Topband: Freezing relays?

[Facility 406]

On 1/22/2025 11:58, Phil Lefever via Topband wrote:
> Been a ham for 30 years in Minnesota, I have never had an outdoor relay stick in the cold.

Being in Nevada where temps can vary from -25F to +124F, I've seen some 
temperature related issues, but due to expansion and contraction of 
connections, due to an entire piece of equipment, and all components 
expanding, and contracrting, resulting in open, or closed, and switches, 
and contacts not working.  I'm really starting to notice it in 20+ year 
equipment where there is already some wear.

I had a similar instance in two different radios in the late 90's, one 
that was mine, and a friends, same make and model.  The circuit board 
behind the faceplate had pins, that fit into clips on the board behind 
it.  When used in the field in the winter, the pins would get cold and 
shrink, as well as the contacts in the sockets shrinking and retract, 
and make intermittent contact.  That one took a while to figure out, I 
had to freeze the radios to about -10F, power them up, then observe them 
as they got warm.

I wonder if something similar can happen with relays?

Right now my biggest issue is at -9F, where LCD screens take several 
seconds to react.

Kurt