Review A Quick Comparison of Power Strips/Spike Guards/Extension Boards (Multipart Review/Guide)

Part1​

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​

The contenders:​

1. Fedus: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B09XBD522D
2. Anchor: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00H7BI1BK
3. Nippo: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0BW5VDLV9
4. Wipro: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0B7X2625M

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Fedus Extension Board​

Out of these four, this is the highest-priced, but this isn't reflected in its quality. It's in the labour needed to manufacture it, as you'll see. Plastic quality is not good by any quantifier, whether weight, texture, or finish. But it does have a fuse holder, and this one came with three extra fuses. Switches are illuminated.



Rear:





Internals:





Bad design:





Solder quality (acceptable):





Plug and wire:





Findings:

• Cable is rated as having 23 strands of 0.0052, which is probably less than 0.5 sq mm.
• Overall construction is not very good, nor clean. Human hair and shavings were found inside.
• Internal wiring is not confidence-inspiring.
• Screws are rusty.

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Anchor by Panasonic Extension Board​

The most feature-rich of these four is at an excellent price. Fuse holder is a somewhat premium top-mount screw-type. Plastics are excellent and have a nostalgic texture and finish. Switches are non-illuminated.



Rear:





Internals:





Solder quality (excellent):





Plug and wire:





Findings:

• Cable is properly labelled and rated at 0.5 sqmm x 3 at 1100V
• Overall construction is above average, and assembly is clean, design is mature.
• Wiring detached from one socket, rendering it inoperable.
• Only three sockets have switches.
• Screws are yellow zinc plated.

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NIPPO 4KV Surge Protector​

Mis-labelled as a surge protector, this is a regular power strip without a fuse or protection. Quality is acceptable but unremarkable. Socket spacing is generous because of switch placement. This uses newer illuminated switches that simplify internal wiring. Basically a clone of the Wipro.



Rear:





Internals:





Solder quality (acceptable):





Plug and wire:





Findings:

• Cable is rated at 0.5 sq mm but has the thinnest insulation of all four.
• Overall construction is acceptable with obvious signs of cost optimisation (non-uniform silhouette).
• Wiring is acceptable, internal wires are silicon-insulated but not confidence-inspiring.
• Screws are bright zinc plated.

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Wipro Multi Socket Spike Guard​

Also mis-labelled, this is a basic power strip without a fuse or protection, a clone of the Nippo. Quality is acceptable but unremarkable. Socket spacing is generous because of switch placement. This uses newer illuminated switches that simplify internal wiring.



Rear:





Internals:





Solder quality (acceptable):





Plug and wire:





Findings:

• Cable is unrated and shows signs of bruising at the plug.
• Overall construction is acceptable with obvious signs of cost optimisation (non-uniform silhouette).
• Wiring is acceptable, internal wires are silicon-insulated but not confidence-inspiring.
• Screws are bright zinc plated.

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Summary of Part 1:​

None of these are particularly recommended; they're all a mild fire hazard in one way or the other (human hair and wire congestion in the Fedus, floating neutral wire in the Anchor and stray wire strands in both the Nippo and the Wipro). However, it could be argued that any electrical fault that may develop would be countered by an MCB or by the fault burning up before it could cause any significant damage. I'll leave the verdict up for you to decide on what's acceptable, hence the multitude of photos to draw your own conclusions.

The Anchor is very endearing, it has a retro charm, and I would be happy to have it somewhere non-critical. Probably in a place where I'd gaze upon it as I sip chai and reminisce about a life that revolved around dot matrix printers, before the internet.

The others are almost forgettable. The Wipro and Nippo can be serviceable if you're willing to have an electrician inspect it and maybe even consider redoing the internal wiring. I like their socket spacing so I'll be fixing them up for computer lab type use, like here I replaced the cable with a giant 16A plug that came with a power supply:

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More parts will be added to this thread as time and budget allows in the coming weeks/months.

 

[yugaaa]

It is just a power strip what is there to import and assemble? It is not even "smart". Then entire power strip can be cheaply imported if that was the case.

I do have cheap Chinese import power strips and their fit and finish is far better than the Indian made ones. Like this https://amzn.in/d/5i7Ed6f and this https://amzn.in/d/4XY7o6Q

The chinese ones typically have thicker wires , but it is the insulation which is thick , not the actual conductor core . Most of the Chinese wires will not have copper core , more of a nickel plated metal core . The chinese cannot produce something for cheap without compromising .

The magic happens when you open them up.


MDR is an old reliable company and it mostly makes good stuff in India itself. The quality outlasts anything Chinese I've used not just power strips.

I have been using MX products for a long time . All I can say is that they are over priced for the quality they provide . I used to buy speaker terminals , lugs , power connectors etc . Today there are a lot of importers from China and they charge a fraction of what MX charges for a better quality product .

 

[ibose]

Today there are a lot of importers from China and they charge a fraction of what MX charges for a better quality product

Can you name one with 6 points and individual switches?

 

[Party Monger]

The chinese ones typically have thicker wires , but it is the insulation which is thick , not the actual conductor core . Most of the Chinese wires will not have copper core , more of a nickel plated metal core . The chinese cannot produce something for cheap without compromising .

I have been using MX products for a long time . All I can say is that they are over priced for the quality they provide . I used to buy speaker terminals , lugs , power connectors etc . Today there are a lot of importers from China and they charge a fraction of what MX charges for a better quality product .

If you know cheaper and better products we will all shift man. I don't have any shares of that company
Just show us which ones are better

 

[yugaaa]

Can you name one with 6 points and individual switches?

You need to read the previous replies . I have clearly said I find Belkin better or the best to be the DIY route . The Belkin ones were real copper terminals . The rocker switches on the MX are not good enough for a PC to be clear . The switches at the max can deliver 2 amp continuous usage . Anything over 40-50 watts will have a problem with those switches .

If you know cheaper and better products we will all shift man. I don't have any shares of that company
Just show us which ones are better

I neither own any shares in any company . MX 20 years back were indispensable . Not today . Best ones are the ones you can get it assembled at a local electrical shop with switches and sockets which can lock from behind on a modular plate . Next best alternative according to what I know is Belkin if you do not have the time or the energy to do such .

 

[ibose]

I have clearly said I find Belkin better or the best to be the DIY route .

I did read your previous replies but those did not answer my query. This thread is for ready to use power strips and not everyone has the time to gather stuff and build one from scratch. I have been using an MX one for the last 3 years and its not given any issues. But I am looking for a cheaper and better option like you mentioned, for back home. So again, with respect to Belkin, can you point to a buy link for one with 6 points and individual switches ?

 

[yugaaa]

I did read your previous replies but those did not answer my query. This thread is for ready to use power strips and not everyone has the time to gather stuff and build one from scratch. I have been using an MX one for the last 3 years and its not given any issues. But I am looking for a cheaper and better option like you mentioned, for back home. So again, with respect to Belkin, can you point to a buy link for one with 6 points and individual switches ?

Nope . I do not know of any extension with copper terminals and copper wire which has individual switches . The time to get a modular power strip is about 30 mins max . I would not risk a fire in my house with cheap electrical stuff .

 

[proletariat]

Nope . I do not know of any extension with copper terminals and copper wire which has individual switches . The time to get a modular power strip is about 30 mins max . I would not risk a fire in my house with cheap electrical stuff .

I want to try this , do you have any videos to guides you followed to make one - i saw your links to products , but need a guide or smthng

 

[Tracer_Bullet]

Nope . I do not know of any extension with copper terminals and copper wire which has individual switches . The time to get a modular power strip is about 30 mins max . I would not risk a fire in my house with cheap electrical stuff .

As a layman, this does not compute for me. I have been using these for more than a decade. Have not had a single issue or spark.
Only once i used a vacuum cleaner with Anchor board and the ( replaceable) fuse blew up. Lesson learned.

Pc load typically is 400-500w with 300w gpu. Is that really a fire hazard with these boards ? .
Only time switches have given me trouble is with bathroom instant water heater which uses a lot of power and had some improper ground causing socket plastic to start burning up.

 

[yugaaa]

I want to try this , do you have any videos to guides you followed to make one - i saw your links to products , but need a guide or smthng

It is very simple . If you are not so confident just go to a small electrical shop and ask them to make a modular extension box . Things to watch out is do not use anchor , GM . Go with Schnider , L& T . L& T engem ones are the cheapest with back lock .

As a layman, this does not compute for me. I have been using these for more than a decade. Have not had a single issue or spark.
Only once i used a vacuum cleaner with Anchor board and the ( replaceable) fuse blew up. Lesson learned.

Pc load typically is 400-500w with 300w gpu. Is that really a fire hazard with these boards ? .
Only time switches have given me trouble is with bathroom instant water heater which uses a lot of power and had some improper ground causing socket plastic to start burning up.

Let us say the PC load is 400w . 400/230v =1.7 amps continuous . Let us say if the mains voltage is just 180 or 190 v then the current draw is 2.2 amps . If the switch is old and the contacts inside the switch are imperfect it can cause sparks or arcs . An SMPS when switched on can draw more than 10 amps , but that is momentary . The bigger issue would be the sparks from the improper contact of the switch or the plug .

The instant water heater is typically wired to a 16 amp switch in most cases . On paper 16 amps rating is good enough for an instant water heater , but like in the above if the switch contact is improper it can cause arc , heat and melt the switch . Safer approach is to use a 30AMP motor starter switch for heaters .

 

[Heisen]

It is very simple . If you are not so confident just go to a small electrical shop and ask them to make a modular extension box

You might end up with worse product, because if done like the way the guy is doing in the above video, it is wrong.

The extensions you saw in the first post from reputable brands, they at least used solder to join wires, the guy in the video and most likely also the guy in the small electrical shop, will screw those wires in, which is totally the wrong way.

These wires are not suppose to be screwed in directly. The are meant for either solder or press fit with a thimble which is typically called wire ferrule, which looks like this.

With a tool like this, it is crimped.

and now it gets ready to be screwed into your sockets or whatever board you got.

This is the proper way.

If we screw in directly, the tiny wire strands can break, ultimately increases contact resistance, which will heat up, causing all sorts of problems.

 

[Tracer_Bullet]

Let us say if the mains voltage is just 180 or 190 v then the current draw is 2.2 amps .

ok, we dont get voltage fluctuations i think in Mumbai, so that may be reason why it doesn't cause trouble for me.

 

[yugaaa]

You might end up with worse product, because if done like the way the guy is doing in the above video, it is wrong.

The extensions you saw in the first post from reputable brands, they at least used solder to join wires, the guy in the video and most likely also the guy in the small electrical shop, will screw those wires in, which is totally the wrong way.

These wires are not suppose to be screwed in directly. The are meant for either solder or press fit with a thimble which is typically called wire ferrule, which looks like this.

View attachment 238655

With a tool like this, it is crimped.

View attachment 238656

and now it gets ready to be screwed into your sockets or whatever board you got.

This is the proper way.

If we screw in directly, the tiny wire strands can break, ultimately increases contact resistance, which will heat up, causing all sorts of problems.

I was referring to the wiring connection . Yes a ferrule makes sense or a cheaper way is yo solder the wires . The crimp tool costs around 1000 to 1500 .

 

[raksrules]

Satisfied with MX. I have 3 power strips at home with 6 ports in each with individual switches. No issues as such.
But yes they are little expensive than ones we get on amazon and I am in market for a small power strip and I am considering those from amazon in 500 rupees range.

 

[Heisen]

Yes a ferrule makes sense or a cheaper way is yo solder the wires

Both soldering and press fitting have their advantages and disadvantages, but in terms low resistance solder is the best, that's why companies use them, but directly screwing in wires is completely out of the picture.

These new wires are very flexible and have lot of strands, but before them there were hard wires, with solid single core, those were the ones which could be directly screwed, our common old electricians still do that but with the new wires, probably due to habit.

 

[yugaaa]

Both soldering and press fitting have their advantages and disadvantages, but in terms low resistance solder is the best, that's why companies use them, but directly screwing in wires is completely out of the picture.

These new wires are very flexible and have lot of strands, but before them there were hard wires, with solid single core, those were the ones which could be directly screwed, our common old electricians still do that but with the new wires, probably due to habit.

I use copper lugs or aluminum lugs for connections . My whole house is wired with copper lugs crimped , soldered and heat shrink . Due to this I use the exact rating of wires and not over sized wires . Whole house is wired the industrial type wiring .

 

[Party Monger]

I neither own any shares in any company . MX 20 years back were indispensable . Not today . Best ones are the ones you can get it assembled at a local electrical shop with switches and sockets which can lock from behind on a modular plate . Next best alternative according to what I know is Belkin if you do not have the time or the energy to do such .

I've only used their power strip that too 6 socket 6 button only, and with all respect bro, I can 100% assure you it's better than the ones you can assemble. Both in terms of protection for equipment and long lasting switches. The oldest one is from 2017 I think and its switched on and off everyday 2x except some sundays. It has lasted amazingly well and handles 3x load cause its attached to a single inverter point in that areas and I daisy chain another 2 to it to extend number of ports. It's mostly monitors, routers 2 mini pc and access points.

Only good thing with assembled one will be that you can easily replace bad switches. It will take 2x space and will be clunky and offer no protection.

 

[yugaaa]

I've only used their power strip that too 6 socket 6 button only, and with all respect bro, I can 100% assure you it's better than the ones you can assemble. Both in terms of protection for equipment and long lasting switches. The oldest one is from 2017 I think and its switched on and off everyday 2x except some sundays. It has lasted amazingly well and handles 3x load cause its attached to a single inverter point in that areas and I daisy chain another 2 to it to extend number of ports. It's mostly monitors, routers 2 mini pc and access points.

Only good thing with assembled one will be that you can easily replace bad switches. It will take 2x space and will be clunky and offer no protection.

I have nothing against any company . Nothing can be better than assembled one because you can get a wire for any length .The sockets are 100 % copper with adequate contact surface , you can have a mix of 2 pin , 3 pin sockets and the option of 5 amp or 15 amp sockets and switches in the same form factor . On one extension I have a 20mtr wire for the extension for my tools . Next the switches are capable of continuous 6 amps which can take any sort of tool and it is not restricted to just modems , monitors or low power cpus . The total cost of assembling is also cheaper for better quality that you get .
I do agree that it is bulkier but also stable with multiple plugs connected and the plugs do not come out at their will .

 

[Heisen]

The sockets are 100 % copper with adequate contact surface

Maybe 100% copper is not a good idea, and this might be the case why large companies don't use it.

The socket inside the female board is made of brass, and not copper, because even though the copper has the best conductive properties, it lacks in :-

1. Mechanical Strength - Pure copper is soft and can deform or lose shape after repeated use, which would make the socket loose and unsafe. Brass is harder and stronger than copper.
2. Resistance to Sparking and Wear - Brass generates less sparking than copper when contacts are made or broken.
3. Corrosion Resistance - Brass is more corrosion resistant than copper, especially in humid environments.
4. Cost - Brass is easier to machine and shape into precise socket holes.
5. Electrical Conductivity - While copper has better electrical conductivity than brass, brass still has good enough conductivity for standard electrical applications. The slight reduction in conductivity is acceptable in exchange for the increased durability.

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The sparking issue you are describing, probably has nothing to do with the socket material, it might be due to the shape of the socket.

See this is the normal standard Indian socket shape.

Perfectly round holes - Ideally all socket in the house should be of this type.

But where people make mistake, due to lack of understanding is, they put these following types of sockets in the house, because they think they will be able plug anything in these, and you also see these on extensions too.

Now these are meant to be compatible with all plug types and in doing so, this is the compromise - the spaces in them is so wide, such that when we plug our normal Indian male plug it wobbles or gets loose quickly and might cause sparking, if sparking is happening then heat is not far behind.

When you use the non-standard plugs in these they fit better than our normal plugs.

Ideally our female sockets should be of round type only, and if we have an appliance which has non-standard plug we should buy a adapter specifically for it, like this one.

It has the proper round pins at the back that will fit so nicely in our standard female sockets. Perfect contact everywhere.

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Now when you build your own extension board chances are you used the round shape female sockets, and it improved your sparking issue as oppose to using the ready made extensions, which try to be compatible with all plug types. Made you think that the socket material made the difference, but it is in fact the shape.

Of course I can be wrong. I don't know the full context.

 

[tr27]

Words on this? I needed something portable to carry for just in case use
And what's a reset button? Does it resets the functionality back in case it's tripped?
So it's not using fuse but some sort of components discussed above?
1 is 16a , the smaller is 10a and the smallest is 6a. Not gonna plug 2 heavy load at once.

 

[yugaaa]

Maybe 100% copper is not a good idea, and this might be the case why large companies don't use it.

The socket inside the female board is made of brass, and not copper, because even though the copper has the best conductive properties, it lacks in :-

1. Mechanical Strength - Pure copper is soft and can deform or lose shape after repeated use, which would make the socket loose and unsafe. Brass is harder and stronger than copper.
2. Resistance to Sparking and Wear - Brass generates less sparking than copper when contacts are made or broken.
3. Corrosion Resistance - Brass is more corrosion resistant than copper, especially in humid environments.
4. Cost - Brass is easier to machine and shape into precise socket holes.
5. Electrical Conductivity - While copper has better electrical conductivity than brass, brass still has good enough conductivity for standard electrical applications. The slight reduction in conductivity is acceptable in exchange for the increased durability.

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The sparking issue you are describing, probably has nothing to do with the socket material, it might be due to the shape of the socket.

See this is the normal standard Indian socket shape.

View attachment 238721

Perfectly round holes - Ideally all socket in the house should be of this type.

But where people make mistake, due to lack of understanding is, they put these following types of sockets in the house, because they think they will be able plug anything in these, and you also see these on extensions too.

View attachment 238722

Now these are meant to be compatible with all plug types and in doing so, this is the compromise - the spaces in them is so wide, such that when we plug our normal Indian male plug it wobbles or gets loose quickly and might cause sparking, if sparking is happening then heat is not far behind.

When you use the non-standard plugs in these they fit better than our normal plugs.

Ideally our female sockets should be of round type only, and if we have an appliance which has non-standard plug we should buy a adapter specifically for it, like this one.

View attachment 238724

It has the proper round pins at the back that will fit so nicely in our standard female sockets. Perfect contact everywhere.

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Now when you build your own extension board chances are you used the round shape female sockets, and it improved your sparking issue as oppose to using the ready made extensions, which try to be compatible with all plug types. Made you think that the socket material made the difference, but it is in fact the shape.

Of course I can be wrong. I don't know the full context.

Yes , you are right . The terminals are brass , inside the switches the contact surface is made of copper . Copper wears out faster due to sparking or higher current . Perfect round holes are Indian specs , but most of the adapters , plugs come in different standards . The multiple hole socket pic which you have posted is an international socket and it is perfectly ok if we have a non standard Indian plug .