19-12-2022, 06:02 PM
Yes, this sudden change in the weather has brought a lot of moisture in the air. Anything below the dew point will definitely have condensation, and given the thermal mass of something like a 'scope, it'll stay cold for a lot longer than other things. Hopefully that's all it is - a bit of leakage. Probably best to not operate it until it has warmed up - though there's no doubt the heat generated by the 'scope itself will accelerate the process, there is a risk of consequential damage if internal circuit conditions aren't right.
I've no experience of valves in cold conditions, but given the range of temperatures they normally see (room temp to operational temp), it's hard to imagine that being 10 or 15 degrees cooler will bother them. We experience temperature in a very non-linear way, but glass and metal probably don't
The gear I use most is in the cellar. Some of it is in the room above. But the stuff I haven't used for aeons is up in the attic. Not many valves, admittedly. It does seem to hold up well - I've yet to notice corrosion as a result of humidity. Hope the radio collection is OK! It is well ventilated, but that works both ways...
I've no experience of valves in cold conditions, but given the range of temperatures they normally see (room temp to operational temp), it's hard to imagine that being 10 or 15 degrees cooler will bother them. We experience temperature in a very non-linear way, but glass and metal probably don't
The gear I use most is in the cellar. Some of it is in the room above. But the stuff I haven't used for aeons is up in the attic. Not many valves, admittedly. It does seem to hold up well - I've yet to notice corrosion as a result of humidity. Hope the radio collection is OK! It is well ventilated, but that works both ways...
