Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Can I Leave a GPS in a Hot/Cold Car

B

Buck Turgidson

Jan 1, 1970
0
I want to buy a cheap GPS to have for those occasions when one really needs
one. I know there is risk of theft, and all that. My concern though, is if
I can leave the GPS out-of-sight in a hot or cold car (e.g. under the seat)
without doing damage to the unit?

Thanks very much for any input.
 
E

Eeyore

Jan 1, 1970
0
Buck said:
I want to buy a cheap GPS to have for those occasions when one really needs
one. I know there is risk of theft, and all that. My concern though, is if
I can leave the GPS out-of-sight in a hot or cold car (e.g. under the seat)
without doing damage to the unit?

I'd advise finding a way of getting local ventilation.

Electronics HATES high temps.

Graham
 
M

mike

Jan 1, 1970
0
Claude said:
Can you leave your radio in the car?
Sure you can...but should you?
Leaving a big lcd in direct sunlight day after day can't be good for it.
I expect the failure mode will be the glue that holds the connection strip
to the glass.

The good news is that it will probably last long enough to be stolen.
The bad news is that windows are expensive.

I gave up the second time someone broke a $200 window to steal a $3
radar detector. That'll teach me to park in front of my house.
No more in-car gadgets for me.

Sticking a navigation device under the seat is contrary to it's use.
If it ain't out, you'll soon quit using it...or quit stowing it under
the seat...until it gets stolen. Either way, end result is no navigation.

I have a bluetooth GPS with auto-power on/off in the glovebox.
If I need navigation, I pull the pda outa my shirt pocket, turn
on voice prompts and stick it back into my pocket.

Most people
have no use for a visible display in a moving car. They're too
busy trying to juggle the coffee in one hand and talk on the
cellphone with the other. A gps display would be a distraction.
 
Buck said:
My concern though, is if I can leave the GPS out-of-sight in a hot or cold car (e.g. under the seat)
without doing damage to the unit?

My short answer is "Yes".

My long answer is:
Electronic products often have standard temperature specifications at
fixed values. This makes it easier for component suppliers and
buyers. There is usually an operating range and a wider storage
range. I would expect to see values of -10, -5, or 0 degrees Celsius
for cold operation. I would expect to see values for hot operation of
55 or 60 degrees Celsius. Values in Fahrenheit are often merely
translations of a Celsius value in the specification.

I would expect a modern gps unit (e.g. Tomtom) to be specified to
*operate* between -10 and 55 degrees Celsius.In old money, that is 14
to 131 deg F. The storage range should be much wider.

Temperature extremes can reduce performance. It will probably reduce
battery life. A car on a hot day can exceed those values. The
temperature below the seat or in the trunk will be lower than on the
dash. However, as other have said, car radios survive and you probably
need to worry more about losing your gps by theft than by temperature.
 
Top