brettjm Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I was just taking my 1st year's display down and it is -18 out side right now. Is it safe to run a controller in temps like this? Like i said i'm taking it down so i'm not running it but is probly something good to know for next year's display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Batzdorf Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 We havent hit the sub-zero weather during the season, but folks in your neck of the woods and Canada have mentioned any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOR Staff Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 We design most of our products to work at or above -20F. Running at/near/below that temp probably won't break anything - it just may not work correctly. I have never seen a repair request for anything come in due to running at low temps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shfr26 Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I would say do not run them on the sun or the cold side of the moon, other than that you should be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 The original version of the CTB16PC can have issues with the voltage regulator when the temp gets below zero. I had two of those boards that I bought from a retiring member back in 2009. One failed two or three years ago and the other one is in the process of failing now. What happens is that some channels fail to light at all or fail to light at precisely the correct centisecond. The first one failed on nights when the temp was at or lower than -5. The current one fails sometimes when the temp gets down in the teens below zero or colder. I've not seen any other cold-related failures on any other types of controllers in my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I am sure happy I didn't put my display up this year. Here in Canada, today is -41 Celcius and that is not including the wind chill.All December it's been hovering around -28 to -35Last year I ran into a couple of gliches. Mostly channels staying on. I changed all my cat5 cables, but still a problem. Could have been the temperatures??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilmoney Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Looks like I'm going to have to build heated enclosures for next year then. Was waiting for this topic to come up. Had roughly 60 cords running under the garage door this year. 180 next year wouldn't be too practical.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightzilla Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I live west of Leduc, Alberta & I never had a problem yet since switching to Lor in 2009. I had an issue with my other brand controller from AL but I am not sure if it was do to cold. I believe a cat 5 jacks went just 3 days before Christmas & that stop one controller from working. All my Lor stuff works great even in minus 46.2 c or -51 F. Even my ccr Matrix ran great this year. Lor can handle the cold, but the human body can't. Been running computerized displays since 2007 & outside of the AL controller all else ran great each year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmurray Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 I too have ran both D-light and LOR boards here in Edson Alberta all through the Christmas season where temperatures are around -45 C some nights and have never had any problems related to cold weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a31ford Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Been running them all through this cold winter (minus 30 / 35 stuff) and no problems (other than the one bad flip-flop IC but that is not due to cold). Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denis Chaput Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Same here ran last night was -37C and no issues also with 24 inches of snow covering all boxes which may help insulating them but no issues with cold for the last six years running LOR hardware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilmoney Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 That's good to hear! I didn't want to have to run the risk of having a heated enclosure. This puts me at ease.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry72 Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Looks like I'm going to have to build heated enclosures for next year then. Was waiting for this topic to come up. Had roughly 60 cords running under the garage door this year. 180 next year wouldn't be too practical....Do for your controller what i do with my satelite dish. Go buy a reptile cage heater like this.....http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=6545. Just stick it ot the inside door of your box. there are many different ones out there. Just look around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilmoney Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 That's a good idea, I'll look into that! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shfr26 Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Wondering if that heater will just make the snow melt and cause moisture problems for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry72 Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Wondering if that heater will just make the snow melt and cause moisture problems for you.The controller is sealed so the moisture wont get in. When i lived in Klamath falls my step dad did that to the control panel in our pump house because the cold weather kept tripping the breaker. never had a problem after that. Just wanna heat up the box a few degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a31ford Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 I might be mistaken, But NONE of the LOR controllers are sealed. Sealed would mean Waterproof, and they are only "water resistant". Sealed would have a gasket of some sort. My units work fine in MINUS 40 (that's -40) with no heat.... IMO, adding heat would only cause problems of melting the snow that is ON the boxes, there-by CAUSING water leakage. Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry72 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I might be mistaken, But NONE of the LOR controllers are sealed. Sealed would mean Waterproof, and they are only "water resistant". Sealed would have a gasket of some sort. My units work fine in MINUS 40 (that's -40) with no heat.... IMO, adding heat would only cause problems of melting the snow that is ON the boxes, there-by CAUSING water leakage. GregI use telecommunication boxes so i have no issues of leaks. I would not put my boards in a metal box like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry72 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 http://store.creativelightingdisplays.com/CableGuard-CG-1500-Enclosure-CG-1500.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightzilla Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 I use telecommunication boxes so i have no issues of leaks. I would not put my boards in a metal box like that.That would mean ordering new boxes & replacing the Lor boxes & then adding those heaters.....now we are talking $$$ & shipping costs to Canada. Might be worth it if folks are just buying controller cards & adding their own wires then that would be ok. Here I can get sealed ammo boxes, 1st aid boxes that would work & cost the same price but still all my controllers work fine in cold weather just like a number of Canadians said about theirs. Were talking about 2 or 3 straight weeks of minus 30c to -40 c weather before warm up (like 0c). If nothing else Canadian winters prove that Lor controllers can handle -40 just like they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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