[Elecraft] Shack Equipment Storage

[George Thornton]

Wet is much more of a problem with electronic equipment than 100 plus degree heat.

I live in Western Washington, my locality has about the same total rainfall as the middle east coast states but we rarely have downpours.  It just drizzles and mists all the time.  

I have owned boats in this climate and I know proximity to water greatly magnifies the problem.   Electrical connections corrode quickly in a damp marine environment.  I used to have to go through my boat wiring system and clean contacts annually to keep the lights functioning.

A small heat source does wonders to lower humidity.   Even an incandescent lightbulb can help in small spaces.  Just running your radio generates heat that dissipates humidity within the radio..

I have a wood shop in an unheated garage. I have to keep a heat source in there in the winter to keep the tools dry, otherwise my tools will rust away.

-----Original Message-----
From: elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net <elecraft-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of David Olean
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 9:42 AM
To: Joseph Shuman <oldmanshu at icloud.com>; Elecraft Mail Server <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Shack Equipment Storage

I would worry about condensation. I live in New England. New England is the only part of the country except for the coastline in WA, where there is a positive water budget typically. In other words, more rain falls than is evaporated or used up.  My ham shack is 1/2 mile from my house and was unheated. It was hard on the equipment.  Very hot wx was not a problem but cold temps and then the arrival of warmer and moist air would produce water droplets all over the gear.  Transformers would stay very cold and the water would drip off of them when the temps warmed a little bit.  Anything that used high voltage was subject to explosions if you were foolhardy to turn them on. It was all due to the water.

What I did was install a propane heater with a special thermostat that allowed operation down to 32 degrees. I set the temp to around 40 F. That keeps most of the condensation at bay. I also put in a solar heater on a south facing outside wall, and it pumps warmer air inside if the Sun is out. On a sunny winter day in January it will be 50 degrees in the room during the day. I have had no trouble with this setup. I am just about through with my 1st 100 lb propane tank and January is just about finished, so the cost is not too bad. You must use a vented propane heater. The unvented ones, or portable K1 space heaters like Kerosuns etc all produce water vapor and are no good for what we want. Maybe in a desert climate things will be different, but that is what works for me.

I have an unheated room as well, but only keep rugged stuff there in winter. Homebrew KW amps etc seem to do OK. I would never leave a KX anything there however. Been there. Done that!

K1WHS

On 1/27/2021 10:18 AM, Joseph Shuman via Elecraft wrote:
> There is a difference between stupidity and ignorance.  I claim ignorance.
>
> My shack is a room in a barn attic space, separate from the house, no HVAC so cooling is one window and heating is a space heater (when I am working the waves).  Otherwise storage is ambient temp in the room.  Winter temps typically down to low 20s, summer up to 90s.  Sunny summer temp in the shack gets up to 120.  My concerns are leaving the KX2 (#3007) and KXPA100 (#2802) in the shack and the effects of daily cycling the temp, especially in winter.  My “internet research” (maybe an oxymoron?) has such varied opinions it is worthless.  What say you, my fellow Elecraft faithful?
>
> Keeping Watch-
> shu
> Joe Shuman, NZ8P
>
> Unless someone like you
> cares a whole awful lot,
> nothing is going to get better.
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