Cold Weather/Range Finders - Bad Mix (No Matter who your vendor is...)

[Brendan]

Thats two too many to have too replace

I agree, but shit does happen. And unfortunately right now there isn't good competition to the 2400 ABS, unless I want to add a Kestrel into the mix and a ballistic app which isn't something I want to deal with in the field.

 

[JGRaider]

I'm not sold on the idea that batteries are the sole reason RF's won't perform in cold weather. Otherwise, when I was using my Geovid and Sig 2200 BDX with the same batteries neither should have worked, but the Sig did, the Leica didn't.

The electronics are all Chicom made anyway, even those in the Leica /Swaro/Zeiss models. They will all fail at some point.

 

[slim9300]

I'm not sold on the idea that batteries are the sole reason RF's won't perform in cold weather. Otherwise, when I was using my Geovid and Sig 2200 BDX with the same batteries neither should have worked, but the Sig did, the Leica didn't.

The electronics are all Chicom made anyway, even those in the Leica /Swaro/Zeiss models. They will all fail at some point.

That’s funny. My Sig 2400 and Leica 1600 do totally the opposite in cold weather. My guess is that it’s a combination of the battery and the amperage necessary to function correctly.


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[slim9300]

I agree, but shit does happen. And unfortunately right now there isn't good competition to the 2400 ABS, unless I want to add a Kestrel into the mix and a ballistic app which isn't something I want to deal with in the field.

Exactly. It’s the best tool out there at this time for a hunter.


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[Outdoorsman12b]

They do not all suffer from it, but most do. This was briefly discussed a while back in a thread about Leica BRF’s when I brought it up.

It’s not ranging in cold that is the problem, it’s cold soaking as YK stated. Mostly it’s the battery. First is make sure it’s a fresh battery when you start. Then, some batteries are better for constant drain (flashlights) some are better for fast and quick drain uses (LRF/flash on a camera). Lithium’s seem to do better, longer. And keeping a battery close to your skin and rotating everyday works. However, different units do show different performance in cold. There seems to be three general ranges that units are effected; The first between 22-27°. Most units exhibit reduced performance in this range. Then between 10-15° is the next, and then again below 0°.

From what I’ve experienced with several examples of each-

22-27°:

Leica BRF’s between 30-50% have reduced performance. Around 5-10% have extremely reduced performance.

Swaro EL Ranges- about 10% with reduced performance.

Meopta Meoranges- 100% (2) that I’ve used stopped ranging past 230m at all below 27°

Sig rangefinders- about 25% have reduced performance.

All Vortex Fury 5000’s, Nikon Laser Forces, and Zeiss BRF have been fine.



From 10-15°:

Just add another 10% to each number, plus a couple Fury 5000’s with issues. Laserforce and Zeiss BRF still fine.


Below zero most have problems. Even with warm batteries. So far consistently below zero the Nikons Laserforces have been the least troublesome, with reduced performance past 700m, but nearly unchanged inside of that. The Zeiss’s seem to do well, but the small size and amount of use is too limited.

Can you clarify about 10% reduced performance in ranging or 10% of the unit you used had reduced performance?

 

[QuackAttack]

I wonder if a lithium battery would fix it.

 

[Formidilosus]

Can you clarify about 10% reduced performance in ranging or 10% of the unit you used had reduced performance?

10% more units exhibited issues. However, the last two winters have shown much less issues with Leica Geovids than previous.

 

[handwerk]

Have not had any issues with my older Geovid HD-R's.

 

[gcronin]

We did a video on rangefinders performance in the cold which might clear up a lot of questions on this thread. Check it out here:

 

[JGRaider]

gcronin, enjoyed your video. Please tell the powers that be at Vortex that you have a very, very good concept with the Fury AB's but it badly burdened by mediocre glass. I'm sure I'm not the first one to bring that up. Regardless of the fact that all the advertising says "on par with Viper HD glass" I'm sure I'm not the only one to find them sorely lacking. Please take no offense.

 

[JGRaider]

10% more units exhibited issues. However, the last two winters have shown much less issues with Leica Geovids than previous.

I understand the latter models have improved in this area. Good thing, as my 40039 wouldn't range anything past about 200 yards when the temps got to freezing or below.

 

[Bubblehide]

Using those 8-12 hour chem hand warmers inside our electronics cases, lithium batteries... can also alleviate some of our electronic-battery issues.