Drying Desiccant

I recently got an Olympus C-8080 and an Olympus PT-023 housing for it. I've
always shot 35mm before this. I was suprised to see that the housing came
with desiccant packs that I assume are to keep the port from fogging.

My problem is that I live aboard a boat in the Caribbean and I need a way
to dry out the desiccant packs for re-use. We have an oven, but it doesn't
get used very often. We also have a microwave. Can one use a microwave to
dry desiccants, and if so, how?

-- Geoff

Yeah, if you don't use the desiccant packs the camera fogs up pretty
quickly. You can re-use them by drying them out in the oven on low.
Microwaving them will work, but there's a good chance you'll fry the
paper before the gel is dry.

Yeah, if you don't use the desiccant packs the camera fogs up pretty
quickly. You can re-use them by drying them out in the oven on low.
Microwaving them will work, but there's a good chance you'll fry the
paper before the gel is dry.

Some desiccants can't be re-used as the chemical reation caused by
moisture cannot be reversed by heating (depends on the desiccant used
of course). This company recommends silica regeneration at 350F:
http://www.ecompressedair.com/desiccant/silicagel.shtml (at the bottom)
Microwaving the stuff might damage the paper/plastic/silica faster than
it heats the water, but it's worth a shot.

Try your housing w/o the desiccant to see if it fogs up. My housings
never do, in the humid caribbean or in dry california.

If you have to buy more here is a nice selection:
http://www.packexpo.com/ve/35753/main.html

-lance smith

Some desiccants can't be re-used as the chemical reation caused by
moisture cannot be reversed by heating (depends on the desiccant used
of course). This company recommends silica regeneration at 350F:
http://www.ecompressedair.com/desiccant/silicagel.shtml (at the bottom)
Microwaving the stuff might damage the paper/plastic/silica faster than
it heats the water, but it's worth a shot.

Try your housing w/o the desiccant to see if it fogs up. My housings
never do, in the humid caribbean or in dry california.

If you have to buy more here is a nice selection:
http://www.packexpo.com/ve/35753/main.html

-lance smith

In article .com,
Dave wrote:


Yeah, if you don't use the desiccant packs the camera fogs up pretty
quickly. You can re-use them by drying them out in the oven on low.
Microwaving them will work, but there's a good chance you'll fry the
paper before the gel is dry.

Load your housing in a cool, dry, air-conditioned place.

This prevents the housing from COOLING while it is full of humidity-laden
air. It is the latter that causes fogging.

I follow this procedure and have yet to have my housings fog up on me.

--
--
Karl Denninger ) Internet Consultant & Kids Rights Activist
http://www.denninger.net My home on the net - links to everything I do!
http://scubaforum.org Your UNCENSORED place to talk about DIVING!
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http://genesis3.blogspot.com Musings Of A Sentient Mind

"Karl Denninger" wrote in message
news:8emwd.5451$jn.2067@lakeread06...

In article .com,
Dave wrote:


Yeah, if you don't use the desiccant packs the camera fogs up pretty
quickly. You can re-use them by drying them out in the oven on low.
Microwaving them will work, but there's a good chance you'll fry the
paper before the gel is dry.

Load your housing in a cool, dry, air-conditioned place.

This prevents the housing from COOLING while it is full of humidity-laden
air. It is the latter that causes fogging.

I follow this procedure and have yet to have my housings fog up on me.

--
--
Karl Denninger ) Internet Consultant & Kids Rights
Activist
http://www.denninger.net My home on the net - links to everything I do!
http://scubaforum.org Your UNCENSORED place to talk about DIVING!
http://www.spamcuda.net SPAM FREE mailboxes - FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME!
http://genesis3.blogspot.com Musings Of A Sentient Mind

Two questions.

Does it help to use dry compressed air from a can to purge the U/W housing
before closing?
Where would one go to find suitable desiccant packages.

Maybe - if you closed the door *real* quick.

I have my camera in and out of the housing all day, and I'm never near
any place remotely cool and dry enough to keep the housing from fogging
up, so I always use a desiccant pack.

I get the packs from my local pro camera shop for less than a buck a
pack, and a single pack lasts me about a week if I'm shooting everyday.
Dave

In article ,
Rudy Benner wrote:



"Karl Denninger" wrote in message
news:8emwd.5451$jn.2067@lakeread06...

In article .com,
Dave wrote:


Yeah, if you don't use the desiccant packs the camera fogs up pretty
quickly. You can re-use them by drying them out in the oven on low.
Microwaving them will work, but there's a good chance you'll fry the
paper before the gel is dry.

Load your housing in a cool, dry, air-conditioned place.

This prevents the housing from COOLING while it is full of humidity-laden
air. It is the latter that causes fogging.

I follow this procedure and have yet to have my housings fog up on me.

--
--
Karl Denninger ) Internet Consultant & Kids Rights
Activist
http://www.denninger.net My home on the net - links to everything I do!
http://scubaforum.org Your UNCENSORED place to talk about DIVING!
http://www.spamcuda.net SPAM FREE mailboxes - FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME!
http://genesis3.blogspot.com Musings Of A Sentient Mind

Two questions.

Does it help to use dry compressed air from a can to purge the U/W housing
before closing?

Yes. Use your scuba tank. That ought to have a -50F dewpoint.

Where would one go to find suitable desiccant packages.

If you need more than a -50F dewpoint, you've got bigger problems (like the
water's state being less-than-liquid)

--
--
Karl Denninger ) Internet Consultant & Kids Rights Activist
http://www.denninger.net My home on the net - links to everything I do!
http://scubaforum.org Your UNCENSORED place to talk about DIVING!
http://www.spamcuda.net SPAM FREE mailboxes - FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME!
http://genesis3.blogspot.com Musings Of A Sentient Mind

In article ,
Rudy Benner wrote:



"Karl Denninger" wrote in message
news:8emwd.5451$jn.2067@lakeread06...

In article .com,
Dave wrote:


Yeah, if you don't use the desiccant packs the camera fogs up pretty
quickly. You can re-use them by drying them out in the oven on low.
Microwaving them will work, but there's a good chance you'll fry the
paper before the gel is dry.

Load your housing in a cool, dry, air-conditioned place.

This prevents the housing from COOLING while it is full of humidity-laden
air. It is the latter that causes fogging.

I follow this procedure and have yet to have my housings fog up on me.

--
--
Karl Denninger ) Internet Consultant & Kids Rights
Activist
http://www.denninger.net My home on the net - links to everything I do!
http://scubaforum.org Your UNCENSORED place to talk about DIVING!
http://www.spamcuda.net SPAM FREE mailboxes - FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME!
http://genesis3.blogspot.com Musings Of A Sentient Mind

Two questions.

Does it help to use dry compressed air from a can to purge the U/W housing
before closing?

Yes. Use your scuba tank. That ought to have a -50F dewpoint.

Where would one go to find suitable desiccant packages.

If you need more than a -50F dewpoint, you've got bigger problems (like the
water's state being less-than-liquid)

--
--
Karl Denninger ) Internet Consultant & Kids Rights Activist
http://www.denninger.net My home on the net - links to everything I do!
http://scubaforum.org Your UNCENSORED place to talk about DIVING!
http://www.spamcuda.net SPAM FREE mailboxes - FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME!
http://genesis3.blogspot.com Musings Of A Sentient Mind