Xbox AC power interference

[simbin]

My Xboxes are picky about power fluctuations and will flicker the video for a second when the compressor on my fridge kicks in. I live in a older house - my AC outlets test 117~119v. When the compressor on the fridge kicks in, power dips to 115v. None of my newer electronics seem to be affected, just my OG Xboxes. Any cheap solution to keep my Xboxes running smooth?

[MrMajst3r]

Plug in your consoles to UPS.

[xman]

You could try using another power point circuit although I suspect you will be getting spiking going right through the whole house wiring. The xbox power supply has a filter designed to suppress such spikes but nothing is perfect. You could use an isolation transformer but either way, the problem is the fridge. While you may only be noticing the spikes on the Xbox, I suspect all your electronics in your house is not at all liking it either. While the other appliances may seem to be unaffected by these spikes, there immunity may be slowly failing. By the way, this is not an uncommon event with old school fridges. They were built and designed way before electronics were normal pieces of equipment in houses. The spike suppression should actually be part of the fridge itself.

[simbin]

You could try using another power point circuit although I suspect you will be getting spiking going right through the whole house wiring. The xbox power supply has a filter designed to suppress such spikes but nothing is perfect. You could use an isolation transformer but either way, the problem is the fridge. While you may only be noticing the spikes on the Xbox, I suspect all your electronics in your house is not at all liking it either. While the other appliances may seem to be unaffected by these spikes, there immunity may be slowly failing. By the way, this is not an uncommon event with old school fridges. They were built and designed way before electronics were normal pieces of equipment in houses. The spike suppression should actually be part of the fridge itself.

Thanks for all the info. I went ahead and tried a UPS like the previous poster suggested. Unfortunately, that made no difference. It's an older APC unit and may not have adequate voltage stabilization. I've a AC line interference filter somewhere, but I cannot find it.

I suspect most of my newer electronics (built within the last couple years) are engineered to handle minor power fluctuations of 1-2v, especially newer PC power supplies, HDTV sets, etc.

If I can find the line filter, I'll try it and report back. I guess I better start saving my pennies for a new fridge.