*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
*****

20% is the typical static threshold, so really you do want to keep it
between 35 and 20%.  Our humidity only drops below 20% in the winter, and
our metal optical tables seem to keep it under control anyway.  Your mileage
may vary though, but overall just keep an eye on your humidity and
temperature so you can correlate any problems with the environment changing
(or not).

Craig


On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 10:16 PM, Zac Arrac Atelaz <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
>
> Adding to Craig explanation, and something I remember after his explanation
> is that the specs for optical microscopes are mainly evaluated in a small
> range between 220 and 628 meters above sea level, so if you take the system
> to a higher altitude the heat dispersion might be slower than originally
> calculated for the system, this is obviated some times, as the effect is not
> too big but this might have some effect on your results.
>
> http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/air-altitude-pressure-d_462.html
>
> Another important thing, if your humidity is too high you can keep it below
> 35% safely, but if the region is too dry and you have a drying device
> working and humidity suddenly goes below 30% your possibilities of having
> ESD goes trough the roof, so if you want to be safe, my two cents is that
> you should try to keep humidity in the middle of the range given by the
> factory, far away of the "safety operation limits", because when you are
> walking in the limit, you can easily fall out if it, and the fail when temp
> is higher than asked is similar to the trouble when humidity goes below the
> limit asked, your drying system is not going to hudify back up.
>
> http://www.esdsystems.com/whitepapers/wp_humidity.html
>
> The links have more information on the matters exposed
>
> Gabriel Orozco Hoyuela
>
>
>
> > Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:39:45 -0600
> > From: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: Incubator box heating mystery
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> >
> > *****
> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > *****
> >
> > It's hard to get, but really you want +/-1 degree C and humidity <35%.
> This
> > is particularly important if you have a lot of free-space optics. Most
> > fiber-coupled systems can tolerate some temperature change, but
> free-space
> > beams are guided by steering mirrors. Temperature changes can cause the
> > mirror mounts to flex which misaligns your beam. Additionally, Ti:Saph
> > lasers used in two-photon HATE humidity. We're in Calgary, Canada, which
> is
> > very, very dry in the winter. We can run our lasers without a dry air or
> > nitrogen purge at 925nm. In the summer though, the humidity gets quite
> high
> > and purging becomes necessary. The building contractor just finished
> > installing a humidity control system for our lab last week, so we will
> see
> > how things go. Thus far it seems to be holding the humidity under about
> > 37%. I'll wait a couple weeks and then check my datalogger. @:-)
> >
> > Craig
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 6:59 PM, Graham Wright <
> > [log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> > > *****
> > > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > > *****
> > >
> > > I agree with Craig that the temperature and humidity loggers give you
> > > a real insight into what's going on with the aircon in your rooms
> > > (particularly over the weekends in our case). I'd be interested though
> > > in what you think are reasonable limits for the tolerable fluctuations
> > > in both temperature and humidity. We are constantly battling with both
> > > in Singapore!
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Graham
> > >
> > > ---
> > > Graham Wright, PhD
> > > Microscopy Unit Manager
> > >
> > > Institute of Medical Biology
> > > 8A Biomedical Grove, #06-06 Immunos, Singapore 138648
> > >
> > > E: [log in to unmask]
> > > W: http://www.imb.a-star.edu.sg/imu/
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 29 July 2011 02:51, Craig Brideau <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > > *****
> > > > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > > > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > > > *****
> > > >
> > > > We had quite a bit of trouble with our room ventilation until quite
> > > > recently. We purchased an inexpensive USB datalogger to continuously
> > > record
> > > > temperature and humidity in the room. It picked up large swings in
> > > > temperature and humidity that the ventilation system was supposed to
> > > > prevent. The data we collected finally convinced the building
> contractor
> > > to
> > > > install proper humidity controls and hardware for our room. I
> recommend
> > > > that every facility should keep logs of temperature and humidity. The
> > > > loggers are quite cheap now, and can be programmed, detached from the
> > > > computer, and left unattended for months. We would move ours around
> the
> > > > room to get a feel for any gradients, heat loads from equipment, etc.
> > > >
> > > > Craig
> > > >
> > > > On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 11:03 AM, Zac Arrac Atelaz <
> [log in to unmask]
> > > >wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> *****
> > > >> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > > >> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > > >> *****
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> Esteban:
> > > >>
> > > >> Your problem might be the changing position of the termometer of the
> > > >> system, one interesting trial will be putting the overheating system
> in
> > > the
> > > >> non overheating system, to see if is that part fails or remain
> working
> > > as
> > > >> the trial you make the way around.
> > > >>
> > > >> If your system is failing you should consider one incubator as the
> one
> > > we
> > > >> have, this is not the huge box making the microscope unreachable, it
> is
> > > the
> > > >> size of the insert in the stage and it has 4 points heating your
> sample,
> > > the
> > > >> cover, the objective used, and the water heater, we have never had a
> > > >> temperature overshoot as the mentioned by Michael, even if we open
> > > doors, or
> > > >> change room temperature ( recorded from 18 to 27°C) the shift in
> > > temperature
> > > >> observed trough time in the incubator is about 0.5°C over a 25h
> period.
> > > In
> > > >> such long experiments we have people reviewing samples as you dont
> want
> > > to
> > > >> let the confocal working if the sample has suffered unwanted
> changes, by
> > > the
> > > >> way the brand of the one we have is a INU - Tokai hit incubator.
> > > >>
> > > >> I hope this helps a little.
> > > >>
> > > >> Gabriel Orozco Hoyuela
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> > Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:01:32 -0700
> > > >> > From: [log in to unmask]
> > > >> > Subject: Incubator box heating mystery
> > > >> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > > >> >
> > > >> > *****
> > > >> > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> > > >> > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> > > >> > *****
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Hello everyone,
> > > >> >
> > > >> > I have a very strage problem with an incubator box heating up. I
> have
> > > two
> > > >> > live cell imaging microscopes enclosed in PeCon incubator boxes (I
> > > think
> > > >> > they are Incubator XL). The microscopes are in two separate
> buildings.
> > > >> One
> > > >> > microscope heats up significantly past the set temp. (above 41
> > > degrees,
> > > >> set
> > > >> > to 37 degrees) even though the temp. is being measured and
> reported
> > > >> > correctly to the electronics (confirmed by a glass thermometer).
> The
> > > >> other
> > > >> > microscope works perfectly and holds at 37 degrees for days. The
> > > strange
> > > >> > thing is that when I put the temp. control components that work
> well
> > > >> > (heater, control electronics, temp. sensor, and all cables) onto
> the
> > > >> > microscope that heats up, it still heats up, even though the
> > > components
> > > >> work
> > > >> > perfectly on the other microscope! Any ideas why this might be
> > > happening,
> > > >> > why the temp. control equipment works on one microscope but not on
> the
> > > >> > other?
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The temp. equipment is stand-alone, not connected to a computer or
> to
> > > the
> > > >> > microscope in any way. One microscope is a Zeiss Axiovert 200M
> (the
> > > one
> > > >> > that works) and the other is a Leica DM IRE2 (heats up) in
> separate
> > > >> > buildings; the incubator boxes surrounding them are very similar.
> Any
> > > >> ideas
> > > >> > on this mystery are welcome.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Thanks,
> > > >> > Esteban
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >
> > >
>
>