rpi and cold temperature

tkrein

tkrein

Member
Trying to get a Jump start on how to set up my 2015 display. Many of you switched to the fpp and I am wondering how well it held up in the cold. Also wondering how the fm02 transmitter would do out in the cold. Thinking I can get everything out in the display area so I don't have to run the cables back to my garage. I love in Bismarck nd do the temps can get well below zero. I haven't had any issues with my controllers out in the cold.
 
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I would think you should have no issues But if you think you might just put a small heater or something like a couple of C9 bulbs in it to help keep the temp up a bit. I have read here where people have used the C9 bulbs to put off heat and keep an enclosure warm. If you box your putting this stuff in is big enough you might also consider using a reptile heater. I used on this year for my projector box which also had my fm transmitter and Pi along with my outside speaker amp in it and it kept the box temp in the 60's but I also live in Missouri and the temps get about 20 for the low on average here.
 
I too will be using FPP this year and being in NY I'll be watching this myself. If next winter is as cold as thus year and last I'm sure I'll have to fo something also. Although my lynx controllers haven't had any problems yet.
 
aaron troxel had two fpp's running his cities park display. He lives in Wisconsin. He got down to below zero and he did have a problem with the pi's . He put a small lightbulb in the case the first week of decemeber, he had no issues the reast of the month. This was in 2013.
He, btw, would drive his truck out to the middle of the park where the fpp was located, plug a cble out his winodw, rollup the winodw and then update sequences. he did this in the evenings (like 10pm) when it was very cold.

Dave and I asked in 2013 how the park was running from the fpp? He said, it ran with no issues in decemeber AND he had not been back to the park for the last two weeks before christmas because of work commitments.

I told him it was pretty amazing that it just worked. I think they had between 6-8,000 visitors to the park in both 2013 and 2013. He had a megatree 64 ws2811 flex strips, 16 arches 32' long that cars drove under. A 32 x 120 pixel sign that was setup at the entrance.

So in very cold weather the pi was able to be reliable.
The ODROID C1 (A faster version of the raspberry pi) has a wider operating temperature range.
I think if it was me , i would just be a small 7w light bulb in the cg1000 case (or whatever you store it with).
I have a Walmart batter case and the power supply shares the space with the pi. I think the power supply provides enough heat.

colorado does not get as cold as some of you.

sean
 
FWIW, I keep my Pi right here in the office, next to the old Compaq that used to run the show. I guess there are reasons to have it outside, but I'd be hard pressed to list 'em.

\dmc
 
yep, i have three fpp's. master is in basement next to my computers. 2nd is in bedroom upstairs running virtual santa video, 3rd is in drivedway in an enclosure i built. the third one is the only one exposed to weather.

since it also has a benq 770t projector, it never got cold. had some rain, more snow. temperature sometimes down to single digit but mostly in he 15-30 degree range. no issues.
 
Also NJ here. All season my Pi was outside in a CG-1500 with a power supply and e6804. Left everything on and running the entire season and did not have an issue.
 
This is good to know. I was thinking about the light bulb. Some winters do get really cold here. So I'll try it and let you know next year
 
I have a FPP in a CG enclosure permanently mounted to a stoplight cross arm in a Cleveland suburb. It gets pretty cold there It's been working fine since before thanksgiving.


--Jon Chuchla--

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks this is what I needed to know. I just don't want to make that long run from the garage. Plus this should get my transmitter closer to the road I only use the test ant.
 
smeighan said:
yep, i have three fpp's. master is in basement next to my computers. 2nd is in bedroom upstairs running virtual santa video, 3rd is in drivedway in an enclosure i built. the third one is the only one exposed to weather.

since it also has a benq 770t projector, it never got cold. had some rain, more snow. temperature sometimes down to single digit but mostly in he 15-30 degree range. no issues.
Click to expand...
Any pictures of how you house your projector? Do you have a small heater and a fan in the enclosure
Thanks
Terry
 
:idea: Wouldn't it be possible for the FPP to have a temperature sensor on one of it's I/O pins and if it detects the enclosure temperature approaching dangerously cold, switch on a relay controlling a lightbulb or other heat source?
 
That is the beauty of the hardware FPP can run on, the PI and BBB are mainstream and all the extra peripherals are possible with very little effort.
 
I have had issues on two separate PI modules locking up in instances of being exposed to temperatures below 20F. I have also had some that survive just fine in these temperatures.

If it runs or not, could be due to the temperature ratings of many different pieces of hardware.

I believe the PI main board carries a commercial temperature rating 32F - 158F (0C - 70C).
Cheap SD cards will usually carry only 32F - 140F (0C - 60C) ratings, some of the better, non industrial rated, ones can do -4F to 158F (-20C to 70C). You can find industrial rated SD cards, but these cost 2 to 3 times what the Raspberry Pi itself costs.
USB sticks are about the same in terms of temperature ratings and variation
Most network dongles you buy at Micro Center / Radio Shack / etc, are commercial rated to be 0C to 70C.

Once the temperature of the unit gets outside of these ranges, it does not mean it will instantly crash or fail, it just means that there are no guarantees.

If you must mount the device outside, a small heater or insulation would be good insurance. All you have to do is provide enough heat to keep the case above 32F.

Ed
 
My FPP stayed in the garage (uncovered) all season. We had a few nights of sub zero temps and I was able to remote into it.

If it becomes a problem, I would get a night light from the $1 store and let that heat the enclosure. Like Sean mentioned, it doesn't get as cold in Colorado as the rest of the country so we don't see those issues much.

This year, I think there were more rabbit chewing wires issues than actual technical issues!

Steve
www.SmockDogMedia.com
 
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