Leica Geovids won’t range in cold weather

[couesaddict]

Anyone with geovid hd-b's encountered this? I've had mine for a few years now with no troubles but three days in a row recently, if it was below 25*F out and I let them sit away from me and come down to ambient temperature they wouldn't range. I'd have to put them in my jacket for a while to warm up then they worked normally. I've got an email into leica's repair department and am waiting to hear back. Tried two different new batteries and same story. It was pretty frustrating to say the least...

 

[MallardAddict]

I have had hd-b's in 3 models over the past 6-8 years and never had that issue. My current set have been used from -18 to 100+ without issue

 

[TopPin]

Anyone with geovid hd-b's encountered this? I've had mine for a few years now with no troubles but three days in a row recently, if it was below 25*F out and I let them sit away from me and come down to ambient temperature they wouldn't range. I'd have to put them in my jacket for a while to warm up then they worked normally. I've got an email into leica's repair department and am waiting to hear back. Tried two different new batteries and same story. It was pretty frustrating to say the least...

I have had issues with this befor, noticed when i put a newer battery in didnt run into tge problems as much as a battery that had been in there for a long time. Unfortunately cold and batteries dont mix well.

 

[couesaddict]

Yeah I've had these in colder weather and didn't have the issue too before. Thinking something is letting loose in them. They also won't range past about 350 if you hold the button down for scan. You can point and shoot past 2000 though no problem unless they get cold. I tried the battery out of my cousins leica 1600 rangefinder that was working fine and they wouldn't range either until I held them in my jacket for a while to warm up.

 

[Plinker147]

I have had these issue with multiple brands of range finders sig, lieca, Luepold. Part of the issue is the cold makes the air dense usually there is moisture in the air. Hard for range finders to read through that. That's why they work at shorter distance like 300 but won't read at 800

 

[TopPin]

Yeah I've had these in colder weather and didn't have the issue too before. Thinking something is letting loose in them. They also won't range past about 350 if you hold the button down for scan. You can point and shoot past 2000 though no problem unless they get cold. I tried the battery out of my cousins leica 1600 rangefinder that was working fine and they wouldn't range either until I held them in my jacket for a while to warm up.

Sounds like its time to send them in for a maintenance check, had to do that on a 1600b rangefinder. Never an issue with that afterwards. My binos haven't gone in yet, but they are only a year old. My original geovids git finicky with batteries in the cold after they got some years on them. Just like trucks got to change the oil to keep them running.

 

[couesaddict]

Received a reply from leica that they'd like me to send them in for inspection. I've got one more trip before the end of the year helping my dad on a coues hunt so I'll probably send them off after that. I've read that their customer service has made some pretty vast improvements in the last couple years so I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

[7stwnut]

Good luck on your Hunt and your dealings with Leica. I just snagged a pair of Geovids, hope they don't act up on my Coues hunt in 2 weeks.

 

[ShtrRdy]

I've had problems with electronics working properly in colder temps.

 

[couesaddict]

Yeah I get that about colder temps and batteries but never had the problem before, and honestly, 15-20 degrees isn't that cold compared to the rest of the country this time of year. Leica seemed to think something was wrong also so when I get a chance I'll send them off. I was hesitant in the beginning getting these because of the horror stories from years past about their customer care department but I just preferred the range finder in these to the Swarovski unit even though I think the swaro glass is a little better. More recent reviews show that they've made some significant improvements in the customer care department. They quoted me a 10 week turnaround which with covid, I feel is pretty reasonable. I just hate sending stuff off. My other pair of 10's need to go back to vortex again as well because they've gone blurry and the rubber eye cups are falling off for the second time.

 

[Plinker147]

When mine wouldn't work it was about same temps. Curious if they work good on your next hunt. Maybe keep them in their coozzy longer to keep them happy haha

 

[couesaddict]

Yeah that's what I had to do to keep them working. The thing that got me was I left my big glass behind when we moved into shooting range and just took the geovids mounted on the tripod so I wasn't carrying a bunch of unnecessary stuff across a big canyon. That allowed them to come down to ambient temp. And I've also got a habit of pulling them off my chest when I get to my glassing spot and leaving them on a rock or my pack while I glass with 15's or the btx. That also didn't work out in my favor on this hunt...

 

[Dean2]

We hunt in WAY colder weather than that, as in down to -55, and I have never had a set of Leica Geovids or CRF not range due to the cold. I am sure Leica will fix them for you.