[Elecraft] Static mat repair?

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Michael VE3TIX asked:

What protections would you recommend a hobbyist take to ensure low/less risk
of ESD in the usual home ham shack?

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Here are the recommendations from Elecraft:

Preventing Electrostatic Discharge Damage

Your (kit) uses integrated circuits and transistors that can be
damaged by electrostatic discharge (ESD). Problems caused by ESD can
be difficult to troubleshoot because components may be degraded but still
operating, rather than fail completely.

To avoid such problems, simply touch an unpainted, grounded metal
surface before handling any such components and occasionally as you
build, especially after moving about.

For maximum protection, we recommend you take the following antistatic
precautions (listed in order of importance):

1. Leave ESD-sensitive parts in their antistatic packaging until you
install them. The packaging may be a special bag, other container
or the leads may be inserted in conductive foam. 

2. Touch an unpainted metal ground before handling any sensitive
parts or wear a conductive wrist strap with a series 1 megohm
resistor. DO NOT attach yourself directly to a ground as this
poses a serious shock hazard.

3. Make sure your soldering iron has a grounded tip.

4. Use an antistatic mat on your work bench.

Check the first part of any Elecraft assembly manual for a host of good
information on successful kit building.

>From my experience, if you, as a minimum, use a grounded-tip soldering iron
and touch an unpainted metal ground regularly as you work, you'll be fine.
The mat and wrist strap are great for when you forget to touch the ground
regularly. I use them for just that reason. 

I wince when I read about people using Styrofoam (TM) containers (egg
cartons, cups, etc.) for parts. While they won't hurt a resistor or a
capacitor, they can be huge static collectors. Just try to peel all those
Styrofoam peanuts off of your clothes once they jump out of the box! 

Ron AC7AC