Re: How to make USB ports more zap resistant?

From: Rob Stow (rob.stow.nospam_at_shaw.ca)
Date: 01/16/05 

Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 06:33:26 GMT

larry moe 'n curly wrote:
> Rob Stow wrote:
>
>
>>It's winter time in the Great White North. -35'C overnight but
>>it has warmed up all the way to -22'C so far this afternoon.
>
>
>>Doesn't matter how often you warn them to use a humidifier. The
>>knowledge /you/ have acquired over the years means nothing to
>>them until /after/ they fry something. At which point they
>>wonder why you never warned them about it before.
>
>
> I'm in Arizona and haven't used any heat yet, and the indoor humidity
> was 20% even when it was 4% outdoors (measured with wet and dry bulb
> thermometers). I'm sure that the zaps weren't from high voltage (I
> touch metal to metal before plugging anything in) but from high
> current.
>

When it gets as cold as it has been today, it is not unusual to
have 80% r.h. outdoors, but 10% to 15% indoors if a humidifier is
not used. You drink a *lot* of water when you visit someone who
doesn't use a humidifier.

At such places, it is not unusual to see huge freaking blue-white
sparks fly if you walk across a carpet and then reach out towards
something grounded.

Dogs learn quickly to stay away from children. ;-)