(apologies in advance if this is a FAQ)

Hello. We'd be greatly appreciative of any advice you could offer on the
relative merits, advantages, and disadvantages of different datalogging
technologies for use in monitoring controlled museum environments,
particularly in terms of temperature and relative humidity.

We are currently planning a new museum of world cultures on the
University of Illinois campus and wish to install a brand-new, good
quality environmental monitoring system (for galleries, storerooms,
workshops, and other artifact sensitive areas). We d prefer to stay away
from the traditional paper-based recorders and instead focus on
electronic devices--either stand-alone or integrated into a network
system.

We have been looking at products from ACR Systems, Dickson, Stowaway,
and Metrosonics.Does anyone have any experience with these systems, or
others that they would recommend?

Can anyone comment on the installation and ease of use of the
networkable systems (such as those offered by ACR) versus standalone
recorders? Is it worth the extra money and installation effort to be
able to access read-outs remotely or is it a simple matter to take a
portable PC around to each sensor in turn?

Would anyone recommend the purchase of handheld models for spot checks
to complement the dedicated systems?

Does anyone have any preferences over the various software packages
offered by these companies to monitor and track data? Is it better to
use pre-packaged software or simply export data to Excel and track it
independently?

How significant are the differences among the various products in terms
of recording accuracy? For example, how sensitive are these instruments
to minor fluctuations in RH and temp?

Thanks in advance,

Christa Deacy-Quinn ([log in to unmask])
Collections Manager

Paul Marty ([log in to unmask])
Director of Information Technology

Spurlock Museum
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign