Why how you store old computers matters...

[billdeg]

Today my son flooded the bathroom. He's only 4, these things happen. By chance I walked down to the basement and I heard the sounds of drip drip drips on plastic coming from the computer storage room. When I entered the room I saw water raining from the ceiling onto a section of my vintage computers...AGGH! That's right, it was *raining* on my IBM PCs, XTs, a 5155, AT, motherboards, IBM clones, portables, laptops, docs, software etc...

but don't worry.

Everything is stored on shelves one inch off the ground in water proof covers or bags, even the boxed stuff.

Result - Nothing damaged! The water bounced harmlessly off the covers to the floor and was relatively easy to clean up. (using a mop to fill a bucket of water plus about 20 rags and a roll of paper towels).

I asked my son..."what lesson did you learn?" He said, "Don't leave the water running in the bathroom" I said, "No. Always cover vintage computer gear to protect against dust and water damage."

True story.

NOTE: Use covers, but you also have to allow electronics to "breathe" to prevent mold, and that's why UV light and humidity control are also important. Depends where you live.

BD

[Yzzerdd]

I thought UV caused yellowing? Good to hear the collection is safe, that could've been a disaster! Most of my collection I don't cover, I must admit, but I should. I keep my stuff in pretty safe areas--under my bed(a very tall frame, 3ft), in the closet, etc. No stuff in the garage or basement--too damp. When I move to WV, I will be on the second floor, so my stuff will be a bit safer from atacks from above.

What covers do you use? Homemade? I've only got 1 computer here that has a cover, my AT&T 6300. The cover is handmade, and I use it in storage to keep dust off and cover my PC when it is not in use, to keep dust and cat hair off.

How are you letting the electronics "breathe" while they are covered? Do you just not use air tight covering? Also, I know that computer books tell you the general humidity range, but what would that be in *understandable* terms? What do you use to regulate humidity in your basement? All the stuff I use either didn't work or made it too dry when I kept my stuff in the basement. As of now, I keep them in my room which is temperature controlled.

I have to admit they don't have optimum conditions, but that is unrealistic to me. I try to keep my stuff in regular use which means they get to be in real world conditions! My window is usually open and the room warm, but I do keep them from the sunlight, and when it rains/is really humid, I keep the window shut.

--Ryan
Oh, and as for the docs, I don't keep them trapped either. Most of them get to be shown off on many bookshelves. For them, as long as I keep bug traps around, they should be fine.

[tezza]

A good anecdote Bill,

Thank goodness you have them covered!

I have mine in cardboard boxes. They are not sealed up, because I pull them out and play with them quite often. They are in an upstairs room so flooding is unlikely. It is also a very dry environment. It's a studio room above my garage. The biggest problem is it can get a little hot in mid-summer, which is why I no longer store the software up there.

One day, they will have a custom-made room just for themselves. Not anytime soon though :)

Tez

[CP/M User]

Well... I was going to reply to this thread by stating my initial responce, which was I store (or keep) my vintage computer (Amstrad CPC6128) as a bonding thing. Perhaps many people have had to get rid of their Vintage computers, though I just haven't had the nerve of doing this. To me it's a symbol some of thing I've had since Childhood, I like to have many symbols of different things from different periods (does that make sense?). Of course I've had to negotiate what I really wanted to have and what I couldn't have, sometimes I wish I'd kept more stuff from school (for instance I had this book full of stories which I'd made up or simply things I'd done when I was in 3rd Grade, some of it got posted in a couple of School books full of stories - doesn't even look like I have those anymore! :-o ) - though some of the stuff I've kept is horribly terrible (Yr 11 and 12 for example), hope my stuff is more readable nowadays! ;-)

[billdeg]

In response to questions:

A small amount of UV is not bad to keep mold away, but generally I block outside light by covering the windows where computers are being stored. The room is kept dust free and I have a de-humidifier programmed to kick on when the humidity gets higher than 62%.. as a result it's *not* necessary to keep everything sealed up air-tight, a dust cover will suffice.

The best source of flexible storage for computers are the electronics shipping bags that come with a new TV or microwave. I also use clear plastic trashbags, but you have to replace the bags every 10 years or so. As I get a better bag, I replace an older one. Everything is stored in such a way that I can easily pull it off the shelf, remove the bag, and plug in for use. Every board, or loose component is stored in an anti-static bag. Storing computers in boxes is fine, but I will put a plastic bag over the top of the boxes like a sheet.

I don't display systems at home, but I do travel with them for class and exhibits. I try to run every system for at least 3 hours every year. A lot of the time that means plugging in 5 at a time and letting them run together.

When a new system comes in, my rule is that something else has to go (or at least I try). I give away a lot, donate it, or sell on Ebay. The end result is a better batch of stuff over time.

[Terry Yager]

Speaking anecdotally,
In another life, I had about 50-or-so computers set up in my basement, on a four-sided, four-tier shelving unit that I had purchased from a going-out-of-business store. They were technically 'in storage', but not really stored. All were set up and plugged in to run at the flip of a switch. It was quite an impressive display when all were running at once. My dumb, it never occurred to me that they might get caught in a rain storm, despite the fact that the entire display was located directly below the bathtub upstairs. One curious 3-year-old nephew added to the mix, and DISASTER! Luckily, none were on at the time, so I didn't lose any, but it did take a great deal of work to get everything dried out again (took a few days).

--T

[DoctorPepper]

Yeah, that would truly suck! And you are very lucky to be able to save them all. My biggest worry is hurricanes! My vintage computers are all (well, almost all of them) located in the family room, which is in the middle of the house. Hopefully the worst won't happen, but if it does, there really isn't much you can do about it.

Oh, and basements in Florida are called "indoor swimming pools" ;-)