other electronics.

I have the same unit in black. Overall I'm happy now, but it was a rough ride. I got a good deal on it (not as good as you!) and APC is a good brand.

I ordered mine from B&H. About 1-2 days of use, the unit would just shut off. Couldn't get it turned back on. These things happen -- I called B&H (not APC) and they cross shipped a replacement. The cross ship arrived before I shipped the original back. I took it out of the box, and heard bits of metal rolling around inside the case. Not good -- I didn't even bother trying to turn it on.

This time I called APC. Great people to deal with -- nice to know companies stand by their product and are easy to get in touch with. They ship a replacement to me, no CC or anything, and then I can ship it back on their dime.

The 3rd unit now arrives as I ship the first 2 back ... no loose parts, all looks good. Plug it in... no LCD! Actually, it did work but I couldn't read the screen. Clearly a problem.

So, in 2 weeks time, I'm on my 4th unit. Luckily, this one has held up for ... 3 or 4 months now, no problems.

Overall I'm pleased with the unit. NOT happy with the 3 failed units, but APC was great to deal with. I'm willing to chalk this up as karma for having good luck with all my other electronics.

It must be a pain. I am not sure how your setup is, but pulling all the devices, console, etc is a lot of work :).

Tony

So, in 2 weeks time, I'm on my 4th unit. Luckily, this one has held up for ... 3 or 4 months now, no problems.

Hope your experience is not a sign. I ordered from Audioholics and the RF coaxial protector is faulty (doesn't pass the signal) but everything else appears to be working. I've been in contact with APC and I believe they are going to replace it. One reason I went with this unit was the company and heard their stuff is high quality. From your experience, sounds like they may have a QC issue with this model.

I've had my H10 for 2 weeks now and no problems at all.

Anyone know if this thing is a *real* power conditioner? IE: plug it into a cheap APC backUPS and then have really cheap sine-wave with automatic voltage regulation conditioned uninterruptable power supply?

Anyone know if this thing is a *real* power conditioner? IE: plug it into a cheap APC backUPS and then have really cheap sine-wave with automatic voltage regulation conditioned uninterruptable power supply?

I'm thinking about this as well. I have an old APC UPS that needs a new battery and I was thinking about bundling this with an H15. Any other thoughts?

Just got my H15 today from audioholics (149 shipped). I cant wait to go plug it in... NEW TOYS YAAAAA! Its the blining lights and fresh smell that does it for me. Hopefully I wont run into any problems with mine, but at least I know if I do APC stands by their product and are easy to deal with. As anyone tried splitting the cable on this thing and using the QAM on their TV to pick up all "free" stuff floating around?

Also to those of you who got it from audioholics I have a question about their 3 year ext warranty. I see that APC covers for 5, so does that mean audoholics picks it up for 3 years after that (8 years total) or is the APC warranty going to outlast the Ah.com warranty? 8 years would be pretty sweat deal.

Not sold out through Audioholics. Just placed an order for a silver H15 @ $149 shipped.

Not sold out through Audioholics. Just placed an order for a silver H15 @ $149 shipped.

I just did the same. Guy on the phone said that *might* have enough to make it through the weekend...

My first post oh boy.

Ordered my H15 from Audioholics earlier this week (found out about it from one of my head-fi.com buddies). Took delivery today. After unpacking I heard something rattling around inside the unit. Uh oh. Got a phillips-head and removed top cover; and yes, a loose screw tumbled out. :eek:

Hmmm... I noticed the circuit board on the right side (viewed facing the unit from the front) was missing a fastening screw. After inspecting the innards for damage I put that screw back where it belonged, replaced the cover and fired that bad-boy up.

It works like a charm. :) I sanity-tested each outlet and went through the front-panel setup and diagnostics.

A sweet deal.

Just got my unit today. What a beautiful gem.

What are your settings on the delay for the High current filter? I have plugged my sub and AVR to these outlets.

Tnt

Just got my unit today. What a beautiful gem

Glad you like it. Even though I'm not a total believer in power conditioning, I'm glad I bought mine. Just couldn't pass up the great price.

What are your settings on the delay for the High current filter? I have plugged my sub and AVR to these outlets.

I think there are two main reason to delay. One is to prevent all the demand from occurring at the same time and the other is to prevent "popping" in the speakers. Actually, neither of these is an issue with my setup since I don't have large amps with big demand nor do they cause a pop but on my setup, I have the triggered delay set to 4 seconds. If you experience a pop in the speakers, you might want to try an increase in the delay. Also, I haven't turned the unit off i.e., I leave it on all the time so again the delay is not a factor unless the unit turns itself off due to out of range voltage change.

ordered mine last Tuesday, got it on Friday. Opened the box and heard a rattling too. Didn't even take it out of the plastic cover, called Audioholics and they emailed me a return label and fedex picked it up yesterday. Now, I'm just waiting on the replacement. Kinda wierd its going back to Florida, but shipped from here in Michigan originally. Anyway, it looked nice and weighed a ton. For that price I had to pull the trigger.

I am glad I read through this thread as I will listen for the rattle for something loose when I open the box tonight. I am replacing a Chang Lightspeed CLS 3200 I bought 8 years ago. I hope that this is a better unit as far as conditioning goes. I already know that the surge protection is superior to Chang's.

I am glad I read through this thread as I will listen for the rattle for something loose when I open the box tonight. I am replacing a Chang Lightspeed CLS 3200 I bought 8 years ago. I hope that this is a better unit as far as conditioning goes. I already know that the surge protection is superior to Chang's.


The unit is very nice. I got it and shook the hell out of it. No rattles.


tnt

Besides surge suppression, I would think that the voltage regulation feature of this unit is it's primary useful feature. How does one calculate out how big of a voltage regulator one needs? How does it's voltage regulation capacity compare with the PureAV AVU1500?

How does one calculate out how big of a voltage regulator one needs? How does it's voltage regulation capacity compare with the PureAV AVU1500?

The PureAV AVU1500 is an UPS device whereas the APC H15 is not an UPS device. The PureAV has a battery to provide power if the incoming power drops. The APC H15 has voltage regulation to keep the incoming voltage within 5, 10, or 15% depending upon the incoming voltage range but if the voltage drops below 92 volts, it will not provide power.

Is Audioholics an authorized APC re-seller?

Is Audioholics an authorized APC re-seller?

Go lakers!!

I think they are. I just bought one. It is worth every penny.


Tnt

I talked with them today. They have 70 orders to fill and expected 200 more units on Friday. I ordered one. Pretty excited but not about the silver. Any one have a silver? Does it stand out with a black component set up?

The PureAV AVU1500 is an UPS device whereas the APC H15 is not an UPS device. The PureAV has a battery to provide power if the incoming power drops. The APC H15 has voltage regulation to keep the incoming voltage within 5, 10, or 15% depending upon the incoming voltage range but if the voltage drops below 92 volts, it will not provide power.

Thanks, 55sss! I'm a little confused, though--according to the Belkin website, the AVU1500 is supposed to provide voltage regulation without using the battery (unless there is no power to the unit). Am I wrong about this?

I'm not familar with details of the PureAV so it may very well have voltage regulation like the APC H15 but also has the battery to supply power on a short term basis when the power is out. My comment was to clarify that the APC H15 has voltage regulation but is not an UPS device.

Hello everyone:

Thanks for this thread. I'm considering purchasing an APC H15, and I was wondering if one of you could do an experiment for me. Basically, I want to know what happens when the H15 looses power for a brief amount of time (such as when the line voltage drops out, then comes back on almost immediately). Such a power dip/failure usually is one of the worst kind for electronics equipment.

So I am wondering this: does the H15 turn back on automatically when the proper line voltage is restored, or does it require a manual turn-on? I prefer the manual. In that way, if there is a series of off/on/off/on surges, everything stays off until I manually turn it back on.

If someone could simulate this by turning off the circuit breaker to their home theater circuit (or unplugging the APC power cord), and then turning it back on, this should be a sufficient test.



Thanks in advance for your help,

Does anyone know what the power consumption is on this thing?

Thx.

Does anyone know what the power consumption is on this thing?

Thx.

I just spoke with a really helpful fellow named Jay over at APC AV Tech Support. He got in contact with one of the engineers at APC while I was on the phone with him. That engineer contacted another engineer, and then responded back and said that the power draw "was no more than 50 watts". That seems about what I would expect.

FYI: Earlier today (after my first reply to this thread), I called APC and spoke with a tech by the name of Mike. He took some time to look up the answer to my question about the way that the H15 handles power failures. He said that the unit would go off and stay off in the event of a power failure. But I would still appreciate it if someone here could test it on their unit.

Kudos to anyone that reads this who works for APC. Their tech support in both cases really went the extra mile to get me information, and I haven't even bought one of these units yet. Both techs did not just tell me what they "thought" was the right answer, but did some research.

Yardman,

Awesome info, thx.

This morning, I performed the test that you requested i.e., I unplugged the H15 unit.

The unit went off immediately or almost immediately (hard to say). After about 15 seconds, I plugged it back in and it powered up by itself along with the connected equipment. So I either have a defective unit or it doesn't work like they thought.

This morning, I performed the test that you requested i.e., I unplugged the H15 unit.

The unit went off immediately or almost immediately (hard to say). After about 15 seconds, I plugged it back in and it powered up by itself along with the connected equipment. So I either have a defective unit or it doesn't work like they thought.


Hello 55sss:

Thanks so much for performing that test. The result does add some confusion now, doesn't it?

Can you tell me this: is the "On/Off" a true dual-throw switch, with "in" being "on", and "out" being "off"?

Or does it seem to be either a mechanical or electronic state "toggle" type, where one push turns it on, and the next turns it off? Sort of like the On/Off buttons on most remote controls, where there is no real "on" or "off" command, but simply a state toggle command.

If it is the latter, then maybe the power up state is firmware assignable, and later (or earlier) versions were set up differently?

I'll have to call them again to see what they say.

Thanks again,

Thanks

Ok, I just called APC again after my last reply.

I spoke with a "Justin" this time. I told him about the first information that I was given, and then about 55sss' "real world" test. So he asked me if I could wait about 5 minutes, while he went to a lab to check one.

When he came back, he said that he had performed two tests. For the first, he unplugged the unit, then after 15 seconds he plugged it back in. About 2 seconds after plugging it back in, he said that he heard a "click" and that the unit powered back up. He then repeated the experiment, but this time leaving it unplugged for over a minute. The result was the same, with the unit powering back up about 2 seconds after line voltage was restored.

So I guess that the behavior 55sss reported is normal.

Although I'd rather that it just stay off until manually turned on, I guess that the demonstrated behavior is ok, as long the unit doesn't actually try to power up the outlets until it has a somewhat stable line voltage to work with.

Maybe I'm just being overly cautious.

***************************

Another interesting data point: more than 6 months ago I was looking at this same unit. At that point I didn't have any room in my media cabinet for it, so I did not purchase one. But also at that time I called APC, and asked them the same question. I forget the name of the tech that I spoke with at the time. But he told me that he had one at his desk, and he tried the unplugging/plugging experiment. At that time he told me that the unit stayed "off" when plugged back in!

So my conclusion is that either that original information was erroneous, or the firmware has changed at some point, resulting in a different behavior.

Other vendors' units that I've looked at will turn back on when the power is stable. So maybe APC changed the firmware in this model at some point in time to be compatible with customers' expectations? It would be interesting to hear from someone here on the forum who has had one for 1 year or more.

I do not know if anybody has had this issue or not but after connecting the H-15 to my Comcast HD box, I have problems with any channel that is HD. It seems to clip the signal so the picture locks up at times. I tried both outputs on the box and they have the same results. Non high def channels comes thru fine but the high def is useless.
Any thoughts? I am calling APC today since it seems everyone has had great experiences using them. I will let you know.

I do not know if anybody has had this issue or not but after connecting the H-15 to my Comcast HD box, I have problems with any channel that is HD. It seems to clip the signal so the picture locks up at times. I tried both outputs on the box and they have the same results. Non high def channels comes thru fine but the high def is useless.
Any thoughts? I am calling APC today since it seems everyone has had great experiences using them. I will let you know.

Hello other1:

Thanks sharing that information. Please update us with your results.

I have Insight Cable, and currently run the incoming cable line in my basement through both a signal booster (since it goes to several locations) and a standard surge suppressor power strip that has provisions for cable. I have not had any problem with high def channels with this arrangement.

Possibly the noise filters on the H15 are not tuned for digital transmissions?

I was wondering about the h15 - specifically the coax lines. Does anyone know what the Attenuation level is? Some places suggest you only need to go up to 1GHz for HD cable, but my entire set up is based around a 2.2GHz drop amp. I don't want to pick up the h15 if it can't handle the duties of HD.

Anyone?

Thanks
Mark

I have Directv and have a problem using the CATV/Modem inputs of the H15. I contacted APC and they sent a replacement but I'm having the same problem. I have one of the dish downleads connected to the SAT/Ant input and it seems to work fine with both SD and HD channels but I don't get any signal through the CATV/Modem input. I guess I'll send another email to APC.

I actually just found the answer to my question - re: Attenuation. So I'll post the answer here.

The Attenuation range of the Coax inputs is: EMI/RFI Attenuation 40-100dB at 100KHz-30MHz. This means that depending on the range of the signal coming in - one could run into problems with an HD signal. Not a definite, but a possibility.

Mark

I actually just found the answer to my question - re: Attenuation. So I'll post the answer here.

The Attenuation range of the Coax inputs is: EMI/RFI Attenuation 40-100dB at 100KHz-30MHz. This means that depending on the range of the signal coming in - one could run into problems with an HD signal. Not a definite, but a possibility.

Is that for the coaxial inputs? I took that to be the filtering on the power line. Anyway, I found this in the manual.

Coaxial : 5MHz-1GHz Two pairs (one with splitter)

If both jacks are suppose to be the same, then I'm wondering why only one of the jacks is passing the sat signal.

Is that for the coaxial inputs? I took that to be the filtering on the power line. Anyway, I found this in the manual.

Coaxial : 5MHz-1GHz Two pairs (one with splitter)

If both jacks are suppose to be the same, then I'm wondering why only one of the jacks is passing the sat signal.

That's the range for the Sat signal. The other set of inputs is much less and therefore can't handle the signal range of HDTV - as I understand it.

Mark

I actually just found the answer to my question - re: Attenuation. So I'll post the answer here.

The Attenuation range of the Coax inputs is: EMI/RFI Attenuation 40-100dB at 100KHz-30MHz. This means that depending on the range of the signal coming in - one could run into problems with an HD signal. Not a definite, but a possibility.

Mark

I do have verizon fios wth an HD box. I have to recycle the box 2 times now in 2 weeks. I wasn't get any signal. I am not sure if this is fios or the apc since I got the fios the same time as the apc.

Tnt

I do have verizon fios wth an HD box. I have to recycle the box 2 times now in 2 weeks. I wasn't get any signal. I am not sure if this is fios or the apc since I got the fios the same time as the apc.

I'd try disconnecting the coaxial from the H15 for a couple of weeks to see of that corrects your freezing.

Possibly the noise filters on the H15 are not tuned for digital transmissions?

I'm beginning to think that may be the case.

I'd try disconnecting the coaxial from the H15 for a couple of weeks to see of that corrects your freezing.



I'm beginning to think that may be the case.



When the verizon was out to install the fios, I did ask about the power surge setup. He told me not to route the coaxial thru the power surge.

The HD box in the bedroom is fine without the power surge protector


Tnt

I bought this unit on a whim not expecting much beyond surge protection. I've always believed in plugging audio gear esp. amps directly into the outlet. Most higher end gear have robust and fairly sophisticated power supplies. I use to be in the camp that believes power conditioners starve amps causing them to under perform.

I just got my H15 this week and am using it in my budget office system which comprises of a Rotel RA971mk2 amp, RCD1071 CDP and MF A3.5CDP, and B&W603S2 speakers. All I can say is WOW. This product has really improved the sound of my budget audio gear. I think most of the improvements can be attributed to having a more stable source. The Voltage Regulation really does perform as stated stablizing the output voltage to within +/-5%. I live in a home over 60 years old with some questionable wiring. Some of which is original I'm sure. The H15 has significantly improved the performance of my budget gear; its effects were immediately obvious. My system has new vitality. No hype... Transients have more vigor producing a higher sense of realism. Frequency response in both extremes extended. The overall noise floor is much quieter; everything just sounds more transparent. I honestly didn't expect this at all. The product has definitely exceeded my expectations. I am a convert as far as the effectiveness of conditioners and VR devices in use with mass market consumer electronics. I still subscribe to the theory that these type of devices may hinder the performance of high end gear. For curiousity, I'm gonna try using the H15 in my Bryston system to see if it has any benefits.

I have no doubt of the H15's effectiveness with conventional mass market components. An eye opener for sure. I am proactively recommending the H15to my friends and family.

I bought this unit on a whim not expecting much beyond surge protection. I've always believed in plugging audio gear esp. amps directly into the outlet. Most higher end gear have robust and fairly sophisticated power supplies. I use to be in the camp that believes power conditioners starve amps causing them to under perform.

I just got my H15 this week and am using it in my budget office system which comprises of a Rotel RA971mk2 amp, RCD1071 CDP and MF A3.5CDP, and B&W603S2 speakers. All I can say is WOW. This product has really improved the sound of my budget audio gear. I think most of the improvements can be attributed to having a more stable source. The Voltage Regulation really does perform as stated stablizing the output voltage to within +/-5%. I live in a home over 60 years old with some questionable wiring. Some of which is original I'm sure. The H15 has significantly improved the performance of my budget gear; its effects were immediately obvious. My system has new vitality. No hype... Transients have more vigor producing a higher sense of realism. Frequency response in both extremes extended. The overall noise floor is much quieter; everything just sounds more transparent. I honestly didn't expect this at all. The product has definitely exceeded my expectations. I am a convert as far as the effectiveness of conditioners and VR devices in use with mass market consumer electronics. I still subscribe to the theory that these type of devices may hinder the performance of high end gear. For curiousity, I'm gonna try using the H15 in my Bryston system to see if it has any benefits.

I have no doubt of the H15's effectiveness with conventional mass market components. An eye opener for sure. I am proactively recommending the H15to my friends and family.

You my friend can write for the an AV magazine :).

tnt

I agree with tractng, well written post. Are you sure you don't work for APC? :) Seriously, I'd like to hear your experience with the higher end equipment. Many people say voltage regulation and line filtering is worthless and not needed with modern power supplies on current AV equipment.

I can't say that I noticed any difference in sound with my new AVR. I have seen a slight improvement in my video but then again, I added the new AVR and the H15 about the same time so the improvement may be the new AVR.

In my area, the power is stable, as confirmed by the H15, and although no confirmation, I believe the power is "clean" as well. Perhaps the H15 was overkill for me but I also needed the 12v triggering and didn't really know if my power was stable or not.

Nope, I don't work for APC but I use to work in Aerospace and the Tech industry for a famous chip maker. I'm just a big kid who loves music and hi-fi gear. I own a lot of equipment most of which sit in closets to please a significant other.

55sss, you're lucky to have stable power. I think the biggest contributor to maximizing performance from any gear is having stable power. This is especially true for power amplifiers which integrally rely much more on its powersupply to function optimally. If you research professional AV equipment, you'll find better power conditioners advertise power factor. These types of power conditioners are specifically designed to store and supply instantaneous current. i.e. Furman P-1800PF and not just filter and regulate source voltages. The PF in its name denotes Power Factor. In short, its able to supply large amounts of instantaneous current to gear such as large amps that can appear as non-linear loads. I'm not sure what gear you have but I think most multi channel AV receivers don't demand much current relatively esp. compared to say a Krell or Bryston power amp capable of driving 1ohm loads. Maybe in your case, a power conditioner/VR may not have as much benefits.

As mentioned, I am new to using power conditioners myself. I thought I would give the H15 a try because of its low price and also the house we moved into last year is over 60 years old. The power in our house is rather unstable. It hadn't damaged any of my gear but I had my suspicions that things weren't kosher. Our previous house was newly built and so power was a non-issue. I guess, I didn't realize the effects of power that moved around even though it was still within acceptable limits of the equipment. In my case, the VR feature in the H15 is the help and not so much the noise suppresion. That's just my unqualified opinion.

I'll post any new findings regarding my experiences with the H15.

Thanks for the praise :))

The H15 is Snake Oil. Buck and Boost will not get you anything. Buy a powerstrip with protection and it will work as good as an H-15 for alot less:eek:. Unless you want a Brick with ights. Now, If you have a power problem buy a Double Conversion UPS that will Isolate the AC and give you pure sine wave.;)

Hello again 55sss and everyone else:

I was reading the H15 review by Tom Andry at Audioholics, as well as posts on their forum regarding the H15. After reading these, I had a couple of questions occur to me:

1) Has anyone here had a problem with fuses blowing on their sub amps as Tom reported with his system?

I have a powered sub, an Outlaw LFM-1 Compact. As I have not yet purchased the H15, I can't report back as to my experiences with regards to this.

Here's the link to Tom's review:

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/power-conditioners/apc-h15

2) a user (Trikoid) reported that he was getting a buzzing noise through his speakers (tweeters) that seemed to actually get worse when using the H15. He mentioned that the buzzing was most likely due to dimmers on his lights, but he was concerned that the H15 seemed to make it worse, whereas a Monster unit did not. (Possibly he had some grounding issues or poorly shielded signal cables, etc) Has anyone experienced a similar issue with the H15?

I have quite a few dimmed lights in my HT room. I don't notice any buzzing at all on my system (Onkyo SR705 AV) without a power conditioner, so I don't expect that it would get worse with the H15.

Here's the link to tha Audioholics forum posts:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40912

Thanks for any feedback.

I agree that at the MSRP - the H15 is way too expensive for what I would have paid.

However for ~$150.00, getting surge protection, trigger/delayed power switching, and a front panel indicator of Vin, Vout, and current output >> I feel it is a good value.

Yardman49,
My sub is across the room on another outlet so I have no experience with the H15 blowing the sub fuse. My take on the article was that certain subs have a high initial power demand which may result in the H15 increasing the output voltage and in turn may blow the fuses on the sub.

I have low voltage recessed lighting and a dimmer. I didn't hear any buzzing before or after installing the H15.

Please let us know about your experiences regarding the Outlaw sub and the H15. Thanks.

Does anyone know if this unit will pass a powerline network signal? My DISHDvr 722 has built in powerline and I want to add it to my home network.

Thanks

Mitch

2) a user (Trikoid) reported that he was getting a buzzing noise through his speakers (tweeters) that seemed to actually get worse when using the H15. He mentioned that the buzzing was most likely due to dimmers on his lights, but he was concerned that the H15 seemed to make it worse, whereas a Monster unit did not. (Possibly he had some grounding issues or poorly shielded signal cables, etc) Has anyone experienced a similar issue with the H15?

I have quite a few dimmed lights in my HT room. I don't notice any buzzing at all on my system (Onkyo SR705 AV) without a power conditioner, so I don't expect that it would get worse with the H15.



Geez, that is what the H15 should protect you from! Again, It is snake oil:( Keep on selling them Audioholics with your $100.00 HDMI cables:(

Again, It is snake oil:( Keep on selling them Audioholics with your $100.00 HDMI cables:(

Since you continue to cast a negative shadow on power conditioning products, please enlighten us. Technically speaking why are the APC's, Panamax's, etc of the world "snake oil"?

Do you feel the manufacturers are deceiving their customers and could potentially be exposed to a class action lawsuit for selling a product that fails to deliver as advertised?

Since you continue to cast a negative shadow on power conditioning products, please enlighten us. Technically speaking why are the APC's, Panamax's, etc of the world "snake oil"?

Do you feel the manufacturers are deceiving their customers and could potentially be exposed to a class action lawsuit for selling a product that fails to deliver as advertised?

Toca,

I have, go back and read my posts on the h15. What bothers me is Audioholics...the Truth is out there...Please, not on there website. All they care about is money, not truth. Which is ok, but I am just calling them out on it:( Now, on Law Suits, Let the buyer beware;) If you have any question...just post them:)

I have been thinking about buying the h15 but need to know if it is enough protection for my equipment. I have a denon 3808 reciever, denon 2500 blu ray, direct tv hd. I know it is enough for all of this but I am about to add a rotel 1095 amp that uses a lot of juice. any thoughts or suggestions? thanks

I have been thinking about buying the h15 but need to know if it is enough protection for my equipment. I have a denon 3808 reciever, denon 2500 blu ray, direct tv hd. I know it is enough for all of this but I am about to add a rotel 1095 amp that uses a lot of juice. any thoughts or suggestions? thanks

It's rated at 1440 watts (80% of a 15 amp circuit). Add up the wattages of your equipment, and you'll have your answer.

I have Directv and have a problem using the CATV/Modem inputs of the H15. I contacted APC and they sent a replacement but I'm having the same problem. I have one of the dish downleads connected to the SAT/Ant input and it seems to work fine with both SD and HD channels but I don't get any signal through the CATV/Modem input. I guess I'll send another email to APC.

Hello 55sss:

I have gone ahead and ordered a Panamax M5300-EX, which only has AVM, not AVR. But it still looks as though the silver APC H15 is still available through Audioholics, so I'm thinking that I may order that also; I have another system that I could use that for.

One big issue in my mind was the problem that you and others here experienced with the Cable/Modem circuit. You got one replacement from APC, but that seemed to work the same way as the original. You say here that you were going to email APC again.

Could you share with us the results of your latest communication with APC regarding this issue?

Thanks

One big issue in my mind was the problem that you and others here experienced with the Cable/Modem circuit. You got one replacement from APC, but that seemed to work the same way as the original. You say here that you were going to email APC again.

Could you share with us the results of your latest communication with APC regarding this issue?

The customer service person at APC basically said he wasn't sure and suggested I call one of their distributors, which I thought was strange. I posted the problem in another forum and was told the Directv used bi-communication and high band. Another reply thought that since the CATV/MODEM jack has a splitter that could be causing the problem. Not sure exactly what all that means but assume/concluded that there is a difference between the two coaxial jacks where one marked SAT/ANT will pass the signal but the CATV/MODEM will not. I suppose I could call APC and ask to talk to a technical person but haven't done so.

Long story short, after thinking about it, I decided not to use the coaxial jacks. I realize that I'm not as protected as I'd like. However, I also think that a lightening hit to my dish would be required to cause a problem and the odds of that happening are far less than something happening to the power lines which are now protected by the H15. All in all, I'm very happy with the unit. It is serving my primary purchase of power surge protection, 12 volt trigger outlet, and power monitoring and regulation; all at a reasonable cost IMO.

If you end up using both units, posting your comparison might be helpful for those that haven't gone one way or the other.

How would you compare with the J10/J15 that have backup built in? I was just going to get a UPS from APC and their chat support says the regular backups are not recommended for tvs (may damage and not liable for tv damamge) and are only for IT equip. Something to do with the type of power sine wave put out?

What would warrant getting the J15 over J10? the amount of equip plugged in? Would you get more backup time?

How would you compare with the J10/J15 that have backup built in? I was just going to get a UPS from APC and their chat support says the regular backups are not recommended for tvs (may damage and not liable for tv damamge) and are only for IT equip. Something to do with the type of power sine wave put out?

What would warrant getting the J15 over J10? the amount of equip plugged in? Would you get more backup time?


Hello Phil:

Regarding what you were told about APC's "regular" UPS (and that of many other manufacturers, for that matter):

Cheaper UPSs use a "stepped approximation" of a sine wave output when running on battery power. Instead of the output AC waveform being a smooth sinusoidal waveform, it will look like a series of "steps" or "stairs", going up and then down and then up again. Some devices do not like this kind of AC power, and either may not function properly or could even conceivably be damaged by it. That's probably the reason for chat support's comments. These are typically the lower priced units that you find in many computer stores.

Most of these kind of UPSs are "standby" UPSs, meaning that they only use the battery when the AC power fails. When AC power is present, the inverter portion is in standby mode, and they pass through the AC that they are getting from your household power.

Better models of power conditioners may incorporate AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation). This enables them to buck or boost the incoming AC to a steady 120 V or so. They may do this by way of a multitap transformer, still using the incoming AC for power, but lowering or raising the output AC voltage via their transformer to keep the AC near 120v. The H model APCs are like this. However, they do not have any battery backup. If incoming AC goes too far out of range, they will simply disconnect your devices from the household AC.

Other units may incorporate a battery and switch to battery power when the AC voltage goes out of range. From a quick look at APC's manual for the J and S series, it looks as though these units may take this approach. I don't know just how clean the AC output is on these units, nor could I find any specifications during my quick search of their site. Others here may have first hand knowledge. It really just depends on the quality of the inverter units that they use. I also don't know if the the S series has a better inverter than the J series. However, APC has an excellent reputation, and if they specify that these units are for audio-visual use, then I'm certain that the output quality would be more than adequate.

The most expensive UPSs use a "double conversion" approach. In this type, the batteries are always "on line", so to speak. They are part of a double conversion, pure sine wave inverter circuit. In these models, the components connected to the UPS never "see" the actual household or line AC; rather, the AC gets completely converted to DC, which then goes through a high quality pure sine wave inverter to produce a very clean and stable 120V RMS AC sine wave output. Hence the name "double conversion", meaning the power goes from AC to DC and back to AC again, all of the time. These units will actually be able to "clean up" degraded power line voltage, by producing an output that may be of higher quality than the incoming AC, due to this "double conversion" approach. These type are often used in critical commercial or research applications.

*************************************************

In answer to your question about the J15 versus the J10: the only difference that I could see was the higher output power that it can supply.

Just picked me up the h15. Best deal I have seen to date.

http://www.amazon.com/APC-H15-Theater-1500VA-Conditioner/dp/B000AHVGA6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1237034573&sr=1-2

I personally think it is one hell of a good deal. I noticed it actually helped trim my voltage (115 VAC) I suspect due to this horrible weather we are having.

A nice gentleman on this forum traded me my silver one for a new black one. They look decent enough:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/G35Coupe/rack1.jpg

^^ looks nice!!

GoLakers I too just ordered from amazon... ;)

Add me to the list of those who got a silver one from Amazon for a little over $100. I wish the black was discounted 70+% like this one, but I'll live.

I'm curious, what will be the appropriate outlet to connect my Pioneer Elite vsx-82txs a/v receiver and Plasma TV into? I understand the remaining components I have (xbox, tivo, dvd, bd) will go into the digital outlets, and my sub will go into the high current outlet.

Also, would it be wise to connect my OTA digital antenna (indoors, not on roof) into this unit prior to my Tivo? Will it cause issues with signal or HD reception?

Thanks, can't wait for the big brown truck!

--Nolan

The amazon deal seems great but I think I really want a battery backup. Recently I had the power go on & off twice within a few minutes. The tivo seemed to get hung when it got the second power hit while it was rebooting after the first outage. I had to unplug it and restart to get it going again.

I assume the H15 won't help with this situation? I see B&H has the J10 for $349 plus shipping (~$50). Is this a better solution?

The amazon deal seems great but I think I really want a battery backup. Recently I had the power go on & off twice within a few minutes. The tivo seemed to get hung when it got the second power hit while it was rebooting after the first outage. I had to unplug it and restart to get it going again.

I assume the H15 won't help with this situation? I see B&H has the J10 for $349 plus shipping (~$50). Is this a better solution?

The H15 won't help with Power outages. When you spend $3,000 on a plasma $100 power conditioner is small price to pay. Even some of basic home theatre surge protectors cost as much.

I'm curious, what will be the appropriate outlet to connect my Pioneer Elite vsx-82txs a/v receiver and Plasma TV into? I understand the remaining components I have (xbox, tivo, dvd, bd) will go into the digital outlets, and my sub will go into the high current outlet.

Also, would it be wise to connect my OTA digital antenna (indoors, not on roof) into this unit prior to my Tivo? Will it cause issues with signal or HD reception?

The AVR can be plugged into the high current outlet along with the sub or the audio outlet. I have my plasma plugged into the video outlet. The signal from the attic/indoor antenna should not be de-graded by plugging it into the coaxial jacks and would protect all the other devices.

I just installed the H-15 that I bought from Audioholics.

A couple of questions.
1. I have my Sharp 37" LCD Monitor LC-37D90U plugged into the "Monitor" outlet on the back of the H-15. Should it be plugged in here, or in the "TV" outlet?

2. I have my Velodyne 1512 Subwoofer plugged into the "Subwoofer" outlet in the "Delayed" group of outlets. How much of a delay (if any) should I program into the H-15? If it makes any difference, the AVR that my Subwoofer is connected to is a Pioneer Elite VSX36TX.

Thanks for any assistance.
Mark

My H-15 showed up today from amazon.. seems to be a rather stout piece!!

I took the cover off to look at further dis-assembly (thinking of painting mine black) and i noticed on the ac line filtering side there was a molex connector loose.
It was jumper J110.. It appears to be the power for the relay coil of the Delayed outlets.. I noticed that the l.e.d. on the front panel will illuminate
even if the connector isn't plugged in.

So I checked the outlets and low and behold they do not work w/o J110 connected.. With it connected you can hear the relay kick on.

So in summary if your sub/amplifier outlets have no juice check J110 first..
the front panel l.e.d. isn't a good indicator if it's working......the cable is rather snug in the cabinet I can see how it pulled out...

Other then that for $100 its a nice piece

I'm pleased with mine, I had a mounting screw in mine "rolling around" in there, so I cracked it open to fix it, and looks like a stout piece. First time I've bought something more robust for power conditioning in my house (bought MUCH beefier stuff at work ;) )and so far I'm pleased.

I personally think it is one hell of a good deal. I noticed it actually helped trim my voltage (115 VAC) I suspect due to this horrible weather we are having.

A nice gentleman on this forum traded me my silver one for a new black one. They look decent enough:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/G35Coupe/rack1.jpg

I really like your rack. Can you tell me where you purchased it from,
or where I can find one like it?

If anyone else want's to trade a black for a silver let me know. My
equipment is black and I would trade my silver one for a black one.

I really like your rack. Can you tell me where you purchased it from,
or where I can find one like it?

If anyone else want's to trade a black for a silver let me know. My
equipment is black and I would trade my silver one for a black one.

It is from a company in Sweden called Solid Tech. It is about $1600 so buyer beware. :o Thanks.

Rich

It is from a company in Sweden called Solid Tech. It is about $1600 so buyer beware. :o Thanks.

Rich

$1600 a mere pittance. I just got my A.I.G. bonus so I
am good to go.

$1600 a mere pittance. I just got my A.I.G. bonus so I
am good to go.

Well then, you should go ahead and grab two. ;)

Received my H15 from Amazon (tigerdirect actually) a few days ago. I have a bunch of their UPS stuff at work.

Anyways, I notice a buzzing noise coming from the inside of the unit. Is this normal? I don't remember hearing this when I first plugged it in a few days ago.

I decided to take the $99 APC H15 silver unit and paint it black. Pretty easy to take apart and I just threw on the first coat of Rustoleum Satin Black texture paint. Looks good so far:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/G35Coupe/h15b.jpg

First of two coats:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/G35Coupe/newpaint.jpg

looks good so far... keep us posted with your progress!

I want to do the same thing when i get mine tomorrow, ill be content with just the black faceplate.

I think they are. I just bought one. It is worth every penny.

Thanks to AVS forum I just grabbed one of these from TigerDirect. Sweet!

Thought I'd take a look inside the case before I set it up... took some pictures. very impressive. Posted here: Pictures of inside of APC H15 (http://simonwoodside.com/weblog/2009/3/25/under_the_lid_of_a/).

I took a bunch but here's one:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3617/3384288528_3ca544e089_b.jpg

One thing I was hoping for was a notification if my power went bad while I was away. It doesn't seem to do that. Do any of them?

Edit: out of the box I had no issues. It looked like a never-opened box to me, I always check that.

Received my TigerDirect unit today.

My unit seems to have two issues - serial number doesn't show up, and the plastic faceplate that houses the receptacles will pull free if you try to remove a cable.

Maybe someone could check their unit to see if their serial no. is displayed. The second issue I can take care of when I paint the faceplate black.

Even though I have a 200A breaker box the lights in my house dim momentarily when the central AC kicks on. This unit is doing something as I hear it click each time the AC starts up.

Received my TigerDirect unit today.

My unit seems to have two issues - serial number doesn't show up, and the plastic faceplate that houses the receptacles will pull free if you try to remove a cable.

Mine from Tiger Direct arrived Tuesday and I also had a problem with the top of the faceplate pulling free if removed a cable. I put a couple drops of super glue on it and seemed to solve it. I was bit concerned at first, but mine only pulled out a half-inch or less so do not think it is a problem.

By the way, I see the price from Tiger Direct through Amazon is now up to $199. I am sure glad I jumped when I did.

I also am looking to get a Power Conditioner with Battery Backup, but mostly because I have a front projector. The APC H series seem to simply clean the power for the each item plugged it, to a maximum wattage of power the wall plug can provide. But the APC J battery backup seems to only provide enough juice for 1 or 2 pieces of equipement. Unless you go to the S which provide the same power as the H series. Am I correct in assuming that if I go say get the APC J 600 watt Power Conditioner with Battery Backup, all I could plug in is items the sum up to 600 watt consumption? So here is a list of equipement I have and watts they use:

PS3 - 380 Watts
Projector - 280 Watts
Receiver - 600 Watts
Sub - 300 Watts

Does it mean I can really only have a max 1 or 2 of these items plugged into this unit? To get all of them plugged in I would need a much more expensive APC S unit?

Hello Phil:

Regarding what you were told about APC's "regular" UPS (and that of many other manufacturers, for that matter):

Cheaper UPSs use a "stepped approximation" of a sine wave output when running on battery power. Instead of the output AC waveform being a smooth sinusoidal waveform, it will look like a series of "steps" or "stairs", going up and then down and then up again. Some devices do not like this kind of AC power, and either may not function properly or could even conceivably be damaged by it. That's probably the reason for chat support's comments. These are typically the lower priced units that you find in many computer stores.

Most of these kind of UPSs are "standby" UPSs, meaning that they only use the battery when the AC power fails. When AC power is present, the inverter portion is in standby mode, and they pass through the AC that they are getting from your household power.

Better models of power conditioners may incorporate AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation). This enables them to buck or boost the incoming AC to a steady 120 V or so. They may do this by way of a multitap transformer, still using the incoming AC for power, but lowering or raising the output AC voltage via their transformer to keep the AC near 120v. The H model APCs are like this. However, they do not have any battery backup. If incoming AC goes too far out of range, they will simply disconnect your devices from the household AC.

Other units may incorporate a battery and switch to battery power when the AC voltage goes out of range. From a quick look at APC's manual for the J and S series, it looks as though these units may take this approach. I don't know just how clean the AC output is on these units, nor could I find any specifications during my quick search of their site. Others here may have first hand knowledge. It really just depends on the quality of the inverter units that they use. I also don't know if the the S series has a better inverter than the J series. However, APC has an excellent reputation, and if they specify that these units are for audio-visual use, then I'm certain that the output quality would be more than adequate.

The most expensive UPSs use a "double conversion" approach. In this type, the batteries are always "on line", so to speak. They are part of a double conversion, pure sine wave inverter circuit. In these models, the components connected to the UPS never "see" the actual household or line AC; rather, the AC gets completely converted to DC, which then goes through a high quality pure sine wave inverter to produce a very clean and stable 120V RMS AC sine wave output. Hence the name "double conversion", meaning the power goes from AC to DC and back to AC again, all of the time. These units will actually be able to "clean up" degraded power line voltage, by producing an output that may be of higher quality than the incoming AC, due to this "double conversion" approach. These type are often used in critical commercial or research applications.

*************************************************

In answer to your question about the J15 versus the J10: the only difference that I could see was the higher output power that it can supply.

DoingOK & Layd Dly,

How did the painting turn out? Any final pics?

I'm masking the internals right now. It's been raining all day :o so I spent the time setting up my listening room after I had to empty it for repainting. Now I'm back to finishing off this H15.

I also am looking to get a Power Conditioner with Battery Backup, but mostly because I have a front projector. The APC H series seem to simply clean the power for the each item plugged it, to a maximum wattage of power the wall plug can provide. But the APC J battery backup seems to only provide enough juice for 1 or 2 pieces of equipement. Unless you go to the S which provide the same power as the H series. Am I correct in assuming that if I go say get the APC J 600 watt Power Conditioner with Battery Backup, all I could plug in is items the sum up to 600 watt consumption?

Why do you want a battery backup. "simply clean the power" in the case of H15 means: guarantee voltage is within tolerance of 120V, remove noise from the AC (more like a proper sine wave), filter electromagnetic interference, and protect from surges up to and including lightning, also eliminate ground loops if you have them.

You only need a batter backup in the case where you want to continue operating when the power goes out completely ... You're going to pay a lot extra for that.

Anyway, as for the H15, the 15 = 1500W, which is the normal power consumption it can handle. You add up your wattage like you say. However they also note that some amps, e.g., don't really consume the wattage that they claim.

Need to spray one more coat on the top cover and then it should be good to go:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/G35Coupe/h15c.jpg

Nice job. Looks like I have another thing to add to my to do list.

What kind of paint did you end up using?

Rustoleum fine texture satin black. Looks real good and like it came from the factory. The flash makes the finish not look consistent.....it actually came out very even.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v16/G35Coupe/h15f.jpg

I just purchased this unit and was wondering whether it should be left on even when not using electronic equipment?

Thanks in advance....

it shouldn't be an issue to leave it on...The unit doesn't really build up any heat, and the current draw w/ devices off should be minimal...
I know I haven't turned off mine since I hooked it up

I just picked one of these up today and will be painting it like DoingOK did. :) Thanks for the inspiration. :)

Did you have to tape off the APC logo and display panel?

just bought one. Had the rattle on the inside. Apc sent me a brand new one, got it a couple of days later. nice product.

Nice work on the paint job! I'll eventually do the same thing to my cheapo silver H15

Hey guys... I also just bought mind and thus far am impressed. I am in the middle of upgrading my entire system andI haven't yet bought a new sub but do any of you have any trouble blowing or tripping fuses as mentioned in the audioholics review when your sub is connected the APC?

I just picked one of these up today and will be painting it like DoingOK did. :) Thanks for the inspiration. :)

Did you have to tape off the APC logo and display panel?

Check out his pics on page 3...you'll see that the display panel doesn't need to be taped off once it is taken apart and you can see what he did with the APC logo (look closely at the towel).

do any of you have any trouble blowing or tripping fuses as mentioned in the audioholics review when your sub is connected the APC?

I haven't had any issues yet. I'm using mine with a Pioneer SC-07 and a Klipsch THX sub amp.

I have a CD Player, Emotiva RPA-2, Emotiva RSP-2 and Epik Vanquish sub plugged in. Even at very loud levels, I rarely exceed 3.5 amps and haven't blown any fuses yet.

Just ordered the H15 and wanted to paint it black. For those of you that painted it had a few questions since I've never done this before.

I think someone suggested this product.
http://www.rustoleum.com/Product.asp?frm_product_id=541&SBL=5

1. Is the face panel metal or plastic? Can can this be used on plastic as well?
2. Do you have to sand both the metal and plastic before applying?
3. How many coats do I need? No priming required?

Mine just showed up today and I'm painting tonight. The face plate is metal and I don't think I'm going to need to sand it at all. I'm just going to wipe down with some alcohol.

Just ordered the H15 and wanted to paint it black. For those of you that painted it had a few questions since I've never done this before.

I think someone suggested this product.
http://www.rustoleum.com/Product.asp?frm_product_id=541&SBL=5

1. Is the face panel metal or plastic? Can can this be used on plastic as well?
2. Do you have to sand both the metal and plastic before applying?
3. How many coats do I need? No priming required?

I used the Rustoleum fine texture black paint and it looks very nice. Nice high-end finish to it.
http://www.flecto.com/product.asp?frm_product_id=20&SBL=1

I just cleaned the parts real good and sprayed two even coats. No primer required.

I used the Rustoleum fine texture black paint and it looks very nice. Nice high-end finish to it.
http://www.flecto.com/product.asp?frm_product_id=20&SBL=1

I just cleaned the parts real good and sprayed two even coats. No primer required.

that's a nice job... i think i have my next "rainy weekend project" planned out... :)

probably do the front in gloss though to mimic the rest of my components though... well, other than the stupid silver fios box...

edit: how much of a pita was it to tape off the internals?

that's a nice job... i think i have my next "rainy weekend project" planned out... :)

probably do the front in gloss though to mimic the rest of my components though... well, other than the stupid silver fios box...

edit: how much of a pita was it to tape off the internals?

Not too bad. Tricky to get the tape past components to cover the vented sides.

Not too bad. Tricky to get the tape past components to cover the vented sides.

ok cool... my wife has small fingers, i'll press her into service to get into the tight places... :)

what size/type tape? i was thinking the blue painters tape would work ok to cover the vents.

any other little things to look for or be extra careful with along the way?

I read in another forum someone made a custom piece of cardboard to bend around to block the components. Not sure how feasible that is as I haven't got the H15 yet.

i'm thinking i can just cover the top (carefully) with any kind of covering that the paint won't soak through and seal off the edges real well... it shouldn't be taking a direct hit from the can anyway... assuming i don't have an "oops" moment along the way which is not always a safe assumption... :o

I read in another forum someone made a custom piece of cardboard to bend around to block the components. Not sure how feasible that is as I haven't got the H15 yet.

I just painted my this evening and that's how I did it. I just custom cut some cardboard pieces to fit in between the side of the unit and the motherboard. The pieces then folded over to cover the board from being exposed to paint or any other particles. I taped it down with some painters tape and I was off and running.

I used a satin finish paint and it has come out very evenly. Looks great...

I'll post pictures when I re-assemble tomorrow evening after work.

I got it painted and re-assembled. Looks like it came from the factory this way.

Oh, and the MFW-15 showed up today too! Temp. placement pending my longer cable showing up...

I got it painted and re-assembled. Looks like it came from the factory this way.

Oh, and the MFW-15 showed up today too! Temp. placement pending my longer cable showing up...

Looks great I am going to do the same. Very nice theater as well. What is the brand/model of your equipment rack?

Looks great I am going to do the same. Very nice theater as well. What is the brand/model of your equipment rack?

Lovan Affiniti -

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OOLBW8

Question for the APC owners, does this void the warranty by painting it?

Question for the APC owners, does this void the warranty by painting it?

Without reading it...my guess is it would void it. If nothing else there is probably a risk that if not taped off properly you could damage some of the inner components.

Ok so I got a Silver H15 but if someone is willing I'd be up for swapping my silver for a black one if anyone is interested. Lemme know. If I don't hear anything after some time then I'm going to paint it black.

You might as well start painting it. The black unit has been so much more sought after than the silver that nobody is giving it up. If you want to buy a black unit on the open market it's more than 3 times the price of a silver.

After seeing how easy it is to disassemble and paint myself it really isn't a big deal at all.

Figure I'd give it a shot since right now I'm testing it to make sure it works and doesn't blow up in case I need to return it or something.

Actually are you guys painting the bottom too? Any chance of picture of the bottom? Figure if I paint it might as well paint as much as I can't (sadly can't easily paint the back though).

Figure I'd give it a shot since right now I'm testing it to make sure it works and doesn't blow up in case I need to return it or something.

Actually are you guys painting the bottom too? Any chance of picture of the bottom? Figure if I paint it might as well paint as much as I can't (sadly can't easily paint the back though).

I didn't bother painting the bottom or the back of the unit. I painted the top, side covers, and front of the unit. It disassembles pretty easily and is easy enough to paint. I was kind of surprised at how smoothly it went to be honest. Mine looks like it came from the factory that way. If a person were to look at it they'd never know it was painted in my garage with a can of satin black Krylon.

I just opened mine. It has a rattling screw. Time to perform some surgery.

I just opened mine. It has a rattling screw. Time to perform some surgery.

Mine had the same problem and it turned out a screw was loose from the corner of a circuit board in the front. Very easy to put back in place though. Seems very common and alot of other people just send them back for a new one but I didn't want to deal with that.

I had the same thing. There was a small screw that was supposed to be in the corner of the circuit board rattling around in the chassis. I just re-attached the screw in its port and it stayed put like it is supposed to. No reason to send back for a replacement, certainly.

I couldn't get the screw to bite. It was stripped and another one was turning as well. Replace them both with slightly bigger screws and all is well. Not a huge deal but they need to ramp up their quality control.

I just ordered this to go along with my SONY 4400es. I'm paranoid of my 1000 buck investment getting whacked.

Haven't painted mine yet but looked at painting the bottom and it seems tough. There are holes on the bottom that need to be covered which would require taking the motherboard out of the case then painting it which seems like a pain.

Hey guys, just set up my first HDTV and items today, including a APC H15. I have a couple questions as im not sure. First of all, I have my PS3 plugged into the auxillery plug, does that sound good? Also my 50" plasma is plugged into the TV plugin, but I had read somewhere that is for older TVs and a plasma draws too much power and needs to be plugged in somewhere else?

My second questions is this, today earlier I noticed incoming voltage was 126 and it was on Line trim, it stayed like that for quite a while said it was outputting 117 I think. That was set on narrow so I switched it to normal and it said input 126, output 126. Will that much voltage harm my equipment? Right now I have it set back on narrow and I have 124 coming in, 124 going out it is not trimming. So my two questions about this are this: 1. If the voltage is as high as 126 can that harm my equipment. And 2. If it is trimming voltage for a long time, or all of the time will it wear out the APC H15?

Just an FYI to H15 owners.

This morning my AFCI got tripped (has never done it before) and my H15 shut down. Reset the circuit and plugged it back in. A few minutes later, the H15 just turned off, AFCI wasn't tripped this time. Tried unplugging it, nothing, it's dead. I wait a few minutes, plug it back in, it works... Minutes later, it turns off. I find it odd that the unit just shuts off like that. But now it doesn't trip any circuits.

Anyways, I called up TigerDirect and they will not honor an exchange for the defective unit because I bought it by way of Amazon. They said that they can only issue a refund and that I have to repurchase it. Fine I said, but the kicker is that I have to buy it at the price it is listed now, $199.99 (got it from Amazon for a killer $99 deal).

So now I have to deal with APC directly and try and get this thing fixed/exchanged/whatever.

My worry is that I have a 2nd unit that has a lot of my higher end stuff hooked up to it and I'm worried that it would damage the equipment. The APC tech said that the H15 has a high warranty coverage but how often does a company honor that warranty?

Should I cross fingers with the 2nd unit or return it and swap it out with a Panamax? Granted it's a H15 thread but anyone have issues like this with Panamax?

mike_c70, I would call Amazon first and see if they can help (don't hurt to try). And looking a TigerDirect (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=4442408&sku=A75-2073&SRCCODE=LINKSHARE&cm_mmc_o=-ddCjC1bELltzywCjC-d2CjCdwwp&AffiliateID=ZkIF.Rgm7lU-f_Gv6kKiLuDITIndF3wTRg) it is showing at $149.99. Plus I have read nothing but good things about APC, just sent it in for warranty. If non of the above work, get your money back and get a Panamax Max 5300-EX (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ATEVVK?ie=UTF8&tag=hdga03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000ATEVVK).

mike_c70, I would call Amazon first and see if they can help (don't hurt to try). And looking a TigerDirect (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=4442408&sku=A75-2073&SRCCODE=LINKSHARE&cm_mmc_o=-ddCjC1bELltzywCjC-d2CjCdwwp&AffiliateID=ZkIF.Rgm7lU-f_Gv6kKiLuDITIndF3wTRg) it is showing at $149.99. Plus I have read nothing but good things about APC, just sent it in for warranty. If non of the above work, get your money back and get a Panamax Max 5300-EX (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ATEVVK?ie=UTF8&tag=hdga03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000ATEVVK).


Hmm. Interesting, it was $199.99 like an hour ago until I clicked your link, then it got stuck at $149.99. I'll try talking to Amazon tomorrow, you're right, doesn't hurt to try. For me it's more about getting a fast replacement.

Personally, this whole thing seems like a fluke. I have 4 APC battery backup units at work and have work flawlessly for a few years. Personally I like APC because of the voltage regulation at this price range. I just freaked out when the unit just shut off, wondering what happened to all my equipment. BTW, any idea on what would cause my AFCI to trip? That's probably what worried me the most. I was ready to replace the outlet plugs and everything.

I'm chalking it up as a bad apple.

I'm not an electrician but IMO AFCI detected an abnormal acring in the circuit which de-energizing the circuit and reduce the potential for a fire to occur. Things I think cause this is deteriorated and/or damaged wires and cords. Worn outlets or switches, maybe a furniture pushed against plugs in an outlet. Hope this give you an idea what to look for.

I'm not an electrician but IMO AFCI detected an abnormal acring in the circuit which de-energizing the circuit and reduce the potential for a fire to occur. Things I think cause this is deteriorated and/or damaged wires and cords. Worn outlets or switches, maybe a furniture pushed against plugs in an outlet. Hope this give you an idea what to look for.

I'm probably still going to change out the outlets. What's odd is that I plug the H15 into another outlet (actually the same one where my 2nd h15 is plugged into), it turns on, but then shuts off minutes later without tripping anything else. I hope it's not bad wires, that would suck to change those as this is a newer built home (2004).

Just an FYI to H15 owners.

This morning my AFCI got tripped (has never done it before) and my H15 shut down. Reset the circuit and plugged it back in. A few minutes later, the H15 just turned off, AFCI wasn't tripped this time. Tried unplugging it, nothing, it's dead. I wait a few minutes, plug it back in, it works... Minutes later, it turns off. I find it odd that the unit just shuts off like that. But now it doesn't trip any circuits.

Anyways, I called up TigerDirect and they will not honor an exchange for the defective unit because I bought it by way of Amazon. They said that they can only issue a refund and that I have to repurchase it. Fine I said, but the kicker is that I have to buy it at the price it is listed now, $199.99 (got it from Amazon for a killer $99 deal).

So now I have to deal with APC directly and try and get this thing fixed/exchanged/whatever.

My worry is that I have a 2nd unit that has a lot of my higher end stuff hooked up to it and I'm worried that it would damage the equipment. The APC tech said that the H15 has a high warranty coverage but how often does a company honor that warranty?

Should I cross fingers with the 2nd unit or return it and swap it out with a Panamax? Granted it's a H15 thread but anyone have issues like this with Panamax?

If the MOVs in the surge suppression circuitry have started to fail, they will arc in a manner that would cause the AFCI to trip.

Things to look for:

> Sustained over-Voltage condition. What is your line Voltage? Is it significantly above 120?

> High levels of transients. Are you in an area where there are lots of lightning strikes? Do you have other equipment on your power line that could be creating transients? Are you very near to a substation or industrial facility (that might have switched capacitor banks)?

> Worn or frayed power cable, or loose connection on the 120V side.

Hope this helps.

Being a new home I would think maybe related to a poor electrical connection at the outlet. Poor connections generate heat that can cause power loss at the connection. If connections are good then possible chance are that the H15 may have cause it to trip.

These are great photos. This is exactly how clean the workmanship of my APC surge protectors are, and 2 other random APC brand surge protectors I dissected look like: the routings are clean, the parts well placed, the MOV leads short, the cables properly terminated and insulated etc.,

One reason APC is a top product for what they are designed to do.

If anyone has the skill, time and inclination, one should also look inside other models to gauge how well's its made.

You could be surprised to find how models like Monster, Belkin, could be made.



Thanks to AVS forum I just grabbed one of these from TigerDirect. Sweet!

Thought I'd take a look inside the case before I set it up... took some pictures. very impressive. Posted here: Pictures of inside of APC H15 (http://simonwoodside.com/weblog/2009/3/25/under_the_lid_of_a/).


Edit: out of the box I had no issues. It looked like a never-opened box to me, I always check that.

I agree fully with MM. APC is very good at honoring its warranties. I'd give them a call, no question.

If your unit keeps tripping it means its internal circuit breaker is either bad or something has shorted inside causing a good circuit breaker to trip. Either way, its doing its job and is supposed to fail and protect your gear from bad power.

When APC receives a notice for warranty replacement, its usually exchanged very quickly; many report they ship a replacement out before you ship your unit to them, but this is usually for SPDs. They will post-mortem your unit too, and let you know what killed it. Now whether the fatal event was due to a brief surge in your home or a defective part that died prematurely, is hard to say. The chance of a defective MOV is extremely small but possible, given they are as primitive as resistors in their construction.


If the MOVs in the surge suppression circuitry have started to fail, they will arc in a manner that would cause the AFCI to trip.

Things to look for:

> Sustained over-Voltage condition. What is your line Voltage? Is it significantly above 120?

> High levels of transients. Are you in an area where there are lots of lightning strikes? Do you have other equipment on your power line that could be creating transients? Are you very near to a substation or industrial facility (that might have switched capacitor banks)?

> Worn or frayed power cable, or loose connection on the 120V side.

Hope this helps.

I'm probably still going to change out the outlets. What's odd is that I plug the H15 into another outlet (actually the same one where my 2nd h15 is plugged into), it turns on, but then shuts off minutes later without tripping anything else. I hope it's not bad wires, that would suck to change those as this is a newer built home (2004).

Thanks to AVS forum I just grabbed one of these from TigerDirect. Sweet!

Thought I'd take a look inside the case before I set it up... took some pictures. very impressive. Posted here: Pictures of inside of APC H15 (http://simonwoodside.com/weblog/2009/3/25/under_the_lid_of_a/).


You might want to revise your captions. The items that you identify as ceramic caps are, in fact, MOVs. They do not "store power", but rather act as surge suppressors. They conduct whenever the Voltage exceeds their threshhold.

I agree fully with MM. APC is very good at honoring its warranties. I'd give them a call, no question.

If your unit keeps tripping it means its internal circuit breaker is either bad or something has shorted inside causing a good circuit breaker to trip. Either way, its doing its job and is supposed to fail and protect your gear from bad power.

When APC receives a notice for warranty replacement, its usually exchanged very quickly; many report they ship a replacement out before you ship your unit to them, but this is usually for SPDs. They will post-mortem your unit too, and let you know what killed it. Now whether the fatal event was due to a brief surge in your home or a defective part that died prematurely, is hard to say. The chance of a defective MOV is extremely small but possible, given they are as primitive as resistors in their construction.

My unit isn't tripping, it just shuts off after a couple of minutes. It tripped the AFCI the first time around but now it just shuts itself off. My Vin has probably maxed out at 124V, so I don't see anything out of the ordinary. The unit behaves just like it should, just turns off a few minutes later.

Anyways, APC is sending me a replacement unit on Monday. Very quick turnaround 3-5 business days. Their customer service is top notch. They are going to check if they have silver units, if not, they are going to be sending a black replacement.

Strike 1 for APC:
So I got my replacement in the mail today. Are they sending refurbished units as replacements? Sheesh! Mine had a big scratch/gash across the top cover, like someone pried the cover loose. Tons of rattles coming from the inside of the machine. This one is going back. Hope they give me a brand new one, not this clunker.

GL with getting a working H15. Must suck to get a dud though maybe it'll work out for you and you'll get a black one.

Was wondering for you guys that painted yours is it really necessary to wear a filtered breathing mask or any mask? It's such a small project but wondering if I really need to get one.

GL with getting a working H15. Must suck to get a dud though maybe it'll work out for you and you'll get a black one.

Was wondering for you guys that painted yours is it really necessary to wear a filtered breathing mask or any mask? It's such a small project but wondering if I really need to get one.

As long as you are outdoors you should be fine. If indoors you might want to consider something.

Hey guys, just set up my first HDTV and items today, including a APC H15. I have a couple questions as im not sure. First of all, I have my PS3 plugged into the auxillery plug, does that sound good? Also my 50" plasma is plugged into the TV plugin, but I had read somewhere that is for older TVs and a plasma draws too much power and needs to be plugged in somewhere else?

My second questions is this, today earlier I noticed incoming voltage was 126 and it was on Line trim, it stayed like that for quite a while said it was outputting 117 I think. That was set on narrow so I switched it to normal and it said input 126, output 126. Will that much voltage harm my equipment? Right now I have it set back on narrow and I have 124 coming in, 124 going out it is not trimming. So my two questions about this are this: 1. If the voltage is as high as 126 can that harm my equipment. And 2. If it is trimming voltage for a long time, or all of the time will it wear out the APC H15?

I have the same exact power as you and am wondering the same thing, also What UPS would go good with this thats not to expensive, I need it for my Plasma, has to be at least 450 watts or more and preferably pure wave.

It seems like everyone keeps them on all of the time...is that the general consensus?

It doesn't consume that much power with everything off. My APC reads 30 watts with everything off. I don't think that's including the APC which i heard somewhere it uses less than 50? I turn it off anyway just because I'm not using it and it doesn't hurt to turn it off.

I keep my H15 "On" all the time. (With the display on the lowest lit setting.)

What Version Number does it show on everyone's Serial Number screen? Mine says "0.2.D".

Also, when going into trim or boost mode, is it normal for the H15 to output somewhere "around" 120V? I assume the narrow, normal, and wide AVR ranges are for setting bounds for when the unit kicks in, and it will not necessarily output exactly 120V when regulating voltage?

Thanks!

... And 2. If it is trimming voltage for a long time, or all of the time will it wear out the APC H15?

According to the APC AV brochure, "APC AV’s units can operate indefinitely in AVR mode without overheating or causing undue stress to the unit."

Well I have my APC H15 up and going. Very nice unit. No problems with mine so far. No lose components. Do any of you folks go ahead and still unplug everything if the weather is bad enough? We have some bad electrical storms where I am at this time of year. We are part of Tornado Alley :eek:

Thanks!

Should I get a APC H15 for my HT? Im using a Monster HDP2400 and was thinking of switchin to a H15 but not sure if it would make any difference?

Also does the H15 stabilize voltage??

Should I get a APC H15 for my HT? Im using a Monster HDP2400 and was thinking of switchin to a H15 but not sure if it would make any difference?

Also does the H15 stabilize voltage??

I can tell you that for the first time I have actually seen (well really heard) it do something. We recently turned on the air conditioning for the season. Whenever the thermostat clicks on and the air-conditioning unit starts, the H15 clicks. I have not looked at it as it happens too briefly but I assume it is boosting voltage.

Mitch

Hey guys, just set up my first HDTV and items today, including a APC H15. I have a couple questions as im not sure. First of all, I have my PS3 plugged into the auxillery plug, does that sound good? Also my 50" plasma is plugged into the TV plugin, but I had read somewhere that is for older TVs and a plasma draws too much power and needs to be plugged in somewhere else?

My second questions is this, today earlier I noticed incoming voltage was 126 and it was on Line trim, it stayed like that for quite a while said it was outputting 117 I think. That was set on narrow so I switched it to normal and it said input 126, output 126. Will that much voltage harm my equipment? Right now I have it set back on narrow and I have 124 coming in, 124 going out it is not trimming. So my two questions about this are this: 1. If the voltage is as high as 126 can that harm my equipment. And 2. If it is trimming voltage for a long time, or all of the time will it wear out the APC H15?

I noticed mine is doing the same kind of thing with the Trim. It is on Narrow and I have 124 in and 117 out ? Does anyone know why it is doing that ? Do I need to set it to Normal?

well i went ahead and painted my H15 over the weekend....

I used the Textured Indoor/Outdoor Rust-Oleum
Turned out pretty decent I think, and the wife even said it looked nice in the cabinet. :eek:

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll105/steppinrazer/HiDef/DSC02833.jpg

Nope don't unplug during storms. That is why I bought it.

Nice job to everyone that painted the silver black - I paid the extra on eBay becuase I wanted black. Not full retail but still more than the closeouts prices.

Where has the best prices for the H15? I wish I would of got it from Amazon when they had there $99 deal.. If theres anymore deals like that can someone PM me..

Nope don't unplug during storms. That is why I bought it.

Why not unplug it during lightning storms? Wouldn't that be even safer I mean if you're around during it and not using your HT why not unplug it?

Wondering right now I turn off my H15 when I'm not using it but does the surge protection still work while it's off or does it have to be on in order to work properly. Is it safer to leave it or turn it off after use?

Picked up my H15 though Audioholics when they were going for $150 (go real lucky as they had a "floor model" and got it for $99).

Installed over the weekend, and works great so far (running my LCD, DVD, Wii, AV Receiver, Sub, Cable, & Cable line boost).

Pic was taken with an IPhone so not the best quality, and I was in the middle of wiring the new wall furnature (OmniMount MWFS), which explains the mess :)

Quick question for everyone. If you have a PS3 and Wii, which outlets would you plug it into on the back of a APC H15? Digital Filter?

My H15 has been up and running a couple months now. I see it boosting voltage often. I glanced at a few posts and saw something about loose parts. There is something rattling around on the inside...always has been there.

I got the audioholics silver and would love to paint it black. For those that painted, how did you cover the logo and other areas of the front you didn't want painted?

http://mybasementrenovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/re-img_3307.jpg

Here is a good guide on how to paint the APC H15. I gutted the thing and masked the back with some tape. Definitely turned out nice!

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showpost.php4?p=447519&postcount=83

For me the trim voltage light turned on quite often. If i set it to normal instead of narrow voltage it stops though. Now I never see the trim voltage turn on. The voltage seems pretty stable always around 124.

Very easy to paint IMO. I never painted in my life and if you mess up it's easy to sand it down a little and give it another coat. Came out real nice!

Why not unplug it during lightning storms? Wouldn't that be even safer I mean if you're around during it and not using your HT why not unplug it?

Wondering right now I turn off my H15 when I'm not using it but does the surge protection still work while it's off or does it have to be on in order to work properly. Is it safer to leave it or turn it off after use?

My H15 recently road out a storm in style. The power fluctuated off and on and my son's DVD he was watching in the PS3 never skipped a beat thanks to the AVR :D

I picked up one of these yesterday at Tiger Direct for $149 plus $19 s/h. This is my first power conditoner purchase (I always thought they were sort of gimmicky and unnecessary at the time) but after spending several thousand dollars recently on new gear for a home theater, I think it is a sound investment. Thanks for the heads up on the painting tutorial.

Quick question for everyone. If you have a PS3 and Wii, which outlets would you plug it into on the back of a APC H15? Digital Filter?

Thomas I would (and did) plug game units into the Digital filtered plugs that you have open (if you have open ones).

**Sidenote: I started with the silver H15, had an issue, and woe is me, APC only had Black to replace it directly which they drop shipped to me (in turn I just needed to pack up my week old unit and ship it back in the box with shipping label they supplied)

GREAT CUST SERVICE.... Cant say enough good about APC at this point...hey and the H15BLK looks good for the $99 I originally paid :)

RVelle

Thomas I would (and did) plug game units into the Digital filtered plugs that you have open (if you have open ones).

**Sidenote: I started with the silver H15, had an issue, and woe is me, APC only had Black to replace it directly which they drop shipped to me (in turn I just needed to pack up my week old unit and ship it back in the box with shipping label they supplied)

GREAT CUST SERVICE.... Cant say enough good about APC at this point...hey and the H15BLK looks good for the $99 I originally paid :)

RVelle

Sounds like APC took good care of you. Where did you buy the unit from originally?

I got this off ebay, brand new, never opened. I should have read the details, not just assumed all APCs were UPS units. I was looking for a UPS. I have a Monster Cable PowerCenter MP HTS 1000 that I use for my Samsung 52" LCD, panasonic home theater, motorola cable/dvr, and quad core PC.

Can any of you explain if this H15 is superior to the Monster I am using? If I return it to the people I bought it from, it will cost me $50. For that cost, I'm thinking to just keep the unit. If it is much better than the Monster, I'll switch it out. But, I'm still left needing some kind of UPS (or so I think).

I wanted the UPS because during the summer the power is bad to blink on and off. I'm not interested in watching TV when the power goes off, just keeping the TV from having an unexpected shut down.

I got this off ebay, brand new, never opened. I should have read the details, not just assumed all APCs were UPS units. I was looking for a UPS. I have a Monster Cable PowerCenter MP HTS 1000 that I use for my Samsung 52" LCD, panasonic home theater, motorola cable/dvr, and quad core PC.

Can any of you explain if this H15 is superior to the Monster I am using? If I return it to the people I bought it from, it will cost me $50. For that cost, I'm thinking to just keep the unit. If it is much better than the Monster, I'll switch it out. But, I'm still left needing some kind of UPS (or so I think).

I wanted the UPS because during the summer the power is bad to blink on and off. I'm not interested in watching TV when the power goes off, just keeping the TV from having an unexpected shut down.
This unit is not a UPS but does have AVR (Active Voltage Regulation). It works very well. If the power pops on and off quickly it will not skip a beat. If they are farther apart it will gracefully shut down and start back up your components. That is really all I need for my Home Theater. I have never had a Monster so I can't comment on that. I do really like APC. I also have a APC battery backup on my computer.

Th H15 does much more than the MP HTS 1000 which is pretty much just a power strip. Aside from whatever claims either company makes about filtering, I believe the H15 would handle surges and failures much better (without getting into specifics). Most importantly the H15 trims your voltage if the incoming power is too high or low. Sell the Monster on craigs list and keep the APC which would be comparable to the $500 panamax and prob rivals the comparable monster stuff.

I got this off ebay, brand new, never opened. I should have read the details, not just assumed all APCs were UPS units. I was looking for a UPS. I have a Monster Cable PowerCenter MP HTS 1000 that I use for my Samsung 52" LCD, panasonic home theater, motorola cable/dvr, and quad core PC.

Can any of you explain if this H15 is superior to the Monster I am using? If I return it to the people I bought it from, it will cost me $50. For that cost, I'm thinking to just keep the unit. If it is much better than the Monster, I'll switch it out. But, I'm still left needing some kind of UPS (or so I think).

I wanted the UPS because during the summer the power is bad to blink on and off. I'm not interested in watching TV when the power goes off, just keeping the TV from having an unexpected shut down.I got the J15 which does have UPS built in. I got a refurb from PC Connection. I got it mainly for power back up for my Tivo & Comcast dvr. Note a tv really draws power. My tv is on it also, but the display says that it will run for about 18 minutes if I have the tv on (I also got a couple power glitches in a storm last nite). So the tivo was saved from a 5 minute reboot. I turn the tv off right away so it doesn't drain the battery. I'm not sure about connecting a UPS to the H15. APC did not recommend using their regular UPS for electronics.

I just Got my H15 today ... I am pondering if i should use the Coax splitter or if it will degrade the PQ .. What do you think ?

I also picked up the Jensen ISI-MAX VRD-1FF .. While i was at it .. Do anyone have any experience with it ? Its it worth the $50 or is it just snake oil ?

Thanks !

Jensen Transformers are not "snake oil" but they are worth the price.
They do exactly what they are designed to do! Now that may or may not solve your problem.

Hi All,
I just ordered an H15 as well and was wondering which plugs you guys are using for your LCD/Plasma TV's. I read something briefly in one of the H10 threads about not using the outlet labeled TV since it may be meant for traditional tube TV's (no definitive answer)? Does this matter at all since I've got a high wattage plasma (600W max)?

Thanks.

I've narrowed it down to getting the H15 or the Belkin PF60 but I think I'm leaning toward the former do you think it's more of a tossup between the two though?

DarthNoom mentioned that if the power blinks off/on that the H15 keeps going and doesn't miss a beat is this pretty much normal behavior, I guess I'm wondering if it ever shuts itself down when the power blinks off/on?

Realizing that the H15 doesn't include UPS but taking into consideration the behavior of the H15 DarthNoom related to during a brownout, if you have a dvr plugged into it and the power blinks off/on will the dvr keep going or will it most likely reboot?

Just Curious about the H15... I just recently picked up a Yamaha RX-V3900 receiever, and decided to get a power conditioner to go along with it... Originally got sucked into buying the Monster HTS3600... Even though I really wanted the APC. After getting home (3 hours away) The monster made this horrible 60hz buzzing sound, whether nothing was plugged in, or everything was plugged in. The buzzing could be heard from 6 feet away.

I called the store up, and asked if I could bring it back and swap it for the APC, No problem. Swapped it out, and am really pleased to hear the APC makes no noise, and so far has done what its supposed to.

My one question was... I read that in the narrow range, it will function with voltage between 102-132 volts and correct to within 5% of 120 volts. The normal range works from 97-139 volts and will correct to within 10% of 120 volts. The wide range works from 92-145 volts and corrects within 15% of 120 volts.

So what happens if I have it in the Narrow range, and the voltage goes up past 132 volts, or below 102? Does the unit shut everything down, or does it keep functioning? During electrical storms and such, our voltages and lights will flicker quite a bit, so I'm guessing the 'wide' range would be better there... But Narrow adjusts the voltage more accurately within 5% of 120 volts, instead of 15% of 120 volts.

Otherwise my voltages usually just vary between 115 and 126 volts. Suggestions? :) Or should I e-mail APC and see what they say?

Thanks!

Just Curious about the H15... I just recently picked up a Yamaha RX-V3900 receiever, and decided to get a power conditioner to go along with it... Originally got sucked into buying the Monster HTS3600... Even though I really wanted the APC. After getting home (3 hours away) The monster made this horrible 60hz buzzing sound, whether nothing was plugged in, or everything was plugged in. The buzzing could be heard from 6 feet away.

I called the store up, and asked if I could bring it back and swap it for the APC, No problem. Swapped it out, and am really pleased to hear the APC makes no noise, and so far has done what its supposed to.

My one question was... I read that in the narrow range, it will function with voltage between 102-132 volts and correct to within 5% of 120 volts. The normal range works from 97-139 volts and will correct to within 10% of 120 volts. The wide range works from 92-145 volts and corrects within 15% of 120 volts.

So what happens if I have it in the Narrow range, and the voltage goes up past 132 volts, or below 102? Does the unit shut everything down, or does it keep functioning? During electrical storms and such, our voltages and lights will flicker quite a bit, so I'm guessing the 'wide' range would be better there... But Narrow adjusts the voltage more accurately within 5% of 120 volts, instead of 15% of 120 volts.

Otherwise my voltages usually just vary between 115 and 126 volts. Suggestions? :) Or should I e-mail APC and see what they say?

Thanks!

I just called them last week regarding this very same thing. I had a storm roll through and my lights flickered a couple of times but never lost power but my APC H10 shut completely off the two times this happened. I called them and they said whenever the power goes out of the range you have set the unit will shut down and turn back on when it's back in the range you set.

Just Curious about the H15... I just recently picked up a Yamaha RX-V3900 receiever, and decided to get a power conditioner to go along with it... Originally got sucked into buying the Monster HTS3600... Even though I really wanted the APC. After getting home (3 hours away) The monster made this horrible 60hz buzzing sound, whether nothing was plugged in, or everything was plugged in. The buzzing could be heard from 6 feet away.

I called the store up, and asked if I could bring it back and swap it for the APC, No problem. Swapped it out, and am really pleased to hear the APC makes no noise, and so far has done what its supposed to.

My one question was... I read that in the narrow range, it will function with voltage between 102-132 volts and correct to within 5% of 120 volts. The normal range works from 97-139 volts and will correct to within 10% of 120 volts. The wide range works from 92-145 volts and corrects within 15% of 120 volts.

So what happens if I have it in the Narrow range, and the voltage goes up past 132 volts, or below 102? Does the unit shut everything down, or does it keep functioning? During electrical storms and such, our voltages and lights will flicker quite a bit, so I'm guessing the 'wide' range would be better there... But Narrow adjusts the voltage more accurately within 5% of 120 volts, instead of 15% of 120 volts.

Otherwise my voltages usually just vary between 115 and 126 volts. Suggestions? :) Or should I e-mail APC and see what they say?

Thanks!

I have and highly recommend the H15...To answer your question the H15 has automatic voltage regulation...In other words if power drops below a set value the H15 will raise the voltage back (instantly I might add) to within the predetermined operating values...The same is true for over voltage in that the H15 will lower the voltage (again, instantly) to the predetermined voltage parameters...

If the power goes out the H15 also goes out since it is not a UPS...This is the only time I am aware that the H15 shuts down...The big selling point for me was the fact that unlike the monster the H15 does not shut down but instead instantly corrects any fault...

We had some serious storms here a few weeks ago where we had LOTS of lightening and power surges...I lost track after the first 15 surges...My electronics connected had no problems...The H15 regulated everything and protected everything like it was supposed to and I am a firm believer now in this equipment...2 years ago using a cheap surge protector I lost a valuable amplifier AND subwoofer from ONE lightening strike and the resulting surge...

The best (and recommended method IIRC) setting is to keep the unit set to 'Narrow'... These are great units and one of the only UL tested and passed power conditioners on the market...
I called them and they said whenever the power goes out of the range you have set the unit will shut down and turn back on when it's back in the range you set.Either you misunderstood or the person you talked to didn't know what they were talking about...If the power goes out of range (and yes this includes your H10) the unit will raise/lower the power to the predetermined value automatically...If power were to go out completely then of course the unit will shut down and not turn back on until there is power...But as you can see these are two different situations...

I have and highly recommend the H15...To answer your question the H15 has automatic voltage regulation...In other words if power drops below a set value the H15 will raise the voltage back (instantly I might add) to within the predetermined operating values...The same is true for over voltage in that the H15 will lower the voltage (again, instantly) to the predetermined voltage parameters...

If the power goes out the H15 also goes out since it is not a UPS...This is the only time I am aware that the H15 shuts down...The big selling point for me was the fact that unlike the monster the H15 does not shut down but instead instantly corrects any fault...

We had some serious storms here a few weeks ago where we had LOTS of lightening and power surges...I lost track after the first 15 surges...My electronics connected had no problems...The H15 regulated everything and protected everything like it was supposed to and I am a firm believer now in this equipment...2 years ago using a cheap surge protector I lost a valuable amplifier AND subwoofer from ONE lightening strike and the resulting surge...

The best (and recommended method IIRC) setting is to keep the unit set to 'Narrow'... These are great units and one of the only UL tested and passed power conditioners on the market...

The unit will shut down if it goes out of the range you have set according to APC and turn back on automatically when it's back in range.

The unit will shut down if it goes out of the range you have set according to APC and turn back on automatically when it's back in range.

Thanks for the extremely quick replies Eric and Splicer!

I know that its not a UPS. ;) If it were, it would weigh a fair bit more for what its power ratings are.

Narrow seems to be better for regular power, and Wide for when there's a storm brewing... Too bad there wasn't a variable option, that depending on the incoming voltage, it would automatically select the best option... ;) The further the voltages go, the less accurate the voltage corrections are... Instead of the 5%, 10% and 15% options.

I'm still torn on what to keep mine at. Especially because of the voltage range of Narrow. We don't get storms too often, but when we do, they are usually pretty bad.

So running at Narrow, if the voltage spiked up to 140 volts, it would power down. Yet running on Wide (which can buck the voltage down with a maximum input of 145) would keep on trucking.
Same goes for Boosting, if the voltage dropped to 95 volts, The Narrow setting only allows down to 102 volts so at 95 volts it would power everything off, yet wide allows down to 92 volts...

Erics response seems to make more sense... If the Incoming voltage is out of the selected settings range, it'll shut down.

If the unit bucks and boosts the voltage regardless of what its at, it probably wouldn't have the Wide/Normal/Narrow options. That's mainly what I was curious about. :)

Thanks for the extremely quick replies Eric and Splicer!

I know that its not a UPS. ;) If it were, it would weigh a fair bit more for what its power ratings are.

Narrow seems to be better for regular power, and Wide for when there's a storm brewing... Too bad there wasn't a variable option, that depending on the incoming voltage, it would automatically select the best option... ;) The further the voltages go, the less accurate the voltage corrections are... Instead of the 5%, 10% and 15% options.

I'm still torn on what to keep mine at. Especially because of the voltage range of Narrow. We don't get storms too often, but when we do, they are usually pretty bad.

So running at Narrow, if the voltage spiked up to 140 volts, it would power down. Yet running on Wide (which can buck the voltage down with a maximum input of 145) would keep on trucking.
Same goes for Boosting, if the voltage dropped to 95 volts, The Narrow setting only allows down to 102 volts so at 95 volts it would power everything off, yet wide allows down to 92 volts...

Erics response seems to make more sense... If the Incoming voltage is out of the selected settings range, it'll shut down.

If the unit bucks and boosts the voltage regardless of what its at, it probably wouldn't have the Wide/Normal/Narrow options. That's mainly what I was curious about. :)

Thats correct, it will boost or trim within the operating range set. I believe the purpose of the narrow/normal/wide range is more of a user preference, comfort zone so to speak. I leave mine on normal. I'm not sure if it uses 120v as a reference point for the trim or boost. There must be a +/- factor in there. You could always e-mail tech support for a more in depth answer.

You can also get many answers from the APC forum

http://www.apc-forums.com/index.jspa

The unit will shut down if it goes out of the range you have set according to APC and turn back on automatically when it's back in range.

That is incorrect...The unit only shuts down when there is no power...This is the reason for the Automatic Voltage Regulation that kicks in only if the voltage is above or below the specified level...I have this unit and this is how it works...;)

I have and highly recommend the H15...To answer your question the H15 has automatic voltage regulation...In other words if power drops below a set value the H15 will raise the voltage back (instantly I might add) to within the predetermined operating values...The same is true for over voltage in that the H15 will lower the voltage (again, instantly) to the predetermined voltage parameters...

If the power goes out the H15 also goes out since it is not a UPS...This is the only time I am aware that the H15 shuts down...The big selling point for me was the fact that unlike the monster the H15 does not shut down but instead instantly corrects any fault...

We had some serious storms here a few weeks ago where we had LOTS of lightening and power surges...I lost track after the first 15 surges...My electronics connected had no problems...The H15 regulated everything and protected everything like it was supposed to and I am a firm believer now in this equipment...2 years ago using a cheap surge protector I lost a valuable amplifier AND subwoofer from ONE lightening strike and the resulting surge...

The best (and recommended method IIRC) setting is to keep the unit set to 'Narrow'... These are great units and one of the only UL tested and passed power conditioners on the market...
Either you misunderstood or the person you talked to didn't know what they were talking about...If the power goes out of range (and yes this includes your H10) the unit will raise/lower the power to the predetermined value automatically...If power were to go out completely then of course the unit will shut down and not turn back on until there is power...But as you can see these are two different situations...


That is incorrect. The H10/15 will only boost within the set perimeters narrow, normal and wide. If the unit drops below or rises above the perimeter you set the unit to it will shut down. I did notice on my occurrence that the boost light illuminated for a second then the unit shut down. That is because since I have mine set on "normal" the unit went below 97v of incoming power and will stop boosting after that and just the same if i had a surge above 139v the unit will no longer trim and shut down.

That is incorrect...The unit only shuts down when there is no power...This is the reason for the Automatic Voltage Regulation that kicks in only if the voltage is above or below the specified level...I have this unit and this is how it works...;)

You are wrong. This is straight out of the user manual.
Input Voltage Range for Operation
(on utility)
92V - 145V If you have power and it's above or below this range the unit WILL SHUT DOWN.

The user manual is very vague regarding what the unit does outside of you're set perimeters narrow, normal and wide. Call APC and they will explain this to you if you don't believe me.

Erics response seems to make more sense... If the Incoming voltage is out of the selected settings range, it'll shut down.

If the unit bucks and boosts the voltage regardless of what its at, it probably wouldn't have the Wide/Normal/Narrow options. That's mainly what I was curious about. :)

The Unit will trim and/or boost the voltage based on what you have it set to be it Wide Normal or Narrow ranges...All those do is kicks in either the trim or the boost based on the voltage range selected...At least this is my experience with mine...I live in a newer neighborhood and have tried the unit set on Wide for instance...At this setting the power has to drop much lower than when on Narrow before the boost is activated...I don't want my equipment to see that kind of swing so I keep it on Narrow even when it storms and my voltage varies only a few volts either way of 120...And isn't that really the purpose of having AVR in a conditioner???;)

You are wrong. This is straight out of the user manual.
Input Voltage Range for Operation
(on utility)
92V - 145V If you have power and it's above or below this range the unit WILL SHUT DOWN.

The user manual is very vague regarding what the unit does outside of you're set perimeters narrow, normal and wide. Call APC and they will explain this to you if you don't believe me.

Obviously you and I are discussing two different things...Basic common sense will tell you that anything electrical has a minimal operating voltage...If you only have 92v coming in it is most likely your TV or stereo won't operate either...I just got off the phone to APC and they have confirmed exactly what I have stated here...

The Unit will trim and/or boost the voltage based on what you have it set to be it Wide Normal or Narrow ranges...All those do is kicks in either the trim or the boost based on the voltage range selected...At least this is my experience with mine...I live in a newer neighborhood and have tried the unit set on Wide for instance...At this setting the power has to drop much lower than when on Narrow before the boost is activated...I don't want my equipment to see that kind of swing so I keep it on Narrow even when it storms and my voltage varies only a few volts either way of 120...And isn't that really the purpose of having AVR in a conditioner???;)

This is what I was trying to say. You are correct in the quote above. But in you're other post you said it only shuts down if no power is present. That is incorrect. In fact I had the perfect example last week when mine shut down but I never lost power. The slight flicker I had was enough of a power loss to go below my "normal" setting and shut the unit down.

• Narrow AVR Range: 102-132 Volts, AVR works within the 102/132 range and the unit will shut off if it goes below 102 or above 132
Regulates to: 120 Volts + 5%

• Normal AVR Range: 97-139 Volts, AVR works within the 97/139 range and the unit will shut off if it goes below 97 or above 139
Regulates to: 120 Volts + 10%

• Wide AVR Range: 92-145 Volts, AVR works within the 92/145 range and the unit will shut off if it goes below 92 or above 145
Regulates to: 120 Volts + 15%

This is what APC tech told me. I guess what I'm trying to say is if they designed the AVR to kick in at the low and high points of the ranges then what is the purpose of the three ranges?

I'm sure we were just misunderstanding each other...Its all good in the end...

A power flicker IS a loss of power...Albeit a momentary loss but I digress...That is why it flickers...In this case your unit shut down from the loss of power, as I am sure everything else did, momentarily, and then fired right back up...Then you had to go and reset all your clocks again...;)

I'm sure we were just misunderstanding each other...Its all good in the end...

A power flicker IS a loss of power...Albeit a momentary loss but I digress...That is why it flickers...In this case your unit shut down from the loss of power, as I am sure everything else did, momentarily, and then fired right back up...Then you had to go and reset all your clocks again...;)

Thats the thing nothing shut off not even one clock in the house but it was a quick flicker enough to shut the H10 off but not the lights or clocks.

So I got my H15 the other day. I did the install last night and was unable to get my Time Warner HD cable box (Explorer 8300) to operate via the coax in/outs on the H15. All I was getting was basic cable channels, and poor quality at that...

Question; Is this because I was using the designated 'CATV/Modem' in-out and not the 'SAT/antenna' in-outs? IIRC, the "splitter" on the H15 is not two-way... how about the 'Sat/antenna' in-out?

Has anyone else had similar experiences specif to the Explorer 8300, or similar HD boxes? Were you able to get it to work or did you bypass the coax in-outs all together?

thanks,

First off the Cable/Modem jacks ARE 2 way...at least according to the info in the tech specs section of the manual...and to the best of my knowledge...The splitter function has a rather high signal insertion loss at 6-8dB loss PER LEG...You aparently had low input signals to begin with which is why you only get snowy basic channels now OR you cnnected something wrong either on the H15 or the 8300...

Another indication that the H15 is indeed 'two-way' is the fact that the splitter is designed to run 1 leg for video and the other leg for data...This corresponds with the published tech spec of passing 5MHz-1000MHz (1Gig)...Since modems operate on the reverse path of the frequency spectrum (below 50MHz) there is no other explanation for the panel jack labeling or the published specs...

Myself I use the cable modem jacks as follows...Only the part about the pre-amp will likely be of any use to you...

I have my OTA rooftop antenna connected to a +15dB pre-amp...This is what you may need depending on your wiring andsignal...The 6-8dB loss thru the H15 is made back up by pre-amp and leaves you with a 7dB (approx) output which is a very healthy and respectable power level for solid reception...

The output of the pre-amp goes to the input of the H15...Then one leg goes to my FM tuner and the other leg goes to my HD OTA STB...I also use the SAT/ANT labeled input for my cable...Cable in to H15 in and out directly to TV (no cable box is used)...No pre-amp is used for the SAT/ANT input...

You can get the exact same pre-amp I have for a reasonable price here (looks like the price went up a couple of dollars):
http://www.buy.com/retail/usersearchresults.asp?querytype=home&qu=motorola+signal+booster&qxt=home&display=col

There was a time when the quality of the RF 75ohm jacks were of questionable quality but that has pretty much been rectified today when using quality equipment like APC H15...However some one earlier in the thread, 55s or something like that just by passed his because he had issues...I would love to be of more help but I don't have any problems using mine the way it is designed for the way I want to use it and seriously doubt I will have any issues should I need to run my modem thru the H15...

Hope this helps someone...:)

Splicer010, many thanks man. Great info.


You can get the exact same pre-amp I have for a reasonable price here (looks like the price went up a couple of dollars):
http://www.buy.com/retail/usersearch...me&display=col

I happen to have that same unit, It didnt do much for my cable signal in the past that I could tell anyway... Ill break it out and give it a try again with the H15 and see what happens. thnx again!

Splicer010, many thanks man. Great info.
I happen to have that same unit, It didnt do much for my cable signal in the past that I could tell anyway... Ill break it out and give it a try again with the H15 and see what happens. thnx again!

The pre amp won't help if you have poor signal to begin with...You kow what they say...Crap in crap out...But then again if you had adequate signal to begin with then the pre amp wouldn't make any noticeable change...Absolutely try it out as I instructed above...

Newegg.com has the APC H15 (silver, of course) on sale right now for $99 with Free Shipping. Hope this is the right forum to post this in.

Just ordered an APC H15 from Tiger Direct's EBay Store for $99. I also got 10% Bing Cash Back, 2% EBay Bucks, and Free Shipping. Total will end up about $89.10 and $2 EBay Bucks to spend on a future EBay purchase. Seems like they have plenty of stock. I think it said close to 180 units available with limit 2 per buyer, but not exactly sure.

I was bummed about missing the New Egg deal, but glad my diligent searching paid off as the New Egg Deal would've only been about $93 after Cash Back.

Fantastic deal on one of the finest power conditioners available...Congrats man...:)

My electric bill has seen a significant rise in the passed two months. I was curious if the APC H15 consumes a lot of power itself even if the devices that are plugged into it are off. Should I actually be hitting the main power switch when not in use? It could also be the fact that I have been using my home theater a lot more, but I dunno. My viewing habits haven't changed too much.

I leave mine on 24/7...Don't forget that even though yo turn things off like your AVR or TV or HD DVD or Blu-ray player that they are in standby mode so they are still drawing power...The unit itself consumes VERY little power though...

That's what I was hoping. The rise must be due to my increased viewing. I'm doing much than I thought I was, apparently.


I leave mine on 24/7...Don't forget that even though yo turn things off like your AVR or TV or HD DVD or Blu-ray player that they are in standby mode so they are still drawing power...The unit itself consumes VERY little power though...

okay now tiger direct had it for $99 - off to home depot 2 get paint supplies

I missed the tigerdirect deal at ebay.... I have been watching it for so many days. One day, I am out and this deal comes.

Looks like they had 225 and sold out in couple of hrs.

Okay people, overstock has it for $69 + $3 shipping. Get it fast before its gone.

Okay people, overstock has it for $69 + $3 shipping. Get it fast before its gone.

:eek:HOLY COW!!!:eek: that is a fantastic deal!!! Sure hope they honor it...If I was looking I would buy 2 or 3...

MISSED IT! Already sold out. DANGIT! If anyone know of another great deal on this let me know as I need one asap.

somehow managed to get one from tiger direct for 149 +17 shipping. within an hour it is at 199.99 on tigerdirect now.

Still worth it though and I think is a nice deal...Not as nice as $69 but still...

Well, I placed an order and then posted here and slickdeals. Turns out, people who placed orders after me were shipped and I got the cancellation email. Offcourse many others got the cancellation too, but some were able to go through.

Now, I am back to looking for H15 deal. But I wont pay more than 100 shipped. Boy, I feel lucky... :)

Overstock ran out by the time my wife approved the purchase, hehe. Was that an H15 or H10? Instead I purchased an H10 from TigerDirect's eBay store for $79.99 including free shipping.

In case it helps anyone, according to the H10 I'm using 20% of the H10's capacity when I have all of these turned on and the manufacturer's max wattage rating (total of 910+ Watts).

Samsung LN52A650 (290 Watts)
Sony BDV-E500W Home Theater In A Box (120 Watts)
Comcast Motorola DVR (500 Watts)
Nintendo Wii (? Watts)

The Overstock was a H15...You got a nice price on the H10...Still a sweet power conditioner by anyones standards...I have had my H15 as high as 70% of my H15's capacity when having my audio cranked up along with the HD CRT RPTV and HD DVD player going...This also included my powered sub...Don't forget that the stated wattage use on a device is the MAXIMUM wattage when the device is going full blown or in other words reaches their full capable function...

The Overstock was a H15...You got a nice price on the H10...Still a sweet power conditioner by anyones standards...I have had my H15 as high as 70% of my H15's capacity when having my audio cranked up along with the HD CRT RPTV and HD DVD player going...This also included my powered sub...Don't forget that the stated wattage use on a device is the MAXIMUM wattage when the device is going full blown or in other words reaches their full capable function...

overstock didn't actually ever have the apc h15 -

it was a motorola h15 blutooth headset guys :D

overstock didn't actually ever have the apc h15 -

it was a motorola h15 blutooth headset guys :D

ARE YOU SERIOUS!??!?!?!??!?!? OMG lol. I'm glad I didn't get it and ended up paying 150 then :)

Hi Everyone!

I've had my APC H15 for months now and I've been extremely please with it. Unfortunately, I've come across a weird problem and I'm not entirely sure my H15 is functioning as it should anymore.

A few days ago, the power tripped on the circuit containing my H15 and HT equipment. I'm not sure why the power tripped, as there were no storms, etc. I noticed the breaker had tripped on that circuit, so I reset it.

Ever since this power loss, the H15 is not "lighting up" the "Line OK" indicator on the display. Instead, the "Power Trim" indicator is on and the unit is showing 126 In and 117 Out.

Is something wrong with my H15? Could there be a problem with the wiring in my apartment (brand new complex)?

Here's my equipment list for what's connected to the H15.

Pioneer Kuro KRP 500M
Denon AVR-888
Playstation 3
DirecTV HR23
Klipsch RF-35's (2)
Klipsch RC-35

Absolutely the H15 sounds as if it is doing its job, and very well at that...You need to get your building maintenance guy/gal in there and it sounds like the breaker needs to be replaced...As rare as it is, breakers do go bad especially when new...There may also be an additional issue somewhere in the circuit breaker box so make sure it is a professional that checks it out...

This is another advantage of having the H15 in a setup...Even if there is something wrong that you yourself wuld never notice the H15 tells you the condition...Thats one of the reasons you bought it...So trust it and have it checked out ASAP...Also please let us know what the issue turns out to be...

You might also want to head over to the APC forums and ask one of the techs about it. Either way let us know the outcome.

http://www.apc-forums.com/index.jspa

Weird.

So there was no change to my situation, but I decided to change the AVR settings to see what happens. I had it set to narrow, but when I changed to "Normal", the "Line Trim" indicator turned off. I changed to "Wide" and still no more "Line Trim." Finally, I changed back to "Narrow" and still no "Line Trim."

What gives?

Also, now the "Filtering" indicator is on. Isn't filtering associated with a cable or satellite connection?

Is the Line Trouble light still lit???

Is the Line Trouble light still lit???

No. The "Line OK" indicator has been on since I messed with the AVR setting. The "Filtering" indicator is still on which is weird because I don't have any cable or satellite lines feeding into the H15.

The voltage is now showing a constant 124 In and 124 Out with my AVR setting on narrow. I'm starting to think I have a broken unit.

What's a stable, safe voltage supposed to be? I've always seen about 117.

The filtering should be on regardless if you are using the 75ohm jacks or not...The outlets themselves are also filtered which is one of the reasons this is called a power conditioner...;)

You really should leave it on Normal...Having the line trim or the lineboost light on just means the unit is self regulating to the operating parameters to which it was set to operate at...The H15 is doing everything exactly as it is supposed to as is being reported by you...124volts is perfectly normal and common don't sweat it...The power company will fluctuate thus the reason to own a H15 in the first place...

I would still have that breaker checked out/replaced as you said there was no reason for it to trip...

I'm also suspicious of the circuit feeding your APC

Thanks for the reply everyone. I'll have my circuit breaker checked out asap. I've been kind of suspicious about it too. When I first moved in, it tripped when I used my vacuum cleaner once for no apparent reason at all.

I just find it weird that I changed the AVR setting for a few seconds and then my H15 wasn't trimming voltage on any setting when it was constant for several hours prior to messing with said setting. We'll see how it acts in the coming days I guess.

I'm considering buying another one for different room! :) I also need to connect my SVS PC12-Plus to it. I've had it in the box pretty much since I purchased it.

Sounds like APC took good care of you. Where did you buy the unit from originally?

Sorry havent been back on in a bit, but the APC H15 was purchased from Audioholics online....

RVelle

I usually keep the display on my APC H15 on off. Recently I noticed the the display and the LED's were on. I checked my TV and the time of day info had been reset. What could cause my unit's display to turn on and the time of day on my Sony 52V5100 to reset? Usually if the power goes out the clocks in my home flash 12:00. Also I was home all day and didn't notice anything.

I wanted to post to see if anyone else had their H15 splitter setup the same way as myself....

Using Charter cable, 8300HD box, and before I purchased my HDTV, Charter had come in and installed a repeater to boost a low signal output to my old TV.

Well of course I didnt want to loose the "boosted" line signal (had seen in earlier posts of people having issues with thier HD channels not coming in), and set it up to have the cable out of the wall going into the repeater, the repeater coax to the "Cable In" on the H15 (along with the power connection, for the repeater, sitting on H15s CD port), with the signal split off the H15 going to the 8300hd box and the other split going directly to the LCD.

This setup works perfectly, and no loss of any HD channels anywhere. The biggest issue was that the power portion of the repeater was over coax to a big power plug, but its all working as it should.

Yes I am. Instead of cable I am using an antenna into the house amp to the H15 with one side going to my HD set top box and the other side to my FM tuner of my AVR. The remaining jack on the H15 I have the cable from the wall to the H15 out to my TV. Works just as it should.

This discussion here has made me think whether I should have my satellite coax run through the H15? I thought I was advised to bypass the H!% for direct TV. Anyone running satellite coax through the H15?

This discussion here has made me think whether I should have my satellite coax run through the H15? I thought I was advised to bypass the H!% for direct TV. Anyone running satellite coax through the H15?Yes, I have Dish Network and am running my satellite feed through the H15 w/ no problems.

Thanks - do you think there is an benefit?

Thanks - do you think there is any benefit?

Electrical surge protection for your TV if your dish ever got hit by lightning.

Lightning is a rare occurrence in Alaska but isn't that type of surge protection made by plugging the power cord of the satellite box to the apc? So I could I get a surge through the dish coax to the tv?

Absolutely.

Hi All,

I'm completely new to the Home Theatre World and had a very simple question.

I have a Denon AVR790 receiver and was wondering which socket on the
APC H15 to plug it into? In the manual it states to plug the Receiver into the Preamp/RCVR socket under the Analog Filter but isn't my Denon AVR790 a digital receiver (meaning it is NOT considered an analog based equipment), therefore should be plugged into one of the Digital Filters?

I also have a 111fd (Pioneer Kuro Elite 50' monitor) and am not sure if I should plug into the digital or video filter socket?

Thank you!

I honestly don't recall how I have my equipment plugged in. I would plug the Pioneer into a digital outlet.

My AVR789 I am pretty sure (99%) I have connected via the RCVR outlet since it is an analog amplifier.

I honestly don't recall how I have my equipment plugged in. I would plug the Pioneer into a digital outlet.

My AVR789 I am pretty sure (99%) I have connected via the RCVR outlet since it is an analog amplifier.

Thanks for the reply. Yet another silly question...what does it mean when in the manual it states:

"Ground all AV components to the TVSS Ground System terminal located on the rear panel of the unit"

I see a "system ground" knob at the rear panel but not sure what it does or what it means to ground all av components to this ground system?

Again, sorry for such newbie question.

They (APC) want you to ground everything to the H15. This is for maximum surge protection. The H15 itself is already grounded thru the electric ground. This way everything is grounded.

That being said I do not have my TV bonded with the H15 because my TV does not provide a ground lug to be able to do so ad I am not going to open the set up to get to an attaching point on the chasis. The AVR is no problem and the same goes for the HD DVD player as you only need to ground to the cover screw(s) since the screw is directly attaced to the chasis.

Lightning is a rare occurrence in Alaska but isn't that type of surge protection made by plugging the power cord of the satellite box to the apc? So I could I get a surge through the dish coax to the tv?

Lightning may be rare, but static discharge is not. It's easy for that dish to accumulate a charge (if not properly grounded of course) and send it down the coax... Same goes for the reverse. You could shock the STB and the surge suppressor should eat it, not your STB. :)

They (APC) want you to ground everything to the H15. This is for maximum surge protection. The H15 itself is already grounded thru the electric ground. This way everything is grounded.

That being said I do not have my TV bonded with the H15 because my TV does not provide a ground lug to be able to do so ad I am not going to open the set up to get to an attaching point on the chasis. The AVR is no problem and the same goes for the HD DVD player as you only need to ground to the cover screw(s) since the screw is directly attaced to the chasis.

Thank you for your response, however, when you say grounded...what exactly are you connecting from your AV components to the system ground knob on the back of the rear panel of the AV15? Is it a wire of some sort?

Yep, just a little chunk of semi thin speaker wire works well for this. (i use 16ga)

Just wrap it around a chassis screw. Of course if the chassis is plastic, this won't do much good. :)