[BC] Any other staticides?

[Fee Lee]

When I was at Mutual Broadcasting, we had the same problem with static in 
Master Control.  We had antistatic mats where the Master Control operators 
sat, while this helped there was still a lot of static in the rest of master 
control.  We finally installed a large humidifier that hung on the wall and 
was connected to water and sewer lines.  It was basically a steam boiler 
that sent its output directly into an air stream.  The water in the DC area 
is very hard, but the humidifer would stop and flush itself down the drain 
every day or so.  Even so, every year I would have to take the thing apart 
and clean out the boiler to get all the minerals out of it.  The Master 
Control was so large that the humidifer ran all the time (it was a room that 
was roughly 30 by 40 feet).
                                      Fee Lee 

SHAFFER, RANDY L writes: 

> For some reason about three years ago we started noticing an increasing number of tape "hits". We finally determined due to the dry air in the winter months, there was a slight static discharge coming from the tape or the tape head which looked like a "hit" or dropout on the tape. It seemed silly at the time, but we installed a console room humidifier in MCR and the problem was greatly reduced. It is the operators job at the start of the shift to make sure the containers are filled. That seemed to solve the problem. If I start seeing dropouts, it is nearly always due to someone letting the humidifer go dry. Some people didn't think that a console unit would be large enough for such a large room, but it seems to be enough to work.
> I plan to add a second unit on the other side of the control room this year so that there is always one operating.
> We still have a problem with a certain director who wears a synthetic jacket and then discharges himself on the switcher. He claims he never had that problem at ESPN and wants us to install a mat discharge system for people to walk on when entering the control booth. I can't figure out how that would work if you are walking on it with sneakers or shoes. I'll have to do more research. 
> 
> Randy Shaffer
> WLYH-TV/WHP-TV
> Harrisburg, PA 17110 
> 
> 
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