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From: stevew@wyse.wyse.com (Steve Wilson x2580 dept303)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Electronics in Desert Heat
Message-ID: <1990Sep24.001637.23674@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 24 Sep 90 00:16:37 GMT
References: <1990Sep18.024659.21117@cbnews.att.com>
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Organization: Wyse Technology
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From: stevew@wyse.wyse.com (Steve Wilson x2580 dept303)

In article <1990Sep18.024659.21117@cbnews.att.com> rinne@mcnc.org (Glenn A. Rinne) writes:
>I heard on NPR (National Public Radio) that there have been 
>significant electronic equipment problems plaguing our forces
>in Saudi Arabia.  The report mentioned placing wet rags over
>transmitters to cool them and keep them operating.
>
>My meager experience with mil spec'd components reminds me that
>all components are spec'd to operate at a temperature of 125C (257F).
> stuff deleted...

The real answer to your question is the gear they are doing this too,
i.e. transmitters.  A 100W xmitter is going to have a significant 
heat output that it has to dump to the external world.  (let alone
a 1kw or more xmitter which are just as likely..)  Now put several
of these into a single trailer and you have yourself a sauna.
Chances are real good that the operating temparatures in these 
rooms is REAL hot, so the ambient air used to cool the equipment
is even running 140-150F(obviously a guess...) Point here is that
the transmitters are some of the largest heat generators you can
find next to internal combustion engines.

Steve Wilson, KA6S