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Options for ridding records of static electricity

I am getting back into vinyl, listening to “garage sale” finds and also new albums that I have been picking up. I have a nice old Linn Sondek LP12 with the felt mat. Every time I go to remove a record from the spindle or flip the record, static electricity grabs the felt mat and it sticks like a magnet. I have to very carefully flip the felt mat at the corner with my finger but one of these times I’m going to slip and smudge or scratch a record. 

I’ve seen the “Milty Zerostat” and seem to remember this product from back in the day. I see that it is still made and there is one eBay vendor that has them for $77. Is this my best bet? I thought Michael Fremor talked about these in one of his videos. 

Are there other products I should look at to reduce static electricity on my records? Thanks for any help you can give.
masi61
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
I pulled out a bunch of older records I have not played in a while and checked the ones in paper sleeves for static. None of them were charged. The one that was was an outlier for some unknown reason.
So, transfer of electrons from paper to PVC by pressure only does not appear to happen. 
Antinn, the grounded sweep are is still a very valuable device. It sweeps any incidental dust away from the stylus and discharge any static the record has collected for whatever reason. I have not had either a static or cleanliness problem in the 40 years I have been using one. It would have to be grounded anyway. If it were not just brushing the record might create static. I'll be taking my black light home for the weekend:)  
harpo75
107 posts
 

If anyone is selling a Nagaoka Kilavolt NO. 103 please contact me.  Thanks!

lewm
13,286 posts
 

Mijo, you’re not going to get believable data from your questionnaire, apart from the info about geography, unless or until all respondents are equipped with a good static meter and know how to use it properly, that is never. But this discussion leads me to buy a meter, just to satisfy my own curiosity. 

sksos
162 posts
 

Curious if something like this inexpesive meter will show how much static electricity is on your records?

https://www.amazon.com/pzlobiet-Electromagnetic-Radiation-Detector-Inspection/dp/B0BB17NTKC/ref=d_pd_di_sccai_cn_sccl_3_7/136-1302127-4744251?pd_rd_w=pxJ44&content-id=amzn1.sym.e13de93e-5518-4644-8e6b-4ee5f2e0b062&pf_rd_p=e13de93e-5518-4644-8e6b-4ee5f2e0b062&pf_rd_r=XFXVAMZZ9GGX3J32G1TH&pd_rd_wg=JpfPn&pd_rd_r=6846bab0-177b-4465-8f1b-abf341f09087&pd_rd_i=B0BB17NTKC&psc=1

lewm
13,286 posts
 

That's for EMF, not static charge.  With it you can hope to measure the strength of the field around any motor or other electromagnetic device, but not static charge.

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