Keeping your metal detector in your truck?

[04 Diesel]

I always keep my detectors in my truck, you never know when you will need it. My question is now it is getting cold, will the cold weather hurt them? Is it ok to leave them out in the cold?

 

[BigWaveDave]

Personal preference on this one, as I don't know what cold weather feels like.
I used to keep my gear in my truck, but the heat got me scared after reading other posts....so now I don't take the chance.
Others here have gotten broken in to, so also a risk there....

 

[Tnmountains]

I keep my old Tesoro in my trucks tool box year round. It is like 15 years old. I use it to test sites to come back later with a better machine. But to be honest it really does as well as anything. I used it last week and found a few things. People will say no as well as the manufacturers. Extreme heat and cold ya know and electronics.

 

[fistfulladirt]

Not sure, but I have used my explorer II fresh out of the truck in the dead of Michigan winter, 10 degrees above zero.
To help a friend find his lost gold in the cemetery.

 

[MrMikeJackie]

From -15f to 100f my CTX has been in my truck for 3 years. Except for the occasional bath, it only comes out when it's time to play.

 

[kcm]

Cold won't hurt the electronics. However, I'd probably not keep the battery in it until use. Batteries "can" be damaged by cold.

Now if you happen to be in a damp, humid area, the game changes. Moisture is absolutely bad for electronics! So if moist air is inside the unit and then freezes, that could potentially damage something.

 

[Chug And Red]

Yes Heat Cold Humidity Etc. will Effect electronics If not Just the Batteries, Loved to Work in the Environmental Chambers At HP temp Changes Cause A lot Of Interesting Problems In Electronics It was Fun to watch at the temp And Humidity Changes

 

[Honest Samuel]

When it is too cold to use your detector, take your batteries out. Good hunting and good luck.

 

[roaddust66]

Tesoro makes a nice case which is padded canvas type material. It is a like a gun case. It would keep yourdetector nice and warm and proteected in old weather. They are on ebay

 

[Escape]

How come extreme heat and cold don't effect the car radio? Is it just it more partial to detectors?

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

REAL cold can cause the displays that use liquid crystals to malfunction. Usually they are fine again once they warm up.

 

[kcm]

How come extreme heat and cold don't effect the car radio? Is it just it more partial to detectors?

Good question. And the short answer is, it does - only that degradation happens too slowly for people to notice. Also, auto electronics is specifically designed for the rigors of temperature extremes and humidity swings. It also doesn't have to worry about getting dropped, knocked over, or getting wet from rain or spills. Still, a lot depends on the original quality and design of the electronics, as well as their use.

It's much more difficult to detect metals in the ground than it is to pick up a radio station. As you use your detector, you come to learn what it can do and how well it can do it. Additionally, YOU get better at detecting. But a car radio is normally tuned into stronger stations. ...Comparing the two would be like your detector always detecting whole coins laying flat in the top 4" of dirt, and ignoring everything else- no matter how much the signal degrades over time, you'll never notice.

 

[Escape]

Apple Mac book air is rated to -13 f. My detectors have all spent some extended time in the trunk with the exception of the cz21. (You kind of know it ain't good without asking.) Recently stoped keeping golden umax in trunk since it got more valuable . Too funny.

 

[luvsdux]

I always try to keep my detectors out of the direct sun and park in the shade if possible when it's hot. If it's above freezing I don't worry about the detector(s) and the cold, but colder than that I take them out as I wouldn't normally be using them anyway.
luvsdux

 

[bowser]

Consiider batterie leakage i lost a detector that way

 

[kcm]

I always try to keep my detectors out of the direct sun and park in the shade if possible when it's hot. If it's above freezing I don't worry about the detector(s) and the cold, but colder than that I take them out as I wouldn't normally be using them anyway.
luvsdux

That's a good practice. A lot (I would venture to say MOST) of the problems surrounding electronics and weather extremes don't have as much to do with the temperature as it does the humidity. If the temp changes quickly and the air is humid, condensation can form on the detector. If humid air can get inside the control box, then quick temp changes can cause moisture to condense on the inside as well. This goes for ANYTHING; not just MD's.

Remember how a glass of ice water has so much condensation on a warm day? Moisture in the air hits the cooler glass and forms water. This happens because warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. WHICH, by the way, is why thunderstorms are far worse in the south than they are up where we are. We have extremely humid air here and very often get temp swings, sometimes changing 50° to 60° in less than 20 minutes! Our house isn't the best insulated in the world, so sometimes things near an exterior wall will began forming a slight dampness. Mostly, this happens for us to things stored in non-climate-controlled areas, including closets in the house when the closet door is closed. Cardboard boxes will get damp - fortunately not enough to cause them to break down.

In any case, as warm air holds more moisture than cold air, I would recommend having your MD in a padded carry case when bringing it in from very cold temps, but only if you live in an area where the air stays humid. We're in wetlands, so our air is ALWAYS humid. Most people, however, probably won't have much problem most of the time. Basically, treat your MD the way a hunter would treat their rifle. Same rules apply. Let the rifle (or MD) acclimate to the temp of the house before exposing it to the warmer air. NOT doing this doesn't mean certain doom for your machine, but would be a good practice to get into. Temp and humidity is different in every circumstance, so just have to figure out for yourself what precautions should apply to you, if any at all.