How to Make an Antistatic Ground Strap
Static electricity is an arch enemy of electronic components. When working on a computer, static electricity can totally destroy expensive computer components such as RAM modules, motherboards and processors. To avoid this disaster, you should always dissipate the static electricity by using a static electricity wrist strap, sometimes called a grounding strap. You can purchase one of these for a few dollars, but if you only occasionally find yourself working on computers, it might make more sense to build your own for even less.
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Things You'll Need
- Length of insulated wire
- Wire strippers
- Electrical tape
- Alligator clip
- Length of bare copper wire
- 1 megohm resistor
Instructions
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A good source of insulated wire is the cord from an old lamp. Strip approximately 3 inches of insulation from both ends of the insulated wire. A good source of insulated wire is the cord from an old lamp.
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Connect the wire to the alligator clip. Connect the bare wire to the alligator clip by wrapping it around the handle of the clip several times. Secure the wire in place using electrical tape.
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Wrap the other end of the wire around one end of the 1 megohm resistor. The purpose of the resistor is to protect you should live electricity pass from the computer through the grounding strap.
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Attach one end of the bare copper wire to the other end of the resistor. Attach one end of the bare copper wire to the other end of the resistor. Secure the wires attached to each end of the resistor with electrical tape.
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Attach the other end of the bare copper wire to the metal bracelet by wrapping it several times. Do not cover it with electrical tape, which would render it ineffective. The bare wire must make contact with your body. You can wrap the excess copper wire with electrical tape if desired.
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Attach the alligator clip to the bare metal on the computer's case. Place the bracelet on your non-dominant wrist.
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Tips & Warnings
Leave your computer plugged in to a surge protector that is still plugged into the wall, but turned off. This allows for a ground connection to be maintained, without any live electricity reaching the computer.
For more safety, don't work on the computer while standing on carpet. Place a rubber mat between you and the carpet or move the computer to another location.
To make the strap more effective and permanent, use solder to connect the wires instead of simply wrapping them in electrical tape.
Be very careful not to come in contact with a live power source while wearing the grounding strap. The resistor is there to protect you should this occur, but it is not 100% effective.
Do not use this type of grounding strap without the resistor in place. The risks far outweigh any potential benefits.
References
- Photo Credit element electric power black image by Leonid Nyshko from Fotolia.com alligator clip. image by Bruce MacQueen from Fotolia.com spindle of copper wire on white background image by phizics from Fotolia.com
