[ale] Linux technophile emergency tool kit

[Ron Frazier (ALE)]

On 5/29/2013 9:44 AM, Michael B. Trausch wrote:
> On 05/28/2013 02:13 PM, Dennis Ruzeski wrote:
>> I keep a small toolkit (Don't forget the static wristband), an 
>> external hard drive, and my preferred distro for this kind of work is 
>> Backtrack. If you haven't checked it out you should.
>
> In 30 years, I've always simply followed the rules for grounding 
> myself frequently during repair.  I've never need to use mats or 
> wristbands, and I have yet (knock on wood) to /accidentally/ destroy a 
> component due to ESD.  I've shorted things together and done a fair 
> number of other relatively stupid things early-on in my practice.  I 
> remember the first 14.4 modem I got, I was so excited that I forgot to 
> screw down the card... it touched the 9600 bps modem I had and when I 
> turned on the computer, I had a fantastic light show.  :)
>
> But ESD?  I've only succeeded in using it to destroy things when I 
> intended to (e.g., as part of experimentation).  As long as you ground 
> first, and ground frequently, it's really not possible to screw things 
> up.  Unless, of course, you shift/shuffle/slide your feet around, or 
> are working in an extremely dry environment, but then why wouldn't you 
> simply have a workbench that is itself grounded, so that you're always 
> touching a grounded surface?
>
>     --- Mike
>
> -- 
> Naunet Corporation Logo 	Michael B. Trausch
>
> President, *Naunet Corporation*
> ? (678) 287-0693 x130 or (888) 494-5810 x130
>
>

Hi Mike T and all,

When I was about 10 years old, I discovered that you could take the flip 
flash bulb bar (yes flash bulbs - circa 1975) ( 
http://www.karenfayeth.com/kodakflipflash.jpg ) from a Kodak instamatic 
camera, hold it at one end, scruff my feet on the carpet, and touch the 
other end of the flash bar to the air conditioning vent in the library 
at school and one or two of the flash bulbs would go off.  At the time, 
I thought that was very cool.  Still think it's cool, but just try 
finding flash bulbs any more.

Regarding what you said in above, I've used anti static bands while I 
was in school at DeVry as well as some of the time when I was at Delta.  
Sometimes we had an anti static mat.  At home, I usually use the 
technique you mentioned of just grounding myself before touching 
anything.  With the computer sitting beside me on a chair, as it is now, 
sometimes it's hard to know what is, in fact, grounded.  The pc is 
connected to the wall outlet through a three wire circuit so, 
presumably, the chassis is grounded, even if the pc is off, through the 
mounting screws for the power supply.  I've also been known to touch the 
screw that holds on the faceplate of a light switch before doing work on 
electronics.  I know touching such screws sometimes creates a static 
spark to my finger in the winter, so I assume it's grounded, else, why 
would it want to spark.  The junction box is plastic, but it has a 
ground wire inside.  I have to be especially careful in the winter (when 
it's dry as you said).  Another alternative is a metal water faucet.

I read or heard somewhere that, if you feel a spark when you touch 
something, that is about 2000 V.  That's well above the threshold to 
damage electronics.  If you feel a spark when you touch your hard drive, 
you may have just toasted it.  I try to avoid touching circuit boards 
and contacts whenever possible.  Anyway, like you, as far as I know, I 
haven't damaged any of my stuff yet that way.

Not directly related, but, I have lost two garage door openers, an audio 
amp, and several phones to lightning induced surges; and I even have 
surge protectors all over the house.  Any more, when really bad storms 
come, I turn off and unplug the major things or flip breakers off (for 
the dryer, etc).  When the thunderstorms get bad around here, they 
really bug me, and scare me.  I really don't like extensive hail, 
lighting, and tornadoes.  Who does, I guess.  Regarding technology, it 
takes me about 1/2 - 1 hour to get all my PC's booted back up and 
configured like I like them after a full shutdown, with all the right 
windows open in the right places and everything logged in, etc.

I read somewhere else that GA has the 2nd highest incidence of lightning 
in the country, after FL.  Lots of lightning usually means violent storms.

Sincerely,

Ron


-- 

(PS - If you email me and don't get a quick response, you might want to
call on the phone.  I get about 300 emails per day from alternate energy
mailing lists and such.  I don't always see new email messages very quickly.)

Ron Frazier
770-205-9422 (O)   Leave a message.
linuxdude AT techstarship.com
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