Found the temp limit for my HF calipers

[WobblyHand]

Been kind of cold here lately. With a below ground shop in an old house it can get a little chilly. Have a 110V heater that I use to make it a little more tolerable, but it can't quite keep up with these lower temperatures. I don't leave heat on when I'm not there. The right answer is to use a 220V heater, which I have, but that will have to wait for warmer weather to implement. My electrical panel needs some rework and don't want to do this work myself in the dead of winter. Have to extend my neutral bar, and that will take a while for me to do.

This morning it was -5F outside and 52F in the shop. Apparently at around that temp, my HF calipers get wonky. Keeps resetting and doing bizarre stuff. Removing and installing the battery didn't help. What did help was bring the calipers upstairs to warm up. Then they worked fine. As fine as calipers work . Anyone else find their calipers and mikes have problems when it's cold? Or it's just my cheapo calipers?

 

[rabler]

I run my shop at 50 usually. Sometimes I bump it up to 55 when I'm working on the lathe and shed the long sleeve shirt. Never had problems with the three sets of digital calipers I have, Mitutuyo and a couple of less expensive ones.

Could the battery be getting weak? I know batteries (chemical reactions in general) are temperature sensitive.

 

[markba633csi]

I have a little LG feature phone that craps out when it gets too HOT, don't know about cold

 

[WobblyHand]

I run my shop at 50 usually. Sometimes I bump it up to 55 when I'm working on the lathe and shed the long sleeve shirt. Never had problems with the three sets of digital calipers I have, Mitutuyo and a couple of less expensive ones.

Could the battery be getting weak? I know batteries (chemical reactions in general) are temperature sensitive.

I don't mind the air temperature, it's more the floor temperature that gets me after a while. If feels like the floor is sucking out all my body heat. To help with that I both some 1/2 inch foam pads to lay on the floor. It helps a lot.

Could be the battery, although I recently replaced the caliper battery. Used an Eveready (made in USA) silver oxide 357 cell. Battery package date showed 2019, so the battery is not that old. At 70F the shelf life is 7 years. The battery capacity does drop about 10% at 50F or so.

 

[Winegrower]

I bought a digital ”dial indicator” (doesn’t make sense, does it) that has a cold temperature failure, but the temperature is 60 degrees F. It works great all summer, worthless in winter. It was cheap and I can see why.

Edit: Anybody in Key West want a great deal on this?

 

[woodchucker]

I run my shop at 50 usually. Sometimes I bump it up to 55 when I'm working on the lathe and shed the long sleeve shirt. Never had problems with the three sets of digital calipers I have, Mitutuyo and a couple of less expensive ones.

Could the battery be getting weak? I know batteries (chemical reactions in general) are temperature sensitive.

you are a tough old guy. My shop floor has been a cold sink and killing me. I have switched to wool socks to keep warm...
I could not live at that temp... I'm a softy. And I like the cold, but not being cold.

 

[woodchucker]

BTW, my igaging caliper works well in the cold, Don't know what its limit is, but it's lower than I need.

 

[WobblyHand]

you are a tough old guy. My shop floor has been a cold sink and killing me. I have switched to wool socks to keep warm...
I could not live at that temp... I'm a softy. And I like the cold, but not being cold.

Try some stiff 1/2" foam on the floor in front of the machines. Much easier on the feet and prevents the cold from sucking out your life force I put a double layer down in front of the lathe because I was spending a long time there. It was a heck of a lot more comfortable.

 

[rabler]

I don't mind the air temperature, it's more the floor temperature that gets me after a while. If feels like the floor is sucking out all my body heat. To help with that I both some 1/2 inch foam pads to lay on the floor. It helps a lot.

Could be the battery, although I recently replaced the caliper battery. Used an Eveready (made in USA) silver oxide 357 cell. Battery package date showed 2019, so the battery is not that old. At 70F the shelf life is 7 years. The battery capacity does drop about 10% at 50F or so.

Might be time to move up from the HF calipers to something from Shars?

you are a tough old guy. My shop floor has been a cold sink and killing me. I have switched to wool socks to keep warm...
I could not live at that temp... I'm a softy. And I like the cold, but not being cold.

I just have lots of natural insulation. Way too much really. How my wife tolerates it, as she barely hits 3 digits in weight, is the true wonder.

 

[woodchucker]

Try some stiff 1/2" foam on the floor in front of the machines. Much easier on the feet and prevents the cold from sucking out your life force I put a double layer down in front of the lathe because I was spending a long time there. It was a heck of a lot more comfortable.

I have mats down, not helping. This is the first time in years I remember being this cold in the basement. It should be 56 but the floor was reading under 50 using my infrared scanner. The tools are then radiating the cold. brrrrr. I touch a machine and see my hand print. NOT good for rust prevention. I have a heater in each room, and they help with the air to some degree, but the floor is a heat sync.