TS LCD's in the cold?

**audiphreak** · 12-12-2003, 04:10 AM

Anyone have some input for me as too how these ts lcd's will work in below freezing temps? I live in minnesota and it gets pretty chilly. would hate too see my brand new 600$ lcd get ruined

Thanks!

**T.J.L.** · 12-12-2003, 04:25 AM

I'm very interested in that too. I know that the display will be really slow in minus degrees, but will warm up pretty soon. The most interesting thing is that can it cause any permanent damage to display if it is for exaple whole night out at -30 degrees celsius. In Finland it can (rarely) be that cold.

**claylong** · 12-14-2003, 01:11 AM

I live in florida, so i did similar research regarding the effects of heat on LCDs. What I actually found was that the cold was much worse for and LCD (the backlight, specifically) than heat. Aparently, in addition to the warm up time being extended, operating of LCDs in cold environments will reduce the overall life-time of the backlight. Note that I said this happens when the LCD is OPERATED in the cold, a non-operating LCd in cold weather does not appear to damage the lcd in any way.

Backlight life-times are measured in Half life. For example, the half life of an LCD backlight is 75,000 hours. That means, that after 75,000 hours of use, the backlight will be half as bright. The same LCD, used in cold weather, could have a half-life nearly %50 of the normal life of the backlight. In fact, most of the specs that I have found average about %50 reductiong in half-life when the lcd is used in temps lower than 50 degrees F.

So, what I have found is that the use of LCD's in Cold weather will probably reduce the life of the backlight. If you don't mind that part, i do not see another reason not to use the lcd.

**Cinco5** · 12-14-2003, 02:20 AM

I am guessing it is a good idea then to wait for the car to warm up inside before you tun the display on.

**hybrid3** · 12-14-2003, 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by Cinco5

I am guessing it is a good idea then to wait for the car to warm up inside before you tun the display on.

The same goes with the harddrive I think. Living in Sweden with temperatures stretching down to -20C at winters, I will try to mount the computer beneath the passenger seat rather than in the trunk.

Maybe a temperature sensor which allows the system to activate only after a set minimum temperature has been reached would be a good idea?

**blurp** · 12-14-2003, 03:44 AM

My Xenarc touchscreen is a little sluggish below 35 degrees F. The backlight seems to "roll" and flicker, kinda the vertical hold on an old TV, but just the backlight, not the picture.

I have also found an interesting thing out about my OPUS 90W psu. When it gets below 30 degrees F, it won't power up. Then, even once it warms up, I have to disconnect it and re-connect it to get it to power up. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm about to put a switch in-line to not allow the thing to even try to power up until the interior of the car gets warm.

**bosstone74** · 12-14-2003, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by audiphreak

Anyone have some input for me as too how these ts lcd's will work in below freezing temps? I live in minnesota and it gets pretty chilly. would hate too see my brand new 600$ lcd get ruined

Thanks!

Sweet another Minnesota fool....ME TOO!
Why do we live in this crappy weather?
My LCD is sluggish and not as bright until it warms up...I have had in my cat for more that a year and a half in Minnesota! No problems!

**Jackso** · 12-14-2003, 11:22 PM

The only problem my viewsonic has in the cold weather (Michigan cold) is that the back light is dimmer than it's normal level of dim. My screen was HEAVILY used in a radio station before I stol... er... appropriated it

so the backlight is already very dim. I don't get any of the rolling or anything that the others have talked about. That sounds like a supply problem to the back light itself, maybe conducive of the brand. That's my 2 cents.

**Cinco5** · 12-14-2003, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by Jackso

The only problem my viewsonic has in the cold weather (Michigan cold) is that the back light is dimmer than it's normal level of dim. My screen was HEAVILY used in a radio station before I stol... er... appropriated it

so the backlight is already very dim. I don't get any of the rolling or anything that the others have talked about. That sounds like a supply problem to the back light itself, maybe conducive of the brand. That's my 2 cents.

Sweet another Michigan person, where you at?

I am doing my install in the glovebox which is kind of infront of and above the fan and all the ducting, I found out it heats up fairly quick (same goes for cooling) The screen is going to be mouted about 2" above the routing system for the climate controls, I think I might be able to run a small duct to heat behind the screen.

I am getting a touchscreen from a maker of ones for industrial applications and from the specs, it seems like it has a much larger range of operating temperatures than the Xenarc's (no way am I getting a lilliput

)

**Jackso** · 12-14-2003, 11:58 PM

Depending on the time of year (in school or not) I'm either in Port Huron, or Flint. Currently in Port Huron. I kinda got the same feeling about the lilliputs. As much as the users like them, I also note much complaining about getting working ones in the first place, and that they are very picky and easily broken. I toss the full size screen around like nobodies business (it's not mounted yet, too big really) and have never had a problem. Where you from Cinco?