Electronics in Cold Weather?

AbsoluteZero

So I bought this little bluetooth audio transmitter and receiver set on eBay, and it arrived today...which is all fine and well.

Trouble is I'm out of town, which means that the package is going to be sitting in my mailbox for about 3 days in temperatures hovering around the freezing point. I didn't think it would come so soon, or that it would get so damn cold.

Basically, what I'm wondering is... what are the chances this cold weather is going to destroy my stuff?

Scosglen

Your biggest worry isn't so much the cold itself but water condensation when the hardware finally gets brought inside to warm air. So long as frost doesn't form on the circuitry itself or you don't immediately try to use it after bringing it inside from the cold you should probably be safe.

Szechuanosaurus

Scosglen wrote: »

Your biggest worry isn't so much the cold itself but water condensation when the hardware finally gets brought inside to warm air. So long as frost doesn't form on the circuitry itself or you don't immediately try to use it after bringing it inside from the cold you should probably be safe.

What Scosglen says.

Electronics actually perform better in cold conditions for obvious reasons (hint: It's why we put fans on computers) and there's nothing in them that can really be damaged by extreme cold. Frozen condensation can be a problem though, so you should leave it in a warm room for about 24hrs before trying to use it, to be safe.

Batteries can stop performing below certain temperatures, because they rely on chemical processes but AFAIK they can't actually be damaged by being frozen, they just stop working until you warm them up again.

Ruckus

Electronic circuits do work better cold, but it should be noted that battery charge is significantly reduced by cold weather. 3 days near or slightly below freezing probably won't hurt your stuff because it's all solid state. I would recommend that you give it a chance to warm up slowly before you start using it.

But if it doesn't work, don't mention 3 days in the cold when you contact the seller. 95% chance that cold wouldn't affect it, but the seller may try and use it to justify not replacing defective gear.

Midshipman

Szechuanosaurus wrote: »

Electronics actually perform better in cold conditions for obvious reasons (hint: It's why we put fans on computers) and there's nothing in them that can really be damaged by extreme cold.

While I wouldn't be too worried about temperatures around freezing, extreme cold can break electronics. Not everything expands and contracts at the same rate, so you could potentially snap some contacts if things get cold enough.

AbsoluteZero

Okay... I feel a little better. It should be sealed up tight in that impossible-to-open plastic, so I don't think there should be any condensation.

I'll let it spend a day warming up though, just to be safe.