Arctic Ocean Expedition: March-April, 2007

[saltamontes]

cold weather, harddrives and condensation

fyi so ya'll got no excuses to kit:

==============

from Fred Langa (windows tip guy):

Cold, per se, isn't likely to be a problem for a hard drive, as long as you let it warm up before you try to use it. The main problem with cold temperatures is with the lubrication on the drive's moving parts. The factory lubrication is intended for room-temperature use.

But a cold drive can suffer a serious secondary effect: If you bring a cold drive into a warm environment, condensation may form on and in the drive. Very heavy condensation on the drive's circuitry could create a short circuit, frying the electronics when you power it up.

Worse, condensation on the drive's platters will almost surely cause a head crash, where the magnetic read/write head of the drive contacts and irreversibly damages the surface of the platter. Modern hard drive heads "fly" over the surface of the platters at a height measured in nanometers, or billions of a meter. (For context, a nanometer is roughly 1/50,000 the diameter of a human hair.) At that scale, condensation droplets are like liquid mountains on the surface of a hard drive platter, and the read/write head may fly straight into them.

===============

have fun guys.

 

[Scott Brady]

Thanks for the feedback on the HDD performance.

Chris and I had a good weekend working on the truck and doing more logistics.

The blog is also updated:

1. Laptop mount

2. Brake Controller

3. Interior Lights

 

[SinCity4r]

3. Interior Lights

Any details on these? They are slick!!

 

[crawler#976]

KD7UUS,

You might find this useful!

http://www.yara.ca/hiways.html

 

[BajaTaco]

Mark, thanks so much for your input and research! I need to give you a call before we leave.

 

[Scott Brady]

The last few days have meant significant progress on the truck, logistics and sponsorship. Expeditions West has partnered with ExxonMobil for testing of Mobil 1 synthetic fluids in the extreme temperatures and over such long distances. We will not change any fluids over the 8,000+ miles of the trip and use oil samples from before departure and after to test performance.

We sincerely appreciate their financial, engineering and product support.

Tomorrow is the last of the work on the truck with installation of passive security measures from Overland Hardware and installation of the Sirius radio.

Monday is a complete fluid change and installation of the oil and transmission pan heaters. We even have a small 50 watt unit that will run off of the aux battery to aid starting while remote camping.

 

[pwc]

Please do me a favor......make an accurate mark where you last get a Sirius signal. It'll be good to know for future trips.

 

[Willman]

The oil testing sounds very cool! Keep us posted on your findings!!! 8,000 miles without change......Hummmm...Must be some good stuff!!! Lets hope nothing fails!!!!!

Looking at the above pictures....I didn't see any rubber floor mats in the pictures....Just wondering if they made your list??

Their the best for keeping your carpets dry with all the snow getting tracked in!

:costumed-smiley-007

 

[Scott Brady]

PWC,

Will do :friday:

Willman,

We did buy some floor mats, though they are not too sexy, just Costco specials...

 

[Willman]

PWC,

Will do :friday:

Willman,

We did buy some floor mats, though they are not too sexy, just Costco specials...

Right on!!

Here's where i got mine....

http://www.performanceproducts.com/...03416&name=Husky+Liners+Heavy+Duty+Floor+Mats

Not a big fan of Performance Products...Got them for Christmas for the front and Pass. in the rear for my Tacoma...They do the trick!! I hate the smell of Mildew due to the buildup of water under the carpet mats!!!

:sombrero:

 

[RedDog]

I put a set of moulded WeatherTechs in the Jeep TJ this winter. What a fantastic decision. Every vehicle I own in the future will be so equipped.

http://www.weathertech.com/store/prodsearch.asp?item_group_id=52

 

[mike h]

http://www.huskyliners.com/floorliners.html


I like the Husky brand. The floor liners have a large lip which allows them to hold a couple quarts of water (handy when all that snow and ice melts) and serve to retain gear you may have dropped when you open the door, especially on an angle.

m.

 

[kcowyo]

Expeditions West has partnered with ExxonMobil for testing of Mobil 1 synthetic fluids in the extreme temperatures and over such long distances. We will not change any fluids over the 8,000+ miles of the trip and use oil samples from before departure and after to test performance.

Tomorrow is the last of the work on the truck......and installation of the Sirius radio.

Very cool that ExxonMobil has gotten onboard! :clapsmile

I wouldn't worry too much about the floormats, although I would make an effort to keep too much snow and ice left on the floor. As was said, the smell when it melts is nasty. Just knock your boots on your sliders before getting back in and hand sweep any extra snow out.

Re: the sat radio install - with the light bar on top of the cab and gear piled up in the back, a good position for your antennae will be key for good reception. I originally had mine on the rear of the cab by the 3rd brake light. When I installed the camper that made the antennae worthless. I relocated mine to dead center over the front windshield and ran the wires inside the trim over to the passenger side A pillar and down into the cab behind the dash. You just want to make sure it has a wide angle as possible for the best reception.

I'm betting a cold cerveza that the sat radio will be your favorite mod after this trip is said and done.

 

[mountainpete]

We did buy some floor mats, though they are not too sexy, just Costco specials...

Hey, if it's those Michelin mats they are sexy! I've had them in both of my vehicles for two years and they hold the melted snow real well!

 

[crawler#976]

KD7UUS, KE7IXX

Chris and Scott -

I've had no sucsess with the Whitehorse IRLP node in the last two days - I've e-mailed the site admin, but have not recieved a reply.

In any case, I'll try to raise you on 146.580 both days you'll be in the area 20th/21rst and the 29th/30th.