"wylbur37" wrote in
ups.com:

If 10 degrees F is not cold enough, how cold would it have to be
for damage to occur?

What about electronic components in aircraft that are exposed to
temps of up tp -60F?

Aircraft components, because they're expected to be exposed to
extreme
temperatures (both hot and cold), are specifically designed to use
materials that withstand such temperatures.

Consumer electronics, on the other hand, I would not expect to be
designed to such high standards.


N Cook said it right, the main problem is water getting in. Most electronic
parts are emuch happier with clod than with heat. A few things to watch for
though: laser diodes, for example, they run more efficiently cold, and you
have to scale their input currents down for safe maximum output power, so
writing a DVD at full speed in a cold machine might make the drive die. I'm
sure they compensate for this, but I doubt they're intended to be used for
that at freezing temperatures or lower. LCD's also don't like freezing.
They recover when warm. but while cold they are sluggish, and below
freezing point of water, will probably display nothing. I'm sure there are
plenty of specific parts with specific heat dependencies, but few will be
permanently damaged. As for connector reliability, it is hard to know. It
might increase the resistance, or it might help it overcome a molecular
layer of corrosion and reduce the resistance, improving the contact. A
well-made connector will probably be unaffected in any way you can easily
detect.