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Scientific equipment — Australian Antarctic Division
via: Planning scientific equipment for Antarctic conditions | Hacker News
Enjoy this excerpt about batteries…
Batteries
All types of battery have reduced performance in the cold; they go flat faster and have less ability to deliver electricity in the cold. Make sure you are using batteries suitable for the temperatures you will encounter in Antarctica.
- Always use fresh batteries from the major battery manufacturers. Don’t use cheap batteries because they will cost you dearly with their poor performance.
- Use batteries which are commonly available.
- If using rechargeable batteries, use batteries which are tolerant of the type of charger so you have more options should things go wrong.
- Never use carbon-zinc batteries in Antarctica.
- Alkaline batteries are usable down to −30 Celsius.
- Lead acid batteries are usable down to −30 Celsius if they are kept well charged. They are easy to recharge if you don’t know how to recharge batteries. They can be recharged at low temperatures.
- Nickel cadmium batteries are usable down to −30 Celsius. Don’t use nickel cadmium batteries if they are idle for weeks because they will probably go flat. They might not be rechargeable at low temperatures.
- Lithium batteries have several different types of chemistry and some types are usable to below −40 Celsius. Make sure that you have the correct type. Note that you must have the correct battery charger to recharge lithium ion batteries; these batteries are fussy.