[Elecraft] Antistatic mat

[Vic Rosenthal]

I used to use a wrist strap, but I've found an easier and (I think) 
better solution.  I bolted an aluminum yardstick (meter stick) to the 
front of my workbench.  It is connected through a 1 megohm resistor to 
the AC safety ground.  This yardstick is also connected to the muffin 
tin I use for parts storage and there is a clip lead that I use to 
connect the panavise when I'm using it.  When I'm working I usually have 
an arm resting on this, and if not I touch it regularly.  It's also 
handy to measure lengths of wire when needed.

For what it's worth, I have ground rods at the bases of my antenna 
supports, at the antenna entrance panel, at my emergency generator, and 
at the electrical service entrance.  All of these rods are bonded 
together with  a no. 4 copper conductor, which has several other gound 
rods along its length.  When I moved in I noticed that the service 
entrance ground was just connected to a water pipe (!) so I installed a 
real ground rod at that point.

-- 
73,
Vic, K2VCO
Fresno CA
http://www.qsl.net/k2vco