[Elecraft] Cold K3

[Edward R Cole]

Dick,

The KX3 will not see those extreme cold temps.  Where we live it 
rarely drops below -15F and typically is 0 to +10F at night in 
winter.  The KX3 has a RAM bracket in my truck so it might sit 
outside at night. I was wondering how it would react to being powered 
on at down to -15F.  Truthfully it might not ever face that as I have 
remote start for the truck to warm up for winter driving so the cab 
might reach +20 or higher before I would use it.  A few miles driving 
and the cab should be +50 to 60F which is comfortable wearing a winter coat.

More than likely I would just bring the radio inside at night if 
planning to use it the next day.  My experience with the TS-180S was 
that the cold effected the LCD screen so operating was not possible 
until it warmed.

That experience in 1986 was the coldest I have seen in my 36 years up 
here in AK.  Quite possible the temp dropped to -80F at night (-78F 
is the official record for AK).  Fortunately at extreme cold the air 
is completely calm most of the time.  Dog teams coming into the 
checkpoint reported -45F on the ridge tops but with 30-40mph winds 
which would feel much colder than what we were down in the lake valley.

The coldest I have experience at home on the Kenai Peninsula is -35F 
and that was nighttime so I stayed inside near the wood stove.  I now 
live in a modern home with force-air natural gas heat and its +67F to 
+71F year round.

Radio gear is std in all vehicles used at Prudhoe Bay on AK's "north 
slope" but either they leave the engines run continuously or they are 
plugged in with electric heaters on the inside keeping the interior 
from freezing.  Ever climb into a suburban when the seats are -40F 
and hard as a rock (a very cold rock)?  In fact the seats split apart 
if allowed to get that cold.

Most repeaters up there are enclosed in warmed buildings and only 
antenna and coax outside.

I had fun up there in Nov.1980 installing MOT radios in heavy 
equipment that was parked outside (it was only -15F so my bare hands 
took a punishment).  After a couple days one of the operators showed 
me how to start up the engines and I got a little warmth inside the 
cabs (+15 vs -15).

I was young (36) and adventurous - making $6500 in three weeks 
working 18-hour days didn't hurt, either.

73, Ed - KL7UW

From: Richard Fjeld <rpfjeld at outlook.com>
To: "elecraft at mailman.qth.net" <elecraft at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Cold K3

On 10/4/2016 7:16 PM, Edward R Cole wrote:
I've not tried running my K3 at outside temps,

Hello Ed,

I would caution you against trying your K3 in those temps.  Minus 60
degrees F. is the coldest on record for Minnesota, and you experience
far colder that that. The cold may do multiple things to the K3 if it
has multi-layer circuit boards.  I didn't notice if it does.

Our club left a repeater in an unheated enclosure one winter. I would
estimate it wasn't much colder than minus 30 degrees F. at that
location. (To clarify for others, this is 30 degrees F. below zero.)  I
have seen what the multi-layer circuit board looked like. More
specifically, the thru-the-hole solder connections from one layer to
another were cracked. Maybe it was the type of solder used???

I'm sure circuit designs have changed since the first solid state rigs I
described in the cold.  LCD screens hadn't been heard of yet.  I'm
surprised they don't freeze and get damaged in your temps.  It is
interesting to read of your outdoor experiences.

73,
    Dick, n0ce


73, Ed - KL7UW
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