Zerostat anti-static gun

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Craig Spiegel, Sep 14, 2017.

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  1. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Huh???
     
  2. Spin Doctor

    Spin Doctor Forum Resident

    LOL, it's something I remember reading in the manual years ago (the original one from 1983). Sounds counter intuitive apparently. Anyway, I'm not gonna look it up or try to explain it since this gadget is causing many head explosions and the slightest mention of anything results in mental trauma.

    The whole "how does this thing work" dynamic is kinda WTF at this point.
     
  3. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA
    Sure but do you really want to play your record wet and expose your valuable cartridge(s) to moisture they were not designed to work with? Not to mention possibly promoting fungus and mold growth on the record and album covers if there is leftover moisture left on them?
     
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  4. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Don't be silly, the worth thing that can happen to you is you get electrocuted.
     
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  5. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA
    That would have to be a lot of water mate, in which case you better be wearing your wellies. :)
     
  6. Marcev

    Marcev Sit back, Relax, and Enjoy the Music

    Location:
    New York
    There has been so much debate on this on various sites on the value of the click. I’ve kind of followed the click is bad school of thought For years but the actual instructions for the current Zero stat say nothing about it.
     
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  7. PB Point

    PB Point Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Diego
    I’m sorta qualified to answer the instruction question. I just bought one and this is what it says on the back of the box in 2019. No instructions inside

    “Hold the Milty Pro Zerostat about 300mm (12 inches) away from the object. Squeeze the trigger slowly; apowerful stream of positive ions projects over a spread about 400mm (16 inches). Release it slowly, and negative ions are produced. Zerostat lasts for at least 50,000 trigger operations, and requires no power supply, batteries, or refills.

    “The Ion-Indicator

    This test device has been included to indicate that there is a release of ions when the Milty Pro Zerostat 3 is in use. Insert the ion-indicator in the nose of the Zerostat and then slowly squeeze the release trigger. The neon tube gently glows. NB: This effect is improved if the foam covered end of the ion-indicator is held against a domestic water pipe, radiator, or any metal object connected to earth. The ion-indicator should be removed when using the Zerostat for normal operation.”
     
  8. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    My current version of the Z gun is the silver metal nicer one. But it’s missing the ion-indicator accessory. But I think I think I still have an old ion-indicator from the cheap red one I owned in 1983, and it’s at the bottom of a stack of boxes in a difficult area to access inba storage room.... I think.

    I should just dig in to those boxes and find that darn thing. My life would be more complete with it attached to the Z gun and it’s fancy clear case holder thing.
     
  9. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA
    Silver Metal "nicer" one? So what makes this "nicer' than the original Red Gun which was a well-built unit that first came out in the 70's? I have 2 of the original red guns and they last forever unlike the newer Blue Milty 3 which gets mixed reviews for reliability.
     
  10. Ripblade

    Ripblade Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Six
    I thought the original ones were white? The first one I had back in the '70s was white. It disappeared....somewhere. Replaced it with the shiny red one which I still have, but it's hit the floor so many times the trigger is wonky. Still works, though. Also have one of the later red Miltys for downstairs. They last a very long time....if they don't pick up legs and walk away...
     
  11. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA
    The clicking is arcing inside the unit which does not damage it but just diminishes the effectiveness.

    Here are the instructions on the box

    [​IMG]
     
  12. Spin Doctor

    Spin Doctor Forum Resident

    ^
    Yep this is it. I think that after having used my device for 35+ years, the take away is: "Just squeeze the thing slowly and and try not to go prematurely grey over it..."
     
  13. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA
    Not 100% sure Rip but I always was under the impression the originals were red like the one I bought in the mid 70's but could have been the white ones.
     
  14. quicksrt

    quicksrt Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    There is a much stronger version than the cheap ted plastic - I guess nobody has owned the metal casing version of it. I’ll post pics when I get a chance.

    Metal vs plastic is what makes it better!

    Has anyone seen the big DiscWasher deluxe kit? You know with the cleaning fluid, brush and the Z gun in a lovely hard plastic clear case case? No? That is where I got the nicer sturdier gun included.
     
  15. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA
    Metal does not necessarily make it better as it is the internal mechanicals that actually do the job that count not the enclosure but would like to see a pix of your gun as I was not aware Zerostat made a metal body gun. My vintage Red plastic body guns from the 70's are well made and have never failed to do the job even with extensive use. From what I read the newer blue body Milty's have a spotty reliability record so that is why I bought a second red gun off of ebay as a backup.

    And Yes I have seen the Deluxe DW kit. In fact, this one, purchased off eBay, sits right next to my turntable as I type this. Even came with the little neon test bulb, lower right corner with the leads sticking up, which is rare as they tend to get lost through the ages.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2019
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  16. Marcev

    Marcev Sit back, Relax, and Enjoy the Music

    Location:
    New York
    Thank you @classicrocker ! I have never seen an actual instruction sheet from a Dishwasher Zerostat, only from the current one... Least I know where the procedure came from. (EDIT: Noticed your last post, I have the same kit)
     
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  17. Living in a semi-arid climate, I've especially had problems with static electricity build-up on records made of vinyl. The higher quality the vinyl the record is made of, the more problems with static electricity I have. Records made of shellac or polystyrene don't seem to cause me many problems. Wet-cleaning a record seems to help, but unless you keep, clean and play your records in a dust-free clean room, dust in the air will still be drawn to a vinyl record like a magnet. Using my VPI RCM has provided me with great help.
    Often, I use one of those generic carbon fiber cleaning brushes with the metal handle that come with many different names on them to do a quick dusting. This causes so much static electricity that a heavy cork/rubber mat sticks to it and has to be pealed off the record. Sometimes if the mat stays put, static electricity will crackle as I lift the record.
    So, to the point, I finally broke down and bought a new Milty Zerostat 3 anti-static gun. It does work, but it is not an instant fix. It doesn't come with very good instructions how to use it, so I've been trying what others have suggested. The best method I've found is to point the gun at 3 different positions, like a triangle, and a final slow pull and release at the spindle. I have had to do this 2 to 3 times to neutralize the static electricity.
    Here is an example. I recently bought the 2LP 50th Anniversary version of King Crimson's "In The Court Of The Crimson King". It shows to have been press in the E.U., but I don't see any identifying to show who. This is supposed to be a 200g pressing but is more like 180g. They have a flat profile like Classic Records used to do and I have seen Pallas do. These are very high-quality pressings. Right out of the inner sleeves, they didn't seem to have a static electrical charge. After using the carbon fiber brush to remove manufacturing contaminants from the records surfaces with 2 revolutions, when I tried to lift the record, the mat was stuck to it. Sitting it back down, I used the anti-static gun at the 4 points. Lifting the record, the mat stayed put but the static electricity crackled. Sitting the record back down and shooting it at 4 points again removed most of the remaining static electricity but it took a third time to complete the job. With thinner LP's, 2 cycles will do it. If cleaned on my VPI RCM I don't often have to use the anti-static gun. With 7" 45's made of vinyl, after using the carbon fiber brush, only one 3-point zap is necessary.
    Yep, The Milty Zerostat 3 is useful, but I wish I'd bought one years ago when they were only around $20. and before they were made in China.
     
  18. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    I have this set minus a few items...how long will the red gun last?
     
  19. classicrocker

    classicrocker Life is good!

    Location:
    Worcester, MA, USA
    For the vintage 1970's red body gun they claim 10K cycles so it depends how often you use it.

    If you do three pulls per LP it depends how often you play vinyl but you can do the math.

    Based on reviews and feedback here I have my doubts the new Chinese made blue body Milty version will last that long. I bought 2-1970 vintage red body guns off of eBay which looked lightly used so I should be good for years as I don't play vinyl and more than a few days a week
     
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2019
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  20. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    thanks...
     
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  21. Victor Martell

    Victor Martell Forum Resident

    Apologies for resurrecting an old thread - thinking is better than to create a new one - that way the info will be concentrated in one place.

    So just got a brand new Zerostat - my question is re: damage to MM cartridges. There are a couple of posts from the beginning of the thread, indicating that is possible. Wanted to confirm if the risk is kind of in general, like, don't use it in the same room as your MM cartridge or more like, "well, dummy, just don't point it at your cartridge and zap it" kind of possibility...

    Thanks in advance

    v
     
  22. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    I have an orignal zerostat. I always put the record on the platter, and held the gun above the spindle pointing downwards. Never had any problem with a cartridge.

    That's not to say that pointing the gun at the cartridge from half an inch away won't cause problems - I don't know, because I've never tried, I try to use devices according to the directions for use, but I am aware that there are people who do stupid things and blame the equipment, not themselves.
     
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  23. Nielsoe

    Nielsoe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Aalborg, Denmark
    In my experience the best way to use the Zerostat is to hold the record in one hand while operating the Zerostat with the other hand. I don’t know about the MM issue, but this should eliminate it anyway.
     
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  24. I can't imagine how a Zerostat gun could possibly damage a MM cartridge. I have aimed mine at an MM cartridge to make sure that the gun is still working. A magnetic cartridge creates electricity, just like an electrical generator, moving a magnet across a coil. As a stylus runs through a record groove, the friction creates static electricity and that doesn't damage a cartridge either.
     
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  25. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    I'm still trying to work out were the KC vinyl is pressed along with XTC vinyl. Both cut at Loud Mastering Taunton and many by the late John Dent. The give away is these are the only pressings that come with the inner sleeve opening packed facing the jacket opening. No other pressings are packed this way so maybe an EU or UK plant I don't know off. Quality is certainly higher than the usual suspects. If I have static issues I generally run the record through the Okki Nokki. That is the best solution. My Zerostat is rarely used these days.
     
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