| Author |
Message |
    
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 8457
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 10:23 am: | 
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Ok, everyone here is just a HELPFUL TIP.
STATIC ELECTRICITY
IS YOUR RADIOS
WORST ENEMY!
This time of the year Static Electricity in your house can cause MAJOR problems with your radio equipment.
If you get shocked from static electricity in your house when touching something Get a HUMIDIFIER!
It also helps to have your radio equipment on rubber mats (like you see at Walmart that comes in rolls for a buck or so) or install soft rubber legs/pads on your equipment.
STATIC Electricity can cause MAJOR DAMAGE to your Equipment.
Hope this helps,
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN |
Saddletramp025
Intermediate Member
Username: Saddletramp025
Post Number: 128
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 3:06 pm: |
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You're right about that Lon, That static can get rough,I always wondered how much electricity can be generated by static, If ya rub your feet hard on the carpet and touch someones ear with the light off you can see a neat blue spark, funny watching them jump too!!! |
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 1104
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 3:40 pm: |
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HOWEVER...
If your equipment has a metal case, and that case is grounded, you will NOT damage your equipment touching it and getting a spark. The static will be drawn safely to ground and not through the electronics in your equipment.
Humidifiers bring about all sorts of troubles for electronics like warped boards, coils drifting, alignment drifting, fungus, etc. You will NEVER see a humidifier in a professional radio site installation! Take the hint from the pros. Of course, do as you please, it IS your gear. Now that you have been given the facts and warned, my concience is clear. |
Moderator136
Moderator
Username: Moderator136
Post Number: 143
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 4:17 pm: |
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Saddletramp There is enough electricity to light a 4 foot florescent light bulb and burn it out just by touching it.
Lon is correct: STATIC will kill radios expecially smt boards.
putting down rubber mat under your radio will help,Also rubber mat on the floor for your chair.
Also to have everthing grounded helps.
Dry air and windy days with low humidity in the house is ideal conditions to have static electricity. To have a humidifier will help.
But doint put the humidifier where your radios are.
I had a dog when i was kid , Every time that dog seen me running around inside the house she stand up and the hair on her back stood up and she would growl at me. hehehe she been shocked a few times.
Moderator 136
CEF 136
kc0svc
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Kirk
Intermediate Member
Username: Kirk
Post Number: 303
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 9:22 pm: |
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You'd be pretty hard pressed to compete with Mother Nature in my neck of the woods as far as rasing the moisture content too high. Good points here but if you regulate your humidity level you shouldnt have too much trouble. I can't tell you how many times I've had mobile rigs in my car that lasted a good long time and just think of the extremes they go thru! |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3251
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 10:23 pm: |
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STATIC ELECTRICITY ?
In FLORIDA ?
Not a problem ....... |
Chad
Advanced Member
Username: Chad
Post Number: 593
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 10:23 pm: |
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I have never noticed an increase in vulnerability of static from newer thru-hole boards and SMT. Many say SMT is more venerable but honestly I find it to be a matter of trace positioning. Newer thru holes have multiple layers and very close traces also.
Chad |
Kid_vicious
Advanced Member
Username: Kid_vicious
Post Number: 877
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, November 24, 2005 - 11:11 pm: |
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anyone planning on running a humidifier should care for it with the utmost dilligence.
a humidifier that has bacteria in it can make you and everyone in your house very, very sick. some bacteria can even give you a sinus infection that wont go away. EVER!
always use distilled water in your humidifier, and add just a few drops of bleach to it.
clean the humidifier with bleach every day, making sure to clean the element.
lots and lots of winter colds can be attributed to a dirty humidifier.
have a wonderful winter,
today was sunny with a high of 77*, and calm as can be. well, it was in Las Vegas anyway.
matt |
Slim1
Intermediate Member
Username: Slim1
Post Number: 109
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 6:31 am: |
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"have a wonderful winter,
today was sunny with a high of 77*, and calm as can be. well, it was in Las Vegas anyway."
matt
I say we all pounce on him and give him a whooping for that comment!!! You just have to rub it in don't ya Matt.LOL. As I'm typing this it's
a whopping 11 degrees outside at 6:30 AM.BUURRRR!!
Heck,sometimes even w/a humidifier there can still be some static electricity around.At least
in my home anyway.I agree,grounding and rubber mats/feet will be a huge help for sure.
Slim CDX285 |
Road_warrior
Advanced Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 976
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 9:28 am: |
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Whopping 13 degrees here.
I've never had luck with humidifiers.
Either i got sick or something got ruined.
Never could adjust those things correctly.
Or maybe i never owned a good one...Hummm
Rubber Mat idea is a good one./ Grounding/
No, static here anyhow, it left when my first
wife moved out...Hummm
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Wildrat
Intermediate Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 374
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 10:33 am: |
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Bruce, I get all kind of static electricity around here and I have terazzo floors i.e. white cement with different color rocks in it for those who are not familiar with them. I am always shocking the wife.
Wildrat
P.S. I guess thats what you were saying Bruce that you did not have static electricity or maybe you were being funny, I don't know, I know I have it. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3256
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 25, 2005 - 1:05 pm: |
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Wildrat..
I got rid of rugs and we have wood floors .... static is not a problem unless your pulling wool socks apart. We have terazzo floors under all this wood and it did in the dead of winter produce some but not like the very low humiditys up north. STILL always a good idea to DISCHARGE yourself before touching any radio. |
Wolverine
Advanced Member
Username: Wolverine
Post Number: 563
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, November 26, 2005 - 2:45 am: |
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I'll just kill two birds with one stone, and get a vicks vaporizer, at least the dry air will be moist enough to breathe, while making the environment more temperate/humid, while at the same time the air will be smelling like my Grandpa. No more static electricity. |
Coyote
Advanced Member
Username: Coyote
Post Number: 605
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 - 9:03 am: |
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I just put a pot of water on the wood burner and let that do its job. Its also good for the sinus's, and if ya want a hot cup of cocoa, the water is always ready. 
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