The Cold & GPS!!

[Guest echosgold]

Hello, this is Mrs.Echosgold and we just recently went up to the snow with -9 degree weather(warmest during the day was 19 deg.) and left our GPS in the car for 2 days. Could the freezing cold effect this from getting .00 readings?

 

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Echosgold

www.Outdoor-Dog.com - Gear for Active Dogs!

[Guest madphatboy2]

There have been many discussions on this. The main concenus seems to be that if you are using alkaline batteries, the cold will dramatically affect the performance. As far as extreme cold goes on the unit, I suspect that it may affect it a little, but not enough to make a difference. When I pick up a cold GPSr I take the bats out and hold them for a few minutes to warm them up. (i'd love to be able to afford lithiums)

 

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MPB2

[Guest fractal]

As for the GPSr circuitry itself, I believe some have a built in thermometer so it can make adjustments when extreme temps effect sensitive parts.

 

I think...

 

-fractal

[Guest jfitzpat]

In my experience, a Mag unit starts freaking out about freezing and an eTrex model starts freaking out around 0. Put the unit inside your coat and middlewear, accept for when taking readings, and it should be fine.

 

When it is really chilly, be sure to keep spare batteries near your body (ex. pocket in your fleese), instead of in your pack. Even Lithiums degrade when it gets cold enough.

 

-jjf

[Guest rdwatson78]

quote:

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Originally posted by fractal:

As for the GPSr circuitry itself, I believe some have a built in thermometer so it can make adjustments when extreme temps effect sensitive parts.

 

I think...

 

-fractal

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The eTrex Legend has an internal thermometer, but I don't know what it uses that info for.

 

I don't know about the Magellans or most of the Garmins, but for eTrex with a clik-stick:

 

If you turn on the GPS while holding down the Clik-Stick, you get the diagnostic screen. This page has some interesting items on it. Temperature, battery voltage, signal strength, firmware version, and some other data. I have tried this several times and have never had any trouble. There is nothing you can change from this screen, so it should be hard to kill the GPS. To get out, just turn it off like you normally would. When you turn it back on, it will be in normal operating mode.

 

[Disclaimer: It works for me, but I don't know if it will work for you. I take no responsibility if your GPS dies from this experiment. Proceed at your own risk.]

 

rdw

[Guest broek]

The thermometer is in there to compensate for a time delay. Electrons have different speeds at different temperatures. The GPS has to know because it's time based. The Resistance of any electronical unit changes with temperature.

 

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Gerard

 

N53 12.609 E5 46.797

#922 #16FF #305C

[Guest sbukosky]

I've kept a variety of electronic test instrumentation in my service van in nearly -30 temperatures and liquid crystal displays will freeze at that temperature. The good news is that those of mine that have frozen have thawed and worked ok. Surely someone must have had a laptop display freeze. I've never heard of one being damaged so don't think the cold will harm a GPSR.

[Guest echosgold]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Our Magellen didn't work well up in the freezing cold(we got skunked 3 out of 3)but, it's back to normal now. We did put new batteries in it before we got skunked that day, but that didn't work either.

 

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Echosgold

www.Outdoor-Dog.com - Gear for Active Dogs!

[Guest jfitzpat]

ries in it before we got skunked that day, but that didn't work either.

 

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Like I said, I've had pretty poor luck with Magellan's (GPS315, 320, MAP330) in cold alpine environments. The temperature specs are better on the Meridians, but still not up to the specs on the eTrex line.

 

That said, the little click-stick (I've always called it the "nipple") on my Vista is a real pain to operate in heavy gloves or mittens. The rest of the unit is so durable, I've always wondered about Garmin's choice of that particular control.

 

-jjf

[Guest Alan2]

quote:

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Originally posted by jfitzpat:

That said, the little click-stick (I've always called it the "nipple") on my Vista is a real pain to operate in heavy gloves or mittens.

 

-jjf

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Years ago when I was started doing outdoor photography, I bought a pair of thick woolen mittens that allowed half the bottom end to fold back and latch onto a piece of Velcro. This exposed the tips of your fingers for adjusting the camera controls. When your done just slip the mitten end back over your fingers. There's a little separate piece that slips off your thumb. I think I bought it in a specialty photo store. Now it works great with my Vista oranytime I need better control of my fingertips. I saw a similar glove type with individual finger tips for all fingers similar to the thumb mentioned above in a sporting goods store. More modern material, waterproof, etc. Might work for you.

 

Alan2

[Guest jfitzpat]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alan2:

Years ago when I was started doing outdoor photography, I bought a pair of thick woolen mittens that allowed half the bottom end to fold back and latch onto a piece of Velcro. This exposed the tips of your fingers for adjusting the camera controls. When your done just slip the mitten end back over your fingers. There's a little separate piece that slips off your thumb. I think I bought it in a specialty photo store. Now it works great with my Vista oranytime I need better control of my fingertips. I saw a similar glove type with individual finger tips for all fingers similar to the thumb mentioned above in a sporting goods store. More modern material, waterproof, etc. Might work for you.

 

Alan2

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When I'm climbing, I usually bring either a pair of biking gloves (padded palms) or leather gloves with the finger tips cut off. I don't usually wear them when I lead, but they are good for rapping and belaying (keep your hands from getting gunked up or burned by the rope(s)).

 

But, when it gets cold, I wear technical mittens. I don't know if it is age, a touch of frostbite once, or what, but my hands are in agony when they are exposed to even 10 or 15 degree air. But, if I keep my head, hands, and feet warm, I'm otherwise pretty warm blooded.

 

I used to do cold weather technical climbing, but I just can't handle the bare fingers on cold rock anymore.

 

Openable gloves sound like a great idea, but I'd be worried that they might leak a little warmth around the closure - given my whimpy digits

 

Thanks for the tip though.

 

-jjf