| Weather instruments, such as home weather | | | | warm-up a bit, so don't necessarily throw them |
| stations or professional handheld weather meters, | | | | out!) |
| are useful tools for monitoring your immediate | | | | NiMh Rechargeables... Below freezing |
| environment. They can provide information that | | | | These batteries are able to get below freezing, |
| your local weather man (meteorologist) can't. | | | | approximately down to 15F (-10C). But, although |
| Apart from the handhelds, which tend to be used | | | | they will function, they will lose some capacity, so |
| all year round for professional, sports, and | | | | expect to recharge them more frequently than |
| research applications, home weather stations tend | | | | normal to keep them working. |
| to be most popular in the fall & winter | | | | Lithium AA's... The best option |
| months when the weather is most active. Let's | | | | These are the relatively new Lithium AA camera |
| face it, the weather reports can be quite boring | | | | batteries by Energizer & others. Lithium is |
| through the summer months. But, there are few | | | | the most reliable chemistry in cold weather, |
| issues with weather stations that hamper their | | | | getting down as low as -20F (-30C). Remember |
| performance during the winter months, and these | | | | that these are NOT rechargeable like other lithium |
| issues become more obvious the farther north | | | | cells, and should NOT be placed in a NiMh AA |
| you go into the norther United States and Canada. | | | | charger. |
| What is this issue? | | | | One more note... |
| Batteries. | | | | In the case of portable hand held weather |
| The colder it gets, the worse they perform. | | | | instruments, and home weather stations with |
| Most car batteries (flooded lead acid & deep | | | | remote sensors that feature LCD displays, you |
| cycle) will offer specifications regarding | | | | will notice that even though you might be using |
| performance degradation as the temperature | | | | lithium batteries, the display goes blank just below |
| changes. Unfortunately I have yet to see such | | | | freezing. This is because the LCD becomes |
| information provided by manufacturers for NiMh | | | | inoperable in freezing temperatures. Not to worry |
| rechargeable AA batteries or other types. So, I | | | | though. Either keep the meter close to you until |
| thought I would write this quick article to give you | | | | you need to take it out for a measurement, or |
| some numbers to remember... | | | | simply trust that the device is registering data |
| Alkaline Batteries... Think freezing | | | | even though you can't see the display. Home |
| You can expect these to be able to provide | | | | weather stations will display the remote sensor |
| power to your outside weather station sensors | | | | data on their indoor screen, so you will know if |
| down to about 30 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celcius). | | | | there is a problem. |
| The chemistry starts to have problems below this | | | | That about covers it. Don't get frustrated with |
| temperature, and unless your batteries are fairly | | | | your weather station performance until you've |
| new, you may see weak batteries fail altogether | | | | tried a set of lithium batteries. Especially if you are |
| (although they may work again indoors once they | | | | into the cold weather by November! |