colterphoto1 Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 How bout if I grounded my metal equipment rack. The bello rack has glass shelves for equipment isolated by rubber grommets, so there would not be a ground connecting to any equipment. WOuld the grounded rack chassis cause any hum or other interference? I'm thinking just haveing something nearby to disperse the energy first would be a good thing. Also would be good to ground static prior to picking up LP's or cassettes, yes? Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwatkins Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Just a quick question - is this a 'pop' theat you hear through your speakers? If so you do have some sort of chasis grounding issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 ---------------- On 3/8/2005 2:33:52 PM colterphoto1 wrote: How bout if I grounded my metal equipment rack. The bello rack has glass shelves for equipment isolated by rubber grommets, so there would not be a ground connecting to any equipment. WOuld the grounded rack chassis cause any hum or other interference? I'm thinking just haveing something nearby to disperse the energy first would be a good thing. Also would be good to ground static prior to picking up LP's or cassettes, yes? Michael ---------------- touching anything metal will discharge the static electricity.... even if your rack is not grounded, it will still discharge the static in your body.... walking across the office to get to the fax machine at work can cause a static buildup if i am wearing tennis shoes.... if i don't touch something metal, i will get a shock when i touch the fax machine.... by touching a metal table just prior to the fax machine eliminates the problem... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 ---------------- On 3/8/2005 1:04:00 PM Tom Adams wrote: Not sure if my solution will work for you, however.... Before I touch my equipment, I discharge myself by grabbing the ear of my dog. Tom ---------------- Very interesting, but I am not sure how your kinky sexual practices can help the situation. Oh, that kind of discharge... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champagne taste beer budget Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 Where is the charge going once it leaves/enters your body? I believe I've gotten a static shock before by touching a doorknob on an open wooden door, it can't be grounded to anything. At this point I'm not understanding how touching one type of metal before touching something else will relieve the charge without resulting in a shock of some type. As a side note, I always wear a t-shirt under my work shirt at the shop. Seems to be different with some t-shirts, but sometimes when I take off my t-shirt in the dark, before getting into bed, I get a zillion tiny sparks and crackles coming off my shirt. Really odd, but pretty neat at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted March 8, 2005 Share Posted March 8, 2005 The static charge is not in your body or in the items you touch.The charge is on those items.I am not being a smartass by the way in saying this. The air in our environment and objects in our environment have a charge and what happens is that where the air etc. encounters an item or person etc. that has a lower charge electrons will transfer until there is no differential between the air or carpet etc. and that object will hold a static charge of X volts. If that object at X volts of potential is contacted by another of the same charge no current will flow but if touched by an object or person at a higher or lower potential then a current will flow until the potentials are equal. The potential differences can be substantial.It requires a static discharge of 2000 volts to produce a visible spark but the CPU in your computer can be destroyed by as little as a 200 volt discharge. To answer the question of how one can get a static shock from a doorknob in a wooden door simply remember that any conductive material can exchange electrons with any other conductive element ( including air ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champagne taste beer budget Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 That makes perfect sense to me. Still not sure though how touching one item first will prevent a shock when touching another item that has sufficient potential. I can see dissipating your charge into something else by touching it, but how does that effect the potential of the next item you touch? And wouldn't you still get a shock from touching the first item? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 ---------------- On 3/9/2005 9:06:02 AM Champagne taste beer budget wrote: That makes perfect sense to me. Still not sure though how touching one item first will prevent a shock when touching another item that has sufficient potential. I can see dissipating your charge into something else by touching it, but how does that effect the potential of the next item you touch? And wouldn't you still get a shock from touching the first item? ---------------- you will get a shock when you touch the first item..... but it dissapates the charge.... so now the potential differences are greatly diminished and now when you touch the amp/receiver there is no shock... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champagne taste beer budget Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 Thanks Russ. That's what I thought, that the charge had to go SOMEWHERE! I just hate the stupid jolt I get from touching the first item! Would there be a way, say a small capacitor or something mounted to your stereo rack, that you could grab the lead of and slowly disspate the charge instead of releasing it all at once in a shock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 i don't think so... as soon as you touch that lead, you will get a shock.... i always kind of hit my metal rack.... that way i don't feel the shock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHUFF Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 As previously stated, a can of "Static Guard" judiciously applied is the simplest way to address and control the problem. Make it part of your cleaning routine, like every time you vacuum or dust. The problem I have with humidifiers is that the moisture they induce eventually finds its way into your switches and pots, accelerating a process that's already fast enough. The drawbacks are magnified if you are a smoker. The humidification approach is good in a plastic mill, not so good in a living room, especially in areas where mold is a problem, or if you own a lot of books and prints (foxing). "Static Guard" instant results, cheap and effective. A LIGHT wisp of spray on the back side of your turntable mat and you will have less/fewer issues with records acting as dust magnets as well. Treats the problem at the source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 very low humidity is bad because it causes static problems but it also causes health problems.... a 40% to 50% humidity in your home greatly reduces static problems and is much better for your sinuses, lips, and skin.... in northern climates with forced air furnaces, humidity will drop as low as 10% and is not good.... i've used a humidifier for years and it is a much better solution than a can a "static guard"... conversely, i also use a dehumidifier in the summer to get the moisture level down to that 40% to 50% mark... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHUFF Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 ---------------- On 3/9/2005 11:03:16 AM minn_male42 wrote: i've used a humidifier for years and it is a much better solution than a can a "static guard"... ...so THAT explains it!, why you're "all wet" Where do you practice medicine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minn_male42 Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 *sigh* another thread in which the troll has no clue as to what he is talking about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 I don't have any scientific proof about what I'm about to suggest, but I do have some observed evidence. I believe that some people tend to have a static charge built up on them more than others (might explain champagne's T-shirt removal light show) regardless of what type of clothing they wear. I say this because there have been many times that the wife & I will get out of my truck or her car (both with leather seats) and I'll get a ZAP and she won't. And if she does get a ZAP when I do, her's is no where near the mini-lightning bolt I get hit with! I've also gotten a ZAP getting out of my truck during the summer. And those of you familiar with summer in coastal Georgia know that humidity is always 70+ percent. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHUFF Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 ---------------- On 3/9/2005 11:39:28 AM Tom Adams wrote: I don't have any scientific proof about what I'm about to suggest, but I do have some observed evidence. I believe that some people tend to have a static charge built up on them more than others (might explain champagne's T-shirt removal light show ) regardless of what type of clothing they wear. I say this because there have been many times that the wife & I will get out of my truck or her car (both with leather seats) and I'll get a ZAP and she won't. And if she does get a ZAP when I do, her's is no where near the mini-lightning bolt I get hit with! I've also gotten a ZAP getting out of my truck during the summer. And those of you familiar with summer in coastal Georgia know that humidity is always 70+ percent. Tom ---------------- No "scientific proof" needed Tom, my Wife and I enjoy the same phenomena as well, but with our sliding balcony door as well as with the car. We live in a semi-arid climate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champagne taste beer budget Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 I'd like to revisit my capacitor idea. It's been a long time since I messed with em in school. I realize there are ratings for capacity, but are there also different rates of absorbtion? As in, cap1 holds X Mf, but takes Y time to charge, where as cap2 holds A Mf, but takes Z time to charge fully. Wouldn't there be a cap that would slowly dissipate the charge in your body before you touched anything, or are ALL caps so fast acting that they'd absorb enough in a fast enough time that you'd end up getting a little jolt anyway? Hell, if they can sell $300 wood volume knobs that do nothing (IMHO), then surely someone could dress up a cap into a nice little box or cylinder that Mr Hoity Doity would buy for $200 so he can zero himself to ground before he touches his $20,000 turntable. My idea, I got dibs on it if it'll work!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHUFF Posted March 9, 2005 Share Posted March 9, 2005 ---------------- On 3/9/2005 7:49:53 PM Champagne taste beer budget wrote: I'd like to revisit my capacitor idea. It's been a long time since I messed with em in school. I realize there are ratings for capacity, but are there also different rates of absorbtion? As in, cap1 holds X Mf, but takes Y time to charge, where as cap2 holds A Mf, but takes Z time to charge fully. Wouldn't there be a cap that would slowly dissipate the charge in your body before you touched anything, or are ALL caps so fast acting that they'd absorb enough in a fast enough time that you'd end up getting a little jolt anyway? Hell, if they can sell $300 wood volume knobs that do nothing (IMHO), then surely someone could dress up a cap into a nice little box or cylinder that Mr Hoity Doity would buy for $200 so he can zero himself to ground before he touches his $20,000 turntable. My idea, I got dibs on it if it'll work!! ---------------- The block o' brass item I mentioned is in a way your idea. I'll see if I can find the old Stereophool it appeared in. Don't remember if IT still gave you an arc or not, just remember the item. A block of metal would be a cap of sorts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted March 10, 2005 Share Posted March 10, 2005 If you don't like the shock you get, then just make sure you keep something metal on you at all time (ie, keys). When you want to discharge yourself, hold your metal object firmly and then touch it to the object that you normally get shocked by. Now the shock will go into the key and not into your hand and you won't feel a thing. When I was working at audio designs, we were running around on motorized lifts all the time...The air in those environments was very dry due to all the dust and tons of static would build up as you drove between locations. There were times that we would get sparks over 1 foot in length. If you weren't careful, you could get a spark on your hand and a spark on your butt arcing onto the lift (because of the insulated boots you wear). There were so many times that I would forget to touch my wire to the cieling and my arms would seriously go numb for hours. It was a lot of fun though touching a wire to the cieling and then touching it to your partner who is also on the lift Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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