[Elecraft] ESD precautions?

[Don Wilhelm]

Folks,

The Elecraft manuals provide warnings prior to asking you to handle
electrostatic devices by instructing you to touch a grounded metallic
object.

If you want to be even more safe than that, the first protective item is a
wrist strap and the second is a mat for the workbench (I use both but only
mount the wriststrap before handling sensitive components).  These can be
grounded to the AC mains outlet ground pin, but I use the handy terminal on
the rear of my grounded soldering station.

One other thing I might mention is when doing inventory, if a component is
in an antistatic container (black foam or an antistatic tube) DO NOT remove
it until you are ready to use it and have taken proper antistatic measures.
These devices should be inventoried without removing from their protective
shipping containment.

73,
Don W3FPR

----- Original Message ----- 

> I've built a couple of solid state kits paying little or no particular
> concern to ESD damage other than using a 3 wire soldering unit. No
problems so far,
> but I may be pushing my luck. What would be the minimum preventive
measures to
> be taken when building something like the K2?  Is a grounded mat
desirable?
> If so, would AC mains ground be the place to ground the mat to? If there
is a
> tutorial along these lines, I've yet to come across it...
>