-----Original Message----- From: kclug-bounces@kclug.org [mailto:kclug-bounces@kclug.org] On Behalf Of Jonathan Hutchins Sent: Saturday, January 08, 2005 3:27 PM To: kclug@kclug.org Subject: Re: programmer or serial killer?

On Saturday 08 January 2005 02:41 pm, Richard A. Franklin wrote:

...

And BTW, as a pilot of 18 wheels, I have to remember to not let my laptop sit for 48 hours in Minot, ND during the months of January and February ... and I don't, but it is a good reminder.

Actually, you can probably get the laptop as cold as you want, provided you don't bring it into a warm room, plug it in and turn it on right away. As long as you let it warm up before hitting it with power, and take some precaution against condensation on it, it won't suffer any harm from the cold.

You've never seen one with a permanent screen-saver yet, have you? <grin>

Dustin

Jonathan Hutchins wrote:

I was bemused the other day to see specifications for operating altitude - up to 50,000 ft. if I recall - on the specs for a motherboard the other day. What, are the sealed capacitors gonna blow if the pressure's too low?

Well, actually, some of the capacitors use a "moist" electrolyte paste that could possibly have water vapor boil off in extremely low pressure environments. These are more typically found in power supplies but they do exist so the question is not as far fetched as first proposed. They are usually vented but if the vent were clogged, it is possible the 'can' could split or pop.

I doubt it, that's probably just the highest they tested it. Get the atmosphere too thin around some high-voltage components too thin and they will start spontaneously arcing, but I doubt there's much danger for a standard motherboard at 70k.

Actually, I believe that vacuum is a better insulator than the gaseous stew we use for atmosphere.

Anyway, speaking of specs, you should find both the acceptable operating temperature range for your laptop, as well as the storage range which should go quite a bit lower, and possibly the amount of time to allow the laptop to reach room temperature before operating it, right in the good old owner's manual or user's guide.

This is good advice. When I worked at the plant that made airplane radios, we tested to ridiculously extreme pressures and temperatures, but still published minimum and maximum operating ranges for a reason, and that range was where the unit operated properly.

On Sun, 9 Jan 2005, James R. Sissel wrote:

At 12:25 PM 1/9/2005 -0600, you wrote: Many years ago I had a family that bought a little electronic toy that had stopped working. They bought it on vacation and took it on the plane with them when they came home. Commercial airplanes fly 30,000-35,000 feet. The cabin is pressurized at 8,000 feet. When I opened the game I found one of the electrolytic capacitors had popped the can completely off.

I always thought it was cosmic and x-rays they were concerned about at high altitudes. Something about the charges activating the tiny static memory cells. But my laptop makes it through the xray scanner ok, so I don't know...

-=Duane http://dattaway.org

Jonathan Hutchins wrote:

...

Actually, I believe that vacuum is a better insulator than the gaseous stew we use for atmosphere.

Two words: "Vacuum Tube".

Which requires a heater to remove the electrons from the cathode and even then there isn't a spark. If current flowed through the vacuum even in the absence of a heater, then no vacuum tubes would work.

Also remember the 'L' in LCD stands for liquid. Get it too cold and it freezes. If the liquid contains water, it expands upon freezing. I'd imagine that would destroy a notebook screen rather nicely.

-- Hal Duston