Grounding yourself?

[fawconpunch]

Yeah, first build. = p

Thanks guys!

[BrainEater]

I use an anti static mat to put the case on (it's soft too) and I use an antistatic wrist band with both grounding 'to earth' thru 50 Meg resistors.Got the pair for 50$.Best 50-bux-spent-for-no-worries ever.

Better safe than sorry.

Originally Posted by sswilson

I work with explosive carts so it's old hat for me, but as long as you get in the practice of grounding yourself prior to doing any work...

I'm bettin you've seen a manual or two about proper anti-static measures.heheh


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Originally Posted by fawconpunch

I've heard you can also use latex gloves and get cheepo rubber shoes.

I would avoid this actually.

Rubber shoes are one of the best ways to generate static electricity I know of.My rubber slippers will generate 1/4" arcs after a few steps.The latex gloves will just make sure the zap that blows thru the glove will kill what it hits for-sure.....heheh

I'd just clip the wristband to the case and don't scrub yer feet on the floor .

Gl on the new build.

[Jack Rabbit]

Here is a little perspective on the need for grounding when working with electricity.

YouTube - High Voltage Cable Inspection

[Mars]

Originally Posted by Mecher

The PSU does NOT need to be plugged in. Touching the case will dissipate any built up static electricity you have created in your body, as SSWilson stated above. It's the difference between two or "potential" that causes the damage to components. The case it self will be the ground, not the plug. If your worried, using the strap won't hurt anything, just remember to take it off before you get another beer! Dragging the case over to the fridge probably won't help things. Good luck with the build.

The "ground" plug on the psu grounds the case to protect you from getting a shock when the computer is running if a wire comes loose makes a circuit out of the case. It's just another "neutral" connected to the case for shock protection.

No, to be safe, the PSU does need to be plugged in. (Or you need to touch any plugged-in household appliance with a ground wire.) Without a ground wire, touching the case doesn't necessarily dissipate the entire charge you're carrying, it just equalizes the charge between yourself and the case.

Granted, it still isn't likely to damage components unless you're working on carpet, have your case sitting on a rubber mat, and are touching it very frequently.

[no_pulse]

personally I've had some bad luck with leaving the PSU plugged in. I don't know what I did, but I fried a few PSU when I left the PSU plugged in when I built a few systems a long while back. I personally unplug the PSU unit from the wall and case. Never had an issue since I started unplugging the PSU. I didn't use a anti-static wrist strap, I just touched the case every so often as others have suggested. I've used latex gloves as well so I wouldn't get oil from my fingers or dirt etc on any components. Never had any issues with wearing latex gloves. Recently I bought a anti-static wrist band, you never can be too careful. Just my personal experiences, doesn't mean I'm an expert or anything.

[SugarJ]

Originally Posted by Mars

Without a ground wire, touching the case doesn't necessarily dissipate the entire charge you're carrying, it just equalizes the charge between yourself and the case.

That's the whole point Mars, to equalize yourself with the case. You don't need to be grounded (or at 0 potential), as long as you're at the same charge as the case. I won't ever work on a system with the power cord plugged in, I've seen too many goofy PSU's. I caught a 120V tingle from a PSU case one time, so I won't work on anything with power running to it anymore.

In any case, today's parts are a lot more resistant to incidental static than they were back in the 80's when I started fixing computers. Keep the parts in the anti-static bag until needed, touch the case or PSU before you touch the parts, and you won't have any problems.

[sswilson]

Originally Posted by BrainEater

I'm bettin you've seen a manual or two about proper anti-static measures.heheh

Heh... yeah, it's been mentioned a few times in the last 27 years..... :)

In general, working with explosive carts is not much more dangerous than working with any other ammunition. It's just that we work with them so often it's doubly important to reduce risk.

[3.0charlie]

I simply work on a Wood floor, no fancy shoes, no gloves. But I do have my watch, and I always touch my case with it just before handling any parts. I never had a short.