Tinytags in Place at the Falkland Islands Historic Dockyard Museum

The Falkland Islands Historic Dockyard Museum features Tinytag temperature and relative humidity data loggers, that record data to help identify seasonal environmental patterns to help with the preservation and conservation of sensitive items.

The museum in Stanley aims to promote awareness and appreciation of the history and heritage of the Falkland Islands and to protect and preserve this history for future generations.

The site features galleries and outbuildings covering social, maritime and natural history, the 1982 war, and Antarctic heritage.

Earlier this year, Gemini supplied two TGU-4500 data loggers to record temperature and relative humidity information around the site; the first time such environmental monitoring had been used to identify any seasonal patterns.

As the winter progressed, the data loggers were used extensively, moved around in various locations both upstairs and downstairs in the old part of the main building and in a couple of the outbuildings, including the Printing Office and the RT hut.

April to September saw them remain in the same place, with downloading of the data being less frequent. From analysis of the recorded data, the temperatures seemed to be consistent with weather conditions, whilst the loggers were placed inside the main building.

Once in the outbuildings, the temperatures were much lower, because the Printing Office has a concrete floor and no heating, and the RT Hut only has electric heaters on a timer.

However, the start of the tourism season (around mid-October) has seen the doors to these buildings left open during the day. The downloaded data also showed that fluctuations in humidity are much greater than temperature.

After a long winter, the intention is to carry on using the Tinytags to make comparisons for the summer months.

Teena Ormond, The Museum’s Records and Research Assistant, said she found the instructions on how to use the loggers simple and easy to follow, whilst Museum Manager Alison Barton said seeing the fluctuations in temperature and humidity has been really useful, adding that, on one occasion, a striking rise in temperature was noticed when an evening function was taking place.

TGU-4500 data loggers are ideal for monitoring temperature and relative humidity throughout museums and archives to help preserve sensitive items.

They can be used for initial temperature mapping to provide seasonal patterns, and to trouble shoot problems in specific locations.

Recorded data can be used to identify required actions such as heating, ventilation and dehumidification controls, or relocating at-risk items.

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

Phone: 01243 813000
Fax: 01243 531948

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