Mold on Metal, Humidity, Camera prices... at DVinfo.net

Rolando Jose Rodriguez De Leon · February 24th, 2003, 12:01 PM

Ok, just to answer a few of your questions:

1. Electronic prices are better here in Panama than in the use since we dont have to proctect our electronic industries (we have none) you can find electronics from all countries at cheaper prices than the US, the problem is that if you are looking for that needle in the haystack kind of product youll have to ask for it, buy it and wait for it until it arrives, and that can take a quite long, specially if it comes from Japan.
Besides that little problem you can buy goods from Russia, France, All Asia, US and who knows where else.

2. The humidity is a problem, I have been in shots where the camera just refused to start due to the humidity of the place (this happened in Campana Hill), also in the Darien Tropical humid Jungle I had to run back and forth to the helicopte (Which we left on, so the hot air from the exhaust will dry the Beta VTR.

3. The white dots are in fact mold, but a big bad ass kinda mold, it will enter the metal in the small spaces and stay there forever, just as in the cristals of the camera lens, there is no way to get rid of it once it got in. I have mi lens in a always on light bow made by myself with two flourecent tubes, that rest open in my edit room which have air conditioner on like 12h/day. I had a de-humidifier, but it got fill (2 gallons) almost in three days and finally died on me.

Now the "normal climate in Panama":

Humidity 50% to 70% on any giving day (can increase if its raining).

Heat 30c to 34c on any giving day (can go down or up depending on rain).

Cloudy and rainy 9 months a year.

Dry and no rain 3 months a year.

Well, hope i been of help =)... Ill write that article on Jungle recording, and by the way, its NOT a good idea to buy a camuflage coat for the camera, buy a RED one.

Nathan Gifford · February 24th, 2003, 12:13 PM

Yes, that type of mold requires both heat and humidity. Break the cycle of either one and you stop the mold from growing. Oddly enough that same type of mold can attack CDs.

You might also try a filter media called Purafil that helps reduce corrosion. There are various types check with the vendor for what might work best for you.

Christopher Hughes · February 26th, 2003, 03:36 PM

What do you mean by filter media - Purafil? It like a spray that puts on a thin film to protect from mold or what?

Sounds a bit like where i go in mexico. Very humid as its near coast and surrounded by lagunas. Im sure 70% is about average it does get higher as well, seen it registered in 90s% on weather sites . You sweat just walking from your house to your car some days. And Bathroom just becomes an instant sauna all day long.

I had a de-humidifer and had end stuck out of wall to outside...in a window-frame type structure then sealed gap and drilled a hole in the bottom at rear for water to run out. That way the tray never got full and flooded everywhere. It just ran out onto the street below.

Its funny but when I lived in USA for a few years, there people had Humidifiers in their houses as it was too dry.

You just never can win over mother nature.

Nathan Gifford · February 27th, 2003, 11:12 AM

Purafil makes a variety of activated charcoal and non-charcoal filter media. You would need some kind of air circulation, but they are some real filter media experts.

Rolando Jose Rodriguez De Leon · March 1st, 2003, 04:28 PM

The Mold in the CDd is very destructivem, I just bacjked up all the CDs ui burned in 98m, cus it all ready started to destroy them. For a media that was supposed to go for hundrend years it turned out very cheap.

February 24th, 2003, 12:01 PM	#1
Rolando Jose Rodriguez De Leon New Boot Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Panama Posts: 12	Mold on Metal, Humidity, Camera prices... Ok, just to answer a few of your questions: 1. Electronic prices are better here in Panama than in the use since we dont have to proctect our electronic industries (we have none) you can find electronics from all countries at cheaper prices than the US, the problem is that if you are looking for that needle in the haystack kind of product youll have to ask for it, buy it and wait for it until it arrives, and that can take a quite long, specially if it comes from Japan. Besides that little problem you can buy goods from Russia, France, All Asia, US and who knows where else. 2. The humidity is a problem, I have been in shots where the camera just refused to start due to the humidity of the place (this happened in Campana Hill), also in the Darien Tropical humid Jungle I had to run back and forth to the helicopte (Which we left on, so the hot air from the exhaust will dry the Beta VTR. 3. The white dots are in fact mold, but a big bad ass kinda mold, it will enter the metal in the small spaces and stay there forever, just as in the cristals of the camera lens, there is no way to get rid of it once it got in. I have mi lens in a always on light bow made by myself with two flourecent tubes, that rest open in my edit room which have air conditioner on like 12h/day. I had a de-humidifier, but it got fill (2 gallons) almost in three days and finally died on me. Now the "normal climate in Panama": Humidity 50% to 70% on any giving day (can increase if its raining). Heat 30c to 34c on any giving day (can go down or up depending on rain). Cloudy and rainy 9 months a year. Dry and no rain 3 months a year. Well, hope i been of help =)... Ill write that article on Jungle recording, and by the way, its NOT a good idea to buy a camuflage coat for the camera, buy a RED one.

February 24th, 2003, 12:13 PM	#2
Nathan Gifford Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Tickfaw, LA Posts: 1,217	Yes, that type of mold requires both heat and humidity. Break the cycle of either one and you stop the mold from growing. Oddly enough that same type of mold can attack CDs. You might also try a filter media called Purafil that helps reduce corrosion. There are various types check with the vendor for what might work best for you. __________________ Nathan Gifford Southern Cyclist Magazine & Productions For quick answers try our Search! To see me and Rob Lohman click here

February 27th, 2003, 11:12 AM	#4
Nathan Gifford Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Tickfaw, LA Posts: 1,217	Purafil makes a variety of activated charcoal and non-charcoal filter media. You would need some kind of air circulation, but they are some real filter media experts. __________________ Nathan Gifford Southern Cyclist Magazine & Productions For quick answers try our Search! To see me and Rob Lohman click here

March 1st, 2003, 04:28 PM	#5
Rolando Jose Rodriguez De Leon New Boot Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Panama Posts: 12	CD Mold The Mold in the CDd is very destructivem, I just bacjked up all the CDs ui burned in 98m, cus it all ready started to destroy them. For a media that was supposed to go for hundrend years it turned out very cheap.

February 26th, 2003, 03:36 PM	#3
Christopher Hughes Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sunderland, England (y Merida, Mexico) Posts: 269	What do you mean by filter media - Purafil? It like a spray that puts on a thin film to protect from mold or what? Sounds a bit like where i go in mexico. Very humid as its near coast and surrounded by lagunas. Im sure 70% is about average it does get higher as well, seen it registered in 90s% on weather sites . You sweat just walking from your house to your car some days. And Bathroom just becomes an instant sauna all day long. I had a de-humidifer and had end stuck out of wall to outside...in a window-frame type structure then sealed gap and drilled a hole in the bottom at rear for water to run out. That way the tray never got full and flooded everywhere. It just ran out onto the street below. Its funny but when I lived in USA for a few years, there people had Humidifiers in their houses as it was too dry. You just never can win over mother nature.