[Elecraft] Cold K3

[Fred Jensen]

On 10/6/2016 10:43 AM, Richard Fjeld wrote:

> Someone posted with a question if the battery was cold. That may have
> been pertinent.

Nearly all chemical reactions slow with decreasing temperature. 
Batteries produce an electrical current through chemical reaction(s). 
In the northern interior of AK, coldest I saw was -67F ... for 10 days. 
Vehicles idled 24/7 and if one died, it got restarted in the spring. :-)
>
> I was curious. I posted about what I had been taught years ago
> concerning solid state circuit design. As of those designs, it is my
> understanding that solid state radios will have reduced performance in
> cold temps.

Solid state devices have both high and low temperature limits. 
Switching speeds slow down a low temps.  Crystals will also cease 
oscillating at low enough temperatures.
>
> I'd like to know if this is true with designs today. Perhaps you, and
> others, will post some findings on this question as you operate in the
> cold.
>
> (Most radios today, have LCD screens and that will hamper the findings.)

I have an older IC-2800H VHF/UHF radio in my truck.  It has a color LCD 
TV display.  The truck is parked on the driveway [a little too long for 
the garage] and in the winter, I can turn on the radio, and it works, 
however the display is blank for several minutes until things warm up a 
little.

73,

Fred K6DGW
- Sparks NV DM09dn

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