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What surge and USB protection system does the 10$ power strip have?

p.kaczmarek2 8610 94

TL;DR

  • The Interlook BA-3505-WHITE power strip has five coloured sockets, separate switches for each outlet, a main switch, and advertised anti-surge and USB-device protection.
  • Opening it reveals a simple internal build: the grounding is connected, but the socket switches appear to cut only one conductor.
  • The supposed protection circuitry is just a single 14D471K varistor soldered loosely at the strip switch.
  • The solder joints look poor and some seem close to failure, so the strip hardly inspires confidence for a 10A rating.
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  • Power strip Interlook BA-3505-WHITE with colorful sockets and switches. .
    Today we are checking out another extension strip, this time with five coloured sockets with separate switches. In addition, the strip has one main collective switch. The strip is advertised as having an "anti-surge system" and a "protection system for USB-charged devices" so it's bound to be interesting.
    I showed a similar strip (but with a USB charger) 2 years ago in a topic:
    Power strip with separate switches for sockets and USB charger - interior, quality... .

    Let's start with a screenshot of the offering:
    Interlook BA-3505-WHITE power strip with five colorful sockets. .
    The model of the strip is the Interlook BA-3505-WHITE.
    Parameters:
    Screenshot of specifications for Interlook BA-3505-WHITE power strip. .
    Description - surge protection strip:
    Surge protector power strip with five colorful sockets and switches. .
    System anti-surge and anti-corrosion connector:
    Power strip with five colorful sockets and switches. .
    Once again - anti-surge system:
    Power strip with five colorful sockets and technical specifications .
    And the icing on the cake - another system - this time to protect USB-charged devices (what USB?):
    Interlook BA-3505-WHITE power strip with colorful sockets and switches. .

    Inside of the strip in practice... .
    An ordinary Phillips screwdriver is required to get inside:

    Interlook BA-3505-WHITE power strip with cable on a wooden surface. .
    Manufacturer label on Interlook BA-3505-WHITE power strip.
    Interior - well, at least the ground is connected:
    Interior of a power strip with colorful sockets and visible wiring. .
    It looks like the switches are cutting off one conductor - in theory they are supposed to cut off the phase....
    Interior of a power strip with colorful sockets and switches. Interior of a power strip with colorful sockets and green wires.
    Soldering joints are looking a bit bad.
    And here we have our "anti-surge system":
    Interior of a power strip with wires and a varistor. .
    Let's take a look at it:
    Interior of a power strip with colorful sockets, visible green wire and blue varistor. .
    This is a 14D471K varistor:
    Table with technical data of metal-oxide varistor 14D471K. .
    By the way, the solder joint here is especially bad:
    Poor soldering of a wire in a power strip.

    Summary
    The mysterious two systems ("surge protection system" and "USB charged device protection system") turned out to be a single 14D471K varistor soldered loose at the strip switch. Apart from that, the solder joints are conspicuous, one looks like it is about to let go. They do not look like they are rated for 10A. Overall, I can hardly recommend this product.
    By the way, I once bought a strip of this type for testing and it turned out that... after a year of use, the earthing pin fell off. Maybe I'll show its condition at some point.
    And then there's the short-circuiting of the phase output to zero when the socket in question is switched off.... I hope no one accidentally plugs in the plug the other way round, because then it won't work, and there are also such sockets.
    In conclusion - I am not convinced, what do you think?

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    About Author
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home  
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    p.kaczmarek2 wrote 14612 posts with rating 12630, helped 655 times. Been with us since 2014 year.
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  • #2 21147362
    acctr
    Level 39  
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    p.kaczmarek2 wrote:
    It appears that the switches cut off one wire and in addition short-circuit it to the other, in theory they are supposed to cut off a phase...

    They short circuit to the other? You mean they make a short circuit? Sounds ridiculous, it's more of a backlighting of the switch :)
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  • #3 21147379
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home  
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    You are probably right, thanks for the correction.
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  • #4 21147391
    Mateusz_konstruktor
    Level 37  
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    Can a colleague carry out a small practical test?
    This involves measuring the voltage at one of the sockets:
    A. Without any consumer connected.
    B. With a load connected that is close to the declared maximum power of the receivers. The easiest way to do this would be to use an electric kettle.
  • #5 21147400
    acctr
    Level 39  
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    Mateusz_konstruktor wrote:
    B. With the receiver connected at a power level close to the declared maximum power of the receivers. The easiest thing to do here would be to use an electric kettle.
    .
    You can guess that there will be quite a difference between the voltage on the first and last sockets, looking from the main switch.
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  • #6 21147426
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home  
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    @Mateusz_konstruktor This is something I did quickly on a "brother" strip, because I have just this one at hand (separately I have two other corners to work)
    Without kettles 237V not much, with one 232V with two 226V


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  • #7 21147484
    Kajox
    Level 18  
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    Obviously, such a quality 'strip' should not be allowed on the market. It is ridiculous that for so many years the authorities have been allowing this to happen and that probably one per cent of all cases are caught. But why should this be the case if the importers of electro-waste are making fat profits :) .
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  • #8 21147625
    k124l
    Level 20  
    Posts: 601
    Help: 31
    Rate: 125
    If that wasn't enough, identical skirting boards can be found in chain stores such as Biedronka from time to time.
    I was tempted to buy one because of the possibility of switching off / on a particular socket. Switches burned out after about a month and after disassembly the performance drama, the cable says that it is supposed to be 1mm2 and in practice it is probably 0.5mm2.
  • #9 21147773
    cinepi
    Level 17  
    Posts: 162
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    Interestingly, a very similar extender is on offer from the Polish company Elgotech - one would be tempted to compare it and see what it looks like inside. The model is EPS-501.5W6.
  • #10 21147850
    Anonymous
    Level 1  
  • #11 21148010
    kjoxa
    Level 23  
    Posts: 599
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    I'm happy with mine, which I bought from Ladybird about four years ago. Nothing has fallen off and none of the switches have lost their ability to light up. I am also satisfied.
  • #12 21148022
    Jogesh
    Level 29  
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    Many times I have encountered that a Chinese product was reasonably good in the beginning, but the subsequent 'series' of the product is worse and worse inside and looks the same from the outside.
  • #13 21148109
    acctr
    Level 39  
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    kjoxa wrote:
    Nothing fell off and none of the switches lost their ability to shine.

    Different quality control, different materials, the Chinese can do well, it just costs more.
    It has been known for a long time that this sales portal gets the biggest crap, which is also evidenced by photos from buyers.
    Everything has its price and I wouldn't give 45 zloty for it - thanks to such articles you know what to avoid.
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  • #14 21148231
    sq3evp
    Level 39  
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    Probably the sockets would have to be additionally protected with varistors?
    I wonder what's inside the server racks?
  • #15 21148248
    kjoxa
    Level 23  
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    Jogesh wrote:
    Many times I've encountered that a Chinese product started out reasonably good, but subsequent "series" of the product are getting worse on the inside and look the same on the outside.


    Quite possibly. It cannot be ruled out.
  • #16 21148631
    vodiczka
    Level 43  
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    Mateusz_konstruktor wrote:
    It's about measuring the voltage at one of the sockets:

    p.kaczmarek2 wrote:
    something I did quickly on a "brother" strip
    .
    Measuring at the socket will tell us little because we do not know what the voltage drop is between the meter and the socket into which the strip plug is plugged.
    You need a comparison of the voltages at the input and outputs of the strip, at least with a single kettle load.
  • #17 21148643
    chemik_16
    Level 27  
    Posts: 1000
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    I've had this model in my garage for a good 5 years now, used more than once with tools of 1kW and better, so far everything works, apart from the protection in the first socket, it doesn't go through those plastics. So I don't know why all of a sudden such complaints ;) at me it works.
  • #18 21148658
    p.kaczmarek2
    Moderator Smart Home  
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    @chemik_16 I in my older copy of this trim simply removed this protection. It also became increasingly difficult to walk with time
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  • #19 21148963
    dzg4
    Level 31  
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    No fuses on the 230V supply side and, as usual, thin cables, for small power outputs still manageable.
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  • #20 21149164
    LEDówki
    Level 43  
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    Notification to the OCCP will not result in this being withdrawn from the market?
  • #21 21149517
    buszyl33
    Conditionally unlocked  
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    LEDówki wrote:
    Reporting this to the OCC will not result in it being withdrawn from the market?
    .
    Better write to Berdyczów.
  • #22 21149718
    sq3evp
    Level 39  
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    buszyl33 wrote:
    You'd better write to Berdyczow.

    It is still necessary to understand the context.:)
  • #23 21149748
    LEDówki
    Level 43  
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    Why do you think I don't know what the saying "Write to Berdyczów" means? In the original, "Write to Berdyczów".
  • #24 21149811
    sq3evp
    Level 39  
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    I don't know about that, but it originally sounds like what you stated.
    I also think that reporting anything to an institution like UOKiK does nothing - the market would quickly regulate it, someone sells rubbish, no one will buy it and that's that. People buy because the price is good and no institution can do anything to stop it, so you can write wherever you like. This seems to be the intention of post #21.
  • #25 21149848
    Mateusz_konstruktor
    Level 37  
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    vodiczka wrote:
    Measuring at the socket won't tell us much because we don't know what the voltage drop is on the meter-socket route into which the strip plug is plugged.

    Right, although it's not the meter-socket route.
    @p.kaczmarek2
    Something else I had in mind, I'll try to describe it more precisely now.
    Could a colleague make a measurement in the first and last socket in the option of connecting loads to the middle sockets?
    What I mean here is to assess the quality of the electrical connections of the components inside the case. Mainly those visible thin wires, the equally puzzling soldered connections, and also the switches.
    Ideally, I would like to include the results of voltage measurements at the socket that powers the whole thing, then there would be data to assess where and how much electricity is lost along the way and whether prolonged use would lead to overheating of the components that are supposed to carry quite a lot of current.
  • #26 21150131
    szeryf3
    Level 30  
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    @p.kaczmarek2 will you ever come across a strip worthy of recommendation?
  • #27 21150159
    LEDówki
    Level 43  
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    Some rubbish goes on the OCCP's list of dangerous items Link .
    For example, we have an entry from June this year - LED power supply sowing interference Link .
    The market is stupid. The customer doesn't even know they are using dangerous items. Only when a tragedy occurs do their mouths and eyes open. Then a wise Pole after the event.... He will buy himself a new parable, that he is stupid before the harm and stupid after the harm.
  • #28 21150390
    Anonymous
    Level 1  
  • #29 21150543
    sq3evp
    Level 39  
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    LEDówki wrote:
    Some junk gets on the OCC's list of dangerous items Link .
    For example, we have an entry from June this year - an LED power supply chaffing interference Link .

    And that's right - you're absolutely right, but in our country there are no regulations prohibiting the sale.

    I remember a long time ago, it was about 30 years ago, when mesh antennas for TV appeared.
    A friend, a ham radio operator, told me how PAR (a kind of UKE in those days) came to another ham radio operator's house with a full truck, because someone reported interference.
    It turned out that the neighbour's antenna amplifier had been triggered. Such is the malice of inanimate objects.
  • #30 21150863
    ElectroTom
    Level 25  
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    "in Poland there are neither strong consumer organisations nor specialised entities ..." - cardboard state. Returning to the subject of the strip, after buying it I replaced the series resistors for the neon lights with much larger ones, as they were heating up.
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Topic summary

✨ The discussion revolves around the Interlook BA-3505-WHITE power strip, which features surge protection and USB charging capabilities. Users express concerns about the quality and safety of such low-cost power strips, highlighting issues like inadequate surge protection, poor internal wiring, and the potential for overheating. Several participants suggest conducting practical tests to measure voltage drop across sockets under load. Comparisons are made with other brands, such as Elgotech and Brennenstuhl, which are noted for better quality. The conversation also touches on the lack of regulatory oversight in Poland regarding electrical safety standards, leading to the proliferation of subpar products in the market. Users emphasize the importance of proper internal components, such as varistors and fuses, for effective surge protection.
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