My guess would be you would spend more energy heating the oven up drying out the silica gel than leaving the rig on all the time.
I would just turn it off and cover it up. What about the rest of the stuff in the house? Does the toaster rust and the TV crap out? What about your poor car? Brett N2DTS > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ron > D'Eau Claire > Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 11:54 PM > To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Subject: RE: [Elecraft] K2 near the sea: leave on or not? > > Since a major uproar over energy conservation seems to have erupted on > another thread here <G> I'll ask the question I raised there again: > > Has anyone considered using desiccants rather than leave the > power on 24/7 > if you're in an area where considerable moisture condenses in > your rig? I > believe the one used most often around electronic gear is > silica dioxide > (SiO2). It's a naturally occurring mineral that is commonly sold in an > "indicating" form, small crystals that change from blue to pink as the > material absorbs moisture. It can absorb up to 40% of its own > weight at > normal room temperatures and is quite easy to "recharge". You > just put it in > a warm oven for a while until it turns blue again! It's often sold in > inexpensive five-pound cans by stores catering to the > dried-flower trade. > > Even though I've lived within a few hundred feet of the > Pacific Ocean I've > yet to encounter any corrosion problems. If I did my first > choice would be > to reduce the humidity in some energy-efficient way rather > than simply leave > the power on. If one wanted to be really rigorous about it, a > small solar > oven could handle the recharging process <G>. Even on ships, > it takes months > -- often a year or two -- for something like the > old-fashioned lifeboat > radios that enclosed about a cubit foot of air inside their > case to have a > desiccant tube about 1 inch in diameter and 4 inches long > become saturated. > > Ron AC7AC > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tom Zeltwanger > Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 2:30 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Don Wilhelm > Cc: elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2 near the sea: leave on or not? > > > Thanks Don, > > That is probably ood advice. I keep the equipment in a closed > room, but I > think I will cover it. I generally keep my radios for a long > time (this K2 > is replacing a Kenwood TS-930, bought in about 1980!). > > 73, > > Tom KG3V > > > Quoting Don Wilhelm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > Tom, > > > > I recently repaired a K2 that had lived for several years > in the salt > > air of Houston Texas. The external case screws and the > connectors on > > the rear panel were corroded enough that they were changed. > However, > > the inside of the K2 still looked just fine. > > > > If I can base any conclusions on that one K2, I would > suggest that you > > cover your K2 when it is not in use - just a sheet of plastic would > > probably do the job although you may want to look into some kind of > > custom cover for it. > > > > Remember that this comment is based on my brief observation > of one K2 > > that had been in a salt air environment - it would be > unwise for me to > > generalize any further on the subject. > > > > 73, > > Don W3FPR > > > > Tom Zeltwanger wrote: > > > I operate from the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. The > > > water > > there is > > > only moderately salty but corrosion is very rapid compared to my > > > experience > > > > > with inland QTHs. I was wondering if this would be a > problem for my > > equipment. > > > So far, no problem. I imagine anyone near the sea shores has this > > > problem. > > > > > > 73, > > > > > > Tom KG3V > > _______________________________________________ > > Elecraft mailing list > > Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > > _______________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > You must be a subscriber to post to the list. > Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm > Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com > _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
