Surge protector required for use with digital scale/dispensers?

[xrMike]

Will any old cheapo surge protector work fine or do you need something fancy? I read an article that suggested the use of a "line conditioner". Is this the same thing as a surge protector? Thanks.

[mrkubota]

They aren't the same thing....
A line conditioner is basically an inductor and is better at keeping a very smooth and constant current going to the supply.

Surge protectors are good for keeping voltage spikes out ot the power supply.

[CSACANNONEER]

You should buy a battery back up thing-a-ma-bob (the same ones that people use on computers) and plug your scale into it. It will keep your scale from bad reads due to the constant variations found in your homes ac power.

[socalguns]

Ups

[CSACANNONEER]

Ups

Yep, that's the thing-a-ma-bob that I was talking about.

[xrMike]

I'm not sure I need a UPS for my scale, since I don't care if the power goes out while I'm using it. Although I think I see what you're getting at -- a UPS will also regulate the voltage, which is the same thing that a line conditioner does...

I think I'm gonna pop for this one:

http://www.amazon.com/APC-LE600-Automatic-Voltage-Regulator/dp/B00009RA5Z/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-4659979-3173533?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1190244377&sr=8-2

It's cheaper than a UPS (since it doesn't provide battery back-up capability), and it provides voltage regulation and surge protection too, which is all I'm really looking for.