In message , R.Wieser
writes:
John,

As he's reminded you in a later post, he did say "on the PSU".

I've read it. I didn't want to make a point of it.

I have, however, encountered PCs - I suppose I should really say PSUs -
where there _isn't_ a switch on the PSU itself.

Same here. Just counted: from 9 'puters here three do *not* have such PSU
switches. Thats one out of each three.

But even for the ones that do have them I would not make any bets on them to
work as expected. If there is anything I've picked up when learning to be
an electrician is that assumptions like that will get you killed. Or, in
this case, might kill your motherboard. Pulling the plug and removing
it from the workingspace makes *certain* the power is off, and isn't any

But does equally make *certain* that any earth connection it might have
contained is also broken. I would say "leave it plugged in but turn off
the power at the socket", but I'm aware that switched sockets, though
the norm in BS1363-land, are the exception elsewhere (EU, USA). [I'm
also under the impression that two-core - no earth - is commoner in the
USA, even where the connector at the PC end is the IEC320 that _does_
have an earth pin. I may be wrong there however.]

more difficult than using that (rather tiny and sometimes awkwardy placed)
switch. Than again, may'be I'm just a bit over-cautious. :-)

I think we're in agreement really.
[]
The "touch the metal frame" was considered always a good thing to do, even
when wearing an earthing wristband. Largely because those tended to bleed

I'd certainly do it. (Feeling better if knowing said chassis was also
earthed.)

the excess charge off rather slowly (forgot how many megs the series

1, usually, though only nominally (so ± 10% or even 20).

resistor exactly was), but also doing it automatically could save ones ass
when either forgetting to reconnect the earthing after grabbing a coffee or
simply when, on outside jobs, no earthing point or wristband was available.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser


--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Eve had an Apple, Adam had a Wang...