[PhilBot]

Originally Posted by driesman

How well are you protecting the input to your Samantha? As much as I dislike black boxes, we've been using the L-Com USB surge protector recommended by FIRST w/o adverse effect. Last year we used chokes on the USB cable and the power to the samantha.
-Andy

Without knowing it, we have been implementing most of the recommend precautions all along. We always have the NXT and Samantha mounted on a plastic carrier with a short interconnecting cable. That may have been why we have been immune for so long. Strapping the Samantha (and therefore cable) to a metal C-Channel always seemed like a bad idea to me just based on radio reception.

Based on the finding of that FIRST report I've ordered a surge protector. Although it does go against my long term belief that connectors are the key problem in mobile systems most of the time. Adding the Surge protector adds two more connectors. I'd have gone with the version with a pigtail, except they are all so long Do'h.

I've also started spraying our practice field with Staticide. Mmmm smells nice

Phil.