Safe to leave in hot car?

Hey guys. Long time reader, first-time poster.

I'm being shoved out of my dorm for three weeks while they close it for cleaning between school years. I found a place to stay in the meantime, but I don't have a place to store my stuff, so I'm going to keep it stored in my car which is dead in the dorm's parking lot.

I don't really have room in for non-essentials in the bag I'll be taking to my temporary home, so I'll need to keep my lasers (250mW to 1W range) in an opaque container in my car.

Can a handheld laser handle a couple of weeks in a hot car in the Georgia summer? They'll be in total darkness in a leather duffel bag, and the two 18650 batteries will be removed and stuffed in my backpack, because I know batteries are really heat-intolerant. Will the diodes themselves be damaged by summer car temperatures, or are they heat-stable as long as they aren't powered?

Thanks!

hi,
you shouldn't have a problem sounds like they are well packed don't worry. The diodes get much hotter than that while being fired up when you operate the laser.

Rich

Yeah, I'd be more worried about the batteries than the laser diodes and drivers. I know the temperature can exceed 140 F in a closed car there in the sunlight. How much more, I can't say.

Indeed, don't store the batteries that hot.

Laser diodes, drivers and such can all be stored safely at temperatures of at least 70 celcius (usually even 105 celcius) for a long time, although you should let them cool down before operating them.

70 celcius can be reached in a car under worst case conditions (black car, black interior, full sun, no wind), 105 is borderline impossible.

Just mail em to me for safekeeping for the time being oke:

I keep my high power lasers locked in the snapon toolbox in my garage it gets pretty warm and keeps it away from the little one. I make sure all lithium stay in the house though since they have a tendency to thermal runaway from normal use i would hate to power up a strong laser with a hot battery and it melt down.

If you are worried just bring em and store them in a corner.. you can carry your bin surely.