Wierd week, and another question.

[daemonicusxx]

Had one of those weeks. Monday with my regular partner, we meet up with another unit for a few minuites of down time at post. we are at a park, a place they picked out, so im not sure of my exact location. we chat with them for a while. they catch a call and leave, we go back to our unit and wait for a few. dispatch comes over the radio with a call for us. just as my partner is looking down to copy the information, i look across the park and see two teens on a 4wheeler ATV. theyre doing about 45mph, prolly faster. they get some air off a hill and when they come back down, smack right into a tree. I work for a 3rd party service, so im not too used to the trauma crap. the driver, not wearing a helmet, hits the tree over the handle bars. i get my partners attention with a few cuss words. I should mention his driving is not my favorite, sorta grandma-ish most of the time. he is over the curb and into the park. im seeing grass comin off the back tires in the side mirrors. reminded me of a scene from the die hard movies. "through the park". get to the guy, he is unconcious. about two minuites later, he comes around. very violent. get him on the ground and immobilized. through asking him questions i find some retrograde amnesia. FD transports. end of call for me.

Next day. on shif with someone ive not worked with before, seeing as my partner found it fit to take a day off without me. we're sitting in the ambulance drive at an ED, watch three people walking back towards the hospital from the smoking area, and one of the guys starts having a seizure. we get out to go help, i send my partner into the ED for more help. while he is in there the guy starts turning blue. after a sec, starts breathing again and pinks back up. ED paramedic comes out and does his "my male organ is bigger than your male organ" routine. I ask if they need anything from us, he says no, so we go back in service.

My question is not related to those two incidents. Its more of an electronic's question. For those of you with laptops, do you plug them into the inverter of the ambulance? seems i have burnt up two system boards on my personal laptop by just plugging it into the inverter. I dont think there is anything wrong with my laptop, or the power cable. the ambulance is barely 6 mos old. brand new, so i dont think there is anything wrong with it. am i plugging the laptop in "backwards" wrong polarization. i dont know anything about electrical stuff. help me out here.

 

[medman123]

I dont think there is anything wrong with my laptop, or the power cable. the ambulance is barely 6 mos old. brand new, so i dont think there is anything wrong with it. am i plugging the laptop in "backwards" wrong polarization.

You can not put it in backwards, one side of the plug is bigger, even if they are the same size there is not right way. Also check the output of where your plugging it into, it might be 12v witch is too small and you can find a converter and an electronic store. Good Luck!

 

[Jon]

Try a cheap in-line surge protector... the AC output from the inverter may not be regulated enough... the surge protector should help.

 

[daemonicusxx]

You think that the in-line surge protector is the best bet. I had some computer issues a while back, reguarding the system board. now im having the same issues with my current laptop. two different laptops with the same problem, both occuring after their use in the ambulance, and after being charged from the plug in the wall powered by the inverter. no trauma involved to the laptop (bad driving on behalf of my partner.) i just want to be as sure as possible before i go plugging in this laptop with a shiny new system board.

 

[MMiz]

Two exciting calls! I'd invest in a surge protector. It'll do wonders

 

[Jon]

You think that the in-line surge protector is the best bet. I had some computer issues a while back, reguarding the system board. now im having the same issues with my current laptop. two different laptops with the same problem, both occuring after their use in the ambulance, and after being charged from the plug in the wall powered by the inverter. no trauma involved to the laptop (bad driving on behalf of my partner.) i just want to be as sure as possible before i go plugging in this laptop with a shiny new system board.

I'm not an electrical engineer.... but I have soem electronic knowledge... one of the problems with inverters is that the "cheap" ones don't regulate thier output enough. Hopefully, a GOOD surge protector will protect your computer. Also, if you DO have a problem... the surge protector often has insurance to fix your computer. This might me the time to stop in to a local Radio Shack and look for the intelligent guy working there.... and talk about surge protectors.

 

[daemonicusxx]

This might me the time to stop in to a local Radio Shack and look for the intelligent guy working there.... and talk about surge protectors.

how do you know which one is the intelligent one?

 

[Jon]

how do you know which one is the intelligent one?

look for the old guy....possibly the manager.... most every radio shack has at least one, from back in the day of "You've got Questions, We've got Answers"
stay away from the 16-year-olds who will read the packages and say "this one costs more, so it is better."

And I'm only partially joking.

 

[daemonicusxx]

look for the old guy....possibly the manager.... most every radio shack has at least one, from back in the day of "You've got Questions, We've got Answers"
stay away from the 16-year-olds who will read the packages and say "this one costs more, so it is better."

And I'm only partially joking.

i actually used to work at a radio shack back in the day. not really that long ago, but still. it sucked. and i was probably one of the guys that knew the least about electronics. radio shack is all about the bottom line... profit. sometimes for me its almost the same as those people that never want to eat and a MCd's because they worked there once, and they know what those people do to your food. Thanks for the info Jon, i did get a surge protector and will be trying it out tomorrow. I appreciate you guys.