Shop carefully. There are some GFCI three outlet "tails" that are better than others. Buy one from a reputable manufacturer. All should make things safe for you, but the cheap units tend to handle short term overloads in an unpredictable manner, and they can cause maddening trips for no apparent reason when RF currents are present in the load circuitry.
I'm an old school ham radio operator, and have been designing and building RF communication devices for 40 years (sometimes they even work after countless hours of tweaking and changing the initial design). GFCI units are a godsend, but they are not created equal. In my current job, I manage a staff of technicians, and they work in all environments. After tossing several samples in the trash, I have been satisfied with the Leviton model 103-66593-003. It's a weatherproof GFCI "tail" with a three outlet head. It is rated for 15A, and although I would have preferred a 20A unit, this one handles short term overloads like it is supposed to, as opposed to acting like a fast blow fuse as some cheap models prefer.
It also seems to be immune to RF interference from computerized toasters, cell phones, and 1KW class transmitters located in the same room. Not that PCB flash units would trip any other GFCI unit, but most any modern device generates RF currents somewhere along the line, and many GFCI units are notorious for misbehaving in such company.
Anyway, I ended up issuing the Leviton units to all my techs, and I have not had a problem since. They are about $36. By the way, even if you chose to home brew a unit around a standard duplex GFCI home outlet, the premium Leviton brand outlets seem to be high on the list of GFCI units that just do their job without surprises in the ham radio community.
Voyager
|