iPod's Limits at 4,300 meters above sea level

[methodshop]

I need a little "professional" help here. I'm one of the Webmasters at MethodShop.com. We have a page on the site where we offer free iPod tech support. But today I got an email which I can't answer. Here it is:

"I live at 3,300 meters above sea level in Huaraz Peru. Ipod works fine at this elevation. I work at a mine at 4,300 meters above sea level. Ipod plays for a while and then rapidly cycles through all songs on an album, playing nothing. Sometimes it lost in a mode and gets hot. Can the machine not work at this elevation? Or is this some type of file corruption problem?"

Does anyone know what the iPod's elevation limits are above sea level? I've used my iPod several times on a commercial airliner with no problem. But that's pressurized. I also searched Apple's documentation and didn't find anything. Anyone have any ideas about this? [FYI: 4,300 meters is roughly 2.7 miles.]

 

[Sun Baked]

http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html

Environmental requirements

* Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
* Non operating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)
* Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
* Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

 

[DNH]

FYI: 4300m ~ 2.67 mi

 

[stoid]

Maybe if you get the LiliPod iPod case that might seal it and make it airtight so that the internal pressure would remain higher than the sir pressure at the mine allowing it to function normally.

 

[CMillerERAU]

Well perhaps airplane systems can shed light on this:

As you go up in altitude with your airplane, there are fewer and fewer air molecules in a space of air. Things that require electricity (magnetos for spark plug firing, avionics for communication, iPods for long cross-country flights ) can have serious problems when the air gets really thin such as around 10,000 feet. Since there is less air molecules, the resistance of the air also goes down and electrons have a tendency to arc across wires easier. Some situations where there is serious juice flowing through wires like the magnetos dictate that they be sealed and have pressurized air pumped in. Generally speaking aircraft avionics don't have as much trouble because they are lower powered and have better insulation in their wiring. iPods, however, aren't necessarily designed for high altitudes and to save weight and money they don't put in heavy insulation or pressurized air. My theory, then, is what you are experiencing is a short circuit of sorts in your iPod. I take mine flying and haven't experienced it myself, but there could be other circumstances light temperature and humidity to take into account.

 

[musicpyrite]

FYI: 4300m ~ 2.67 mi

FYI: 4,300 m =2.671896 mi

4,300 m=14,107.61 ft

DUH!!

 

[thekaiser]

Well perhaps airplane systems can shed light on this:

As you go up in altitude with your airplane, there are fewer and fewer air molecules in a space of air. Things that require electricity (magnetos for spark plug firing, avionics for communication, iPods for long cross-country flights ) can have serious problems when the air gets really thin such as around 10,000 feet. Since there is less air molecules, the resistance of the air also goes down and electrons have a tendency to arc across wires easier. Some situations where there is serious juice flowing through wires like the magnetos dictate that they be sealed and have pressurized air pumped in. Generally speaking aircraft avionics don't have as much trouble because they are lower powered and have better insulation in their wiring. iPods, however, aren't necessarily designed for high altitudes and to save weight and money they don't put in heavy insulation or pressurized air. My theory, then, is what you are experiencing is a short circuit of sorts in your iPod. I take mine flying and haven't experienced it myself, but there could be other circumstances light temperature and humidity to take into account.

I have worked for the last two summers in Flight Test for Boeing. There is nothing low power about a majority of the airplanes systems. They pour out heat and use lots of power. The avionics run off either +28V or the straight 400Hz 110V that the plane generates. The insulation on the wires is not the cheap plastic rather it is teflon coated so when it burns it does not produce toxic fumes. However, its dielectric properties are not necessarily better than any other insulator. The electronics used are designed for altitude. Basically they can get hotter. We used lots of specially designed circuits in our flight test systems. The iPod and other electronics have trouble removing heat in lower pressure environments. There is just less transfer to the air since there are less molecules. By the way I have quite a few Riddle friends...but they all go to Daytona's Campus. When do you graduate. I will be out of school and working full-time in a few weeks.

 

[CMillerERAU]

The resistance in air actually increases with altitude. A vacuum for instance has much higher resistance than air at sea level. I have worked for the last two summers in Flight Test for Boeing. There is nothing low power about a majority of the airplanes systems. They pour out heat and use lots of power. The avionics run off either +28V or the straight 400Hz 110V that the plane generates. The insulation on the wires is not the cheap plastic rather it is teflon coated so when it burns it does not produce toxic fumes. However, its dielectric properties are not necessarily better than any other insulator. The electronics used are designed for altitude. Basically they can get hotter. We used lots of specially designed circuits in our flight test systems. The iPod and other electronics have trouble removing heat in lower pressure environments. There is just less transfer to the air since there are less molecules.

Well I'm just saying they're low powered compared to magnetos that pour out thousands of volts through the spark plugs. How can you explain WWII-era engines requiring compressed air off the superchargers to be pumped into magneto housing? I guess I can't argue since I'm not an electrical engineer but from what I have heard from my systems professor its because the electricity magnetos generate has an easier time arcing at higher altitudes.

 

[thekaiser]

Yeah, I edited my post. Reread it. I thought more about it after I read it. I need to double check my facts. I just assumed that with less molecules there would be less molecules and electrons to contribute to the transport of electrons. However, I could be wrong. Now you have made me curious. I will check it out. I guess that brings out the engineering nerd in me.

 

[CMillerERAU]

Hey no problem, like I said I'm a pilot and not an engineer so I could be wrong about the whole thing. As for your last inquiry, I'll be graduating this time next year from the Prescott, AZ campus. From what I've heard the programs here are a lot better than DB even though our campus facilities are crud to say the least. I'm also editor of the school newspaper, you can check us out at http://horizons.eraunews.com.