Forums >Gears and Wears>How does the Garmin foot pod work in rain/cold weather?
Hi there
I just ordered a Forerunner 50 with the HRM and foot pod and was wondering if anyone has any experience running with them in the rain or in cold weather? I live in Canada and usually don't mind running in sub zero temperatures, but I'm wondering if this can affect the performance of the pod or even damage it. Also, is the foot pod water proof or at least water resistant?
I could not find any information about this on the official website so thanks in advance for your replies!
Kultcha
Not sure about cold weather ("cold" in Sydney Australia probably doesn't rate in Canadian terms) ... but have run in light to moderate rain with the foot pod without any problems.
I am nervous running in heavy rain and drenching puddles with the pod (anything more than an occasional splash) & have tried various methods of "water proofing" such as small zip lock bags & tape in efforts to keep the worst of the weather out.
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According to the manual, its operating temp range is 14F to 140F and water resistant to 10M.
I'm working from memory here, but you can download the manual from the Garmin website and verify this.
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14F isn't very cold at all. I'm kind of surprised by that.
It's cold for SC...lol
I don't have a foot pod, but it looks like it attaches to the top of your shoe. I would think the heat from your foot would maintain it somewhat above ambient temperature. If your foot is actually 14 F, you'll probably have bigger problems than your foot pod not working.
That's also the stated range. It will probably work well outside those limits, but that's all they'll back it for.
Usually consumer products such as the Garmin are made with electrical components in the "commercial" temperature range. Outside of this range, the manufacturer of the individual components will not guarantee specified functionality. The resistance of an electrical resistor is somewhat temperature dependant.
Commercial range is usually 0C to 70C.
Does that mean your foot pod will not work when it is -10F? Not necessarily. The stride length measurements (or however the footpod measures your distance, probably using an accelerometer) will likely be out of tolerance. It may read your distance as longer or shorter than actual.
On the other hand, the battery in your footpod is temperature dependent. Some batteries will fail to discharge at proper voltage when too cold.
Just try it in the cold, you likely will not damage your pod if you use it in cold weather. If you go scuba diving with it, youll wreck it.
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