Hi.

>
> Miguel Morillo wrote:
> >
> > Is properly grounding hardware only important in cold, dry countries?
>
> Temperature and humidity can affect levels of static electricity which
> needs a good ground in order to be discharged.  But temperature and
> humidity have nothing to do with the need to ground equipment.
>
> If your equipment uses a three-prong plug, then it is properly
> grounded to the house/office wiring system.  Next you need to
> make sure the house/office is properly grounded.  To do this,
> you need to go outside and locate the electrical service entrance
> (the electric meter).  Somewhere in the immediate area you should be
> able to see a single heavy solid wire (sometimes bare copper, sometimes
> green) that is attached to a metal (copper) pole in the ground.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> An alternate method that is allowed in some areas is to attach
> the wire to a metal water pipe.  This will work also -- as long as
> there are no sections of plastic pipe between the wire and the earth.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> --
> Jim Meagher

        Attaching the wire to a water pipe I think is a dangerous solution.
If there is insulance, or any problem, and there is a high voltage
causing current flow to real ground, and somebody in between touches the
pipe, he can be fried. Don't do that at home: you can fry a neighbour!

************************************
Javier Vizcaino. Ability Electronics. [log in to unmask]

Starting point:        (-1)^(-1) = -1
Applying logarithms: (-1)*ln(-1) = ln(-1)
Since ln(-1) <> 0, dividing:  -1 = 1
     (ln(-1) is complex, but exists)