By BUILDER Magazine Staff. Storm Shelter (www.StopLightning.com) isn’t just a surge protector. It actually unplugs sensitive electronics during lightning storms. It relies on a network created by Global Atmospherics in Tuscon, Ariz. (www.glatmos.com), whose 100 detection stations across the United States can pinpoint the location of any lightning strike. When lightning strikes within four miles of the home, the network sends a wireless page to the device, which sounds an alarm to warn of an impending disconnect and gives the user a chance to override it. If there’s no override, an internal solenoid disconnects the device from the power. When the storm passes, the network sends another page to tell the device to plug back in. It can be paired with an uninterruptible power supply or a backup generator. The company hopes to have products available in Atlanta and Savannah, Ga., areas next month, with a nationwide rollout in the fall. Early models will also offer protection for a dial-up modem; next year it will add DSL and cable protection. Cost: $75, plus a $9.95 per month fee.
Strike Out
1 MIN READ