Re: Long Term Storage Concerns...

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

Simon Williams wrote:

>I have about a dozen IIes that I need to get out of my work room.
>Ideally, I'd like to keep them in the garage until needed, but I'm a
>little concerned about the effects. It's pretty dry here year-round, so
>moisture shouldn't be a problem, but it occasionally gets down to 40
>below in the winter and I'm wondering if this could be detrimental to
>the computers and/or monitors?

At minus 40 (wow, the one temperature at which Farenheit and
Centigrade are equal!  ;-) I'd be a little concerned about electrolytic
capacitors and any batteries.  I think that's below the recommended
storage temperature for those components.

Everything else is probably OK, as long as any cool-down/warm-up
cycle is relatively slow.

BTW, do the plastic cases get brittle at that temp?

>Also, is it a good idea to wrap them in plastic, or might this lead to
>moisture build-up?

As long as they are wrapped when the air is very dry, it shouldn't
be a problem--for example, when it is cold outside.

It is also important for them to warm up to room temperature while
sealed, or slowly, or in a very low humidity environment, so they
don't get frosty/dewy.

>Of course if someone could kindly donate a larger house, it wouldn't be
>such a problem for me ;-)

Hear, hear!  ;-)

Good luck.

-michael

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