On 14/08/12 19:20, Earl Evans wrote:
Hi folks,
I'm a little concerned about the load that my PDP-11 cabinet (rack mount,
dual RL02 drives) is putting on the floor in my daylight basement. Also,
I'm thinking that recovering the space might be nice, so I was considering
moving the PDP-11 system back to the garage.
If any of you have a PDP or other big-iron systems in the garage, how do
you deal with temperature extremes (hot in summer, cold in winter)? Do you
simply not operate the computer when it's too hot or cold? Do you think
it's a risk to even store the system in the garage?
My location is Portland, Oregon, so it doesn't really get super cold in the
winter. I think the coldest I've measured in the garage is 50F. But
summer can get pretty warm. It's scheduled to get 85F today, and we had
100F a week or two ago. Of course the garage doesn't get as hot as outside
temps, but it can get up there.
I realize heat can be a big enemy of computers/electronics. Also, since
the RL02 drives are mechanical and precision devices, they might not take
well to temperature shifts.
Thoughts?
- Earl
Earl,
My question to you is why you are fighting the urge to move it to your
living room. Call yourself a retro-computer enthusiast? ;)
Seriously, I've found that humidity is as much of a killer as extreme
temperature changes. Even though the temperature in my basement remains
fairly constant the dampness that comes from living in the Lake District
seems to kill stuff far quicker than if I store it in the garage with
the associated large temperature delta.
Regards, Mark.
--
http://www.wickensonline.co.uk
http://declegacy.org.uk