Anybody storing radios in a gun safe?

[badmuther]

I'm storing my radios in a temperature controlled gunsafe. 70 degrees, 40% humidity or so.

I'm concerned with the rubber components drying out from the heat.

Does any recommend any kind of product to protect the rubber from drying out?

Thanks.

 

[frazpo]

I'm storing my radios in a temperature controlled gunsafe. 70 degrees, 40% humidity or so.

I'm concerned with the rubber components drying out from the heat.

Does any recommend any kind of product to protect the rubber from drying out?

Thanks.

So your storing them for a long period of time? In the safe? Your worried about heat in the safe drying them out? It is only 70dg with 40% humidity. I think the rubber will long out last the electronic components on the inside. The only complaint I see is the numbers wearing off the keys after a while.

 

[rwier]

How do I protect my scanners? Got a little chuckle at the question. Although my scanners are located in 4 different locations, they are all within 2 feet of a handgun, lol.

 

[KK4JUG]

I'm storing my scanners in a safe. I have my will, my birth certificate, my guns and my gold coins in a drawer in the kitchen.

If the conditions where you live are that destructive to the rubber in your scanners, you need to move.

 

[tumegpc]

I'm storing my radios in a temperature controlled gunsafe. 70 degrees, 40% humidity or so.

I'm concerned with the rubber components drying out from the heat.

Does any recommend any kind of product to protect the rubber from drying out?

Thanks.

What kind of radios are we talking about ? Collectables ?

 

[pinballwiz86]

Maybe he's planning on going on vacation, and thus wants to store them for safekeeping.

If that is the case OP, your radios will be well within the operating parameters in the user manual.

 

[badmuther]

The sarcasm and stupidity in this thread is why I generally don't participate in forums.

Handheld radios. I have a lot of them, high end, and I store them in a gun safe. Have for years. After awhile, the rubber does dry out.

If you don't have anything helpful to contribute, or no knowledge of what is being discussed, feel free to STFU.

Flame away, I won't be back to read the replies, too much stupidity for me.

 

[lmrtek]

Ozone is the main enemy of rubber.
......
If you have an electronic air cleaner on the furnace or any room air cleaners that use negative ions, you will see reduced rubber life.
.......
But nothing inside a heated safe is a threat.

 

[jaspence]

I have handheld transceivers well over 25 years old that work very well and have no deterioration. None of them have ever had any special handling or storage. The only problem is finding batteries for them.

 

[KK4JUG]

As radio continues to evolve, I would be more concerned with the technological lifespan of a scanner and not the rubber in it.

Excepting the antenna, how much rubber is there in a scanner?

 

[frazpo]

The sarcasm and stupidity in this thread is why I generally don't participate in forums.

Handheld radios. I have a lot of them, high end, and I store them in a gun safe. Have for years. After awhile, the rubber does dry out.

If you don't have anything helpful to contribute, or no knowledge of what is being discussed, feel free to STFU.

Flame away, I won't be back to read the replies, too much stupidity for me.

Just in case you were referring to my response,,
Your question was kind of vague. I was attempting to find out if this was a daily storage practice or for a long period of time. It appeared to me that you may have been storing them in the safe to keep them out of a hot climate. I couldn't tell being that I don't see 70 degrees being "hot". My questions were legitimate, I wasn't being sarcastic. Just to clarify.

 

[prcguy]

Armorall is a good rubber protectant and there is a specific brand called "rubber lube" that will also prolong life and keep rubber supple. Hopefully your safe is bolted down, it screams "steal me" when burglars break in.

 

[mmckenna]

Handheld radios. I have a lot of them, high end, and I store them in a gun safe. Have for years. After awhile, the rubber does dry out.

I've had older antennas, specifically the whip type on UHF and 800, sort of fall apart after a while. The coating cracks and falls off.
I have not noticed it on the helical antennas. Not sure if it's a different material on the Motorola brand antennas.

I won't be back to read the replies.

Not sure why I wasted time answering you, then.

 

[Rred]

Ozone is just another form of oxygen, and any oxygen exposure ages polymers including what you think is rubber. Best ways to prevent that are by storing the radio in a sealed bag, like a mylar bag, available for long term food storage, gun storage, and other purposes. You add in an "oxygen absorber" and a desiccant before you seal the bag, and the aging mainly stops.

You can also use plain talc (yes, talc) which will help seal out oxygen from the "rubber" and is otherwise inert. But most folks would use ArmorAll or a similar product. I prefer the original white formula. Those protectants also actively replace the plasticizers that normally will sublimate out of the "rubbers". Problem is, they also can cause some paints to lift, if they were not properly bonded to begin with.

Mylar bag, absorbers, sealed, there's only so much you can do. And that should keep them for 20 years, unless they were made with improperly cured junk to being with. In that case, preservation is simply not possible.

 

[n1das]

As radio continues to evolve, I would be more concerned with the technological lifespan of a scanner and not the rubber in it.

Excepting the antenna, how much rubber is there in a scanner?

I would be more worried about the lifespan of electrolytic capacitors in the scanner. It is worth powering the scanner up once in a long while to keep the caps formed. Anybody who has restored antique radios to service has probably had to deal with old electrolytic caps which have dried out and need replacement.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

I have seen some consumer grade FRS radios that were otherwise fine, but the rubber on the case and buttons was not properly vulcanized and over time either got sticky and awful or simply crumbled. Public Safety grade radios usually stand up a lot longer, though I have seen knobs crumble and antennas crack. Put them in a ziplock bag and purge it with nitrogen.

 

[lucky43113]

The sarcasm and stupidity in this thread is why I generally don't participate in forums.

Handheld radios. I have a lot of them, high end, and I store them in a gun safe. Have for years. After awhile, the rubber does dry out.

If you don't have anything helpful to contribute, or no knowledge of what is being discussed, feel free to STFU.

Flame away, I won't be back to read the replies, too much stupidity for me.

quit replying he said he wont be back