Before performing the Static Data Gathering I ran flashed AQ6 with my Team 16GB class 10 uSD card to make sure it could reliably gather data for over an hour, examined resulting graphs, they looked fine.
I made an insulated food container, checked the freezer temp, it is at -17c
Placed AQ6 inside the open container in the freezer
waited 60 minutes.
closed container while in freezer
placed it with one marked corner pointed toward earth
attached alligator clips to a 12V 12AH sealed lead acid battery, didn't want the battery going flat.
heard some crackling inside the sealed food container
quickly disconnected the battery connection
opened the container to see a lot of smoke and strong acrid smell
Oops I had connected battery polarity reversed, bad move
removed the uSD card, tested it, that has survived
My AQ6 is toast
connecting AQ6 to battery now looks like this and does not smell good
Lesson learnt
I should have placed a diode and a pico fuse in series with the main battery lead. too late now, hindsight is always 100% accurate and Murphy is out there just waiting for me to stuff up.
I suggest for future revisions of AQ6 board a Schottky diode and a pico fuse in series with main supply positive lead, on the board side of the pico fuse another reversed diode between positive input voltage from the pico fuse and GND so it conducts through the pico fuse if reverse polarity power is applied and saves damage to the board.
EDIT:
Details of Phoenix like rising from ashes further down in this thread