Random Electronic question.

[Bigjake]

Say I ordered an external hard drive from newegg, and UPS tossed the box in my garage this afternoon.  It's been about 30 degrees all day, and I just brought it into the house and it's really cold....

Should I just plug it in and not worry about condensation, or let it sit for the evening to gradually come up to room temp?

[Telperion]

Hard drives aren't hermetically sealed.  Best let it acclimate to room temperature.

[erictank]

Hard drives aren't hermetically sealed.  Best let it acclimate to room temperature.

Yup - DEFINITELY let it warm up. 

[Bigjake]

That's what I was figuring on if nobody replied.  Thanks for the confirmation! 

[Thor]

My rules for winter times and electronics is to let the equipment warm up overnight or throughout the day. So far, no problems. Bringing an item in from very cold temps can cause condensation on the item. If it's electronic, that can be bad. But, that's just MY own personal "rule".

[digitalandanalog]

Does anyone here recall older electronics that had a "DEW" light?

They wouldn't work if condensation and temperature wouldn't allow the machine to operate properly....

I remember my first VCR.

It weighed a ton and was ginormous. It wouldn't do anything until the "DEW" light turned off when you plugged it in.

Of course this was in Colorado during the heaviest of winters, whilst our central heaters were working hard to keep up.

[Stevie-Ray]

Does anyone here recall older electronics that had a "DEW" light?

They wouldn't work if condensation and temperature wouldn't allow the machine to operate properly....

Still don't. Even the new camcorders don't work until properly moisture balanced. Try it on a cruise ship going from the inside to the outside and vice versa.