Battery Performance at Low Temperature (Cold Weather Performance)
The drop in usable capacity that results from the internal resistance of cells and batteries rising in the cold. On alkaline cells the effect is pronounced and the remote control appears to run down quickly; on lithium batteries the rule of not charging below 0 °C also applies.
In the cold the ionic conductivity of the electrolyte falls and the internal resistance rises. At the same current draw the terminal voltage falls further and the device hits the low-voltage threshold even while energy remains in the cell. That is why part of the capacity comes back once it warms up.
- Alkaline (LF200, 3xAAA): the effect is pronounced. Carry spare cells and keep the cells in an inside pocket, close to body temperature.
- Li-Po (LT200): capacity drops temporarily; the risk of permanent damage lies mainly in charging in the cold. Do not put the unit on charge until it has warmed up.
- Field practice: do not leave the remote control out in the open between shifts; a heated cabin or indoor storage is the cheapest performance improvement.
- Wrong diagnosis: some of the intermittent response complaints that start in winter are not interference but low voltage.
Since no operating temperature is declared in the product data, take the user manual as the basis for the exact limits.
The context in which this term is used: 433 MHz or 2.4 GHz?