13 Apr
1999
13 Apr
'99
3:45 a.m.
On Tue, 13 Apr 1999 Philip.Belben(a)powertech.co.uk wrote:
I am thinking of renting a building in which to store
my computer
collection, together with that of a friend who has gone to Canada [Bob
Manners, for P850UG people]. The building is very simply constructed
- single brick walls and sheet asbestos roof - and currently has no
supply of electricity or gas, but appears fairly dry (at least at
present).
Do people on either of the two lists have suggestions for:
What precautions should I take in storing computers here?
First of all, a rugged lock on the front door.
Do I need to insulate / heat the building?
Its not really necessary. Computers store well in wide temperature
ranges. I had many of my machines stored in the top level of a barn
enclosed with corrugated tin that would get to probably 130 degrees
Fahrenheit in the summer time (probably even higher!) for years and they
came out fine when I finally moved them to their current location.
Colder temperatures would be better I imagine, but then there's the
humidity issues, which leads to...
Should I install a dehumidifier (I think I can get
hold of one)?
UK is a wet place right? I would do so. You'll have to check the bucket
each week probably. I knew a guy who kept a dehumidifier in the basement
of his San Francisco (damp environment) house which was his computer room
and he pulled a gallon or two out every week.
Do I need (for example) to wrap each computer up in
plastic with a packet of
silica gel?
That would not hurt, and would in fact be great if you want to go through
all the trouble. Your real concern will be keeping your books and manuals
dry.
The rent is very cheap - L2 (about $3.30) per square
foot per year,
and the building is only 10 min walk from my house. With luck, this
will mean that I shall soon have a house with room for me as well as
my junk...
Sounds great. I would just make sure to seal up all the cracks and put
weather-stripping around the door to make the place airtight. That will
help in the long run.
Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
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