MarcelC 5 Posted November 10, 2006 Winter is coming and that means (at least for some of us) drier weather which can lead to static electricity. Running the heater can also dry up the air in your home so even if you live in an area that is humid you may still have a statically charged environment. ESD or electro static discharge can damage sensitive electronic parts. To learn more about this subject visit this web link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_discharge The point of all this is that it?s important to make sure you set up the ground wire on your plotter. The plotter itself is grounded out by the third prong in the electrical power cord, but the stand can still build up static. The ground wire that comes with the plotter is designed to reduce static buildup in the stand. There is a connector on the underside of the plotter to connect one end of the ground cable, and you can connect the other end to any metal part of the stand. See the picture below for a visual of the ground connection on the plotter. Secondly, I?d like to recommend that everyone plug their plotter into a surge protector. It?s very common to have power dips and spikes in your electrical current which can happen anytime, not just during thunderstorms. These power fluctuations can damage electronic equipment. You can buy a good surge protector at most computer stores. I?d recommend asking to speak with someone who can explain the different aspects of the products such as joule ratings, equipment insurance, design, phone protection, safety precautions, etc. Typically you can get a good surge protector in the 20-30 dollar range. Last I?d like to remind everyone to NOT move the carriage on the plotter by hand. You can change the origin of the blade by pressing the offline button on the plotter, then the left right arrows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
