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Ground myself in my wheelchair.

Jim Jamieson

Jun 26, 2016
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Jun 26, 2016
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Hi

I am new to Electronics and am wondering how to ground myself in my wheelchair for electronic projects?
 

Anon_LG

Jun 24, 2014
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Get an ESD wrist strap. You are from britain as well, you may be familiar with maplin:http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/anti-static-computer-wrist-strap-with-grounding-cable-zt91y. If you wanted to ground your chair as well, just clip it to the metal frame.

DO NOT earth/ground yourself directly, this is likely to kill you if you touch a live connection. The 1MΩ resistor will prevent you from dying if you ever touch a live object, or should at least.

Generally grounding is not too important, I regularly handle CMOS ic's without a wrist strap, and all are still working. However certain FET devices are extremely sensitive, so grounding is a good idea.
 

Kiwi

Jan 28, 2013
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What do you recommend connecting the wrist strap clip to that would be an effective ground in a normal house situation with carpet?
 

Anon_LG

Jun 24, 2014
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I can think of four options.

First being a screw on your electrical socket panel, these are earthed. Simply unscrew one, add a slip ring, re-screw and you have a ground point.

If your parents do not let you do the above (as mine did) try:

The other option is your plumbing. Attach to your copper piping, this is also earthed. I should imagine you have a radiator in your workspace, if so the exposed copper pipe here is a good point for attaching.

Other options are connecting to an already earthed frame, dvd players, tv's, computer ground planes come to mind.

If you have none of the above, run a wire to your grounding rod, often a copper cylinder, with a yellow-green earth wire attached. Attach here, run back inside to a connection point, and attach wrist straps.

Be very careful, you do not want to connect to a live object, but so long as you connect safely to ground and you use a 1MΩ resistor strap, you should not encounter electrocution. Never give the "grip of death" a chance, always check connections with the back of your hand, but double check first.
 

davenn

Moderator
Sep 5, 2009
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I am new to Electronics and am wondering how to ground myself in my wheelchair for electronic projects?


What do you recommend connecting the wrist strap clip to that would be an effective ground in a normal house situation with carpet?

hi Jim
welcome to EP
to do this properly you should have BOTH an antistatic mat on the bench top as well as the antistatic wrist strap
the wrist strap will connect to the mat ALL mats are designed for this, usually with a dome connection and the mat then connects to the mains earth

First being a screw on your electrical socket panel, these are earthed. Simply unscrew one, add a slip ring, re-screw and you have a ground point.

not really a good way

the usual, much better and safer way is to use a normal mains plug and ONLY wire the lead from the mat to the earth pin in the mains plug
the plug can then be plugged in and removed as and when needed

DO NOT play with altering the wall socket !!



Dave
 
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