Gemini protects and preserves sensitive exhibits and archives

Gemini Data Loggers has recently been chosen to help protect mosaic floors, exhibits and archives at Britain’s largest Roman home with its temperature and humidity loggers. 

The loggers help control the environment at Fishbourne Roman through heating, cooling and ventilation, ensuring sensitive items are kept in the correct conditions to ensure the long-term conservation of sensitive exhibits and archives for Museum Accreditation purposes.

Four Tinytag Ultra 2 TGU-4500 temp/RH data loggers had already been installed in the North Wing and successfully preserved mosaic floors in the large building. 

For ambient monitoring in the Sensitive Store (which also houses the library) and the Bulk Store, and inside display cases in the Museum areas, an automatic data collection system was the preferred solution. In this way data from three individual large spaces could be sent directly to the Curator’s PC for immediate viewing, without having to download the loggers individually.

Gemini Data Loggers, located a few minutes away, proposed a combination of Plus Radio data loggers and Ethernet receivers as an effective, easy to use solution to meet the layout requirements of the three monitoring areas. A combination of four Ultra Radio TR-3500 temp/RH loggers, two Plus Radio ACSRF-4040 Ethernet Receivers, and three Ultra Radio TR-3505 loggers were supplied.

The TR-3505 units have an accompanying temp/RH probe, which has been placed inside sealed display cases in the Museum. The loggers enable weekly checks to gather a year’s worth of data to establish the pattern of environmental conditions to tie in with seasonal patterns of any pest problems.

Recorded data in the Sensitive Store is used to determine if the dehumidifier needs to be used (it has been accurate enough to even show door openings). This is particularly important as some space is rented to another museum who need to verify conditions are correct for their own Accreditation purposes.

In the Bulk Store which houses more robust materials such as pottery and stone, recorded data can be used to adjust the ventilation controls, which allow warm or fresh air to be circulated as required. Results from the probed loggers in the museum cases, primarily containing sensitive metal items, have shown that condition as are reasonably stable, and also provide an indication of how effectively the case is providing protection from the environment.

The Tinytag Connect Radio/LAN system is ideal for discreet monitoring in museums and galleries, and can be configured to include both types of units to suit site layout and network infrastructure. Automatic data collection conveniently allows immediate access to the information required to assess if conditions need to be modified to ensure the wellbeing of collections and archives.

Gemini Data Loggers,
Scientific House,
Terminus Road,
Chichester,
West Sussex,
United Kingdom,
PO19 8UJ

Phone: 01243 813000
Fax: 01243 531948

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