Is it safe to store audio CDs in a loft which regularly hits 45C
in the summer, or is that going to cause them to deteriorate?
These are standard mass produced ones, not home written in a
CD writer.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On Thu, 27 May 2010 16:41:16 +0000 (UTC),
(Andrew Gabriel) wrote:

Is it safe to store audio CDs in a loft which regularly hits 45C
in the summer, or is that going to cause them to deteriorate?
These are standard mass produced ones, not home written in a
CD writer.

I've seen 50C quoted for long term storage, but I'm not sure I would
want to do that.

d

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
Is it safe to store audio CDs in a loft which regularly hits 45C
in the summer, or is that going to cause them to deteriorate?
These are standard mass produced ones, not home written in a
CD writer.
Its a while since I read up on this, but IIRC those sort of temps
drastically reduce the life of all CD types... IIRC.

Presumably there's some reason to keep them other than their data,
which is better stored on a HDD with backups.


NT

In article , Andrew Gabriel
wrote:
Is it safe to store audio CDs in a loft which regularly hits 45C in the
summer, or is that going to cause them to deteriorate? These are
standard mass produced ones, not home written in a CD writer.

Define "safe". :-)

I would not risk it if I wanted to keep the discs readable for many years.
But I can't tell you what the failure rate would be.

I suspect that the main problem would be with temperature *cycling*. i.e.
it getting cold and hot and cold in daily cycles. But for all I know discs
stored as you ask might be fine for decades... or not.

Note, though that some modern 'commercial' discs are not made in the
'traditional' sic way. Some are made by burning/writing in a similar
manner to those written with a home computer. Although IIUC the actual
information layer is different. They look the same as conventional
commercial discs. Again I have no idea how well they would survive. I
wonder if the industry does, either! :-)

Slainte,

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

"NT" wrote in message
...
Andrew Gabriel wrote:
Is it safe to store audio CDs in a loft which regularly hits 45C
in the summer, or is that going to cause them to deteriorate?
These are standard mass produced ones, not home written in a
CD writer.
Its a while since I read up on this, but IIRC those sort of temps
drastically reduce the life of all CD types... IIRC.

Presumably there's some reason to keep them other than their data,
which is better stored on a HDD with backups.


Andrew did say mass produced audio CDs.
--
Tinkerer

On 27 May, 17:41, (Andrew Gabriel) wrote:
Is it safe to store audio CDs in a loft which regularly hits 45C
in the summer, or is that going to cause them to deteriorate?
These are standard mass produced ones, not home written in a
CD writer.

Do CDs in Australia or India or Death Valley have a shortened
lifespan?
I would say provided there is not drastic change in temp wou'll be OK.
I'm sure some of my CDs hit that sort of temp when they've been played
in a least one of my cd players and two laptops get them that hot.

"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in
message

Is it safe to store audio CDs in a loft which regularly
hits 45C in the summer, or is that going to cause them to
deteriorate? These are standard mass produced ones, not
home written in a
CD writer.

IME the most temperature-sensitive portion of a CD is the lacquer top layer
with the graphics and nomenclature on it. I've seen a goodly number of CDs
that were damaged by direct sunlight and/or heat, and the lacquer coating is
what seems to get damaged first and damaged the worst. Damage to the lacquer
layer can cause damage to the aluminum layer, which is of course quite
critical.

Interestingly enough, much of the lore and technology of storing lacquer
relates to LPs, which are usually cut on lacquer-coated discs of aluminum at
one point in the production process. Often these intermediates in the
standard production process are the only extant form of legacy recordings.

Another critical application of lacquer coatings is furniture and art works.
The lore and technology of storing fine furniture and art applies.

Interested parties should of course do their own research. My take on what
I've read is that temperatures of 45C should not be a problem, but that
control of the rate of change of temperature, and humidity should be
carefully controlled.

On Thu, 27 May 2010 16:41:16 +0000 (UTC),
(Andrew Gabriel) waxed lyrical about:

Is it safe to store audio CDs in a loft which regularly hits 45C
in the summer, or is that going to cause them to deteriorate?
These are standard mass produced ones, not home written in a
CD writer.

As I understand it, CDs at 45C shouldn't be a problem - the issue
comes with rapid changes in temperature which, I would think, are
likely in a loft during the summer.

If you can store them in a crate lined with some form of insulation
(old Celotex offcuts, perhaps?) you should be able to slow the rate of
change by a considerable amount

Perry