Frozen Minolta M Spot Meter

[RolleiCO]

I took my Minolta spot meter on a hike in the Rockies yesterday, carrying it in its holster on my belt. When I went to use it, the LCD screen was sluggish, at best, and then just stopped working altogether. Finally, after moving the meter to an inner pocket with a hand warmer, the battery was dead (can you say "sunny 16"?).

Has anyone else had this experience and are there any lasting effects from the cold on the LCD or any other functions? I haven't yet been to the store to buy a replacement battery, so I don't know if it is still functioning properly.

Thanks for your input.


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[Arvee]

I took my Minolta spot meter on a hike in the Rockies yesterday, carrying it in its holster on my belt. When I went to use it, the LCD screen was sluggish, at best, and then just stopped working altogether. Finally, after moving the meter to an inner pocket with a hand warmer, the battery was dead (can you say "sunny 16"?).

Has anyone else had this experience and are there any lasting effects from the cold on the LCD or any other functions? I haven't yet been to the store to buy a replacement battery, so I don't know if it is still functioning properly.

Thanks for your input.


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If the temperature was 45F or below, electronic devices quit functioning. Alkaline/silver oxide battery voltages drop way down in those temps. Lithium is of some help but not much better. My Nikon quit working at Bryce Canyon after fifteen minutes in 37F temps; batts (alkaline) went to zero. Went back to the car and in half an hour I was good for another 15 minutes. My LCD display went bonkers with the extremely low voltages and quit entirely. Solution is to keep the device warm in your jacket pocket until needed. Frustrating, but that's the way it is.

 

[Sirius Glass]

What Fred said. The battery may or may not recover, but the LCD should be OK when it gets warm.

 

[RolleiCO]

I got the replacement battery and everything is working like a charm. With the battery costing $13 a piece, you can be sure that I will keep the meter in a pocket along with a hand warmer. Thanks for the responses. Love this site for all of the help, ideas and opinions. Greatly helps me in my recent return to analog (real) photography.


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[Bill Burk]

I got the replacement battery and everything is working like a charm. With the battery costing $13 a piece, you can be sure that I will keep the meter in a pocket along with a hand warmer. Thanks for the responses. Love this site for all of the help, ideas and opinions. Greatly helps me in my recent return to analog (real) photography.


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I always bring two to six sets of spares on trips to the cold. I don't know how but the first set will always fail on the first day. The second set may fail the next morning. But the third replacement always seems to make it the rest of the trip. It could be that I get better at the routine of keeping things protected.

 

[paul ron]

your batteries must have been low to begin with.

use the lithium batteries, they arent effected as much as alkalines.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/discharging_at_high_and_low_temperatures

 

[Bill Burk]

your batteries must have been low to begin with.

use the lithium batteries, they arent effected as much as alkalines.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/discharging_at_high_and_low_temperatures

Haaa

They drain your bank account faster that's for sure.

The reason I think my system works is that I keep half the batteries deep inside insulation (middle of sleeping bag in pack for example). And I keep half in a pocket. So I always have some batteries that were not subjected to cold.

 

[AgX]

Solution is to keep the device warm in your jacket pocket until needed. Frustrating, but that's the way it is.

Not quite. A solution would be to DIY a cable with a battery-case to keep inside ones clothing.

 

[paul ron]

Not quite. A solution would be to DIY a cable with a battery-case to keep inside ones clothing.

thats not a bad idea at all. ive made external battery packs for my old flash units by making battery plugs from dowels the same size as my batteries. then i attach my wires to complete the circuit needed to feed the unit by my external battery.

perhaps for a meter, he can make the wire an integral part of the neck lanyard?

great solution!