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The Vintage Power Protection Archive
OldSurge.com is dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of surge protectors, power strips, uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), and related power-protection devices.
The archive combines original photography, measurements, weight documentation, operational testing, teardown analysis, and historical research to preserve information that may otherwise be lost as products are discontinued and supporting documentation disappears.
This archive exists for collectors, researchers, electronics enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the history of power-protection technology.
What Makes This Archive Different?
Unlike many collector websites, OldSurge.com emphasizes original examination and documentation. Whenever possible, artifacts are photographed, measured, weighed, electrically tested, and disassembled to document internal construction, component selection, manufacturing variation, and product evolution.
The archive also preserves historical advertisements, pricing references, certification records, recall documentation, and manufacturer literature in order to place individual artifacts within their broader historical context.
Featured Artifact
The COXOC CO-001S Variant (OS-0030) is a six-outlet surge protector dating to the 1990s and represents the second documented example of the COXOC CO-001S preserved by the OldSurge Archive.
Although externally similar to the archive's earlier CO-001S specimen, detailed examination revealed differences in cord length, cord supplier, weight, switch-lamp operation, and overall condition. Teardown analysis demonstrated that both examples share the same SAS 241KD14 surge-suppression device, RONG FENG RF-112B circuit breaker, and stamped-metal outlet-contact assembly despite these external variations.
The specimen provides a useful case study in manufacturing variation and helps distinguish design characteristics from condition-related artifacts.
Why Old Surge Protectors Matter
Surge protectors, power strips, and related power-distribution products are among the most common electronic accessories ever manufactured, yet they are rarely preserved or documented in detail.
Many products disappear with little surviving information beyond a brief specification sheet or advertising brochure. Internal designs, component choices, manufacturing variations, safety features, and engineering changes are often lost when equipment is discarded.
The industry itself has changed significantly over time. Independent manufacturers have merged, been acquired, or disappeared entirely. Product lines once sold under familiar names may have been manufactured by different companies, incorporated into larger brands, or quietly discontinued. Examples documented by the archive include products associated with American Power Conversion (APC), S.L. Waber, Tripp Lite, Curtis, Universal, and other manufacturers whose products, branding, and ownership evolved over time.
OldSurge.com documents these devices through photography, measurement, functional testing, teardown analysis, and historical research. By preserving physical examples and related documentation, the archive creates a long-term record of power-protection and power-distribution technologies that played an important role in the growth of personal computing, office automation, telecommunications, and consumer electronics.
The goal is not simply to collect old hardware, but to document how these products were designed, manufactured, marketed, and used before that information disappears.
Browse by Manufacturer
Browse by Product Type
Historical References
Memorabilia and Literature
Archive Index
Recent Additions
- COXOC CO-001S Variant (OS-0030)
- APC SurgeArrest Personal PER7T (Z98010214399)
- COXOC CO-001S
- APC SurgeArrest Professional PRO7 (7Z1550L09782)
- Globe Electric 12-003-7MS
- Opti-UPS
- APC SurgeArrest Professional PRO7 (4Z0638P12907)
- PowerSentry 626
- APC SurgeArrest Professional PRO7 (Z96030204796)
- S.L. Waber 952M
Important Notice
Devices documented on this site are presented as historical artifacts and collectibles. Many older surge protectors may no longer provide effective electrical protection and should not be relied upon to protect modern electronics.
Methodology
Whenever possible, devices are photographed, tested, weighed, measured, and documented before any disassembly is performed. Functional testing, internal examination, and teardown photography are conducted when practical. Non-destructive disassembly techniques are preferred in order to preserve historical examples.
When available, serial numbers, date codes, component markings, patent information, historical advertising, and archived manufacturer documentation are used to establish production dates and document product evolution.
Ongoing Research
Current research efforts include documenting the long-term evolution of APC's SurgeArrest product families through comparative analysis of multiple specimens manufactured between 1994 and 2017.
Additional research focuses on historical pricing, vendor competition, and product availability within the North American surge-protection and UPS market. Recent work has incorporated period advertisements published in PC Magazine and other trade publications to reconstruct pricing trends for APC, Tripp Lite, and other manufacturers during the 1990s.
Documented examples presently include surge protectors, power strips, line conditioners, and UPS systems produced by APC, Tripp Lite, PowerSentry, S.L. Waber, Curtis, COXOC, Globe Electric, Universal, Opti-UPS, and numerous lesser-known manufacturers.
Recent research has also documented APC's use of multiple third-party cord suppliers including Bon-Eagle, HRSA, N.S., Hi-Pro, Chung Kwang, Baohing, and I-SHENG, while comparative examination of multiple COXOC specimens has provided insight into manufacturing variation within individual product lines.
Additional research focuses on identifying manufacturer relationships, product families, historical advertisements, archived web references, recalls, and regulatory documentation associated with surge protectors, power strips, and UPS systems.
Recent work has incorporated archived Internet content, marketplace records, manufacturer literature, certification documents, and period advertising to reconstruct the histories of products and manufacturers that are poorly documented elsewhere.
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Site Information
Archive Statistics
- Content Pages: 48+
- Uploaded Files: 950+
- Physical Artifacts Cataloged: 30
- Manufacturers Documented: 19