In
1vojage said:
The most important is Nonoperating temperature, for example below
-20œC We can assume that due transportation issues and temporary storage
in
postal warehouse, a laptop could easily drop below -20œC
How long time its allowed to store it below -20œC?
Assuming this is a DIY shipment and not something for which the mfg is
responsible:
-20C = -4F
-30C = -22F
-40C = -40F A convenient convergence to remember for doing estimations.
Those numbers are "minimum" so to speak, meaning "at least" -20C, -40, etc..
But never count on that as a saving piece of informaiton.
There is NO one size fits all answer to this question, unfortunately:
With the exception of batteries (UPS and CMOS which have their own specs),
the major compoments of a computer are often rated for -40C/F
non-operating/storage temperatures. For accurate information though, the
only thing you can do is check with the manufacturer and get their numbers
for your model.
After getting the mfg specs, then you also have to do the same for any
peripherals you've added to the machine, including hard drives, cards, etc..
Take UPS and FEDEX for example:
-- Vans are parked inside overnight where it's not excessively cold.
-- Vans are heated, minimally, by leakage from the driver's area and I've
seen heat vents in the back/sides, around the doors.
-- All bets are off if the item ends up in a semi; those are outside,
delivery trailers are never heated/cooled and due to the vibrations etc.,
are the most destructive. Aircraft baggage areas are just as bad or worse.
-- Overnight or 2nd day deliveries are generally the best for temperature
sensitive items.
UPS, FedEx and USPS Priority are also good sources to ask. Have your
zipcodes handy. They're used to handling electronic equipment.
It's not a huge job to pick a point in the weather patterns (though not
foolproof) when the temperatures will not be going sub-zero. Packaging of
course is important, too; you want it almost air-sealed so no drafts run
around the item being shipped. In a draft free environment it takes many
hours for a packages contents to equalize to the ambient temperature.
Likewise for heating back up at the destination - open such packages
promptly and let them begin to acclimate and dissipate any moisture that may
have formed due to the temperature changes. e.g. right now and the rest of
this week our local temps are lows of right around 0 F and will remain so
for about the next week. Then there should be a warming trend: If I were
shipping i'd wait and see what next week's forecast was when the time
actually arrived. If it's above 0F I'd ship. Also considering the weather
in between, of course. If the package had to route through, say, Billings or
the Cinci area, I'd probably hold off until Feb or March to send it.
To the best of my knowledge anyway,
Twayne`
