hey guys,

I was just wondering if anybody cares for a grounding strap... Is it worth the extra few bucks? i for one have never used it as long as i touch the case before i pick it up and im sure not to touch anything that could be affected....

I'm trying to figure out if your trying to sell one or if your asking if using one is worth the money you've paid for it or will pay for it.

If you ground yourself before working on the computer you can avoid quite a few problems. Working with computers and customers on a daily bassis I can safely say that electrostatic discharge is a real problem. If the company I worked for didn't accept returns on these types of items I'd be giving people the bad news on average almost twice a week. I use a wristband grounded to the case frame with the powersupply plugged in whenever the humidity is low.

If your selling it you might want to just give a price and try and get rid of it, 5 bucks maybe? Most people will not offer prices.

I think he's asking if it's worth it to purchase one for himself.

For me, just for a home technician, I don't feel it's all that necessary. As long as you realize it's a problem, and take measures against it, you can do the things without the ESD hurting anything. However, I had to learn the hard way when I fried an old Epox motherboard (exploded a row of transistors/resistors). If you're that concerned about ESD and whatnot, here's a tip or two I've picked up:

1.) Use the one-hand method. Even though sometimes you need to use two, as much as possible keep one hand firmly on the frame of the case and use other to dig into the guts.
2.) Try your best not to work on carpet, especially while wearing socks and whatnot. The static picked up from your feet could definitely travel through your body and fry something in your rig.
3.) Always unplug your power supply from the wall. Even though there's still current travelling through your components and such, you could lessen the chances of getting effected by it.

Cheers!

I usually touch the case a couple of times prior to touching any hardware.......

I have pimp ground straps from where I work that you wear on your shoes.

I don't own or use one, but I do make sure I touch the frame of the case a couple of times before I even think about sticking a hand inside of it. I probably should have one, but have never gotten around to buying one.

i used to work for a company that made computers.... they didnt belive in using esd stuff.... did we fry memrory and other things?? no, but that is not to say that we didnt damage the stuff...


a big elctostatic shock will kill hardware .... but alot of little ones will shorten the life product.


suggestions.... dont build computers on carpets... or have carpets touching your feet while building

dont build in a high humity area..


but i would spend the 5 bucks now... better then 5 bucks on asprin when the stuff breaks

Quote: Originally Posted by Highperf15 I usually touch the case a couple of times prior to touching any hardware.......

Exactly. All you need to do is touch your power supply and your good to go. The only real case would be if you are walking around on carpet with socks on and then dont have something like a power supply leing around. And lets be honest, who on PR does not have an extra power supply less than 50 feet from them.

Quote: Originally Posted by j-dogg I have pimp ground straps from where I work that you wear on your shoes.

Yeah me too.

Quote: Originally Posted by SpikeShot And lets be honest, who on PR does not have an extra power supply less than 50 feet from them.

Do old AT power supplies count? I've given/sold my stock of ATX to friends' whose exploded.

Edit: I forgot about editing the quote... ARGHH... was trying to be a smartass

Quote: Originally Posted by ÃœBER<>POOP Do old AT power supplies count? I've given/sold my stock of ATX to friends' whose exploded.

I am not sure what you are asking me here? Do AT power supplies work well for anti static protection?

If that is what were trying to say then the answer is yes. You can touch alot of things to get ride of the anti static, its just a good bet to touch a power supply as its always going to work well. Where as touching a case with imitation metal or aluminium might not do the job as well.

The technique I use is by far the best one that I've found without having to tether yourself to the case. . . .

First off, plug a power strip/surge protector into the wall, and TURN IT OFF. Then plug the pc's power supply into the power strip, and you have perfect grounding. The live voltage is blocked, but the grounding wire is always live. Touching the case without using this method doesn't actually send that ESD voltage anywhere except into the power supply where it can either safely dissipate, or, it may find it's way into one of the power lines.

I, for one, don't like to take the chance that it'll go into the mobo anyway.

Now, you just make sure to ground yourself on a metal part of the case before touching any components, and you are good to go.

Use this in combination with the other warnings about uncarpeted floors, and it's damn near impossible to burn out anything due to ESD.

I wear esd footstraps too but, did you know that the floor has to be coated with a esd material in order for it to be effective.

I just touch the case a few times, and start working. I also ONLY hold chip boards by the corners, and edges so I am not touching anything attached to the board. I also wear rubber souled shoes/sandals so I don't build up a charge through my feet.

Ive heard to leave the power supply plugged in (plugged into a wall socket NOT the mobo) but not on. (why because there is ground through out the house and a PSU uses a 3 pronged plug)

I Usualy touch something metal (the case) or something near by thats connected to AC (such as a microwave it has a 3 pronged plug). But when Im working, I have a lamp thats connected using a 3 pronged plug. I use a alligator clips (with wires connected to the metal body, and the other end connected to my watch) to ground myself. That way, any induced charge produced from me moving will just be grounded.