Author Topic: Don't give me any of your STATIC, literally! (Read 11780 times)

shortrackskater · « **on:** July 01, 2014, 05:12:31 PM »

Ok I've collected enough slot machines and spare mains, clear chips, set chips, SP chips, ~~potato chips~~...
Some are in anti-static bags, some are pressed in the black foam, some are in the little tubes they came in, and some are just laying on my wood work bench on a piece of supposed anti static bag. I'm storing mpu boards and my spare Evo suitcase in plastic antistatic bags as well... I hope they are real. I read you can measure the continuity on your meter in micro-ohms?
I looked on ebay and found places selling anti static bags and foam. Then I went to a separate electronics forum and read that some of this sh*t is counterfeit! The black foam I found seems pricey and it's coming from China. Now I wonder if it's real?
The electronics forum says the "best" way to store chips are in those tubes. I can't find those easily BUT I did find a number of ebay vendors selling old 80's chips in tubes, and they're cheap! I'm tempted to just buy them for the tubes and toss the chips.

Any comments on chip storage? Have any of you made your own storage containers? Please comment with all your static!

cowboygames · « **Reply #1 on:** July 01, 2014, 06:06:03 PM »

I store mine the way you do, whatever's handy even if it's just a shelf in the closet. Never had a problem, knock on wood...

SolidSilver · « **Reply #2 on:** July 01, 2014, 11:17:14 PM »

Basically, you want a container or surface that is electrically conductive and will not accumulate a static charge.
Wherever it touches chip leads or the outside world, it acts as a conductor (short).
A sheet or box of steel works, as does wrapping them in aluminum foil.
Those chip tubes are merely ordinary plastic with a conductive coating (not unlike a soap film);
and the conductive foam is merely loaded with carbon to make it conductive and reduce static charge.

'Way way way back when, in building the very first electronic calculators, I received chips
from vendors in those familiar tubes, but made of aluminum: expensive, but conductive-coated plastic was still
just a concept.

shortrackskater · « **Reply #3 on:** July 03, 2014, 09:53:24 AM »

Thanks Cowboygames and the very elusive SolidSilver.

I'll have to poke around ebay for some of those aluminum tubes.

cyenergy · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2014, 05:13:58 PM »

yea grounding straps now days chips are more rugged than in the past i have noticed . I used to have to work with a ground strap and a ion blower on me also had to touch a device that buzzed if i was not dis charged this was secret millitary stuff .

Ron (r273) · « **Reply #5 on:** August 26, 2014, 07:51:02 AM »

Kind of late reply but I made up these for chip storage a few years ago. They hold 69 28 Pins or 55 40 Pins.
Have made others from Maple, Mahogany and Cedar.

CVslots · « **Reply #6 on:** August 26, 2014, 08:36:47 AM »

Wow Ron! I wish i was one of your EPROMs! Those are pretty fancy digs! And I thought I was being nice to ours by rounding them up and putting them in plastic bins...

We've never actually had a chip get erased or corrupt from exposure. Most of ours die from physical ailments (broken legs or broken backs). Last year, I had "helped" Darrell look for an EPROM he had knocked off the bench and lost somehow. We gave up, it was no where to be found. Later I went to remove what I thought was tape off the bottom of my boot, only to find the EPROM stuck flat to the sole!

We uncurled it's little legs, stuck it back in the game, and it worked just fine...

cowboygames · « **Reply #7 on:** August 26, 2014, 09:35:06 AM »

So do you sell those Ron?

shortrackskater · « **Reply #8 on:** August 26, 2014, 09:45:30 AM »

These look perfect.
Hmmm since I started the topic, can I order one in ceder?

Those really are nice though. Thanks for posting.

Ron (r273) · « **Reply #9 on:** August 27, 2014, 06:27:57 AM »

Sorry everybody, these were made back in 09 and I gave them away to the guys at Chicagoland show. I made a few in other woods after that but I use them. I have not made any for years.

coorslight115 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 03, 2014, 08:17:23 AM »

Quote from: shortrackskater on July 01, 2014, 05:12:31 PM

Ok I've collected enough slot machines and spare mains, clear chips, set chips, SP chips, ~~potato chips~~...
Some are in anti-static bags, some are pressed in the black foam, some are in the little tubes they came in, and some are just laying on my wood work bench on a piece of supposed anti static bag. I'm storing mpu boards and my spare Evo suitcase in plastic antistatic bags as well... I hope they are real. I read you can measure the continuity on your meter in micro-ohms?
I looked on ebay and found places selling anti static bags and foam. Then I went to a separate electronics forum and read that some of this sh*t is counterfeit! The black foam I found seems pricey and it's coming from China. Now I wonder if it's real?
The electronics forum says the "best" way to store chips are in those tubes. I can't find those easily BUT I did find a number of ebay vendors selling old 80's chips in tubes, and they're cheap! I'm tempted to just buy them for the tubes and toss the chips.

Any comments on chip storage? Have any of you made your own storage containers? Please comment with all your static!

Just cover the shipping and I will send you all the clear eprom storage tubes you need. Have tons of them.

channelmaniac · « **Reply #11 on:** September 17, 2014, 02:23:46 PM »

Just DO NOT use black foam for the stuff you want to keep long term. It WILL deteriorate over time and corrode the pins of the chips away to nothing.

shortrackskater · « **Reply #12 on:** June 30, 2015, 04:19:30 PM »

Hmmm I've got some in my nice wood case (thanks again Ron r273). Some are "plugged in" to styrofoam and some in that black foam that I thought was the good stuff... Should I remove them from that? Some of it looks high quality. I've never heard of it doing this but I don't want my cherished eproms to die!

CVslots · « **Reply #13 on:** June 30, 2015, 05:39:27 PM »

You should just get them in the plastic EPROM tubes, AFTER they are backed up and saved.

Ron (r273) · « **Reply #14 on:** July 01, 2015, 08:30:35 AM »

Quote from: shortrackskater on June 30, 2015, 04:19:30 PM

Hmmm I've got some in my nice wood case (thanks again Ron r273). Some are "plugged in" to styrofoam and some in that black foam that I thought was the good stuff... Should I remove them from that? Some of it looks high quality. I've never heard of it doing this but I don't want my cherished eproms to die!

Stick with the white Styrofoam like they sell at Hobby Lobby in sheets. They sell different thickness, I used 1/4". Styrofoam is the course stiff material similar to the material
they use to support dried flowers.

I think that black is different and can corrode EPROMS over time.

shortrackskater · « **Reply #15 on:** July 01, 2015, 08:50:36 AM »

I am electrified at these responses!

Thanks Roz and Ron!

Krusher · « **Reply #16 on:** July 02, 2015, 03:20:04 PM »

A dark drawer in my workshop. Went to home depot got some of that white foam / insulation for the outside of a house etc (can find smaller sheets). Spray glue and wrapped it with aluminum foil. Made it the size of the bottom of the drawer. Stuck chips on it. Cheap and never had a issue with a single chip. Only regret about it I forgot it when my ex and I broke up. I'm sure she just threw em out.

shortrackskater · « **Reply #17 on:** July 10, 2015, 04:08:12 PM »

Can you go back and get them???

Thanks for the info.

Shaggy · « **Reply #18 on:** July 10, 2015, 04:53:32 PM »

Quote from: shortrackskater on July 10, 2015, 04:08:12 PM

Can you go back and get them???
Thanks for the info.

Yeah let us know how that works out for you.

Krusher · « **Reply #19 on:** August 19, 2015, 11:18:39 PM »

Quote from: shortrackskater on July 10, 2015, 04:08:12 PM

Can you go back and get them???
Thanks for the info.

Lol I so wish...
Lot of stuff lost with the break up some come to find out virtually impossible to replace.

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Author Topic: Don't give me any of your STATIC, literally! (Read 11780 times)