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Old 06-03-2019, 07:37 AM
Saturn488
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Moisture absorbers for equipment

I have some of the silica gel dessicant packs amongst my equipment and a bunch of the silica gel dehumidifiers in my very important cases (telescope case, camera case, etc).

All the equipment is kept in the wardrobe and I also have two of the damp free moisture absorber products from Bunnings which are fantastic that just sit on the floor. I would like to look at a more permanent solution however.

Is there any way to regulate/reduce the moisture in the wardrobe? I have been doing some research on it and not to sure what I can do.
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Old 06-03-2019, 07:48 AM
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leon
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Probably not Chrys, I do pretty much the same as you do and it all seems to work well.
The main thing is to keep the wardrobe closed most of the time it is then when these units do there stuff.
I use the bigger ones from Bunnings as well for my Caravan when it is in storage and and also my Storage Container the amount of water that is retrieved is huge.

Leon
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Old 06-03-2019, 08:16 AM
Saturn488
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leon View Post
Probably not Chrys, I do pretty much the same as you do and it all seems to work well.
The main thing is to keep the wardrobe closed most of the time it is then when these units do there stuff.
I use the bigger ones from Bunnings as well for my Caravan when it is in storage and and also my Storage Container the amount of water that is retrieved is huge.

Leon
I had a feeling that there wasn’t much else we can do it prevent it! The worst is 3D printing filament, I got heaps of it and can be hard to store without taking up so much room!
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Old 06-03-2019, 09:07 AM
Wavytone
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Chrys half the problem is storing optics in a closed space (like a cupboard, case or box) in which case desiccants are a must at least in Sydney. Another way could be to ventilate it with warm dry air blowing through (fan), though that creates other problems.
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Old 06-03-2019, 01:48 PM
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Sunfish (Ray)
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One way of drying air is not to warm it but to cool it. You can run it across a cool metal plate outside your box first to condense out the moisture and let it fall through the box. Cold air can not hold as much moisture which is which is why airconditioned spaces are drying and surfaces reach dew point outside at night.

Dehumidifiers are expensive and energy intensive although scope owners do have them.

So I also use the larger soft bags of dessicant (available from Bunnings) in the scope box that are reusable by heating in a microwave when the indicator on the bag changes colour. Has gone paler but not changed colour yet but it is jam jar sized bag.
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Old 06-03-2019, 03:32 PM
warpsl (Jason)
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I have a dehumidifier, and it works great.only uses 200 watts.but I also have solar.they start at about $200.
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Old 06-03-2019, 04:24 PM
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Better value than the feed in tarif. On a timer in sunlight hours. Does it keep your beer cold ?


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I have a dehumidifier, and it works great.only uses 200 watts.but I also have solar.they start at about $200.
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Old 07-03-2019, 07:19 AM
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Allan_L (Allan)
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I use one of these:

Mini Dehumidifier: $56 (incl postage) Ebay
(even cheaper now I see)
works for me.

Description:
Efficiently humidity control, dry air
Silent, Portable and compact dehumidifier efficiently removes damp, mould and moisture from the air. Perfect for use in small areas such as the kitchen, wardrobe, storage rooms, bedroom, living room, office or anywhere else prone to damp air.
Auto-off and LED indicator when full
The dehumidifier will shut off automatically once it has reached capacity. Absorbs moisture up to 250ml / day, and 500ml water tank capacity with removable tray.
One On / Off button
No noise device uses a natural process, easy to use.
Compact, portable and lightweight
This compact and portable design make it easy to move your dehumidifier from room to room.

Specification:
Size: 13*15*21cm
Rated current: 2.5A
Rated power: 22W
Applicable area:10m^2
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Click for full-size image (mini dehumidifier.jpg)
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Old 07-03-2019, 10:07 PM
Wavytone
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Darn good idea Allan, ordered 3.
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  #10  
Old 07-02-2020, 07:01 AM
Saturn488
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I purchased one after you recommended it. It has served me very well!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Allan_L View Post
I use one of these:

Mini Dehumidifier: $56 (incl postage) Ebay
(even cheaper now I see)
works for me.

Description:
Efficiently humidity control, dry air
Silent, Portable and compact dehumidifier efficiently removes damp, mould and moisture from the air. Perfect for use in small areas such as the kitchen, wardrobe, storage rooms, bedroom, living room, office or anywhere else prone to damp air.
Auto-off and LED indicator when full
The dehumidifier will shut off automatically once it has reached capacity. Absorbs moisture up to 250ml / day, and 500ml water tank capacity with removable tray.
One On / Off button
No noise device uses a natural process, easy to use.
Compact, portable and lightweight
This compact and portable design make it easy to move your dehumidifier from room to room.

Specification:
Size: 13*15*21cm
Rated current: 2.5A
Rated power: 22W
Applicable area:10m^2
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  #11  
Old 08-02-2020, 06:13 AM
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Slawomir (Suavi)
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I also used to rely on silica gel to keep my lenses dry (North QLD) but felt it was a bit inadequate and got tired of recharging silica, so last year got a Wonderful Dry Cabinet for my 4” refractor plus camera/FW. Also keep my dslr, few lenses and eyepieces in it and the box only draws about 50W of power. At home can be up to 80% humidity while in the dry box it’s always around 40-50%.
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