Anti-static bags

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Lyrids

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 19, 2004
Messages
320
I'm sending my motherboard back to it's manufacturer in California this Monday for an RMA and I have all of the original packaging that it came in except for the ESD bag. I looked through all the boxes in my closet and went to a whole bunch of stores (Staples, Kinkos, and a shipping outlet) and none of them knew where I could get one. What do I do?
 
Go to your local computer repair shop and buy one. Best Buy might even part with one, for a fee of course.
 
Thanks for the link but that website requires that I order the bags by the carton (1,000 bags). Unless you want to start a mini retail outlet that specializes in anti-static bags I'm not too interested ;)
 
Lyrids said:
Thanks for the link but that website requires that I order the bags by the carton (1,000 bags). Unless you want to start a mini retail outlet that specializes in anti-static bags I'm not too interested ;)
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Not really, you could request a "free" sample of the size bag you need. :)

Just don't abuse their kindness.
 
Wrap it in aluminum foil with the edges double folded over. If you are lucky, the manufacturere will know the ESD protection afforded by doing this is actually superior to anti-static bags. But then the manufacturer could be anal retentive and refuse to accept he RMA under warranty because you did not return the original packaging.
 
Aluminum foil? That would be a VERY bad idea. DO NOT do this unless you want to void your warranty.

Aluminum foil does NOT prevetn ESD. It TRANSFERS ESD to the device. Please read my ESD post int he electronics forum.

In order to protect from ESD, you need a semi-conductor, NOT a conductor (aluminum, steel, copper, etc...), nor insulator (cloth, wood, styrofoam, etc...).

ESD bag are NOT conductive from outside to inside. They DO have a metallic coating applied to them that SURROUNDS the bag. The bag is not metal. It has a metal coating on it. The center layer is usually a semiconductor, which SLOWLY transfers electricity. Then the inside layer is also a coated with a metallic coating.
 
SarverSystems said:
Aluminum foil? That would be a VERY bad idea. DO NOT do this unless you want to void your warranty.

Aluminum foil does NOT prevetn ESD. It TRANSFERS ESD to the device. Please read my ESD post int he electronics forum.
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It actually works very well. Yes, touching the aluminum foil with MOBO sealed inside may charge the whole thing up to 10,000 volts. But because the MOBO is sealed inside a highly conductive metal enclosure, there is no discharge path to ground through the MOBO. So it won't get zapped.

I would be happy to argue the point if you too hold an electrical engineering degree.
 
Frank4d said:
It actually works very well. Yes, touching the aluminum foil with MOBO sealed inside may charge the whole thing up to 10,000 volts. But because the MOBO is sealed inside a highly conductive metal enclosure, there is no discharge path to ground through the MOBO. So it won't get zapped.

I would be happy to argue the point if you too hold an electrical engineering degree.
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Yeah, it's called a Faraday cage. And because electricity travels on the surface of a conductor , not through it, electrical charges cannot touch the motherboard. Thatis is assuming the foil is sealed on all the edges.
 
If aluminum foil made a good ESD prevention device, then we'd be using aluminum foil for all of our ESD sensitive devices.

Aluminum foil is much cheaper than ESD bags.

It really doesn't matter in the end for this particular case since the motherboard is already not working.
 
SarverSystems said:
If aluminum foil made a good ESD prevention device, then we'd be using aluminum foil for all of our ESD sensitive devices.

Aluminum foil is much cheaper than ESD bags.

It really doesn't matter in the end for this particular case since the motherboard is already not working.
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it's not quit as durable as plastic.One little snag on a memory clip or on the underside and you've got a hole in the foil. Then it's ESD protection goes down the shitter.
 
Visit your local mom and pop shop and ask them for one. I save them here at work (for a rainy day). I'm sure most places do too...
 
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