Testing anti-static wrist strap

[Mike S.]

How would I go about testing an anti-static wrist strap to make sure
it works? Someone said to use a continuity tester, but when I tried
that with a basic, homemade tester, nothing happened. So I don't know
if I didn't do something right or if the strap is defective.

 

[Jasen Betts]

How would I go about testing an anti-static wrist strap to make sure
it works?

use a "megger" (or other insulation tester)

 

[Yukio YANO]

use a "megger" (or other insulation tester)

What are you proposing ?
Eliminating Dumb Posters ?

A warm human body should show less than 1 megohm at 1.5 volts
A typical "Megger" applies 5kv or 10kv to check insulation break-down !

Yukio YANO

 

[Baron]

What are you proposing ?
Eliminating Dumb Posters ?

A warm human body should show less than 1 megohm at 1.5 volts
A typical "Megger" applies 5kv or 10kv to check insulation break-down
!

Yukio YANO

I don't know where you got your "Megger" from ! But mine applies 500 or
1000 volts to the DUT.

 

[Fred Abse]

A typical "Megger" applies 5kv or 10kv to check insulation break-down !

Wrong!

A *typical* "Megger" applies either 500V or 1000V depending on model. The
source impedance is usually fairly high so that it's practically
non-lethal.

More sophisticated insulation testers, such as my Fluke, are switchable
from 50V through 1000V.

The correct applied voltage for insulation tests depends on the locally
applicable electrical code. I don't know of anywhere where it's more than
about twice the supply voltage.

What you are thinking of is an ionization tester, a completely different
animal. They do up to about 15kV, but will generally source only microamps.

I have a Hivolt unit, the size of an attache case that goes to 30kV. Now
that *is* nasty!

 

[David L. Jones]

How would I go about testing an anti-static wrist strap to make sure
it works? Someone said to use a continuity tester, but when I tried
that with a basic, homemade tester, nothing happened. So I don't know
if I didn't do something right or if the strap is defective.

It has a 1M ohm resistor in it.
So just measure between the metal pad under the wrist band and the end of
the lead. If it's not approx 1Mohm then it's dead.
You can also put it on and measure from the end of the lead to your hand,
you should get anywhere from 1Mohm to a few Mohms

Dave.

 

[Michael Robinson]

How would I go about testing an anti-static wrist strap to make sure
it works? Someone said to use a continuity tester, but when I tried
that with a basic, homemade tester, nothing happened. So I don't know
if I didn't do something right or if the strap is defective.

A basic tester like a light bulb or led will only show contnuity if the
resistance of the circuit under test is low enough to let the leb or bulb
light up. Your wrist strap has an impedance in the Megohm range, so it will
not flow enough current to light an led or incandescent bulb. You would
only get microamps and there's no way you would see any glow.
Just use a regular digital multimeter on the high resistance range. Use a
meter with a high resistance range of at least 2 megohms. Fortunately this
includes most meters, even ones that cost less than ten dollars.
If you don't have a DMM, get one!