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RACESBUL.326         RELEASE DATE: May 16, 1994

Subject: TEC - Protecting Digital Terminals

     Ever wonder why the computer fails when it shouldn't, or
sensitive equipment bites the dust?
     A National Power Laboratory (NPL) power quality study
provides a clue. It showed an actual incident rate for
disturbances large enough to corrupt data or destroy equipment.
The study accumulated 450 site-months of power line disturbance
data from 74 monitored locations in the US and Canada. 
     During the study NPL recorded the following disturbances
that exceed computer susceptibility levels at a typical wall
outlet: 264 sags, 128 surges, 36 spikes and 15 outages. For
computers and other sensitive loads these figures indicate the
importance of power conditioning, lightening protection and
alternative backup power.

     The above was by Charles Ruelle, NPL Director, in the Best
Power Technology Inc. newsletter "Horizons" January l992 issue.
It points to why knowledgeable computer users opt for standby or
backup power systems. The result is that consistent random
computer problems are eliminated with an uninterruptable power
system, UPS or SPS, standby power system. We've proven this time
and again at State OES headquarters, where we've been able to peg
specific computer failures to observed commercial power grid
surges, lightning strikes and interruptions.
EOM