Safe to leave in hot car?

[TheNilvarg]

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!

 

[Lifetime17]

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

 

[paul1598419]

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.

 

[Benm]

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.

 

[94Z28]

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.