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Lightning-foiling device is ready to strike market

Bringing his invention to fruition has been far slower than the speed of lightning, but Dennis Page says all the elements are finally in place.

By DAVE GUSSOW
Published August 8, 2005

Tired of running around unplugging electronics during lightning season, Dennis Page came up with what he thought was a better idea: a device to automatically disconnect gadgets.

Little did he expect it to take 10 years for his system to get to market.

"It wasn't that our technology wasn't ready to move forward," said Page, 55, president and founder of Storm Shelter Electronics in Savannah, Ga. "We just didn't have the money to move forward."

Now, everything is ready. StrikeUPS units have arrived. It's lightning season. Page has a new business plan and, he says, money in the bank.

Obviously, Page is a patient man who believes in what he's doing. He's learned a lot about the perils of lightning, as well as the difficulties of starting a tech company along the way.

His path isn't what one would expect from someone with a degree in forestry who once owned a music store in Savannah. He learned to tinker while working in a TV store in high school and playing in a band where someone needed to know how to repair amplifiers.

"I learned to have a working knowledge of what to do with electronics," he said, "just enough to be dangerous."

One of his early experiences with lightning occurred when he and two other students were doing survey work in the Clemson University forest. A bolt struck about 50 feet away, knocking them to their knees.

"The only thing faster than lightning is three guys running through the Clemson forest," he said, laughing. "I'm very aware of how ironic it would be if I got fried by lightning myself."

The idea hit Page back in the '90s, when he would unplug the computers at his music store and church when lightning was around. Initially, Page thought of a gadget that would automatically retract the power cord when lightning was around.

StrikeUPS is a breadbox-sized unit that has five receptacles where other devices are plugged in. When lightning threatens, the unit physically moves the electrical connection about three quarters of an inch so the devices are separated from the current.

But the system is much more sophisticated than that. It works with a nationwide network of lightning detectors operated by a company called Vaisala in Tucson, Ariz. The country is divided into 4-mile cells. When sensors pick up lightning in an area, the StrikeUPS unit receives a wireless signal. An alarm goes off to warn the owner that the StrikeUPS system is about to be activated.

If the owner doesn't override the command, devices are unplugged. A battery backup allows operation for about 40 minutes so devices such as computers can be safely shut down. When the network doesn't detect lightning, the plugs are automatically reconnected. The system also can do a proper shutdown of the PC if the battery backup begins to run low.

Page says StrikeUPS is better than using surge protectors, his popular competition, because it physically disconnects the devices rather than trying to absorb the voltage.

Page's new business plan calls for his company, Storm Shelter, to license the technology to other companies that will produce the units. He will manage the network and subscriptions.

StrikeUPS costs $495 and requires a $10 monthly subscription to receive the wireless signals. It is aimed at small businesses. It's available at www.stoplightning.com.)

Page says he has a licensing deal with a major company, but can't disclose its name. But it gives him more reason for optimism than at other times during the arduous development process. Along the way, he had some highs, including winning an innovation award at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2002.

But it never amounted to anything.

If he had to do it over, Page says, there would be changes. He would recruit more investors upfront, rather than rely so much on money from family and friends. He would hire more outside contractors to handle the engineering.

Page concedes there "were scary moments" when he didn't think he would make it.

"I'm working for friends and investors who put their faith in me," said Page, who often mentions his religious beliefs when he talks. "Quitting was never an option, even though I wondered how we were going to pull it off."

Some help did arrive. His company was the first accepted at Coastal Advanced Technology Development Center in Savannah. Funded by the state of Georgia and affiliated with Georgia Tech, the center acts as an incubator, providing consulting and low-rent space for high-tech startups.

"There's something about him," said Katherine DeYoung, director of the center. "He always seems optimistic. It's one of the things that's allowed him to stick it out."

Many would-be entrepreneurs come in with what they think are great inventions, DeYoung says, but they have no market or don't solve an obvious problem.

The center, which works only with Georgia companies, considers commitment, the product and other factors before accepting a company.

Page had his low moments, such as one scathing letter from professors who called his product "a stupid idea." There were times with no salary and cutting expenses. His family stood by him all the way.

"I'm not euphoric the way I used to be," Page said. "I'm much more realistic. It's still going to take time."

- Dave Gussow can be reached at 727 771-4328 or gussow@sptimes.com

[Last modified August 6, 2005, 09:25:03]