Getting shocked by my Maxtor One Touch

JetspeedCamry · 6th November 2006, 2:09 PM

Hey ppl,

I have a problem with both my Maxtor One Touch external drives. These are the first ones with the silver alloy case and blue front panel. When touching either of the drives with one hand, and touching something else metal with the other..for example, my DSE amp or my laptop lid, i get a shock. Nothing major, but you can feel the tingling through both hands and your finger slowly gets achy.
I've tried to measure any voltage or frequency between it and something metal, and i get between 0.7 - 2V AC and between 45Hz and 2Khz. The readings fluctuate.
All the devices share the same power point as theres only one in the room.
The Maxtor One Touch units use plug packs.
Any idea whats going on? The shock is evident from both the units, so its not like only one is faulty.

Thanks for any help.

Deltoid · 6th November 2006, 2:19 PM

Try using a different power point (use an extension cord or something). It seems like your hard drives are using you to earth stray current. The plug in your wall should be doing that job (that is what the little prong on the bottom is for). So check it with another power point to see if that works.

dakiller · 6th November 2006, 2:26 PM

It's to do with the switchmode psu's use to power them, they arent grounded and you are making the ground connection when you touch them, and they are made cheap and there is small leakage current from switching noise and such created in them

I don't 100% know of the source but it isn't something to worry about too much

Deltoid · 6th November 2006, 2:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dakiller

snip

So no psu's are grounded? Or are you saying just some? I often leave the power cord plugged in (but the psu switched off) when working on my computer with the belief that this will earth static electricity.

Sureshot · 6th November 2006, 3:03 PM

The simple answer is to look at the plug that you are connecting.

If it's a normal 3 pin plug, then chances are good that it's earthed.

If it's just using the 2 pins, then there's no way the appliance can be earthed, as it has no connjection to the earth pin.

My guess is that your Maxtor units have plug-packs to change 240V AC to around 12V DC. They probably won't be earthed.

dakiller · 6th November 2006, 3:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deltoid

So no psu's are grounded? Or are you saying just some? I often leave the power cord plugged in (but the psu switched off) when working on my computer with the belief that this will earth static electricity.

I guess I could have put that in a better order
You have a cheap psu, and because of that its output isn't grounded properly/at all (this is the external psu powering just the external hard drive here, I don't think you ever find a real computer psu that isn't grounded)

JetspeedCamry · 6th November 2006, 3:47 PM

Ok, just check the plug..it has only 2 pins, there is no ground pin.
So is there any way of fixing this? I know its probobly not an issue, but its annoying that every time you touch it, you get zapped if you happen to knock something metal.

Looks like this:

But yea, 2 pin, Aussie style plug.

Deltoid · 6th November 2006, 3:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dakiller

I don't think you ever find a real computer psu that isn't grounded)

Ahh, gotcha. I misunderstood. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

AusKWiKsAnD · 6th November 2006, 7:19 PM

I get a similar effect with a lot of appliances which I always just put down to dodgy electrics in my current house.. But while I think about it, none of the devices in question have Earths (My old Compaq M700 Laptop, and my current Dell Latitude, both have metallic cases and do this, as well as a bunch of switches and other gear (Mostly Netgear).

What doesn't kill me can only make me HULKor!! err...

jomo · 7th November 2006, 4:37 PM

As everyone said its obviously not being grounded properly... noone decided to suggest ways to fix it however.

Perhaps take the grounding wire from another appliance and wire it to the case of your device? (You would need a certified electrician I'm sure)

That or just solder a wire to the case and run it out your window into the ground outside

AusKWiKsAnD · 7th November 2006, 5:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jomo

As everyone said its obviously not being grounded properly... noone decided to suggest ways to fix it however.

Perhaps take the grounding wire from another appliance and wire it to the case of your device? (You would need a certified electrician I'm sure)

That or just solder a wire to the case and run it out your window into the ground outside

Wait... So you're suggesting soldering a permanent wire to a portable device.

No thanks.. That's not a fix :P

Wako · 7th November 2006, 6:14 PM

Drill a hole in the case, and screw on the wire and then plug it into the ground outside.

That why you can unscrew it when you want it to be portable?

Or you could wire up a plug on the box, so you can plug a cord straight into the earth on the wall?

jomo · 7th November 2006, 6:59 PM

Probably better not to plug into the wall.

With the wire coming off the device (attached with a screw) it could then have like a magnet on the end and you just put it agaisnt the computer case..... the computer case is grounded thanks to the PSU and therefore the ground would be shared into the device.

Sounds like a good PORTABLE solution :P

JetspeedCamry · 8th November 2006, 7:56 AM

Any ideas that don't involve screwing into my beautiful alloy cases? :P

jomo · 8th November 2006, 8:03 AM

Not that I can see- your problem is obviously a lack of grounding.... i *suppose* you could just take the power adapter inside the case (molex) and wire one of the grounds into the casing somehow.... but no matter what you do that case needs grounding wires attached.........

6th November 2006, 2:09 PM	#1
JetspeedCamry Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 223	Getting shocked by my Maxtor One Touch Hey ppl, I have a problem with both my Maxtor One Touch external drives. These are the first ones with the silver alloy case and blue front panel. When touching either of the drives with one hand, and touching something else metal with the other..for example, my DSE amp or my laptop lid, i get a shock. Nothing major, but you can feel the tingling through both hands and your finger slowly gets achy. I've tried to measure any voltage or frequency between it and something metal, and i get between 0.7 - 2V AC and between 45Hz and 2Khz. The readings fluctuate. All the devices share the same power point as theres only one in the room. The Maxtor One Touch units use plug packs. Any idea whats going on? The shock is evident from both the units, so its not like only one is faulty. Thanks for any help.

6th November 2006, 2:19 PM	#2
Deltoid Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,476	Try using a different power point (use an extension cord or something). It seems like your hard drives are using you to earth stray current. The plug in your wall should be doing that job (that is what the little prong on the bottom is for). So check it with another power point to see if that works. __________________ PSN:Deltoid-

6th November 2006, 2:26 PM	#3
dakiller (Oscillating & Impeding) Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: SE Melb Posts: 6,210	It's to do with the switchmode psu's use to power them, they arent grounded and you are making the ground connection when you touch them, and they are made cheap and there is small leakage current from switching noise and such created in them I don't 100% know of the source but it isn't something to worry about too much __________________ In memory of Cheers Z

6th November 2006, 3:03 PM	#5
Sureshot Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,140	The simple answer is to look at the plug that you are connecting. If it's a normal 3 pin plug, then chances are good that it's earthed. If it's just using the 2 pins, then there's no way the appliance can be earthed, as it has no connjection to the earth pin. My guess is that your Maxtor units have plug-packs to change 240V AC to around 12V DC. They probably won't be earthed. __________________ Intel I5 2500K 4.5Ghz \| Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 \| 2 X ATi 5870 \| Corsair Series 3 120GB SSD 16 GB RAM \|Silverstone Raven RV01 \| Triple Eyefinity Dell 2405FPW \| Logitech G15

6th November 2006, 7:19 PM	#9
AusKWiKsAnD Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,676	I get a similar effect with a lot of appliances which I always just put down to dodgy electrics in my current house.. But while I think about it, none of the devices in question have Earths (My old Compaq M700 Laptop, and my current Dell Latitude, both have metallic cases and do this, as well as a bunch of switches and other gear (Mostly Netgear). What doesn't kill me can only make me HULKor!! err... __________________ Dell XPS 1530 Dell Vostro 1700 QNAP TS409Pro w/ 4x1.5TB in RAID5

6th November 2006, 3:47 PM	#7
JetspeedCamry Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 223	Ok, just check the plug..it has only 2 pins, there is no ground pin. So is there any way of fixing this? I know its probobly not an issue, but its annoying that every time you touch it, you get zapped if you happen to knock something metal. Looks like this: But yea, 2 pin, Aussie style plug.

7th November 2006, 4:37 PM	#10
jomo Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vermont, 3133 Posts: 167	As everyone said its obviously not being grounded properly... noone decided to suggest ways to fix it however. Perhaps take the grounding wire from another appliance and wire it to the case of your device? (You would need a certified electrician I'm sure) That or just solder a wire to the case and run it out your window into the ground outside

7th November 2006, 6:14 PM	#12
Wako Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 473	Drill a hole in the case, and screw on the wire and then plug it into the ground outside. That why you can unscrew it when you want it to be portable? Or you could wire up a plug on the box, so you can plug a cord straight into the earth on the wall?

7th November 2006, 6:59 PM	#13
jomo Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vermont, 3133 Posts: 167	Probably better not to plug into the wall. With the wire coming off the device (attached with a screw) it could then have like a magnet on the end and you just put it agaisnt the computer case..... the computer case is grounded thanks to the PSU and therefore the ground would be shared into the device. Sounds like a good PORTABLE solution :P

8th November 2006, 7:56 AM	#14
JetspeedCamry Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 223	Any ideas that don't involve screwing into my beautiful alloy cases? :P

8th November 2006, 8:03 AM	#15
jomo Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vermont, 3133 Posts: 167	Not that I can see- your problem is obviously a lack of grounding.... i suppose you could just take the power adapter inside the case (molex) and wire one of the grounds into the casing somehow.... but no matter what you do that case needs grounding wires attached.........