Do you leave your detector in the car in the summer heat?

[Mayo South Elgin]

I've often wondered just how much heat is too much for the detectors.
I'm reluctant to leave mine in the pickemup truck with the summer heat and the windows almost all the way up for most of the day. But it might be nice to hit a spot or two before work once in a while.
I don't want to fry the electronics though. And I can't bring it in to work because even the lunches sometimes disappear from the fridges.

 

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[Lowbatts]

Whaddya think!
Of course I do, never had a problem I associated with heat damage. And if the car is good enough to leave the wife and kids in when I go detecting, then its good enough for the MD's when we goes shoppin' too!

 

[trish76642]

It can ruin a cell phone..im sure it can do the same thing to a detector...i wouldnt wanna chance it.

 

[mikewaz]

I don't, as much as I'd like to. I wasn't too worried leaving my 1266 in there, but with the LCD and all on the new one I'd rather not take the chance. I do know some guys that leave them in the trunk pretty much year round and haven't had any trouble, but I'm a worry wart when it comes to my detector ,
Have a nice holiday!
Mike

 

[kimsdad]

I don't, as much as I'd like to. I wasn't too worried leaving my 1266 in there, but with the LCD and all on the new one I'd rather not take the chance. I do know some guys that leave them in the trunk pretty much year round and haven't had any trouble, but I'm a worry wart when it comes to my detector ,
Have a nice holiday!
Mike

I'm with Mike on this one. If it was the $250 Bounty Hunter, I might consider it. The E-Trac? No way! Too much $$ to be at risk. Now if I'm going somewhere and after an hour I'll be able to hunt, by all means it will come with and sit in the trunk. Day after day in there? No.

Hey Mayo, did you pull the trigger and get that E-Trac yet?

 

[twistidd]

I always leave the Garrett and the White's in the car, unless it is over 100 degrees or below 0. Haven't had a problem. Yet.

I take the Excal out when I get home, because even though there are no LCDs to worry about, I'd hate to risk any other damage. That one is like my baby!

Joe

 

[treasurefiend]

Yea I leave my Ace 250 in the trunk year round but my Se Pro goes into the house with me after every hunt.

 

[jrsherman]

I can honestly say that 99% of the time, my Etrac and Excal are in the bed of my truck (with camper shell of course) and in a year+ I've never had a problem related to anything other than batteries and dirty coils. Now the F75 I just got, it may just stay inside since the electronics are a little more sensitive. I wouldn't worry about a day trip at all though.

 

[dirtyJohn]

I wouldn't. Because of the heat, your batteries will have a decreased life. Didn't think about the LCD screen but that's another thing to consider. HH
John

 

[Lowbatts]

Your typical LCD array is rated to over 140 degrees F, so there shouldn't be a problem with summer, prolonged exposure to cold can however cause bleed on LCD displays.

Batteries vary by mfr but some will nottake ot the heat too generously and you might get a pop once in a while, which would really ruin your day, or however long it takes to clean the damaged contacts and battery compartments.

9V batts are less sensitive than the double A's, as well. So if you have for instance an analog control and display-type detector with 9V batts there shouldn't be a problem with keeping it in the car year-round around here. I remember keeping my CZ5 in the car for almost 2 years with no ill effects, well I did take it out for detecting.

But you might want to consider the high end detectors with complex displays an investment in recreation and treat them accordingly, that is, with care. Those contact switches, momentary pushbuttons on the interface may be at risk as well depending on what sort of insular material is used in their production, and it's manufacturinig processes as well.

Remember moisture content can also be a killer and lead to problems with board delamination in complex multi-layered PCB applications so keep that in mind during the humid season.

 

[Brett]

Thank you for saving me some time Lowbatts! Good post.

 

[Mayo South Elgin]

Well thanks for the replies everyone.
Now that the big orange box has seen fit to terminate me, I have plenty of time to detect, and to take the detector out of the truck in the summer heat.

Next question is about taking your detector on domestic flights - say Chicago to Arizona and back.
Baggage insurance (in the amount I needed at the time) was not available when I took a detector to Australia. Anyone know what the situation is these days for state to state flights? They probably won't let me take it on the plane as carry on luggage.

 

[Lowbatts]

Hey Mayo, lost a couple camcorders, had my guns "rifled" through (they broke the locks but didn't take them) and had some test equipment smashed at O'Hare. Albeit that was all back in the 90's, not post-911 but I now only travel out of Midway if at all possible. Have you checked flight availability at Rockford?

Are you flying to Sky Harbor in Fee-Nicks?

 

[treasurefiend]

I used to be a TSA Supervisor in Terminal 5 on the United side just outside of Customs, You can have pretty much anything in you checked baggage but yes get the insurance and when you check you baggage tell them what you have in there. The will still open your bag up to check for themselves but its always best to tell them. As for guns, I have seen everything from an M-16 to a Tommygun to antique wild west pistols all the way down to fake bombs loaded into luggage. The best fake bomb I was aleart ed to was 2 cans of playdough with 2 wires leading to an old fashioned windup alarm clock. Needless to say I have that person removed from his flight and was arrested. I have also let about 25lbs of 762x39 ammo go through, those that don't know - thats AK-47 & SKS ammo (it was split up between 2 bags). I asked the airlines policy and they said it was fine (Air Lingus). And this was back in 2002-2003.

 

[d-dub]

I have been leaving the detector in the car lately but try to keep the windows cracked. The only trouble I have had is with the head phones. The glue that holds the ear pads on was starting to come melt and the pads were starting to come off. I keep everything inside when I am home now but the detector always goes with me if I leave.