Question

[Steve McKee]

The shop that the laser is in is insulated and heated, however, tonight it is supposed to get down to -26 and I don't think the heater can keep up with it. Any suggestions on what I should do, or if I even need to be concerned with it? Will the cold affect the tube?

Steve

[Brent Vander Weil]

Steve-

My Epilog rep told me if the laser isn't running it can take the elements... he does demos all over the midwest and the machine(s) sit in his van overnight. (It is now 2deg. F here w/o the wind chill... lol)

Now going back to fire is a whole other issue... I would make sure it has reached the correct ambient temp in the room before firing it.

[Steve McKee]

Thanks Brent, that was kind of what I was thinking. Not planning on using it for a few days, at least not before getting another heater to warm it up out there.

[Joe Pelonio]

If it was me I'd throw a blanket over it anyway. Couldn't hurt. Not being an electronics expert I'd guess the most sensitive part is the little LCD screen if yours has one, I've seen the one on my car stereo go wierd until it warms up after being at 16F overnight.

[Dave Jones]

Electronic components are sold with an operating temperature range and a storage temperature range. Most ICs and other parts have a storage range that goes down to at least -40 degrees F. Many have a range down to -67 F and some even lower.

But many LCD screens have a storage range of only down to around 0 F.

If you have a heater of some kind in there then maybe the inside won't go below zero, even if it's -27 outside.

When you're ready to use it again, don't just bring it back up to temperature and turn it on. Let it sit at temperature for a number of hours, or even a day. The reason is the moisture that will condense on it as it heats up. That moisture can be destructive when you turn it on. After it sits for a few hours or a day the moisture will all be absorbed by the dry air.

[Tom Majewski]

-26 is brutal man. How about a 100W lightbulb inside the laser, or a floodlight closely aimed at the lcd display just to keep things from being covered with frost.

edit- sorry I see it's heated and insulated. If the heater can keep it above freezing, i wouldn't worry.

Had an lcd display break from freezing on my car radio and cell phone last winter.

[James Stokes]

I have 2 lasers in my garage. One is a Vytek with a universal tube, the other is an epilog Legend. It is not unusual for my garage to go down to the mid 20s. My epilog runs no problem no matter what the tempature. Never had a problem with it. The universal tube will not fire if it gets below 60 degrees. I heat it up for 30 or 40 minutes with an electric space heater and it fires fine. That tube lasted 7 years before a recharge. I do not get very worried about the tempature.

[Phyllis Meyer]

Hi Steve,

The weather map says -34 for our neck of the woods, I didn't see what yours was going to be. Burrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Our laser is in a building where the temp. is about 45.

Have a great weekend!

Phyllis

[Tom Majewski]

Phyllis,
Is this -34 a yearly normal thing for you or is this a fluke?

I'm wanting to take the dog out, but at 10 degrees, he's on his own.