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Working with notebook at -(minus) 25 degree celsius

post #1 of 34
2/10/05 at 4:55am
Thread Starter 
Hallo,

I have to do some measurements on gas stations and the temperature in my country is minus 25 degree celsius. Duration of measurement is between 30-50 minutes.

Can someone tell me if this is OK for my notebook (I have HP)?

Thanks in advance.
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post #2 of 34
2/10/05 at 6:07am
Not for the battery. It'll probably go dead within seconds. Batteries don't operate well at extreme temperatures. It won't hold it's charge at cold temperatures.

Not sure if you have it on AC power though. But it won't be portable.
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post #3 of 34
2/10/05 at 6:33am
You might also want to think about going from a warm environment into a cold environment right away, it may cause condension and weird things.
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post #4 of 34
2/10/05 at 9:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by themessenger500
Not for the battery. It'll probably go dead within seconds.
HAHAHA, I don't think so. Sure, batteries are not MEANT to be operated at such temperatures, but they will not die in seconds. I've neer used my laptop in such cold, but I've used my Digi Cam (camera and camcorder) with a LiIon battery, and it will definitely last a while.
The best thing to do is have the laptop warm (so the battery is warm), go out and do your measurements, then turn it off and come back into the warmth. When you come back is when you have to worry about condensation, not the other way around. I highly doubt the thermal shock will be enough to contract any parts of the laptop faster than others, to make it crack.
But in general it will probably not be good for your laptop. So if this is for your job make sure it's a company laptop, or if it's yours then just be careful with it and be prepared that your laptop or battery could take a bit of a beating.
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post #5 of 34
2/10/05 at 9:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kukikuki
Hallo,

I have to do some measurements on gas stations and the temperature in my country is minus 25 degree celsius. Duration of measurement is between 30-50 minutes.

Can someone tell me if this is OK for my notebook (I have HP)?

Thanks in advance.
Not sure about the batteries but in those temps the screen will be extremly slow to react due to it's liquid nature.
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post #6 of 34
2/10/05 at 9:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by themessenger500
Not for the battery. It'll probably go dead within seconds. Batteries don't operate well at extreme temperatures. It won't hold it's charge at cold temperatures.

Not sure if you have it on AC power though. But it won't be portable.

That's complete BS, would you care to explain why people keep batteries in their freezer when not in use? It's because the cold helps HOLD the charge in.
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post #7 of 34
2/10/05 at 10:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by srw101
Not sure about the batteries but in those temps the screen will be extremly slow to react due to it's liquid nature.
That was going to be my coment, the LCD is probly going to work very poorly, if at all possible I would keep the laptop in an idling car or something, and expose it to the cold as little as possible, also be ware of condensation, while the laptop is off this is not a problem, just allow it plenty of time to warm up when you go back inside before turning it on, however condensation when the laptop is on could result in permadeath from shorting.
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post #8 of 34
2/10/05 at 10:36am
Just OC your GPU and play some maxed out Doom3/HL2 - your processor and GPU will keep the laptop temp well above freezing!
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post #9 of 34
2/10/05 at 11:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelX30
That's complete BS, would you care to explain why people keep batteries in their freezer when not in use? It's because the cold helps HOLD the charge in.
Actually cold (Freezer/fridge) doesn't help modern batteries at all. It may even hurt them. Not even alkalines benefit.

I believe it was the old Zinc batteries that predated Alkaline that actually banefit. But because nobody has disabused people of the notion, they keep thinking that newer batteries will benefit from cooling as well.

Anyhow, running a notebook in minus twenty five is a recipe for a broken notebook. So many of the components won't work well. Probably most notably the LCD screen. They really don't like being cold.
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post #10 of 34
2/10/05 at 11:35am
Just get a big DTR laptop with a P4 "Prescott" processor and stop worrying
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post #11 of 34
2/10/05 at 11:59am
Or bring a portable stove with you and "cook" your laptop
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post #12 of 34
2/10/05 at 12:04pm
i don't even think a panasonic toughbook would last long in those temps.
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post #13 of 34
2/10/05 at 2:04pm
I got tired of all the assumptions and guesses so here's a semi-scientific explanation.

batteries

I do agree about the condensation though your best bet would to be to run an external temperature prob such as this.

external temp probe with pc interface
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post #14 of 34
2/10/05 at 7:08pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you for your answers

I decided to do my measurements tommorow and I will write you how it went.
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post #15 of 34
2/10/05 at 7:14pm
get a pizza warming bag from pizza hut or dominos or soemthing. it works with ur car lighter. LOL
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post #16 of 34
2/10/05 at 7:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guspaz
Actually cold (Freezer/fridge) doesn't help modern batteries at all. It may even hurt them. Not even alkalines benefit.

I believe it was the old Zinc batteries that predated Alkaline that actually banefit. But because nobody has disabused people of the notion, they keep thinking that newer batteries will benefit from cooling as well.

Anyhow, running a notebook in minus twenty five is a recipe for a broken notebook. So many of the components won't work well. Probably most notably the LCD screen. They really don't like being cold.
Then why do AAs in my freezer last longer in my GBC (yes a Game Boy Color, I'm old school ) than newly bought batteries from HEB?
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post #17 of 34
2/10/05 at 7:40pm
Get a ruggedized laptop.
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post #18 of 34
2/10/05 at 7:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kukikuki
Thank you for your answers

I decided to do my measurements tommorow and I will write you how it went.
c'mon now. 25 below is not just cold. Its Damn Cold. The term "cold as hell" comes to mind. anyways... for us non metric people...To convert Celcius to Fahrenheit, multiply by 1.8 and add 32. Thats minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit. 13 degrees below zero. good luck!!!
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post #19 of 34
2/10/05 at 8:04pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelX30
Then why do AAs in my freezer last longer in my GBC (yes a Game Boy Color, I'm old school ) than newly bought batteries from HEB?
Alkaline batteries start losing power immediately after production (Lithium cells have the longest shelf life). I know many people swear by storing their AA's in a freezer, but have yet to see any scientific proof that it extends their shelf life enough to make it worth the hassle (batteries just don't last that long in our house). They still need to be brought up to room temp before use however, or they will drain faster.

Batteries will drain faster when they are cold, but they won't go dead in minutes, probably lose about 25% of battery life. You must remember that if the laptop is running before you take it out in the cold, it will have some internal heat to keep things warm for awhile. If you were to turn it on after it was sitting out and allowed to cool down to -25 C that would be a different story. Also, as stated earlier care should be taken when bringing the computer back into a warm environment after being out in the cold.

To sum things up, I don't think 30-40 minutes will hurt the laptop as long as it's running and nice and warm before you take it outside.

Oh, and -25c isn't cold, it's a little brisk, but a long way from truly COLD!!!!!
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post #20 of 34
2/10/05 at 8:22pm
acruxksa...agreed!

-25 C is not that cold. Cold is -35 C with a windchill, sometimes resulting in temperatures colder than -50 C. Now that's cold...and there are still school classes if it's -44 with several feet of snow.

Take that you southern hosers!
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