Found the temp limit for my HF calipers

[WobblyHand]

Hmm, You could get 1/2" sheet of 50PSI expanded polystyrene, put a carbon film heater on that, and some laminate flooring on top. Bond it all together into a 4'x4' heated mat, might make a great floor mat for your basement. Just wire the carbon film to a cord, and plug it into an outlet that is on a dimmer switch, for adjustable comfort.

Good idea. Don't have that stuff laying around, at the moment. But I did look around and found a heated floor mat, rubberized with some cushioning foam 36 x16 for $54. No thermostat though. I'd want to run a GFCI for a mat laying on a basement floor. Occasionally can get damp.

 

[Navy Chief]

An even simpler solution would be one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Cozy-Products-FWB-Warmer-Warming/dp/B0013V1PYA/ref=pd_day0_1/141-5252956-1769939?pd_rd_w=6XxD9&pf_rd_p=8ca997d7-1ea0-4c8f-9e14-a6d756b83e30&pf_rd_r=ESEDHAC0ME894S0SABHN&pd_rd_r=6f02606a-5bd0-4893-b2d7-4a4c4d2b1b95&pd_rd_wg=27YaB&pd_rd_i=B0013V1PYA&psc=1

 

[projectnut]

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?

It might be that the battery is getting weak and comes to life in a warmer environment. I have several of the HF calipers and they all work fine below 0*F as long as the batteries are fresh. I rarely get more than a year or so out of each battery. To that end I have at least 1 extra battery taped into each case.

My Mitutoyo calipers are several years old and still have the original battery. However, I don't like to take them out of the shop. At between $150.00 and $175.00 each I really don't care to lose them to some unscrupulous person on a job site.

 

[RandyWilson]

I just this morning used a HF digital caliper out in the barn at ~25F. It worked just fine. I've found that when they start resetting on their own, it's the battery contacts... mostly caused by the battery door. Chinch a small tie strap around the base putting pressure on the door. If that fixes the problem, either tighten the contacts or put a tag-board shim between the door and battery.

 

[RandyWilson]

I rarely get more than a year or so out of each battery. To that end I have at least 1 extra battery taped into each case.

My Mitutoyo calipers are several years old and still have the original battery. However, I don't like to take them out of the shop. At between $150.00 and $175.00 each I really don't care to lose them to some unscrupulous person on a job site.

The older HF calipers would go forever on a battery. The new ones with the instant on and continuous memory chew up a battery in, yeah, about a year.

 

[WobblyHand]

I just this morning used a HF digital caliper out in the barn at ~25F. It worked just fine. I've found that when they start resetting on their own, it's the battery contacts... mostly caused by the battery door. Chinch a small tie strap around the base putting pressure on the door. If that fixes the problem, either tighten the contacts or put a tag-board shim between the door and battery.

Good observation. I will try a shim, that's easy to try. For what it is worth, I found removing the battery this last time to be difficult. Seemed pretty tight. But I'll tweak the contacts a little.

 

[RandyWilson]

That's another thing. Some batteries fit better than others. The "too tight" ones are a problem. If I remember the ones I had came from the HF rack. Random bulk LR44's fit a bit looser and didn't give issues.