What is the "Pilot" extension?

Today it is impossible to imagine a computer office or living room equipped with computers, in which the electrical extension cable "Pilot" is not used. The need to connect the system unit, monitor and some peripheral devices to the network leads to the fact that the number of stationary outlets installed in the room is insufficient. It is here that the time-proved solution comes to the rescue - a wire on one side of which a network plug is installed, and on the other - a set of sockets.

Very often such a technical solution is taken for the "Pilot" extender, although this is not entirely correct. We will consider this point a little later. Compared to tees, the Pilot extender has the following advantages:

• Allows you to safely interrupt the power supply;
• It filters the network from high-frequency harmonics;
• Displays the current consumed, protects the connected devices (in some models).

What does the name mean?

"Pilot" - an extension cable, the price of which ranges from several units to tens of dollars, it is often the only acceptable solution to solve the problem of shortage of outlets. To buy it is very simple: just ask a consultant in a store or a seller in the market. However, very few people know where the word "pilot" came from. There is an opinion that this is the same as the "extender". In fact, everything is explained simply. Extension "Pilot" is a product of the company Pilot, whose products were one of the first to appear on the market. In fact, the history of Xeroxes repeats itself, when the name of the manufacturer was fixed after known copiers, becoming a household name. So, there are extensions Buro, Most, PowerCube, etc.

Distinctive features

Choosing an extension cord, you need to remember that it is characterized not only by the length of the cord and the number of outlets, although many sellers emphasize exactly this. Inside each such device is a passive filter, which is a small board with an oscillating circuit of the CL type. It is designed to filter out (eliminate) high-frequency interference coming from both the network and back. For example, if you include an electric drill with a sparking collector in one socket and a computer through the extension cable "Pilot" to the adjacent socket, the interference will not affect the operation of the electronic systems of the latter. Although theoretically it is so, in practice the effect is too small to be taken into account. In other words, if there is a filter, then let it be. However, for its correct operation it is necessary to connect the extension plug into the circuit with the grounding wire.

Although outwardly all the models differ little, the internal execution is different. In particular, depending on the method of connecting all the outlets of the device, they can withstand a different current (power). From the bent metal bands, miracles should not be expected, but if the connection is made by tires, the permissible power (reliability) will be higher. Thus, it is desirable to abandon the operation of too-cheap extension cords.

The presence of a built-in ammeter makes the device more technological, allowing you to monitor the current, but more often after a time the wearer bothers under the table to look for an extension cord and look at the measuring device.

But the presence of protection against overload (permissible power is specified in the specification) will not be superfluous. Due to this, you can not worry that the total load of all the devices included in the extension "Pilot" exceeds the permissible value for the main stationary socket. However, not all models allow after such excess to press a special button and restore the work - sometimes replacement of the fuse is required.