Topic: 911: DPA 4022's got wet from the rain at DMB concert: please advise

[bluntforcetrauma]

Hello, My mics were 15 ft. in the air when the sideways rain came and soaked them at the DMB, show in tampa.  As DMB goes on stage i still record and notice that moisture might be in one of the mics as the db output level is much less than the other.

What would someone do to get them dried out?

hairdryer?
low circualting fan?
nothing?
Damp rid in plastic bag with mics?
other?

why because i need the mics for the mule run in december in new york

please advise

scott

[Craig T]

don't stress yet.  they should be fine.  let them air dry naturally (no heat or hair dryer) or you could put them in a freezer bad with silica packs.  don't try to power them up for several days until they're completely dry.

[bluntforcetrauma]

thank you so much for the advise

where do i find those silica bags?

[JasonR]

Unless the humidity is so high that they won't air dry easily, just let them dry out naturally.  They should be fine as long as the water was relatively clean.  And as Craig T said, don't use them until they're dry.

- Jason

[KLowe]

You can get free silica packs from any pharmacy.  (my wife is a pharmacist and gets me tons of em).

or go to Lowe's/Home Depot and buy the damp rid stuff as mentioned.

[KLowe]

true that. 

Go with the silica

[kgreener]

yup, what they say

let them dry out naturally.  then, let them dry out naturally some more.  after that, let them dry out naturally, but even more.

 

[bluntforcetrauma]

living here in florida the high humidity is everywhere,  and i cant seem to find the ingredients to my damp rid, so i wont do that, and i just have them laying out --drying out

how long should i wait until i try them?

3-4 days? longer?

they probably got rained on for about 20 minutes with only one of them showind lower db when i finally started recording

thanks so much for all the help

advise?

[guysonic]

living here in florida the high humidity is everywhere,  and i cant seem to find the ingredients to my damp rid, so i wont do that, and i just have them laying out --drying out

how long should i wait until i try them?

3-4 days? longer?

they probably got rained on for about 20 minutes with only one of them showind lower db when i finally started recording

thanks so much for all the help

advise?

Rain water starts out as pure (naturally distilled) water that in itself is harmless to electrical gear, and is an excellent insulator (if truly pure). 

However, rain is known to gather pollution on the way down. 

Not so much a problem unless in an industrial area with power plants and/or chemical process stacks where pollution in the rain water can be significant causing contamination accumulation inside exposed to rain gear. 

While completely air-drying out the recording gear usually restores full as-before performance, the contamination residue inside makes decks/connectors/mics far more sensitive to humidity moisture effects, where before contaminated, would perform fine in 90+% high humidity (non-condensing) moisture conditions, with inside contamination this may no longer apply. 

In cases like this knowledgeable professional service may be best advice, but usually NO damage to gear before or after only if residue is non-corrosive (not containing salts) type that activate to eat up (oxidize) metals when exposed to moisture.

If you know your equipment has been exposed to air containing corrosive salts of any kind (especially common if at or within a few miles of ocean coastlines) then any moisture getting inside will activate the salt deposits to start eating away at all (unprotected or susceptible) metal components.

Also, you might consider that even new gear might not be so clean with fingerprints/other salt type residues (from handling/manufacturing processes) waiting for moisture to become active.  Also, pure water running inside gear can dissolve salt (film deposits) from one not-originally-at-risk section to a component section that is susceptible to moisture activated salt oxidation effects. 

Keeping your gear absolutely dry during and especially after use (best tact is using recording gear inside equipment case where practical/possible, and storing sealed with non-corrosive, humidity grabbing desiccants) avoids any real damage from occurring even if salt contamination is inside. 

In constant high humidity regions, many professionals with sensitive recording/camera equipment at risk use 'hot boxes' containing 1 or 2 incandescent 15-to-60 watt light bulbs that keep relative humidity very low so stored gear is kept relatively moisture free at all times when not in use.   

For that unexpected rain or water exposure occasion, desk type task lamp(s) using 60-100 watt bulbs may be placed within a foot or two to gently heat and more quickly/thoroughly dry out water-exposed gear.   Less time the moisture is inside, the less potential damage from salt corrosion.

Some preventive measures for at least the exposed metal surfaces of audio/video connectors is available, and can be (almost) permanently protected from salt/chemically induced corrosion (also caused by fingerprints) with CAIG labs DeoxIT 'ProGOLD' product. 

I used to be a stocking distributor for this, but NO LONGER as is costly to buy stock, and really couldn't get the message across on the value of using ProGOLD enhancement/protection treatment.  However, I still use this on my recording gear products produced here that are cleaned and ProGOLD treated allowing metal surfaces to remain pristine for many years even if exposed to highly corrosive fluids.   

Read about this at: www.sonicstudios.com/access.htm#caig and http://www.sonicstudios.com/progold.htm

[bluntforcetrauma]

wow , thanks so much for the info

[goodcooker]

living here in florida the high humidity is everywhere,  and i cant seem to find the ingredients to my damp rid, so i wont do that, and i just have them laying out --drying out

how long should i wait until i try them?

3-4 days? longer?

they probably got rained on for about 20 minutes with only one of them showind lower db when i finally started recording

thanks so much for all the help

advise?

desk type task lamp(s) using 60-100 watt bulbs may be placed within a foot or two to gently heat and more quickly/thoroughly dry out water-exposed gear.   Less time the moisture is inside, the less potential damage from salt corrosion.

I had the same problem so I left the mics on a towel under the undercabinet lights on the kitchen counter for a few days. No probs since. I would def do this in FL where the humidity is really high.

[bluntforcetrauma]

thank you, i put the mics in the china cabinet under the lights,

how long should i wait until i try to use them?

please advise

[db]

thank you, i put the mics in the china cabinet under the lights,

how long should i wait until i try to use them?

please advise

for dmb, never.

but for other purposes i'd say at least a week. it's probably ok after 4 days, but it's like the saying goes: do it 'til it's done and then give it another xxx.

you might try recording something at a low/moderate level so that the diaphragm does not move much -- 15 seconds or so. see if you hear any distortion or other noise.

[bluntforcetrauma]

thanks everyone, i have been letting them dry and plan to hear if they are working this weekend

hail hail to the DPA 4022