# Electronics in cold storage



## Fishcat (Mar 13, 2015)

I've never stored my rig in cold storage before. Should I worry about the electronics? Thanks.


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## Misdirection (Jul 16, 2012)

My rather expensive electronics are permanently mounted in my boat. Boat is kept in an unheated storage building....never had a problem.

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## bustedrod (May 13, 2015)

never have stored inside, batt, 2 garmins, radios, never had a problem. one year it was really wet and i put a fan inside boat under the cover with a timer to circulate air once a day , worked good for me..


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## erie mako (Jan 22, 2013)

I pull mine and store them in the house...I have seen LCD displays freeze and crack internally, replaced several LCD screens at work over the years...

That being said, I believe the culprit was rapid warming of the device resulting in "thermal shock" - leaving the device in the car overnight in sub zero temps and then bringing it into a warm building and turning it on right away.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

In older Lowrance units I use to see warnings for temps below 10 degrees. I had one unit go bad years back from the cold. This was about the time when units went from black/white to color. I haven’t seen any warnings on the newer stuff but I tend to bring mine units if if temps fall below 20 degrees and I’m not going to use them for a while.


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

I pull everything that i can before cold storage. Just don't want to take the chance of losing a screen in the cold.


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## cane pole (Nov 27, 2011)

I've always heard great minds think alike I'm with you privateer. The way I look at it if you can take them off, take them off. Why risk it. I read something many yrs ago that storing a trolling motor unprotected in the cold weather could have bad effects on the motor. The magneto or something. I always took mine off and stored it under the bed. Probably not necessary but I did untill this yr. I installed a new TM and it was just to hard to remove with the hard wiring that I did. Looks great just can't remove easily. That being said I wrapped the motor in styrofoam insulation and taped it up. Probably over kill, but I feel I did what I could to protect it. 


privateer said:


> I pull everything that i can before cold storage. Just don't want to take the chance of losing a screen in the cold.


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## Fishcat (Mar 13, 2015)

Thanks alot fellas. I can take out my 2 Lowrances but the autopilot and the nav thingy I guess are on their own. Thanks again, Bill


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

id be more worried about someone else taking them off..


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

Even tho I’m in a heated garage, I take my electronics off and keep them in the house all winter. Paid too much for them to chance anything happening to them.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

chaunc said:


> Even tho I’m in a heated garage, I take my electronics off and keep them in the house all winter. Paid too much for them to chance anything happening to them.


damn right, a helix 10 mega and helix 12


chaunc said:


> Even tho I’m in a heated garage, I take my electronics off and keep them in the house all winter. Paid too much for them to chance anything happening to them.


plus you'd lose all your waypoints.


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

ezbite said:


> damn right, a helix 10 mega and helix 12
> 
> plus you'd lose all your waypoints.


you should have the waypoints stored to a memory card so that you can relocate them to another unit if needed...


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

privateer said:


> you should have the waypoints stored to a memory card so that you can relocate them to another unit if needed...


perfect point, but sometimes i get lazy


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

ezbite said:


> perfect point, but sometimes i get lazy


i am surprised they are not automatically saved there. My generation 2012 simrad stuff on my Erie boat stores to the card automatically. check your settings...


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

running hummingbird


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## privateer (Apr 26, 2012)

ezbite said:


> running hummingbird


i believe that Helix series is a few years newer than my simrad stuff. still surprised it does not copy to card. as i said, check your settings...


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

mega is awesome, im gonna bust out the unit now, i actually can use my mega 10 ice fishing..


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

ezbite said:


> mega is awesome, im gonna bust out the unit now, i actually can use my mega 10 ice fishing..


Thought about that but bought a Garmin ice bundle instead. It’s great being old and retired. Haha.


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## parkerss3nm (Dec 30, 2019)

Fishcat, maybe you should test it in some kinda fridge first, for a little period of time.


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## Nauti cat (Nov 30, 2009)

Take off what you can and don't worry about something you can't remove ie. AP screen VHF radio engine screens or gauges. I store in a unheated building my AP screen Vhf radio ect haven't been affected.


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## Bluewalleye (Jun 1, 2009)

privateer said:


> I pull everything that i can before cold storage. Just don't want to take the chance of losing a screen in the cold.


I do the same. I don't have super expensive units, but still don't want to find out in the early spring that I have to replace them before I get out on the water. Mine are easy to take off and to put back on. I also take the battery out of the hand held unit for the I pilot. Just for good measure lol


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

I have a lowrance lcx 38c hd i've had for yrs. never use to bring it in. left it out well below 0 without any problems. now I bring it in because of thieves.


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## Fishcat (Mar 13, 2015)

It's great to hear from all of you. Thanks again.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I brought mine in last night...why take a chance?


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