Smart Strip SCG3 Energy Saving Power Strip with Autoswitching Technology
by Smart Strip
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Smart Strip SCG3 Energy Saving Power Strip with Autoswitching Technology
Customer Review: good but frustrating flaw
Summary: 4 Stars
I just got it and set it up so probably too early to review but I have already encountered a frustrating issue. The Always on outlets do not have space for an adapter. I guess I should have noticed this when I selected this one but I did not and my modem/router which needs to be always on has a huge adapter that not only blocks the 2nd always on outlet but also one of the switched outlets! This leaves me with only 3 switched outlets and one always on outlet 8-(. I am going to get one of those little extender things but think this is not an uncommon scenario and wish they had planned it a bit better. The bigger one has space for it in the always on outlet but it would have been overkill or my needs.
Aside from that it was easy to set up, I turned it all the way down and turned on my computer then turned the dial until the other stuff came on and turned my computer off and the other stuff went off like it should. It has a flat plug for the wall and slots on the back i guess for mounting to the wall which i have not tried yet.
Overall I can't rate it low for something I should have noticed but it is annoying and thought I would mention this aspect of it... plan accordingly!
Customer Review: Big disappointment
Summary: 1 Stars
I have a flat-screen TV with four ancillary devices: a cable box, Blu-Ray DVD player, A/V unit and subwoofer. Plugged the TV in as the control unit, to turn off everything else when it is turned off, plugged the other units into the controlled sockets.
First thing I learned is that you shouldn't turn off the cable box, because it takes 10 minutes to reboot after being deactivated. So I plugged the cable box into an always-on socket and let the TV control the DVD player, A/V unit and subwoofer. It turns off the DVD player but not the A/V unit (and thus not the subwoofer, which is controlled by the A/V unit). Adjusted the sensitivity control to its limit and it still won't work. I suppose I could tweak things for half an hour, but this is supposed to be plug-and-play. Oh, and the TV unit actually _never_ turns completely off no matter what you do; there's always a blue ready-to-power-up light glowing.
It's going back to Amazon. I suppose if I used this thing for 30 years, I might break even on the tiny amount of power actually saved. Another example of eco-greenie marketing promoting something that in fact doesn't do much.
Stephan Wilkinson
Customer Review: Not for laptops or low power computers
Summary: 3 Stars
This seems like a terrific device to use when your controlling device draws a fairly steady amount of power, say, a desktop computer or a TV. However, it didn't work well for me and my low power computer. My computer is a Mac Mini G4, which is basically a laptop sans monitor, very low power usage. While using the computer, the power level drops so low that the device thinks it's off, and shuts down all the controlled outlets. I would expect that this would happen as well if you are using a laptop computer as the controlling device, as the laptop could start drawing power from the battery and nothing from the outlet.
The device does have a sensitivity switch, so you can set how sensitive it is to power drawn by the controlling device. This is a good thing, as many devices never really turn off completely, drawing a small amount of power to power a clock, for example. So, you do need a sensitivity switch so that you can set it to something higher than zero so that it will work properly with these devices. Unfortunately, even at the highest sensitivity setting, it is not sensitive enough for my computer.
Customer Review: Effective and easy to use
Summary: 5 Stars
We ordered this smart strip about ten months ago to use for our entertainment center--which is not that big, consisting of a flat-screen TV, DVD/VCR and occasionally used antennae. The strip has been great for cutting our electricity consumption. We have not run into any problems in using it. We use the TV in the control plug, such that when we switch it on / off, everything else follows. Definitely a great way to save energy. The only drawback, which is related to cutting power to the DVD and not a function of this strip, is that we have to remember where we are in a movie (either by minutes or scene) as the DVD player does not retain a memory of where to restart a DVD. Our DVD player is also a little older, so perhaps new DVD players can do this. At any rate, we haven't found this to be an issue, and if you typically watch your movies straight through (we have a baby in the house, so that's unusual for us) this won't be an issue. Definitely highly recommend this product.
Also note that the plug is built at an angle, so make sure that will work for you.
Customer Review: Easy to set up but may destroy your lcd monitor
Summary: 1 Stars
The Smart Strip SCG3/049418906 sets up very quickly and needs only minor adjustments to power down peripheral devices. I hooked my computer up to the control outlet and attached my lcd monitor and speakers to the "auto-off" outlets. I shut off my computer and the peripheral devices automatically shut off. I then powered up my computer. My speakers came back on but my lcd monitor did not. I tried everything to get the lcd monitor to turn back on. I unplugged it for a day, plugged it into a different power strip, everything else I could think of. My monitor is dead and there is nothing I can do about it. I'm sure this power strip would be great for powering down speaker, DVD players, surround sound systems, etc. However, I strongly recommend you avoid plugging your lcd monitor or tv into this device. I'm out xxx dollars for a quality lcd monitor and I advice potential customers to avoid risking lcd damage.