P Pico W and temperature...

I have a Pi Zero 2W in an unheated garage where it gets a fairly weak signal. It has not had any problems at low temperatures. John

I've found that Wi-Fi on the Pico W to be dependent on its supply voltage. Two A cells isn't enough.

Thank you John. I have had just one signal that got through and reported the signal strength at -95dBm, and the outside temperature at

So it seems that its signal strength rather than temperature that is the issue, and the hardware is actually working but not getting enough signal.

Time to give the unit a tinfoil hat I think! :-)

(more likely a 3D printed paraboloid and copper foil)...

Ho hum. Product development eh?

I have *three* AAs ! The ultrasonics need nearer 5V.

It worked fine on my desk here but the signal strength was around -87dBn ..

Now it's outside on the far side of a garage I seem to have lost about 6dB.

I should be able to make that up with some sort of reflector.

It will all be a bit suck it and see sadly. I have nothing beyond a mobile phone to measure field strength with...

Do the AAs suffer when the temperature drops? I recall stories of arctic explorers having to keep camera/etc batteries close to their skin so they don't freeze and stop working.

Maybe it's marginal but usable inside and the temperature drop is enough to tip it over the edge. Does it work better on a warm day than a cold night?

Theo

Well yes, but not enough to matter in this case

That was what I thought, but the reality is a bit different

see

As you can see the one parameter that is s*it, is the signal strength

I posted the query before this one sample got through last night.

And proved that the unit was in fact operating, just unable to get through 99% of the time

So it is on the ragged edge. And probably amenable to having an RF mirror stuck behind it.

Which I will experiment with, Currently the access pint has a stainless steel tray wedged behind it, but it doesn't seem to have improved much.

Its cold and wet and I am not bothering to go outside and play with the external installation today. :-(

All Pi Zero 2 wifi circuitry is powered by a 3V3 rail from the main PMIC. If the 5V supply is low enough for this rail to fail I'd expect other Pi issues too.

Ah. Is it now?

That's a useful data point.

Yes (virtually all batteries do)

When I was stationed in Alaska (Ft. Richardson, '72-'74), during Winter we had to keep the batteries for our AN/PRC77 radios in a pouch underneath our parkas, to prevent deteriorating voltage.

Thanks!

Another real-world example: smoke detectors sounding warnings about low battery voltage in the wee hours of a winter morning. If you don’t get up and see to it then, by the time the sun comes up, the beeping will have stopped, and you will have no idea which detector needs its battery replaced.