Dry Box: Silica Gel

[fndjufri]

Yeah, got the i-case as well and I've been using those small packs of Hippos from NTUC, which are sold in a pack of 3.
Been doing that for a year now and a pack can last me a few months.
Still have a pack left unopened.
But now that I have got two bodies a dry cabinet is definitely in my list of next purchases.

 

[geraldkhoo]

You can go to Home Fix-It and but a "Wireless Dehumidifier" for $19.90.

It is basically silica gel enclosed in a casing with a heating element inside of it. When the silica gel turns pink, just plug the dehumidifier into a power socket overnight. The silica gel would turn blue again. Becareful as it would be hot at that time.

You can also use any air-tight containers with silica gel as your dry box.

 

[hobbes187]

You can get silica gel in one BIG bottle at carrefour or NTUC AMK hub. Most good camera shop should have also...

But seriously, you should try to save $30 a mth and buy one 3 mths later...

 

[hidden3]

Yeah, got the i-case as well and I've been using those small packs of Hippos from NTUC, which are sold in a pack of 3.
Been doing that for a year now and a pack can last me a few months.
Still have a pack left unopened.
But now that I have got two bodies a dry cabinet is definitely in my list of next purchases.

Thanks!! Yeah will get a dry cabinet when i'm older and "richer". :bsmilie:

You can go to Home Fix-It and but a "Wireless Dehumidifier" for $19.90.

It is basically silica gel enclosed in a casing with a heating element inside of it. When the silica gel turns pink, just plug the dehumidifier into a power socket overnight. The silica gel would turn blue again. Becareful as it would be hot at that time.

You can also use any air-tight containers with silica gel as your dry box.

Oh! I wanted to ask where to buy that, the link someone gave me, should be the exact one right. Home Fix-It. Will go and find it tmr or something! Thanks a million man! :bsmilie:

 

[martinchatswood]

Silica gel is only $3+ for one big bottle... IMHO, why not spend that tiny amt of money and get a new bottle instead of frying/microwaving/ovening the old ones? Arnt u worried the chemicals vaporise and somehow get into your food in the future? These materials are cancerous... Not worth it to risk it for a few bucks...

Oh yes... totally agreed.... I have switched to dry cabin few years ago... not because of the cancerous concern but no time to do all this frying..... :bsmilie:

 

[Kirika]

Hmm when I was at some department stores, I saw this weird sort of dehumidifier. It's basically a pack of silicon gel with a heater of some sort built in. You plug in the heater and it "recharges" the gel. Looks handy and costs less than $20 if I recall rightly.

 

[ornadell]

Home Fix Wireless Dehumidifier / Hungry Hippos (packet or container type? Doesn't matter right?) Got it!!! U guys are really wonderful! Tomorrow I go buy. I'm tired of changing the silica gel every other week coz I live right next to a nature reserve! So the air is always damp. Doesn't help when it's raining everyday these days.

Next question. Those dry cabinets... how much do they cost? They run on electricity? Electricity consumption is high, no? And lastly where to buy? Looking for a little xmas treat since owning a wide-angle lens is still a far cry... maybe 4D will help.

 

[zac08]

Home Fix Wireless Dehumidifier / Hungry Hippos (packet or container type? Doesn't matter right?) Got it!!! U guys are really wonderful! Tomorrow I go buy. I'm tired of changing the silica gel every other week coz I live right next to a nature reserve! So the air is always damp. Doesn't help when it's raining everyday these days.

Next question. Those dry cabinets... how much do they cost? They run on electricity? Electricity consumption is high, no? And lastly where to buy? Looking for a little xmas treat since owning a wide-angle lens is still a far cry... maybe 4D will help.

It's only 5 Watts... your computer draws more than 400W already... duh...

 

[hidden3]

Home Fix Wireless Dehumidifier / Hungry Hippos (packet or container type? Doesn't matter right?) Got it!!! U guys are really wonderful! Tomorrow I go buy. I'm tired of changing the silica gel every other week coz I live right next to a nature reserve! So the air is always damp. Doesn't help when it's raining everyday these days.

Next question. Those dry cabinets... how much do they cost? They run on electricity? Electricity consumption is high, no? And lastly where to buy? Looking for a little xmas treat since owning a wide-angle lens is still a far cry... maybe 4D will help.

If i'm not wrong, the smallest one 30L cost $99 ? Carefour sells them i think. Someone please clarify this.

 

[geraldkhoo]

You can check out this web site...

http://www.digihub.com.sg/index.aspx

 

[travelEworld]

Haa haa... Just becareful when you get them out of the pan/microwave.
SUPER HOT and will sticks to ur skin when moist, tested + proven.

:sweatsm:

 

[cjtune]

Just set the microwave anywhere from low to defrost and heat from 20 minutes to one whole hour then go watch TV or something. This way, I can ensure I get very deep blue (dried) silica at the end of that period, and keep the shattering of beads to a minimum. I am still using a batch of silica from since almost 2 years ago...

 

[swiftee]

i like the hungry hippo idea...lol. Will the Wireless Dehumidifier take up a lot of space. Cos the dry box is already so small?

 

[cjtune]

i like the hungry hippo idea...lol. Will the Wireless Dehumidifier take up a lot of space. Cos the dry box is already so small?

Can get a plastic tub box loh.
I've got one that's be enough to store my Slingshot 200, Deuter Escape 3 messenger bag, and then some more (my battery grip and an old external flash).
Trick is to find a model whose top and body mate together nicely without any big gaps for air to go through.

 

[LancerCK]

Yeah, got the i-case as well and I've been using those small packs of Hippos from NTUC, which are sold in a pack of 3.
Been doing that for a year now and a pack can last me a few months.
Still have a pack left unopened.
But now that I have got two bodies a dry cabinet is definitely in my list of next purchases.

Haha, was about to recommend that and you beat me to it . I got a spoilt dry cabi, and was able to maintain the RH in it @ about 40% with 1 pack of the thirsty Hippo, and it last for months.

 

[kanki]

Thanks for the recommendation!
I just got my dry box, the i-case one.

Some questions:
Is the dry box still effective if i always open the dry box, because i store my camera inside it.
The RH value does not drop, or only slight drop from 80% to 70% after one night, why?
So buying a thirsty hippo pack and put inside will help to decrease the humidity very fast?

 

[zac08]

Thanks for the recommendation!
I just got my dry box, the i-case one.

Some questions:
Is the dry box still effective if i always open the dry box, because i store my camera inside it.
The RH value does not drop, or only slight drop from 80% to 70% after one night, why?
So buying a thirsty hippo pack and put inside will help to decrease the humidity very fast?

Such cases are dependent on the de-humidifying agents and if those agents are overwhelmed by the amount of moisture in the environment, it's hard to get it down to the required levels of 45%.

You'd need to monitor it carefully and open the case rarely.

 

[hidden3]

Worth getting the dehumidifier thing from Home-Fix it? Because i don't think i'll have the funds to upgrade my gears so fast. No earning ability yet. So a dry box should be sufficient for me.

 

[gklight]

can use hairdryer

 

[cjtune]

Such cases are dependent on the de-humidifying agents and if those agents are overwhelmed by the amount of moisture in the environment, it's hard to get it down to the required levels of 45%.

You'd need to monitor it carefully and open the case rarely.

You'll need to do this (sizing the amount of dessicant material to put in) by trial and error and depending on the air-tightness of the storage box.
For me, and with a simple 60+ litre storage box, an analogue hygrometer I put inside almost always still shows about 30% RH just right after I open it to retrieve or put in gear. I use a combo of about 250g of blue silica gels, and 1 tub (600ml?) of Thirsty Hippo. Takes about a month before the Hippo goes full and the silica completely turn from blue to pink.