A Cold Gps

[Fire Eater]

Just wondering if some one has an idea for keeping the old GPS functioning in the extreme cold? I was out yesterday and the screens and funtions kept locking up because of the cold. Not sure if Lithium Ion batteries would make that much difference to the Duracell M3's that I use. Or some sort of warming divice for the Legend.

 

Fire Eater

Edited January 17, 2004 by Fire Eater

[+Renegade Knight]

Lithium's work better in the cold.

[dave and jaime]

depending on how cold you may be out of luck. most gps can only operate down to about -10°C-20°C.

[+DustyJacket]

Keep it under your coat until you take it out, get your bearing and then put it back under your coat.

[Curious George]

Move to Victoria

 

But seriously......as was previously stated lithiums will help, keep it inside your coat and just take it out to get lock and a bearing as needed. I also read recently that Rhinos have an internal heater for the LED, don't know if that's the case and if any other units do, but it's an option if you're frequently in the cold.

[+Brun]

Move to Victoria

 

If you do you will have to paint your lawn green in the summer

[tlg]

Find an old sock, cut a hole large enough to expose the antenna spot of your GPSr; stick one of those disposable heating pads (those little hand warmer thingies) in the sock and off you go. Wash the sock first.

 

For my work GPS, I have an external antenna which I stick in a little pocket inside my touque. That way I don't need to have the unit itself out in the cold. This has worked fine for temps down to -30. If your little geocaching GPSr has an external this might be an option.

[+Cache Jordan]

Was -50 windchill here,,,,, but afraid i would freeze up before my gps did so I wouldn't know if it had worked or not. LOL

[Goldguru]

I was in the Cariboo during the 1st week of Nov/03...temp was steady -20c at nite and -15c during the day. ..both my lowrance and rhino 120 did not have a screen display due to the LCD being frozen. .1/2 hr in the house and they worked fine. .If I was going to cache in temps of the -20c and colder I would get an addon antenna for my gm100 and leave it in an inside pocket.. BTW I also forgot my laptop in the car overnite and it took about 2.5 hrs to warm up enough to boot again.. .specs in rhino user guide states ...temp range -15c- 70c..5f-158f.....Gg

[Dave Lucas]

I was instructing Magellen 315 to my military unit this wknd. It got down to -30 and only one of them (I had 5) packed it in.

 

We were carrying them in our hands while on snowshoes hiking around the woods...

[+out4awalk+B]

I tried this on a -12C day and it seemed to work pretty well. Go to any ski shop and purchase some disposable hand warmers. The ones I bought were by Grabber and cost about $2.00 for two of them. They're very small and fit easily in the palm of my glove, keeping the battery compartment warm.

I'm using NiMH rechargeables with an Etrex Vista and didn't see any power loss in the hour or so I was out.

[+DRCRNP]

I've used my Magellan 315 in temps as low as -30C, and usually it's in my gloved hand, or an outside pocket. Other than short battery life, and slow response to button presses, it's never failed. NiMH batteries are short lived, Alc. are better, and Lithium is the best for cold weather performance.