Avionics sitting in cold weather??
 

Anyone know if long periods of sitting in cold weather is harmful to avionics? Nothing exotic, just a Garmin 496 and a Dynon 180. Obviously, the 496, I can take home, the Dynon, no. Also got a Nexus 9 Android which I always take home, as Garmin Pilot is always putting out updates.

Just wondering.:rolleyes:

If it's cold enough, your Li ion back up batteries may stop working. But it doesn't get that cold in Atlanta.

Leave a 60w trouble light on in the closed cockpit.

Be very careful doing this. Make sure that the bulb cannot touch anything flammable like upholstery or carpet.

It does not hurt for them to sit in the cold, but if you try to use them in the cold it can cause the display to cut out. Most avionics that are temperature sensitive have an internal heater, but I try to get them up to 50 degrees before turning them on.

I heard that on some of the older Apollo/Garmin GPS's the LCD's could freeze. My Dad left one in an unheated hanger for a few years (Wisconsin) and when I put power to it last year it powered up but the screen was kaput. These were late 90's era, and I'm told more modern stuff is ok.

That being said it always seems like the mechanical gyros make more noise starting up when it's really cold out. If it's that hard on the bearings in our engines (which we religiously preheat), how is it better for them? I've resorted to throwing a space heater in the cockpit as part of preflight.

I would never leave any heat generating source in the cockpit unattended.

DEM

Yeah, but I grew up in Milwaukee---and one doesn't forget 15 below----even if the airplane is not technically there.;)

I wish I could forget. It?s -12*F this morning here off the west end of Lake Geneva this morning, a bit warmer in Milwaukee.
However the airplane is in a 55* F hanger :D

Be very careful when moving them out of a heated hangar into really cold air. I had a canopy crack on me one morning due to the very rapid temp change. Probably my fault in closing it too hard. Just move things very slowly and carefully. :)

Vic

Thanks Vic, but it?s in for the winter. The runway is grass and does not get plowed so no flying until we get a thaw.
I had a similar problem a few years back. I left the canopy closed on the ramp to keep the heat in the airplane on a 20* day during a trip to Lima OH. I then launched and climbed like an express elevator to 4500?, about 10 min later the canopy cracked with a bang.
Scared the you know what out of me. :eek: