Dataloggers

Howard B. Wellman <wellman [at] dhcd__state__md__us> writes

>Can anyone recommend a sensor and/or data logger that will record
>visible and UV light levels in museum exhibits and historic house
>rooms?

Light Dataloggers: I have been pleased with the ELSEC 764 meter that
monitors Visible and UV light, temperature, and RH, and datalogs all
four. It is great for measuring heat buildup and RH changes inside
display cases as lights come on and off. The RH and temperature
monitoring are a bit slow to stabilize, but the light monitoring is
fine. They are available from Littlemore Scientific.
<URL:http://www.elsec.co.uk/home.htm> Cost several years ago was
around $1200.

Temperature/RH Dataloggers: The best datalogger for museum purposes
is the Preservation Environmental Monitor available from Image
Permanence Institute and designed especially for museum use. They
have both real time display and portability of data. The big plus
with PEMs is the software "Climate Notebook." With this software,
one can perform extensive analysis and print out a series of reports
that can be understood by conservators, curators, directors, grant
reviewers, etc. The PEMs cost around $600 each and the Climate
Notebook software is around $500. A card reader is $300 or so. This
is pricey compared to other dataloggers, but the value is there
because it would cost several thousand dollars to pay an
environmental conservator or engineer to do the analysis possible
with Climate Notebook. The also run for several years without
changing the batteries.

One can also download data from HOBOs into Climate Notebook or enter
data from hygrothermograph charts by hand (it takes about a day to
enter a year of data). If using HOBOs for logging RH at high or low
temperature, one must be careful to buy the right model. I believe
that the less expensive models flat line below 20%RH.

Find information on the PEMs at:
<URL:http://www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/index.html> and
<URL:http://www.climatenotebook.com>

Richard L. Kerschner
Director of Preservation and Conservation
Shelburne Museum
PO Box 10, Route 7
Shelburne, VT  05482
802-985-3348 Ext 3361


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 19:21
                Distributed: Wednesday, October 19, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-19-21-005
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