Does anyone who lives in the north have a problem when you bring a cold keyboard in for a job, and the keyboard buzzes or you can't read the display until the keyboard warms up? I live in the Chicago area, and that is a problem with me.

I have two PSR2100s. I keep one in the trunk of my car for my gigs and the other in my studio/office. When the weather gets really cold, I have to bring the keyboard in the house so it can stay warm for my gig. If the weather is a little less cold, I fold down the back seat to expose the keyboard to the heated interior of the car. Then while I am driving to my gig the keyboard warms up a bit.

I just thought of a solution, and I wanted to bounce it off of some of you geniuses.

I thought that I could get a DC to AC Power inverter, and then lay an electric blanket down in the trunk of my car. I would run the cable from the trunk, under the baby's seat, over the emergency break and transmission and plug it into the power inverter. I think this setup would cost me about $60, but save me many trips lugging my keyboard across the icy driveway into our townhouse.

Do I risk setting the car ablaze in a fiery explosion? That would be a bummer.

Beakybird

I don't know a whole lot about electric blankets and the safety risk there Larry. A power inverter is a relatively safe device, provided it is fused proeprly. That means both the inverter itself and the connection path that you choose to use to the battery.

I have a couple of inverters ( one 750 watts, one 300 watts ) that I use here in the home for electrical emergencies( with marine batteries as the power source ) and to play my keyboards outside without having to string a huge power cable to the spot I want to play in. They work without a hitch.

Grounding is another issue ( important when using sensitive electronic devices ), but in your application, it should work fine, provided the elctric blanket itself is safe and the inverter has the capacity ( watts )to run it,

AJ

Beakybird. Don't wish to put the damper on your electric blanket idea, but we had an electric blanket start to smolder and burn. If I had not been upstairs at the time to smell the burning the bedroom would have set fire.
From that day we have never used an electric blanket, we use the old type stone water bottle, but that's not much good your keyboard warming situation.
Why not store your board in a sleeping bag, the cold would not get through that....just an idea to think about.

Graham UK



[This message has been edited by Graham UK (edited 11-08-2003).]

Thanks Graham. If the blanket goes on fire, it is very likely that I am dead.

I just found this on a google search of "electric blanket fire:"

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission estimated that for the year 1996 electric blankets caused 400 residential fires, resulting in $6.6 million in property damage, 30 injuries, and 10 deaths. Sunbeam is currently the only manufacturer of electric blankets in the United States. In the past two decades Sunbeam has been named as a defendant in dozens of electric blanket fire claims.

Beakybird

[This message has been edited by Beakybird (edited 11-08-2003).]

The best advice is to never store the keyboard in a location that's subject to temperture extremes. Sure, some folks get away with it for a while, but eventually, the elements catch up to you. For example, electronic components, specifically chips and ICs have certain operating limits, both upper and lower temperature ranges. Anything outside that range can be harmful to the components.

The second, and most obvious problem is condensation. Moving a keyboard, which has lots of parts that can condense moisture, from one extreme climate to another causes condensation on fragile parts. Just a week ago, when moving my 2000 from the van, where the temperature was nearly 85 degrees and humid, to a relatively cool, air-conditioned room, caused the screen's exterior to fog with moisture. The same thing happened to the laptop's LCD screen, both of which were wiped carefully with a soft, dry cloth. Keep in mind that same reaction takes place inside the keyboard and computer as well, but you just can't see it. Everything we use operates with extremely low voltages and currents, therefore, the slightest change in conductivity across the face of a printed circuit board is sufficient to trash the entire system. That's only one reason not to leave your equipment stored in the car--especially the trunk. The other reasons are obvious in this world of high crime. Sure, you might get away with it for a while, but the odds are not favorable.

Good Luck,

Gary

You wouldn't leave a kid in the cold...bring your baby in from the cold..I have a 4500 watt, 18 1/2 amp inverter, always ready to use..

Before we had the big class A motorhome with central heat we used a 12 Volt Electric blanket. It just plugged into a cigarette lighter socket.
There is also another 12 v type on the market that is a mattress cover and heats from the bottom.
check out the RV mags and stores or Google for these.
Everything I have ever read states that you should bring your cold equipment into a warm room and let it set and warm up for 2 to 4 hours before using?
Best to all
Bebop

Beaky, bring the keyboard in until you need it. Load it last and unload it first. Keep the car warm. Turn the keyboard on at the job as soon as possible and let it warm up; wipe it down if necessary. It gets pretty cold in Detroit too.

Move to a warmer location... Seriously though.. "Actually I am serious". The electric blanket thing is a good idea. The new electric blankets are 'much' safer than the old ones and they are relatively inexpensive to boot. If you purchase an electric blanket make sure you know the maximum 'watts' it uses then if you don't have a "power inverter" already, purchase an inverter (300 Watt inverter) should be sufficient - but it will have to be enough watts to drive the Electric Blanket. When you go on a Gig simply wrap the PSR 2100[s] in the electric blanket, plug the cord into the Inverter and plug the Inverter into the Cig Lighter in your vehicle. If you use the electric blanket in a house to warm the PSR 2100[s] it would be even more convenient because you don't have to worry about an Inverter to plug it in and use with your Keyboards.

PS: It's a good idea to NOT leave the electric blanket on overnight warming the Keyboards but if you do make sure the "Temp Gauge" is not set too high.

Best regards,
Mike

Larry,

There's always Key West for the winter months. Lots of gigs down in the Keys, but in Key West, it's for the younger generation. Get north of Key west and you'll find stuff for the over 50 crowd. The weather's great, humidity is low in comparison to Baltimore or Chicago, and the best attribute is formal attire consists of new boat shoes, white shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. OH YEAH!

Gary

I NEVER leave my kb in the car overnight, but there are times when I might have to keep it in the car during the day for a gig later that night... Winter or summer, temperatures can be somewhat extreme ...
I use a soft, fluffy towel around the kb to help protect it from condensation ... When I get to the gig, I unload and unpack the kb first, so that it gets aclimated to the temp of the room while I am setting up the rest of the gear, then I turn it on for a while before playing ...
These babies can be SO tempermental!!!
t.

Beaky..
I.m on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada...you know (igloos, fur trappers, etc.) I agree whole heartedly with NOT leaving your gear in a vehicle. Never mind the cold aspect, but I doubt your "average" instrument insurance would cover it from theft, if your vehicle was stolen.
Getting back to the cold thing, I have plush lined,zippered, soft shell cases for the 2 kb's that I use, but I also have 2 reflective survival blankets, that I wrap them in before putting them in the gig bags. This of course is during the winter months. In Canada that's often 13 months, depending where you live. These blankets are basically a very thin tarp, very light-weight, with a silver reflective side, and you'd be amazed how they will keep a unit warm. Not dangerously warm, but just at a nice even temperature, at least while they're being transported. You can get them from any outdoors or camping supply store
Works for me....L
Good Luck

Larry,

I live 3 hours away from you in Muskegon, Mi and I NEVER leave my keyboard in the car overnight period. It is not a good idea. Repeated changes from hot to cold can cause solder joints and other componants to fail from the expansion and contraction. I would not do it.

Tom

Winter - no problem. But, here in Florida KBs come inside during the Summer.
Eddie

When almost everyone told me not to purchase the HDM2 hard drive system for my PSR2000, from some stranger in the Ukraine, I didn't listen. I purchased it, and I am extremely happy with it.

I have been playing the keyboard professionally for 4 years, and I have always left the keyboard in the trunk of my car. I have not had a keyboard malfunction due to temperature changes yet. However, once my PSR740's adapter cable broke during the winter.

I have too much going on in my life to be lugging a keyboard back and forth every day. I often perform six days a week - about 10 gigs a week.

So after investigating the safety of the electric blanket and the inverter, I purchased an electric blanket at Target and a new inverter on Ebay. I will use the electric blanket to warm the keyboard on the way to my gigs on very cold days. It will not be left on when I'm not in the car. My cigarette lighter power output turns off when the car is off.

I will tell you how it works. If you don't hear from me in several months, it will be because I was fried or electrocuted.

Beakybird

[This message has been edited by Beakybird (edited 11-12-2003).]

Arrogantly, I forgot to thank everyone for their kindness in giving me advice which I had sought. Thank you.

You know, these keyboards are not transported in temperature controlled trucks when they are delivered.

On the other hand, it makes sense that dramatic temperature contrasts can cause harm. On the other hand, I have never experienced a malfunction due to this - except for a cable that probably got too brittle.

Beakybird

Repeated severe temperature change will accelerate ageing of plastics.

The electrical effects might be caused by condensation (warm humid interior air hitting cold surface). All you can do is wait for everything to warm up and the condensation to evaporate again.