My total station froze on a 40 degree day in Columbus

I was staking out a foundation line on a commercial build in Columbus last February when the screen just went black, no warning, in the middle of a shot. Turns out the battery contacts had corroded from the cold and moisture, and I had to pack up and drive 20 miles to borrow a backup from a buddy. You ever trust a piece of gear for years and then have it fail at the worst possible hour, or is it just me?

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the_sean19d ago

Corroded battery contacts will get you every time, no matter how good the gear has been. I've had the same thing happen on a Leica in the middle of a drainage run, screen just died and I stood there like an idiot staring at it. The fix that's saved me since then is putting a thin coat of dielectric grease on the contacts before the cold season hits, it keeps the moisture off and I've never had a freeze-up since. Also, I always keep a spare battery in my jacket pocket, not in the bag, so it stays warm and I can swap it out fast if the main one craps out. The worst part is the drive to borrow something, I feel your pain on that one. Once a unit betrays you like that it's hard to fully trust it again, but the grease trick gave me that peace of mind back.

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