Years ago at the Comdex show in Atlanta, Georgia I saw a cool computer-side discharge unit(ESD unit). When you touched the strip the amount of your discharge affected the Homer-esk like figure that was attached to it. Your electric shock was passed onto the little guy! So cute!
For over twenty years I had a computer servicing business and I found that many of my calls were due to electrical degradation of equipment. I would never sell a computer without a surge protector (APC) nor would I service a computer without a ESD strap and the computer having a live ground.
ESD is silent. You very seldom hear it. It is invisible. You very seldom see it. Sometimes it will be several months before the damage is even realized. When it strikes, your equipment will fail usually over time.
If you have ever moved across a carpet on a floor and touched a door knob and felt a spark jump you have experienced ESD. It only takes about 30 volts to damage a solid state device. There has to be about 3000 volts before you notice or feel that spark. By that time it is too late and the device is damaged. The damage may not even show up for several months and fail at sometime in the future.
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Found this online:
"Static Electricity accumulates as you walk and move about. Once you build a static charge level of 3000 volts your body receives a shock when you touch another object. At this point your static level lowers dramatically only to begin the building process again as you continue to move about. The charge is often painful to you but can be destructive to the object you have just discharged into like a phone, computer or any electronic component. While you feel the discharge of 3000 volts you are constantly discharging static at level below 3000 volts and electronic equipment is affected by those as well.
To eliminate the pain and save your electronic equipment place One Touch Pads at strategic locations (your desk, computer, fax, file cabinet).
No pain, no damage, you are now at zero static.
Dont forget to touch it often.
Contents:
1 - Anti-Static One Touch Pad
1 - Pad Grounding Cord (attaches to any electrical outlet with proper grounds) $5.90 ea
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www.anti-staticmat.com/A ··· hPad.htm