Hand Held VHF and cold weather

[Halo]

My Cobra HH keeps failing when I am calling up the lock on my way back in. I am wondering if this relates to my taking up the art of winter sailing. To test the situation I have been putting my rdaio in the fridge and testing the radio at different states of charge and can confirm that cold temeratures do make it likely that the battery will fail to sustain output on transission when cold even when being on relatievely high charge when put inthe fridge and left in there switched off. Has anyone else had an similar issue or experience ? cana nyone advise if it is just a tired battery or normal behaviour
Thanks

 

[pvb]

Not normal. the battery may need replacing.

 

[Momac]

Is a new battery expensive ?

 

[pagoda]

Lithium batteries do not work very well in low temperatures....

 

[knuterikt]

How cold is cold? -10c?

 

[Halo]

About 5 C temperature
Can get a batery for £35
Have bought a battery tray for £6 which will let me use 5 x AA on it. Going to try that tomorrow
Is the concensus that hand helds with Lithium batteries are not suitable for very cold conditions??

 

[pvb]

Lithium batteries do not work very well in low temperatures....

Don't most Cobra handhelds use NiMH batteries?

 

[knuterikt]

About 5 C temperature
Can get a batery for £35
Have bought a battery tray for £6 which will let me use 5 x AA on it. Going to try that tomorrow
Is the concensus that hand helds with Lithium batteries are not suitable for very cold conditions??

+5c is not very cold. I have been using both HH VHF and mobile phones in -10c and below. But a deteriorated battery will react more to colder climate.

 

[pvb]

About 5 C temperature
Can get a batery for £35
Have bought a battery tray for £6 which will let me use 5 x AA on it. Going to try that tomorrow
Is the concensus that hand helds with Lithium batteries are not suitable for very cold conditions??

Not at all, li-ion batteries are fine in cold conditions.

 

[John 32i]

iPhones don't like the cold!
Mine kept dying in Finland - minus 20c most of the time.

 

[pagoda]

NiMH rechargeable batteries are not great at low temperatures either..... ( experience in the Alps and mountain Scotland in winter)

 

[Iliade]

Lithium batteries are pretty good at low temp*,. NiMh are dreadful.

Keep your radio inside your oilies or buy something more modern. Or just keep the H/H on charge in the boat until you need it.

Or It could be that the battery is past its best, in which case a company called strikealight may be able to assist if they are still in business. If not buy the tagged cells and assemble yourself (sand and use aggressive flux to solder the terminals)

*Evidently there are Li & there are Li...

 

[Sandy]

Fridge temperature and wind chill temperature are quite different.

Keep your hand held close to your body (in your salopettes).

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Obviously, my knowledge relates to lower temperatures. But it is well known that the capacity of batteries goes down with temperature; at Antarctic temperatures (-10C - -20C) the capacity is half or even less than that at UK temperatures. Lead-acid batteries are somewhat less affected than NiCd, MiMH or LIIon.

Another factor is that LCD displays become increasingly sluggish at low temperatures, and are mostly destroyed by temperatures not far below zero. But a display may be unusably slow at 5C.

 

[elton]

Keep your hand held close to your body (in your salopettes).

That works. I had the same issue.

 

[Halo]

Thanks chaps. Very helpful responses.

 

[LadyInBed]

Is it only low temp, does it work ok if its been kept in inside jacket pocket?
Is there a battery status indicator, if so what is it indicating?

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

This must have negative implications for EVs in high latitudes? (Not boaty, I know.)

 

[pvb]

This must have negative implications for EVs in high latitudes? (Not boaty, I know.)

EVs have battery management systems which monitor battery temperature and can heat/cool the batteries as required.

 

[scotty123]

Fridge temperature and wind chill temperature are quite different.

Keep your hand held close to your body (in your salopettes).

Very napoleonic.