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Disclaimer:
This site is provided for informational
purposes only. The information here is not intended to diagnose
or treat any condition, and should not replace the care and attention
of qualified medical personnel. Use the information on these pages
at your own risk, and, as with any information pertaining to health,
nutrition, mental health, or fitness, consult your physician before making any
changes that might affect your overall health.
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Electronics and High Altitude
The issues in this
section are few. But the ones that do apply are something
to think about!
 Plasma screens reputedly
have a shorter life span at high altitude. LCD screens do
not. Some other common electronic parts are only affected
by extremely high altitude. It takes a huge reduction in air
pressure to affect most electronic parts.
Rugged
laptops - laptops that are designed to be operated in extreme
conditions - are often rated for an altitude level, but it
is not so much because the thing is going to self destruct
when it hits 12,000 feet or anything, it is more that they
only really test them up to realistic operating levels. Most
people cannot survive long at extreme altitudes, so there
really isn't much need for the laptop to be rated for higher
ones, since they'd not need to be functional if their owner
was passed out beside them anyway!
Printers
are also affected by high altitude, but it is not the printer
itself, rather, the cartridge that does weird things. Cartridges
are usually sealed, and some may be slightly pressurized at
the factory for proper ink delivery. Some are packaged in
vacuum packs, others are just sealed in plastic. It is not
uncommon even at heights of 6000 ft, to pull a package out
of a box, and see that the packaging is puffed out.
We
have never had problems with OEM (original equipment manufacturer)
cartridges. In other words, HP cartridges for HP printers,
Epson cartridges for Epson printers. Those cartridges have
never had a problem at the altitude at which we live.
However,
remanufactured cartridges have consistently failed, especially
Epson cartridges. Often called "refilled", or Off
Brand cartridges, they are usually less expensive than the
brand name cartridges. We have never purchased one that did
not leak though.
Leaks
may show up when you open the package. If so, close the package
and immediately return it. But leaks can also show up after
you put the cartridge into the printer. This is more likely
to occur with Epson cartridges because of how they are made.
Cartridges with the print heads built into the cartridge are
less likely to do that, but still may do so once you start
printing. If a cartridge leaks, at best it will make a mess,
at worst, it can cause damage to the printer.
Items
that are pressurized, sealed with air or fluid in them, or
which have parts which depend on or are influenced by air
pressure are likely to be influenced by altitude. Items with
no moving parts - strictly electronic, are less likely to
be affected.
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High
Altitude Library
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Editorial Comments throughout this site written by Laura Wheeler (with occasional sarcastic remarks by her son, David). Laura is a 10 year resident of Medicine Bow, Wyoming, where the altitude is greater than the population. Medicine Bow is at 6200+ ft above sea level, and boasts a total of 297 residents from the last census. Laura is an experienced technical, health and family writer.
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