mp@allegra.UUCP (Mark Plotnick) (05/24/85)
A bunch of the non-smokers in our corridor have just received a shipment of Bionaire smoke filters. These machines contain both air filters and ion generators. I've read (perhaps in this newsgroup) that ion generators don't have any hazardous effects on humans (and in fact may make people feel better), but I seem to recall that they can cause plants to wilt and make certain types of plastics disintegrate in time (hopefully not as fast as the virus in The Andromeda Strain...). Anyway, would it be wise to move expensive machinery like Sun workstations, 3B2's, and plants out of our offices? Mark Plotnick allegra!mp
sunny@sun.uucp (Ms. Sunny Kirsten) (05/25/85)
Sun workstations (ANY CRT for that matter) *is* a negative ion generator. Therefore it is unlikely you need to protect it from other ion generators. When I touch with my finger the screen of my Sun 100U workstation, there is a crackle of discharge of static electricity between my finger and the screen. The reason for this is that every CRT works on the principle of beaming electrons from the cathode at the back of the CRT to the phosphor inside the screen, which means that the negatively charged electrons tend to charge the screen negatively, hence the screen becomes a generator of negative ions unless it is thoroughly grounded. Most CRT's have the cathode at a very high negative potential and the phosphor grounded to minimize this effect (as you wouldn't want to get a serious shock from the alternative arrangement of putting the cathode at ground potential and raising the screen to a large positive potential). The higher performance video monitors use a higher voltage and therefore tend to produce more screen charge. and X-rays. but you didn't mention those. Note also, that color CRTs use (typically) even higher voltages, and produce even more X-rays and screen charge. Naturally, the highest level of health threat to your body is sitting right in front of a color monitor, as in a Sun 160 workstation. Not that Sun workstations are any more or less this way than the equivalent products of any other manufacturer. These are *definitely* not in any way to be construed as statements of Sun Microsystems Inc, but are instead my own personal opinions, totally unsupported by *any* facts. Caveat Emptor. Penguins are roaming the streets. > A bunch of the non-smokers in our corridor have just received a > shipment of Bionaire smoke filters. These machines contain both air > filters and ion generators. I've read (perhaps in this newsgroup) that > ion generators don't have any hazardous effects on humans (and in fact > may make people feel better), but I seem to recall that they can cause > plants to wilt and make certain types of plastics disintegrate in time > (hopefully not as fast as the virus in The Andromeda Strain...). > Anyway, would it be wise to move expensive machinery like Sun > workstations, 3B2's, and plants out of our offices? > Mark Plotnick -- {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sun!sunny (Ms. Sunny Kirsten)
earlw@pesnta.UUCP (Earl Wallace ) (05/26/85)
I think your equipment is safe for a few years in the ion environment. After 3-4 years, the computers will be used as door stops anyway.
tsc2597@acf4.UUCP (Sam Chin) (05/27/85)
<> I've had a Bionare sitting next to my computer for 6 months now without any problems. I use it to prevent dust from entering the machine because it has a powerful fan. There are two problems with ion generators. The first is that they emit the poisonous gas ozone. Consumer Reports recently tested most of the air cleaners/ion generators (including 2 Bionare models) and found that they emitted no detectable ozone. The second problems is that they cause dust and dirt to stick to the wall thus discolouring it. Consumer Reports found that the passive ion generators (those with no built in fan) do indeed dirty walls but air cleaners with both fan/filters and ion generators such as the Bionare 1000 and 500 did not dirty any walls. They also top rated the Bionare 1000. Personally I find that the Bionare does indeed work and though it may be my imagination, I found the air in the room to be of a significantly fresher quality after installing the Bionare and especially during Winter when all the windows were closed. I heard hearsay that ion generators trash magnectic disks but not one of my disks has ever been affected by the Bionare. Sam Chin - tsc2597.acf4@nyu.ARPA or allegra!cmcl2!acf4!tsc2597
jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) (05/28/85)
See referenced article in net.flame.
--
Full-Name: J. Eric Roskos
UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer
US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC;
2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642
"V'q engure or n puvgva, jerfgyrq va n frrq bhgjbea,
Naq urne byq Rora, jvaqvat n fvyrag ubea."ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (05/28/85)
> A bunch of the non-smokers in our corridor have just received a > shipment of Bionaire smoke filters. These machines contain both air > filters and ion generators. I've read (perhaps in this newsgroup) that > ion generators don't have any hazardous effects on humans (and in fact > may make people feel better), but I seem to recall that they can cause > plants to wilt and make certain types of plastics disintegrate in time > (hopefully not as fast as the virus in The Andromeda Strain...). > Anyway, would it be wise to move expensive machinery like Sun > workstations, 3B2's, and plants out of our offices? > Mark Plotnick > allegra!mp If these ION generators spew ozone in the air, it is harmful to humans, houseplants, and anything made of organic compunds like rubber. They found this out in tire warehouses. -Ron
jdg@ncrcae.UUCP (Jim Griggers) (05/29/85)
In article <2221@sun.uucp> sunny@sun.uucp (Ms. Sunny Kirsten) writes: >Most CRT's have the >cathode at a very high negative potential and the phosphor grounded to >minimize this effect (as you wouldn't want to get a serious shock from the >alternative arrangement of putting the cathode at ground potential and >raising the screen to a large positive potential). As a EE with quite a bit of experience with CRT design, I have *never* seen the cathode put at a high negative potential while the anode is grounded. I think if you check, your SUN and other CRTs run a second anode potential at around 12kv to 20kv, with the cathode grounded (or near ground ). This makes the circuit design in driving the grids or cathode with video information much easier. Remember, there is about a quarter inch of glass between the phosphor an the front of the tube which is enough to prevent a shock hazard.
paul@dual.UUCP (Baker) (05/29/85)
While working at North Star a few years ago, a colleague brought in a negative ion generator. After this had been on for about half an hour, his terminal, a Soroc, would behave erratically. This was tried several times, always with the same results. > A bunch of the non-smokers in our corridor have just received a > shipment of Bionaire smoke filters. These machines contain both air > filters and ion generators. I've read (perhaps in this newsgroup) that > ion generators don't have any hazardous effects on humans (and in fact > may make people feel better), but I seem to recall that they can cause > plants to wilt and make certain types of plastics disintegrate in time > (hopefully not as fast as the virus in The Andromeda Strain...). > Anyway, would it be wise to move expensive machinery like Sun > workstations, 3B2's, and plants out of our offices? Paul Wilcox-Baker
tsc2597@acf4.UUCP (Sam Chin) (05/30/85)
<> Look at it this way. The smoke is worse for floppy disks. Sam Chin allegra!cmcl2!acf4!tsc2597
seifert@hammer.UUCP (Snoopy) (06/02/85)
In article <4147@allegra.UUCP> mp@allegra.UUCP (Mark Plotnick) writes: >A bunch of the non-smokers in our corridor have just received a >shipment of Bionaire smoke filters. These machines contain both air >filters and ion generators. I've read (perhaps in this newsgroup) that >ion generators don't have any hazardous effects on humans (and in fact >may make people feel better), but I seem to recall that they can cause >plants to wilt and make certain types of plastics disintegrate in time >(hopefully not as fast as the virus in The Andromeda Strain...). >Anyway, would it be wise to move expensive machinery like Sun >workstations, 3B2's, and plants out of our offices? > Mark Plotnick > allegra!mp Interesting. You are concerned about possible bad effects of air filters, but not of smoke? You know what a smoke particle can do to a disk drive? (Not to mention what they do to humans) Companies that are serious about the health of their employees don't allow smoking. Snoopy tektronix!mako!seifert ps Anyone sending flames about the "rights" of smokers to inflict carsinogens on nonsmokers, or about "sealed winis", will receive a free core dump by return mail.
paul@dual.UUCP (Baker) (06/03/85)
> As a EE with quite a bit of experience with CRT design, I have *never* seen > the cathode put at a high negative potential while the anode is grounded. > I think if you check, your SUN and other CRTs run a second anode potential > at around 12kv to 20kv, with the cathode grounded (or near ground ). This > makes the circuit design in driving the grids or cathode with video > information much easier. Remember, there is about a quarter inch of glass > between the phosphor an the front of the tube which is enough to prevent > a shock hazard. Many old Oscilloscopes were designed with the cathode at a negative potential. These were typical vacuum tube designs. The anode was connected to about 200 Volts, the supply for the rest of the circuitry. The deflection plates were connected to differential drivers. The cathode was connected to about -1kV. I made one of these in the dim and distant past. There is also a similar design in 1966 RCA receiving tube manual. I have, however, never seen a T.V. type display designed this way.
sunny@sun.uucp (Ms. Sunny Kirsten) (06/07/85)
> > As a EE with quite a bit of experience with CRT design, I have *never* seen > > the cathode put at a high negative potential while the anode is grounded. > > I think if you check, your SUN and other CRTs run a second anode potential > > at around 12kv to 20kv, with the cathode grounded (or near ground ). This > > makes the circuit design in driving the grids or cathode with video > > information much easier. Remember, there is about a quarter inch of glass > > between the phosphor an the front of the tube which is enough to prevent > > a shock hazard. > > Many old Oscilloscopes were designed with the cathode at a negative > potential. These were typical vacuum tube designs. The anode was > connected to about 200 Volts, the supply for the rest of the > circuitry. The deflection plates were connected to differential > drivers. The cathode was connected to about -1kV. I made one of these > in the dim and distant past. There is also a similar design in 1966 > RCA receiving tube manual. I have, however, never seen a T.V. type > display designed this way. Silly me, my Heath Tube Scope is exactly what I was thinking of as I originated this insanity about innards of monitor circuitry, and that certainly isn't the way most modern solid state monitors are built, just as the corrective articles previously indicated. Sunny -- {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sun!sunny (Ms. Sunny Kirsten)