You are not my amp tech, but maybe you can help me diagnose the source of a strange noise on a brand new guitar amp. [more inside]
posted by uncleozzy on Nov 5, 2009 - 6 answers

Speaker noise when metal USB plug touches my computer case and other electrical problems. [more inside]
posted by archagon on Nov 1, 2009 - 8 answers

My fiancee and I were just now woken up by the sound of a large explosion right in our bedroom. Almost like a gunshot but not quite that loud. And I think I saw a flash of light. Both seemed to come from near the ceiling by the door. I turned on one of the lights but there's no residue I can see from anything. Nothing seems to be broken in terms of lights or circuits. Was it some kind of giant static discharge? [more inside]
posted by kmz on Oct 16, 2009 - 30 answers

Would a faraday cage protect sensetive electronic equipment from ambiant static electricty during a lightning storm?
posted by 1joseywales on Sep 16, 2009 - 8 answers

In order to fix a malfunctioning printer we have been told to unplug it and hold down the power button for one minute to release static. Are we being punked? [more inside]
posted by Tallguy on Aug 18, 2009 - 7 answers

Will I completely ruin my hard drive if I don't store it in an anti-static bag? [more inside]
posted by pemberkins on Jul 14, 2009 - 22 answers

What causes electronics to stop working when exposed to static electricity or water? (with misc electronics questions) [more inside]
posted by laptolain on Apr 3, 2009 - 17 answers

I need some help diagnosing a problem static linking a C++ program using g++. It compiles and runs just fine without "-static", but I get all sorts of "undefined references" errors when I use "-static". I'm a C++ novice and am at a loss. Can anyone throw me a bone? [more inside]
posted by duoshao on Mar 26, 2009 - 9 answers

Plugging in an external monitor to my Macbook Pro kills the audio. What's up with that? And is there a solution that does not involve an expensive USB audio product? [more inside]
posted by larsks on Feb 16, 2009 - 9 answers

Is it possible to use Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition to create a simple website and to then easily convert the site to plain html? [more inside]
posted by therubettes on Jan 14, 2009 - 3 answers

How can I ground a large roll of plastic wrap to prevent static electric shocks when unrolling it? [more inside]
posted by attercoppe on Sep 25, 2008 - 7 answers

Why does my cellular phone cause my home stereo speakers to make strange noises? Sometimes it happens when a call is about to come in, but mostly it just happens periodically for seemingly no reason. It sounds like strange beepy static and it happpens much more frequently now that I switched to an iPhone. Is there a way to stop this besides throwing my iPhone across the room?
posted by minicloud on Mar 29, 2008 - 11 answers

Help me clear up my understanding of how to ground myself when working on my computer. [more inside]
posted by GleepGlop on Feb 28, 2008 - 14 answers

Can I really wash my hair less? [more inside]
posted by sian on Feb 22, 2008 - 30 answers

I have an old bose acoustic wave radio serving as my PC speakers. Powered but not connected to the computer the speakers produce a gentle hissing. When plugged in (via a 3.5mm to RCA cable) I hear noisy static -- not pure white noise, far more annoying -- and an intermittent whine that changes pitch depending on what's going on in the computer. For example, if the processor is under greater than 30% load all the noises go away. This does not happen with headphones so I think it is some combination of noise in the computer circuits and the amp built into the radio. My question is how do I make it stop? [more inside]
posted by Grod on Feb 16, 2008 - 11 answers

What factors affect my XM radio's reception? [more inside]
posted by Ms. Saint on Oct 4, 2007 - 11 answers

Can you make your own Colorforms? I need to assess some different ways of affixing small things onto large things and then easily removing them. [more inside]
posted by blueshammer on Jul 12, 2007 - 10 answers

My PC's speakers have learned a new trick: they randomly start outputting loud, constant static for long periods of time. Why are they doing this, and more importantly, how can I stop it? [more inside]
posted by phaded on Apr 21, 2007 - 12 answers

Static electricity fried my PC. How do I prevent it from happening again? [more inside]
posted by mkn on Apr 12, 2007 - 2 answers

Electronics filter: When I connect Dishnetwork straight to my television, the picture is flickery and unwatchable. When I run it through my old VCR first, it's fine. [more inside]
posted by Pater Aletheias on Feb 12, 2007 - 7 answers

static electricity problem: Comfy new office chair (on carpet) gives me strong static charge. My metal computer desk does not like this. Help me stop getting shocked.
posted by donmayo on Feb 4, 2007 - 9 answers

What's the name of the condition for people who for some reason are highly susceptible to passing on electrical current to things like computers and other electronics, leading to strange problems with said devices? [more inside]
posted by wubbie on Jan 19, 2007 - 41 answers

I recently received a static or electric shock from a slice of bread and I am curious how this happened. [more inside]
posted by crystaleden on Jan 10, 2007 - 6 answers

How can I prevent/elminate static cling without dryer sheets? [more inside]
posted by gregoryc on Dec 27, 2006 - 13 answers

OK this might seem really silly but I'm having a static electricity problem and it's driving me insane. I don't seem to be able to go shopping anymore without getting loud painful zaps when I touch the shelving or even tins of food or anything with a foil cover, not to mention the shopping trolley. I'm sure this would be funny if it weren't so painful. It hapens when I'm driving too as soon as I step out of the car ZAP. It doesn't seem to matter what I'm wearing, if my hair is dry or wet....the weather..nothing. It's really making life a bit miserable...Any solutions?
posted by Civa on Nov 27, 2006 - 28 answers

How can I prevent static build up on (lined) wool pants? [more inside]
posted by dilettante on Nov 27, 2006 - 7 answers

How do I best convert borrowed valuable audiotapes into a hiss and static reduced output? [more inside]
posted by Izzmeister on Sep 26, 2006 - 7 answers

My phones have issues. Should I pay more for a cordless and a regular phone since I have DSL in my home? [more inside]
posted by miltoncat on Sep 1, 2006 - 12 answers

Occasionally, when standing up too quickly, or just for the helluvit my senses get overwhelmed with what I can only call brain static. What the hell, neurology? [more inside]
posted by TwelveTwo on Aug 12, 2006 - 29 answers

How can I harvest data from static HTML pages? [more inside]
posted by mezzanayne on Jul 24, 2006 - 13 answers

Why do I get an extreme amount of static on my TV when I have my computer connected to it? [more inside]
posted by aeighty on Jul 7, 2006 - 20 answers

Why are some of my cable channels covered in snow, while others are perfectly fine? [more inside]
posted by geeky on Feb 7, 2006 - 17 answers

How do I clean up a voice recording? [more inside]
posted by blue_beetle on Dec 21, 2005 - 19 answers

Is there any way to recharge electrostatic vinyl cling decals? You know, the kind that stick to glass without adhesive.
posted by jjg on Dec 5, 2005 - 4 answers

Why do I frequently hear static on hold? It doesn't happen every time, but enough that I think there's a reason behind this phenomenon. [more inside]
posted by revgeorge on Oct 4, 2005 - 9 answers

I want to setup a Windows 2003 server using my dynamic IP address that I have from Comcast. How can I make this happen? I have a linksys Gateway (WCG200) that has the server and a few other computers connected to it. I am trying to setup a small server for my printing/web hosting/file sharing/remote access needs. I need to see how to setup my DNS & DHCP settings for this to happen. Also I have my own domain name which I would like to use. Can I use programs from companies like no-ip.com to setup my web site so if anyone types my registered domain it will find my site? Remember that I will be using a dynamic address. Or the last straw is to get a static IP address. Where can I do so(for the cheapest price)?
posted by nserrano on Sep 28, 2005 - 7 answers

I need to convert several dynamic websites (database driven and templated) into static ones so that they can put on a CD. [more inside]
posted by Hartster on Feb 24, 2005 - 13 answers

Recently, when my wife gets out of the passenger side of our car, she gets a little shock when she goes to close the door. Why is this happening, and what can we do to make it stop?
posted by Quartermass on Dec 17, 2004 - 22 answers

iTunes problem: I get a lot of intermittent static-y, crackling sounds when I play certain tracks in iTunes. The same track, played at the same volume in Winamp does not give me such problems. This seems to happen with about 1 in 10 files. What causes this and what can I do to fix it?
posted by skwm on Dec 14, 2004 - 6 answers

Television repair question: My TV displays everything in fuzzy black and white, and the audio is just static. [MI] [more inside]
posted by stopgap on Sep 7, 2004 - 2 answers

I need some help with a Netscreen FR114P Firewall. The problem I'm having is that I can't get it to work with fixed IP's. More inside... [more inside]
posted by trbrts on May 7, 2004 - 0 answers

Carpets in new home are producing tremendous amounts of static and lots of sparks. What are good solutions to reduce the static to protect computers and other electronic equipment? Ideally, the solution would reduce the static across the entire house, as trying to protect each piece of equipment with an anti-static mat or some such would quickly become cost prohibitive.
posted by rushmc on Jan 31, 2004 - 10 answers

In Windows XP is there any way to do a quick switch between DHCP and a given IP address? My home network connection uses DHCP - my work uses static. I've tried different hardware profiles with no success.
posted by LukeyBoy on Jan 21, 2004 - 5 answers