Adapting to the cold.

[rogueaviation]

Well, winter finally got here. I think that the snow won't be a problem, since most detectors will go right through it no problem.

The real problem for me is keeping the battery packs warm enough to run the box for a couple hours at around 20°F.

What do you guys and gals do? Keep one in a pocket and one in the detector and pull the old switcheroo when the detector pack gets cold? Heating pads of some sort? An old blanket or jacket wrapped around the control box?

Let me know if there is a better way than just swapping the cold packs out for warm ones.

I appreciate the input!

--Matt

 

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[Loco-Digger]

I keep a spare set of batteries in my front pants pocket so if the ones in the detector begin to crap out due to the cold I swap them out. I have heard that others use those hand warmers and tape them to the battery box and maybe even wrap it with cellophane.

 

[rogueaviation]

I was thinking that would be a good option. My plan was to make like a big "sock" of some sort with elastic ends and kinda slip it over my MXT, then stick my arm in the other end with a hand warmer inside. You can hear what the detector is saying pretty well, and thats the hand that gets cold anyhow.

Anybody tape a hand warmer right to the control box?

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Hello Rogueaviation,

I "run" RnB Innovation Batteries in my AT Pro/Gold, Minelabs and Whites. I keep a separate pack/stick in my inner shirt pocket, if any trouble should be noticed a quick switch can be made. I have not had any trouble as of yet, since Li-ion will work down to "about" 0 degrees (I don't - 20 degrees was not fun the other day), but its current availability will be lower. Therefore, if your detector requires more than the battery can deliver, problems will occur and replacement with a warmer pack will be warranted. Of course, warming the cold battery pack to human body temperature is another issue......cold!

GL & HH

Regards,

Doc

 

[rogueaviation]

That's kind of the direction I am thinking of going. I have a pair of AA packs and a 9 cell NiMH pack that I am planning on swapping out. The only "new" solution that I came up with was to make a sleeve to go around the detector and up my arm so I could be the heater for the electronics. There are problems with moisture and dirt with that method though.

Pack swapping is probably the best bet so far. I have an MXT, so it should be good.

 

[Jason in Enid]

The problem wont be if you can adapt to cold, or detect through snow. Assuming your batteries can stay functional at the temps, you then need to worry about plastic components, plastic wire insulation, and the video display becoming brittle and damaged from the cold. Of course, all this assumes the ground under that snow isn't frozen solid. Last consideration if how deep is the snow? If it's more than a few inches, you might as well not try because the only thing you will be detecting is frsh drops that are right on the surface.

 

[rogueaviation]

Ack. Forget the cold. We went to the beach Sunday, and it was terrible. The only part of the beach that wasn't frozen solid was the five foot strip right next to the water.

I think that the cold weather adaptations are kind of a moot point this winter, but I'm going to press on and see what happens if we get a thaw next week to clear the snow away...