[Elecraft] Conception of a K2

[Leigh L Klotz, Jr.]

I buolt a cute circuit with a 2n7000 from an idea I saw at the Maker 
Faire..  It is an E field probe: you can light up (or extinguish, 
depending on your charge polarity) an LED with the proximity of your 
finger from half a foot.

It can be very instructive in seeing where you have static, and how far 
away the 2N7000 can tell, and (eventually) what will and won't blow 
it.	

I put a link to this, and a copy of Wayne N6KR's note on handling the 
2N7000, onto Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2N7000

Leigh/WA5ZNU
On Tue, 14 Aug 2007 8:57 am, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:
> Perhaps it deserves saying the obvious: DO NOT USE FOAM CONTAINERS FOR
> ELECTRONIC PARTS!! (Unless, perhaps, you're working with vacuum tubes 
> <G>)
>
> Expanded foam in any form is a wonderful static generator. It doesn't 
> take
> enough static to see or feel a spark to destroy parts, only enough to 
> exceed
> the part's operating voltages (especially insulation breakdown 
> voltage).
> That is often well below that at which a human is even aware there is a
> static charge present.
>
> I suppose one might argue that keeping the leads of sensitive parts 
> stuck in
> the conductive foam protects them, but I tend to be conservative. It's 
> bad
> enough troubleshooting to find a defective part when power is first 
> applied,
> but static-damaged parts sometimes still work, somewhat, so the rig 
> just
> doesn't meet normal specs and the operator may be completely unaware of 
> it.
> And then the part may fail prematurely at some later date (just as 
> you're
> calling that rare DX you need or about to start a contest session).