GPSrChive Discussion Forum

Hi Ok, so not only did the button cover completely disintegrate but the switch seems to have disappeared too.. possibly because I tried using something hard and pointy to try to turn the unit on or off, thinking there was something solid behind the cover and basically stabbed the thing in the heart. Still working but display is only active when on the powered mount - grey screen otherwise. Ok for using on the bike but not useful if I want to set up in shade and cool of my hotel room.
Is there a fix for this? Or is it time to get a rugged android phone and be done with it.. it IS at least 10 years old so I'm not too annoyed..and I'm not a huge fan of the display choices Garmin made either - violet/purple on grey??!! Low contrast and barely visible too much of the time. The only thing is I JUST bought the S America map but only the download so I don't even have an SD card I could sell.

You don't like the readability of the Garmin display and want to replace it with a mobile phone display?

There are kits available online to repair the power button on your device, or you could just find another used one for sale in better condition and continue using your maps.

Ah, interesting to know about the kits - the last time I enquired about this the only thing I found was people talking about bits of eraser and duct tape repairs.. However, having had a quick look it seems they are only a repair for the case - as mentioned the switch is completely gone from mine..

Yes, a rugged android cell phone is a very viable, cheaper and more flexible (back up phone) alternative to a dedicated GPS.. technology has moved on a great deal since I bought this unit in 2013 or whenever it was. I've also been disappointed at how inaccurate a lot of the mapping is on this brand new download - roads marked as dirt that have clearly been tar for at least a decade for instance.. also, in Santiago, Chile last week it was sending me the wrong way down roads that are directional according to the time of day, causing me to be late for an appointment .. G Maps doesn't do that..

GPSrChive wrote: Thu Dec 19, 2024 12:49 pmThere are kits available online to repair the power button on your device

The switch on the circuit board is very small and delicate. If it is damaged or missing, those kits that only replace the rubbery button will not help anymore...