LRD950 Cold Weather Performance

[Tallyho]

This morning with temperatures hovering around 0° I took a 15 minute trip without giving the LRD950 much time to warm up. About 5 minutes in is a known K band source that always sets it off. Today it was quiet, like frozen quiet.

So it raises the question to what extent do cold temps affect performance and to what extent does the design of the unit, such as use of LNA impact how it reacts to the cold?

 

[Brainstorm69]

This morning with temperatures hovering around 0° I took a 15 minute trip without giving the LRD950 much time to warm up. About 5 minutes in is a known K band source that always sets it off. Today it was quiet, like frozen quiet.

So it raises the question to what extent do cold temps affect performance and to what extent does the design of the unit, such as use of LNA impact how it reacts to the cold?

Was the LRD sitting in your car all night in 0° (or perhaps even slightly colder earlier) weather? It's only spec'd for operation down to -4. So you were pretty close to its limits if it had been outside all night.

BTW, glad I don't live wherever you do if that was the temp this morning. It's 50 here in DFW right now...

 

[Tallyho]

Yes, all night in sub zero temps. Didn't realize it was spec'd only down to -4°. Guess I'll have to get it a mink case.

 

[Diabolus Ipse Sum]

I get paranoid about leaving my detectors in my car, especially in extreme temperatures; I just remove it for safekeeping

 

[Brainstorm69]

Yes, all night in sub zero temps. Didn't realize it was spec'd only down to -4°. Guess I'll have to get it a mink case.

Or a heated room for the night...

---------- Post added at 10:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 AM ----------

I get paranoid about leaving my detectors in my car, especially in extreme temperatures; I just remove it for safekeeping

I leave my daily driver in the console storage. But the temps aren't that extreme here.

 

[Tallyho]

That must have been it, because it was chirping as usual on the return trip. Must have needed it's morning coffee.

 

[WGSNewnan]

would leaving it on all night be an issue? does the unit itself generate any heat?

 

[LinoZ100]

Living in the East Coast, I can tell you right now we are like in the single digit and real feel is below 0 at night. During the winter and summer, I always take my CMs out of the vehicle and place them in the appropriate cases, and take them inside where it's nice and cozy. Extreme temps can damage internal parts or more wear and tear, IMO.

Here's an interesting thread about temperatures when you leave your CMs in your vehicle:

https://www.rdforum.org/showthread.php?t=50388&highlight=

 

[Tallyho]

Living in the East Coast, I can tell you right now we are like in the single digit and real feel is below 0 at night. During the winter and summer, I always take my CMs out of the vehicle and place them in the appropriate cases, and take them inside where it's nice and cozy. Extreme temps can damage internal parts or more wear and tear, IMO.

Here's an interesting thread about temperatures when you leave your CMs in your vehicle:

https://www.rdforum.org/showthread.php?t=50388&highlight=

Thanks for that thread...I never read it through to where Strider ran into this exact same cold temp non-detection on K band:

https://www.rdforum.org/showthread.php?t=50388&page=4&p=680926&viewfull=1#post680926

 

[Brainstorm69]

I tried checking the Redline manual, but it doesn't give a spec for operating temperatures.

 

[cihkal]

This morning with temperatures hovering around 0° I took a 15 minute trip without giving the LRD950 much time to warm up. About 5 minutes in is a known K band source that always sets it off. Today it was quiet, like frozen quiet.

So it raises the question to what extent do cold temps affect performance and to what extent does the design of the unit, such as use of LNA impact how it reacts to the cold?

I live in Chicago and it's been stupid cold lately, in the teens and lower sometimes when I leave for work. In order to get to the highway to commute out of the city I go through an area that with a bunch of stationary falses. I have them all locked out, but a few I manually locked out a little too late so the 950 will briefly alert on first detection. So far even with the crazy cold weather my unit is completely consistent which is why I never mentioned anything. Maybe another reason other than the cold causing yours not to alert?

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

[CJR238]

would leaving it on all night be an issue? does the unit itself generate any heat?

Yes, heat is more of an enemy than cold. Though good idea since it will stay semi warm if left on in 0 degree temps.

I tried checking the Redline manual, but it doesn't give a spec for operating temperatures.

It self calibrates so it doesn't matter.

Should be around -20C to +70C for Escort RD's too.

 

[BhamGuy]

Yes, all night in sub zero temps. Didn't realize it was spec'd only down to -4°. Guess I'll have to get it a mink case.

I had a thread on what temperatures were safe for it a few days ago. Came to the conclusion that when it dropped much below freezing, I take it out of the car and into the house. I think that's safest. Electronics may be able to withstand temperature variances, but it's so easy to just unclip that I don't want to risk it.

 

[Brainstorm69]

Should be around -20C to +70C for Escort RD's too.

Uniden is +85C on the high end. Pretty ridiculous for Escort not to spec the operating temps.

 

[LinuxD]

If I might weigh in here... the cold will NOT hurt the RD, what WILL possibly hurt it is extreme heat. Running electronics in cars is commonplace nowadays.. consider it. -4 outside does not equate to -4 inside the car. Turning the car on and letting the temp gradually come up,the detector will rise at the same rate or slightly faster due to the slight amount of heat it generates as electricity flows thru it *resistance always causes heat*) Leaving something electronic baking in the direct sun will damage the hell out of it in certain parts of the country. I've been running aftermarket electronics in my vehicles for 30 + years and had one item fail... a POS RD that i had in a beat down old toyota pick up with 459 K miles on it... it was a POS detector so it was no loss... but it literally baked it.

I've never had any issues other than LCD displays "leak" and go black, once the interrior cools a little, all is well. We have it singal digits here in arkansas and the 950 fires right up and locks on GPS within 30 seconds... Just my .02

 

[kpatz]

I lived in NH for years with no garage and my RD mounted in the car (both V1s and Belscorts) and no issues with the cold, or summer heat.

The Unidens don't have self calibration so temperature extremes could bring them out of calibration. Once it warms up it should function normally again.

 

[ahl395]

Haven't had any issues or seen any difference in performance myself. Ive always left my RD in the car throughout summer and winter. In NJ that equates to slightly below 0F up to slightly above 100F.

The 9500ci, being an installed RD cant come out of the car anyway, so I'm sure Escort designed it with that in mind that it's going to be out in the elements. And with that being said I don't think the ci has any special components in it to do so, so IMO all RDs will pretty much be fine. No problems with the V1 either and its mounted right in the center of my rear windshield.

 

[WGSNewnan]

I asked this very question several days ago in a previous thread. I think it would be an interesting test.

Take a unit and run 10 baseline runs against a particular gun and circumstances at a nominal temp of 70 deg.
Then place the unit in a freezer at < 32 deg for several hours and then run the same test again.
Then place the unit in a small oven at 100 deg+ for several hours and run the same test again.

It would still be within its operating range but should show any reduction in performance.

 

[RobinAlbany]

it was -12F here last night. Will have to see if everything is alright. Ii should really buy a house with a garage...

 

[RadarScout]

Then place the unit in a freezer at < 32 deg for several hours

IMO, the freezer has much more moister in it than in a car during freezing temps. I would be afraid that moister would do more harm than the temp.