Anyone else find that there cell phone battery’s charge plummets about an hour into a cold morning? I usually get out of the truck between 7 and 7:30 and lately my phone has been chirping (low battery warning) by about 8:30 or 9:00.
I had the same problem with a different phone and battery last winter. Both phones were Motorola (Nextel/Sprint). And while the battery is not brand new, it’s only about 6 months old. Even with a full charge it seems like it just doesn’t like the cold.
Is this common? Anything that can be done to help the situation?
Replies
Yes, it's very common. Like any battery, cold is tough on the cells making juice. I wear a pocket tee-shirt under all the layers and put the phone in there. Body heat solves the problem... Buic
I was under the (wrong, I guess) impression that cold was good for batteries and heat was the enemy. I thought that storing regular batteries in the fridge was a good thing to preserve them. Is it just rechargeable batteries, or is all batteries that don't fair well in the cold?
Extremes, of ant sort, are the enemy.
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Depends whether the battery is being used or not.
Regular batteries will get "old" and deteriorate over time even if not used because the chemical reaction inside is still taking place, although at a slower rate. Cooling them slows down that reaction, so they last longer if they're not being used.
When under load, batteries (all types) produce current through a chemical reaction which gets slowed down considerably if its cold.
I drop mine in the inside pocket of my jacket.---------------------
Swimming through the ashes of another life, no real reason to accept the way things have changed. Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight.
You're right, heat is bad too, it can perm. damage battery cells. As someone else pointed out cold is good to store a battery because it slows down the chemical reaction that makes electricity. The opposite of what you want when using something with a battery, you want the reaction to make juice.
You're right too that putting your d-cells in the fridge will give them a longer shelf life. This was more of a problem 20 years ago, newer batteries hold up ok on the shelf now... Buic
That works and I do it too but I read somewhere about the dangers of having the phone so close to the body. I think it gives off some kind of radiation or maganetic field.
Phones give off emf's, an electro-magnetic field. So does almost everything in modern life, your toaster, alarm clock, desk lamp, etc., etc.. The concern (unproven) is that with a cell phone next to your head bad things might happen to your brain, like cancer. In the scheme of possibilities, there's about a million other things I'd worry about more... Buic
when it gets cold, I've got a bag I carry in and out of my house.
It has all the batteries for all my cordless tools, as well as caulks and glues and other stuff that can freeze. Its made a big difference on how long the batteries last.
And I usually leave my cell phone in my van, but when it gets cold, it comes inside at night, too.
Diesel, you need to learn how to make a fire bucket. Just set the phone near the bucket and cold won't be an issue any more.
blue
When we have fire buckets, it takes about 30 mintues or less for the fire department to show up and issue a fine. :(
Gotta be WAY out on a secluded lot to get away with a burn bucket. Not too many of those left here in my part of MA.
Edited 12/9/2005 6:52 am ET by dieselpig
Diesel, disguise your fire bucket in a barbecue grill. Keep a bag of charcoal handy next to it.
blue
Man if I'm gonna light a fire..... I'M GONNA LIGHT A FIRE!!!!
Maybe that's why the fire marshalls come running?
I tried that in Chicago in 92. Big mistake.
The inside pocket is the way to with the phone. Mine will go three or four days between charges if i keep it warm, about five hours if it sits in the truck this time of year.
I don't often use a burn bucket/barrel but if I did at least the fire marshal wouldn't show up. Thank goodness I'm not in the peoples republic of Massachusetts
Garett
I have found that my battery life is totally zilch if my phone goes into analog mode. This could be the problem if you are in a weak signal area.