Marius Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 Hi. My house is getting (far) too small for having a kid, a lovely wife, and around 70 atari 8bit computers. I really do not want to sell them or throw them away (!). I want to KEEP them, so when one will be defect in the future, I simply can pick another one out my storage. In the garden I have a shed (is that a right English word?) built from stone... but in the winter it might get cold there, and I think the humidity is not 'ideal' too.... Now I was wondering. What are dangerous temperatures for my atari equipment? What kind of precautions should I take/make to store them as safe as possible in the shed... Any hints or ideas are very welcome! Thanks a lot! Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bob1200xl Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 The electronic part of your Atari can stand very high (or low) temperatures. The mechanical components will not do so well, particularly if the temperatures vary a lot - like -10 at night and +30 during the day. When it's hot the parts expand. When it's cold, they contract. Makes for 'loose' connections and poor contacts. At the least, put them in airtight bags. This will minimize corrosion and contamination. No matter what you do, the rubber parts will turn back into tree sap and the foam will revert to dinosaur remains. It's OK - kids and wives are a lot more fun, anyway. Can't snuggle up to a 1050 at night... Bob Hi. My house is getting (far) too small for having a kid, a lovely wife, and around 70 atari 8bit computers. I really do not want to sell them or throw them away (!). I want to KEEP them, so when one will be defect in the future, I simply can pick another one out my storage. In the garden I have a shed (is that a right English word?) built from stone... but in the winter it might get cold there, and I think the humidity is not 'ideal' too.... Now I was wondering. What are dangerous temperatures for my atari equipment? What kind of precautions should I take/make to store them as safe as possible in the shed... Any hints or ideas are very welcome! Thanks a lot! Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Wolfe Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I store a lot of stuff in my shed, which is by no means climate controlled. I just pack everything nicely in boxes and so far I've not lost anything due to corrosion or anything else. Just use common sense when packing, stacking & storing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleman jack Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 (edited) bob 1200XL has a good point about the loose connections and bad contacts. If the temp changes by a lot, then circuits can get loose and unconnected. I've seen it happen in guitar amps on circuit boards and with wiring. Of course, if it does happen, you can just have someone rewire or solder it back together. Edited February 6, 2009 by littleman jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 OK maybe this will help, make sure the stuff is packed in water tight bags and containers. use silica packs, (these are the tiny bags pouches and capsules found in nearly all electronics boxes and vitamin/medicine bottles) in each items container to soak up the moisture. use a protectant when cleaning items before packing and let them thoroughly dry. And try to pack on a non humid day. when storing keep the items away from walls and up off the floor using non degradable items such as bricks, blocks, rocks, or high density plastic pallets and surround the items with other boxes that do not care about temperature and the like. This is the minimal amount of protection and should help keeps items from suffering from condensation and the like. The core temperature and humidity will not fluctuate enough to hurt anything. if your real meticulous you can use silicon protectant and conditioners on the rubber based components and like feet, belts, etc etc. but few take the time to do such things. There are sites dedicated to this sort of thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UNIXcoffee928 Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I really do not want to sell them or throw them away (!). I want to KEEP them, so when one will be defect in the future, I simply can pick another one out my storage. This is a really effective solution... not only for wives & children, but for girlfriends, as well, thanks. How do I ensure that they will all get along well in the shed? = ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I really do not want to sell them or throw them away (!). I want to KEEP them, so when one will be defect in the future, I simply can pick another one out my storage. This is a really effective solution... not only for wives & children, but for girlfriends, as well, thanks. How do I ensure that they will all get along well in the shed? = ) Yes, inquiring minds want to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesD Posted February 6, 2009 Share Posted February 6, 2009 I keep most of my machines in a storage shed. Zip Lock makes some really large bags that will hold most computers even boxed. Put some sort of desiccant in the bag to deter rust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEtalGuy66 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 if your real meticulous you can use silicon protectant and conditioners on the rubber based components and like feet, belts, etc etc. but few take the time to do such things. There are sites dedicated to this sort of thing... Yeah.. If you store any 1027 printers, be sure and spray some kind of rubber preserver on the rubber print head, or it will fly apart when you go to use it again, years later.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Well ... I've decided not to store them in the shed. I keep them in the house. Marius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ogma Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 My house is getting (far) too small for having a kid, a lovely wife, and around 70 atari 8bit computers. Wait... 70??? SEVENTY ATARI COMPUTERS?!?!?!?! :!: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marius Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 well yeah. It sounds amazing, but in reality it is not that much. They are not that big in size, so you can put 5-10 computers in a large box. I got most of these computers because I bought a second hand 'setup' just for a certain peripheral device. And ofcourse then I do not throw that atari that came with the peripheral away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Well ... I've decided not to store them in the shed. I keep them in the house. Marius So do the wife and child go to the shed? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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