Gp2x + Cold Temperatures

[Arcnaleon]

Hi to all!

Just tought to open up a discussion about cold temperatures with your gp2x.
I live in north-europe and in here the last weeks have been quite chilly, I think the record is about -39 celsius degrees, so the past weeks have been ideal to test gp2x with cold temperatures.

I like running and skiing and have taken gp2x with me on my runs with my drinking-system (don't worry, water is in isolated system, gp2x + water = no no ) on my back, so it really is in the cold air.

So what can it take?
My systems limit is about -25 celsius degrees, in that temperature it becomes unstable and crashing, any temperature under that is fine, have been using it about 2 h in -20 degrees with no problems.

Have anyone else got experience with cold temperatures + gp2x? Post it here, I'd like to know for comparison.

Also, my gp2x is first edition, S/N: 2005.11.01 - GP2XV111 - 00000049

 

[shinneri]

How could you play your 2x in -20C for two hours!? :blink:

 

[Arcnaleon]

Sorry, forgot to mention that the system is playing music, with the screen turned off...

 

[Rivroner]

Interesting thread.

 

[hitbyambulance]

if i was still living in Minnesota, last week would have been ideal to test this...

 

[Purist]

dang, I live in Southern California; the coldest it gets here is 40F.

Arcnaleon, try to see how high you can overclock at -20C.

OFFTOPIC:
How do I change my profile so it doesn't say I am stupid?

 

[daclassicgamingmaster]

dang, I live in Southern California; the coldest it gets here is 40F.

Arcnaleon, try to see how high you can overclock at -20C.

OFFTOPIC:
How do I change my profile so it doesn't say I am stupid?

Must have lost that ability since mods found out you had some anti-semetic remarks in your profile

 

[Anhaedra]

Hmm.... I thought that electronics generally could operate at much colder temps than -25F...

 

[gameboyadvancebs]

Interesting subject, however I would not take the chance to test my electronic products in such extreme conditions. h34r:

 

[deadlychicken22]

if i was still living in Minnesota, last week would have been ideal to test this...

I live in Minnesota but I was busy playing Gears of War inside (although it is still somewhat cold inside; it's a way to save money on the heating bill )

I played my gp2x outside while camping out for the wii and it performed wonderfully. However, the temperature at that time was just barely below 0C

 

[Hooka]

After losing a GP32 to -37 celsius + windchill playing MP3's I've just plain avoided using any handheld when it's even relatively cold...

 

[Perseid]

Typically it's not cold temperatures that hurt electronics. It's a quick transition from cold to warm. So my advice is if you're using it in the cold, turn it off for a while when you get inside.

 

[firefly2442]

Wouldn't extreme hot or cold mess up the screen?

 

[Squidge]

The components that are used in the GP2X seem to be all standard "off the shelf" stuff, so that means they are guaranteed for 0c, but might work down to about -20c*. Components that accept lower temperatures do exist, but they are lot more expensive, and so they are normally placed in the specification document.

I'm not sure about the LCD however, but the spec for that is around these boards somewhere.

* - Although the components are usually rated for 0c, I've not found any such components that don't work at -20c, although undoubtedly there are some. The only difference is that the guaranteed ones are actually tested to ensure they withstand such temperatures.

 

[telecoda]

What temperature would the LCD crystals freeze at then....

Gaming at -20C, you're likely to use your thumbs.

Can you play Beat2X in mittens?

Must be like running a super cooled CPU

 

[Arcnaleon]

Typically it's not cold temperatures that hurt electronics. It's a quick transition from cold to warm. So my advice is if you're using it in the cold, turn it off for a while when you get inside.

Yeah, normally when I get back inside, I turn off the unit and let it warm up a bit before using it again.
Besides, I try not to damage it anyway, gp2x is like a son to me.

As for now, there are no damage done by the temperature, as for what I can determinate.
Nevertheless I don't think it's helping the unit in anyway, more likely to consume its component's more than normal but who really wants to live forever?

Maybe I'd ought to get a new MK2 replacement to test with, because my own unit is so "original" that I wouldn't want to let it go...
At least I have had it over a year now without any problems.

OFF-TOPIC: ( S/N: 2005.11.01 - 00000049? The 49th unit ever built?)

EDIT: Like to point out that at the -25 celcius the unit doesn't so called shutdown or blow up , only when its changing song it's more likely to crash. Just power down and it works fine a little while, the screen is quite jerky as suspected to be.
But better than most LCD displays.
For example, most Nokia mobiles can't take that much a cold and become very annoying to use, if they even work. (switched to motorola.)

 

[Squidge]

OFF-TOPIC: ( S/N: 2005.11.01 - 00000049? The 49th unit ever built?)

Nope, GPH randomly reset that number...

(I know some people which have the exact same S/N...)

 

[sam fisher]

Hi to all!

Just tought to open up a discussion about cold temperatures with your gp2x.
I live in north-europe and in here the last weeks have been quite chilly, I think the record is about -39 celsius degrees, so the past weeks have been ideal to test gp2x with cold temperatures.

I like running and skiing and have taken gp2x with me on my runs with my drinking-system (don't worry, water is in isolated system, gp2x + water = no no ) on my back, so it really is in the cold air.

So what can it take?
My systems limit is about -25 celsius degrees, in that temperature it becomes unstable and crashing, any temperature under that is fine, have been using it about 2 h in -20 degrees with no problems.

Have anyone else got experience with cold temperatures + gp2x? Post it here, I'd like to know for comparison.

Also, my gp2x is first edition, S/N: 2005.11.01 - GP2XV111 - 00000049

If you turned on the LCD it would freeze at an earlier temperature.

Assuming you lower the temperature gradually, then the molecules are less likely to break away from their bonded structures, hence no damage. However due to the lessening of kinetic energy, the batteries abilities to function drops non-linearly below their operating temperature. With the LCD on you would need more power, which the batteries just would not be able to push at as low a temperature.

Having myself dunked various different types of batteries into liquid nitrogen, I can tell you positively that this is what happens with a Ni-Mh battery. Most batteries are rated to sustain their ability at temps no lower than 5 celcius, or 258 kelvin.

 

[Mudi]

OFF-TOPIC: ( S/N: 2005.11.01 - 00000049? The 49th unit ever built?)

Whoa, a serial number that doesn't pass a mod 3 check :blink: Now I'm confused again, bleh.

Mine is something like 00000111, don't remember from what batch and I don't have it with me right now

I've had subzero (F) temperatures where I live, but I can't say that I tried to play my GP2X outside at these times :lol:

 

[StarG]

Would be nice if decided on one scale... -40°F is quite warmer than -40°C

I think the normal operating range end of chips is maybe -20 till -30°C but the catch is humidiy. The air should be non-condensing but such low temperatures make it easy for the air to become saturated and for waterdroplets to appear which are deadly for any electronic device.