Shocking. Lightning strike knocks out neuro patient's brain implant

Re: I have a DBS installed

A surge protector is the least of my worries, I also have to sleep with a water tank on the bed, a four way power supply to plug everything in :(

When I turn the implant up I do seem to attract an unfair amount of insects - there has been some research on the fact that ants are attracted to the electrical signal - so at least it indicates I'm not completely crazy.

Re: I have a DBS installed

As for the recommendation to use a surge protector when charging, there's a reason the UK uses fused plugs in addition to household circuit breakers

As mentioned already, surge protectors may protect the charger and other mains-connected devices from overvoltage, but a lightning strike close by will induce currents in any piece of wire that happens to be at an unfortunate orientation with respect to the strike, and which forms a loop in some way. For which they don't even need to be connected to the mains. Mains wiring does have longer lengths over which they can pick up the strike's induction, in addition to earth potential differences.

Electricity is dangerous even when you're not plugging it into your head

The charger is supplying a low DC voltage to the device, and not running mains straight into it.

But the DBS, connected to the charger or not, could well have gone haywire from the EMP and provided a rather overstimulating pattern. Instead, luckily, it shut down, although that did have some unpleasant side effects too.

Re: I have a DBS installed

"you have absolutely no idea what the outcome of a lightning strike could be anyway. An inch to the left and it might have fried you"

If you were an inch away from a lightning strike you'd probably be killed anyway. Several meters away might might make the difference between living with only a few complications and dying.

Ten meters is probably a safer distance, assuming whatever the lightning did strike (eg a tree), didn't explode and send flaming debris hurtling at you.

(more info)

Re: I have a DBS installed

£50k connected equipment guarantee.....

When I tried to claim you had to ship to switzerland (at your own cost each way) the complete UPS and ALL equipment connected to it (including anything attached to the ups or equipment via network cable, usb cable or serial lead) even if the other equipment in undamaged.

in my case that would have meant shipping the following list in order to claim for a fried server power supply.

1 x UPS

1 x 1U supermicro server

1 x 10A 12v PSU

1 x uhf transmitter

1 x uhf receiver

1 x DV-RPTR (D-Star repeater interface controller)

1 x uhf duplexer

1 x uhf antenna

Re: You can't prevent everything...

@JeffyPooh

My grandma used to switch off sockets to prevent the electricity leaking out and her daughter (my mum) used to unplug the telly when there was lightning about to prevent the telly blowing up.

Which really used to piss me off as we had a 405 line telly that would only receive BBC1 for about 10 years after everyone else had colour and 3 channels. It never fucking broke down which was the only way it was going to be replaced - until the grandparents died and we got their colour one.

I think the old one is probably still working in the land fill somewhere.

Re: That's the problem - It isn't.

I got the ability to read faster and go crossed eyed the wrong way with the implant.

not the best superpower but hey we are the first

Re: Bah!

We may not be talking about the same story.