Dry cabinet, silicon gel, time for fungul prevention.
- Thread starter dRebelXT
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I've been keeping all my stuff in an anti-bacterial air tight 10L box for almost a year already. So far I've not encoutered any ESD, air too dry spoiling my equipment and stuff.
The longest period where I've keep my gear in the box without shooting is about 3 weeks and the silca gel in the container were slightly transparent blue. I don't have a hydrometer to measure the RH% but overall can still see the blue in the silca gel after 3 weeks.
Just buy 2 pieces of 10L air tight (LokTight) boxes and be hardworking to heat up the silca gel everyweek if you're running on a shoestring budget and living space constraint like me. i don't have a big room and only have 1 electrical point which is already overloaded like a spider web.
It costs me 2 X $7 (2 boxes) + $3 (silica gel) = $17
The longest period where I've keep my gear in the box without shooting is about 3 weeks and the silca gel in the container were slightly transparent blue. I don't have a hydrometer to measure the RH% but overall can still see the blue in the silca gel after 3 weeks.
Just buy 2 pieces of 10L air tight (LokTight) boxes and be hardworking to heat up the silca gel everyweek if you're running on a shoestring budget and living space constraint like me. i don't have a big room and only have 1 electrical point which is already overloaded like a spider web.
It costs me 2 X $7 (2 boxes) + $3 (silica gel) = $17
don't keep opening the box. It takes about 1 day with lots of silica gel for it to drop further to below 60%. If not.. you might be having a leaking box..dRebelXT said:
dRebelXT,
i've also bought the i-Case from carrefour, PS. I did notice that the HG meter is rather high too. But there is 1 other thing that you have got to notice. I would say most of the silica gel supplied with the i-Case are pink. They have been on sale for quite some time.
So you gotta open the box and unscrew the 2 screws, releasing the clips that hold the silica gel container in place. Unscrew. Not turn. They are meant to be unscrewed.
then go heat your silica gel in the microwave. I tried heating for 1 min, medium. It should turn colour to purplish blue. though i think the best colour would be blue. Now my HG meter is reading 48.
i've also bought the i-Case from carrefour, PS. I did notice that the HG meter is rather high too. But there is 1 other thing that you have got to notice. I would say most of the silica gel supplied with the i-Case are pink. They have been on sale for quite some time.
So you gotta open the box and unscrew the 2 screws, releasing the clips that hold the silica gel container in place. Unscrew. Not turn. They are meant to be unscrewed.
then go heat your silica gel in the microwave. I tried heating for 1 min, medium. It should turn colour to purplish blue. though i think the best colour would be blue. Now my HG meter is reading 48.
dRebelXT: You replaced the gel in the pack with new gel? If i'm reading it correctly, this means you opened up the pack and put in new ones? As long as the extra gel you placed in the box is below the foam, it should be alright. Though some have suggested placing them in socks or stockings, those are fine too. Yes, recommended RH% should be between 40%-50% But 31% should be ok. Just don't let it get to 20%. This link should be helpful. http://www.totech.com/product/camera.asp@MenuID=11.html It had been put up a few pages ago.
jeffhiew:I too have been reading the various queries about dryboxes. But they are not found easily. Perhaps you could kindly put a link or directly us to those links.
jeffhiew:I too have been reading the various queries about dryboxes. But they are not found easily. Perhaps you could kindly put a link or directly us to those links.
till date I have not seen any real evidence of lens coatings peeling/flaking off due to low RH (<40%). If you're talking about leather parts/straps drying up (cracking).. there is a possibility, because my leather shoes dried up even while they are sitting nicely outside my house doing nothing (in open along corridor, ambient RH >70% any time).
There's also possibility of lubricants drying up (yes, oil do dry up too) but those I've seen were due to high ambeint heat and not low RH (yet to seen low RH drying up lubricants as well.)
I'm not saying the lens coat peeling theory is wrong but there are sometimes when ppl worry too much and start to relate or think of what 'might' happen. From what I understand, lens coatings aren't just painted on like water colours. It's treated and bonded to the glass.
:think: maybe I should start another thread to gather response on experiences with overly low RH and it's damages.
There's also possibility of lubricants drying up (yes, oil do dry up too) but those I've seen were due to high ambeint heat and not low RH (yet to seen low RH drying up lubricants as well.)
I'm not saying the lens coat peeling theory is wrong but there are sometimes when ppl worry too much and start to relate or think of what 'might' happen. From what I understand, lens coatings aren't just painted on like water colours. It's treated and bonded to the glass.
:think: maybe I should start another thread to gather response on experiences with overly low RH and it's damages.
yanyewkay said:
I have thought about this before but wouldn't the low RH sucks the moisture out of the lubricant until the RH% of its surroundings and lubricant eventually reach equilibrium? Something similar to the osmosis theory which we studied in school??
Given oil is a "thick" liquid, it will not dry up overnight, just making a guess here. :dunno: :dunno:
I am using a dry case with silical Gel (a full bottle) all these while, from the year 2000. Now that i just got my dSLR camera, i'm gonna get a dry cabinet too. Saw in Carrefour the $79 there is one. Not bad. I won't have a lot of things, just a body, 2 lense, 1 flash. The 20 litre size should be enough.
GC1 said:dRebelXT,
i've also bought the i-Case from carrefour, PS. I did notice that the HG meter is rather high too. But there is 1 other thing that you have got to notice. I would say most of the silica gel supplied with the i-Case are pink. They have been on sale for quite some time.
So you gotta open the box and unscrew the 2 screws, releasing the clips that hold the silica gel container in place. Unscrew. Not turn. They are meant to be unscrewed.
then go heat your silica gel in the microwave. I tried heating for 1 min, medium. It should turn colour to purplish blue. though i think the best colour would be blue. Now my HG meter is reading 48.
Huh.. using the same microwave to heat up silical gel and food ?
Why not try to use frying pan to "fried" with small fire... :think:
yanyewkay said:
I got a AM PRO electric dehumifier, cost $20, and charge 1-2 hours for use, and can charge up to 500 times......
I think much easier than heating silica gel up, but problem is RH at 30% +...... so am a bit concern....... but some say ok, some say not ok.... :dunno:
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