Sillica gel; thirsty hippo; dry boxes; dehumidifier lamp in a cupboard which one?

[slaam]

LOL lotsa discussion on sillica gel etc
So do you use
Sillica gel
Thirsty Hippo (but apparently there's talk that its TOO dry)
Electric Drybox
Dehumidifier Lamp in a cupboard (DIYers)
Others! (wow there's a 5th option? post it here!)

personally I use sillica gel and sometimes thirsty hippo in tupperware boxes with rubber seals which make it airtight. Looks ugly but hey I am the only one who can bring my 'dry box' overseas when i travel. With a bit of squeezing it even fits nicely in a sling camera bag! so that I can hand carry it...
I think that thirsty hippo isn't too drying cos I bring my camera out to rather humid conditions.. good to dry it out before the next photoshoot..
what do you think?

[huggable]

Looks like most are using a dry cabinet... pity us poor people..

Huggable using thirsty hippo + silica gel (runnin low now).

[slaam]

haha
oh well, I feel that sometimes its a gadget thing? Dun flame me!
I have always felt that silica gel is a better option
1)how do you know when the hygrometer is spoilt?
2)Dry cabbi runs on electricity. What happens if accidentally pull plug?
3)Someone advised before that drybox investment shld be 1/10th of ur gear investment cos no point to put in more money there for roughly the same level of protection
4)haha and a recent trip to a 2nd hand camera shop made me realise hey! They are displaying the cameras in a glass cabinet lor. Dun see any silica gel or even dehumidifier lamp. Maybe air con air is dry enough already? haha

[fWord]

And electric dry-cabi is my preference, but for now, I am using a simple dry box and a Thirsty Hippo.

[antitrust]

i'm using a dry box with a hydrometer with silica gel.

i bought my dry box from BiG at harbourfront for $19.90! the material damn tough also! can stand on it!

[kcuf2]

but in the long run, if we keep buying silica gel, wouldnt it be more expensive instead?

[lycan]

Personally I have to agree, the dry box with hydro is fantastic. mine is with 20% RH.

Anyone got lower readings than that?

Originally Posted by antitrust i'm using a dry box with a hydrometer with silica gel. i bought my dry box from BiG at harbourfront for $19.90! the material damn tough also! can stand on it!

[zachmus]

I'm using a dry cabi from DigiHub. Setting i set is 40%-49%RH. Range recommended locally alota ppl say is 45-55, but for dry cabinets instructions normally alota is 40-50.

[antitrust]

huh. 20% is too dry isn't it?

[slaam]

I think that probably its easier to get lower RH in a smaller vol drybox.
but yeah supposedly 20% is too drying for seals cos the oils will evaporate anyway..
another dry cabbi site says that there are molds that thrive at both ends of the RH so 40-50% is the best range to prevent damage.

silica gel can be recycled its jus that no one does it.
so cost is not really there....
besides. a electric cabbi costs $100 minimum
minus $20 for the drybox.
that's $80 or abt 20x 500grams of silica gel..assuming one bottle costs $4
a new bottle has lasted me 2yrs... so that's 40 yrs of silica gel for me
eh how long do you think a dry cabbi will last? heard some breakdown after warranty over...

[Adzz]

Dehumidifier Lamp in a cupboard (DIYers) is quite a good option. I like this idea.

[fadzuli]

how to recycle the silica gel? i thought its an irreversible process?

[W.Jr.]

Used to use an old pot, put the silica gel in it, heat it up and watch them change color..that was a loooooooong time ago. Now I use a dry cab.

[numzkull]

Originally Posted by lycan Personally I have to agree, the dry box with hydro is fantastic. mine is with 20% RH. Anyone got lower readings than that?

20% is indeed low. the rubber grip on your lens might dry p and become brittle in the long run.

and what if there are rubber parts in your cam which might be affected by the low RH?

maybe you want to increase it a bit to the 45-55% range?

[user111]

tupperware+silica gel

cheap and good

dry cab is only for diehards with to much to spend..lolzzz

[huggable]

Newbie question: What do you do if the humidity is too low, for the case of using silica gel/thirsty hippo? How do you raise the himidity in the box?

Think my thirsty hippo is too hungry, now humidity is at 30%.

[slaam]

this might sound silly...
but to solve the RH prob.. take your cam out for shoots more often?
let sg's 90% RH moisturise your seals au naturale?

[Artosoft]

Originally Posted by huggable Newbie question: What do you do if the humidity is too low, for the case of using silica gel/thirsty hippo? How do you raise the himidity in the box? Think my thirsty hippo is too hungry, now humidity is at 30%.

Just open the box for a while once every weeks (30s should be enough). It is same as if you once a week take a photos.

Regards,
Arto.

[DeSwitch]

I use a drybox with a rechargable silica pack. Once teh indication turns pink, I plug the pack into an AC outlet and charge (actually got heater inside to dry the silica) and put back into drybox. However I'm planning to DIY a glass cabinet with dehumifier lamp together with the same silica pack (for backup).

[Artosoft]

Originally Posted by DeSwitch I use a drybox with a rechargable silica pack. Once teh indication turns pink, I plug the pack into an AC outlet and charge (actually got heater inside to dry the silica) and put back into drybox. However I'm planning to DIY a glass cabinet with dehumifier lamp together with the same silica pack (for backup).

Let us know the result with humidizer lamp.

I remember some say the lamp will increase temperature inside the box, and will make oils on camera or lenses evaporated. Some people say the fog on the lenses is caused by that.

Regards,
Arto.