How to keep big and small electronics moisture free?

[nikrusty]

@Julian

The micro shorts i mentioned can’t really happen with large gaps. It’s mostly IC feet with spacing less that even a millimeter that these happen. And so a blower is not going to get rid of the sticky dust between these contacts. You will need to brush it out. May need brushing with a contact cleaner or IPA.

Oh, Umm. This is then above my grade I see! No way am I gonna open my SMPS and poke inside.

[mach9]

@calvin1719

Any recommendations for a good hygrometer? What do you even look for when buying something like that?

any regular commercial one off Amazon will do - unless you want to get into the scientific instruments side which is overkill. As a failsafe crosscheck - get 2 different hygrometers and use them - they should not vary at all (ideally) between their outputs - but give or take 1% to account for separate calibrations etc..

[calvin1719]

@mach9

any regular commercial one off Amazon will do - unless you want to get into the scientific instruments side which is overkill. As a failsafe crosscheck - get 2 different hygrometers and use them - they should not vary at all (ideally) between their outputs - but give or take 1% to account for separate calibrations etc..

Failsafe would be at least 3 though :]
If two differ, you don’t know which one is accurate. With three you can at least expect two to agree.

[mach9]

@calvin1719

Failsafe would be at least 3 though :]
If two differ, you don’t know which one is accurate. With three you can at least expect two to agree.

well you could also end up with a really small chance all 3 are also faulty so get 4!

[raksrules]

Please do not buy this specific listing from Amazon

Spartan Silica Gel Desiccants… Amazon.in

Very bad quality.

[raksrules]

@mach9

forgot to mention you can also lightly dust the container with an anti-fungal powder before you use it - not excessive - just lightly. I have no clue if that makes any God damn difference to the growth of moulds - but as long as you can carefully place the items in the box (I use ziplock plastic bags but open and with sufficient open distance between the opening of the zip lock bag and the top of the container to allow the air inside access to the cam/lenses when the lid is closed so as not to trap moisture inside the ziplock bag itself) the powder should have no impact/risk of getting on to the electronics - but should theoretically help with preventing the growth of fungal molds.
[automerge]1598162398[/automerge]

I used these: Amazon.in

can recommend them

Need to ask you how I can use these blue crystals? Like I need to buy some sort of breathable small bags in which I put some small quantity and put that bag with my electronics, clothes etc?
If yes can you recommend some bags?

Also what is the indication that it is time to reheat them?

[mach9]

@raksrules

Need to ask you how I can use these blue crystals? Like I need to buy some sort of breathable small bags in which I put some small quantity and put that bag with my electronics, clothes etc?
If yes can you recommend some bags?

Also what is the indication that it is time to reheat them?

They’re normal silica beads mate. So basically depends on what purpose you are using them for. In my case since I had to place them in a container with my camera and lenses, I simply used a small plastic bag of a thicker grade and cut it midway sufficiently to create a shallow enough area to maximize it’s contact with the air inside - essentially if you had a petri dish, you could just put it in that and leave it in a box, it would absorb the moisture.

But yes I suppose you could also use them in small breathable pouches and it would absorb through that - but again, contact with the air isn’t great.. so depends on what level of effect you want to achieve.

I always “set” the moisture level to around 37/38 when I put my camera and lenses away for storage. The moisture level climbs very slowly (depending on how well you seal the container really) and that’s good enough for me to ride out the worst of the seasons which is usually the monsoons in Mumbai.

Towards the end of the year / summer when I’m using my camera more regularly - I don’t bother too much about this unless I have to store it away for longer periods of time.

[raksrules]

@mach9

They’re normal silica beads mate. So basically depends on what purpose you are using them for. In my case since I had to place them in a container with my camera and lenses, I simply used a small plastic bag of a thicker grade and cut it midway sufficiently to create a shallow enough area to maximize it’s contact with the air inside - essentially if you had a petri dish, you could just put it in that and leave it in a box, it would absorb the moisture.

But yes I suppose you could also use them in small breathable pouches and it would absorb through that - but again, contact with the air isn’t great.. so depends on what level of effect you want to achieve.

I always “set” the moisture level to around 37/38 when I put my camera and lenses away for storage. The moisture level climbs very slowly (depending on how well you seal the container really) and that’s good enough for me to ride out the worst of the seasons which is usually the monsoons in Mumbai.

Towards the end of the year / summer when I’m using my camera more regularly - I don’t bother too much about this unless I have to store it away for longer periods of time.

So you are recommending that in a drawer etc, I should ideally keep it in some bowl etc or like you in a plastic bag with may be holes in it or so ? I want to keep in 2 drawers where I keep the electronics.

[mach9]

@raksrules

So you are recommending that in a drawer etc, I should ideally keep it in some bowl etc or like you in a plastic bag with may be holes in it or so ? I want to keep in 2 drawers where I keep the electronics.

No mate. That would be a waste. See the interaction between the beads and the moisture in the air is constant. Putting them and leaving them in a drawer is pointless.. within a few days if not hours (depending on moisture in the air and quantity of the beads) it’ll be saturated and won’t serve the purpose at all.

The idea is essentially you need to store sensitive electronics in a container with these inside to prevent primarily the growth of fungus and rusting or corrosion of internal elements. Usually cameras and lenses are the most sensitive due to sensors and the environment inside the lenses themselves.

Hope you get what I mean. Hence the concept of a dry box which is basically what I’ve done to compensate for my dry cabinet failing.

A drawer does not seal off the environment and air from your equipment and simply putting in silica beads won’t help. You need to create an isolated environment and use the beads to bring down the moisture levels inside that environment.

[system]

What @@mach9 is saying is keep your electronics in a sealed air-tight box, and keep the beads in the box to further remove moisture from said air-tight box.

[mach9]

@Julian

What @@mach9 is saying is keep your electronics in a sealed air-tight box, and keep the beads in the box to further remove moisture from said air-tight box.

Exactly. Thanks. Can be done for smaller stuff used infrequently like cameras and lenses.

For larger ones, like maybe an HT AVR etc, might need to modify the approach a bit, probably could be done but would need more tinkering with the container etc