Affects of moisture (or lack thereof) on components (was: Powering up sleeping uVAX II)

On Monday 06 February 2006 08:19, Richard wrote: I pickup a lot of vintage gear the southern S.F. Bay Area (mostly Silicon Valley) - which has what is called a "Mediterranean" climate - generally "mild" temperatures and a typical humidity in the 25%-35% range. (Not quite desert, but practically no rain from May to October). Other than the usual DEC foam problems and HP rubber/capstan problems, which seem to be unrelated to climate, equipment stored under a roof here is generally in excellent condition. Equipment I've received from humid environments often has rust, mildew, damaged capacitors, etc. Based on years of collecting experience, I'm a firm believer that climate plays a very important role in the condition of vintage gear that hasn't "lived" in a controlled environment. BTW: Slightly "off-topic" - vintage cars are also in abundance here for the same reason. I have a 1973 Mustang Convertable, and it has practically no rust - and it's rubber parts are almost entirely original and in good shape. Cheers, Lyle -- Lyle Bickley Bickley Consulting West Inc. Mountain View, CA http://bickleywest.com "Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"