On Tue, 2 Dec 2008 12:02:16 -0800 (PST), Frogwatch
wrote:

OK, Now I am curious. Somebody pointed out my bad luck with equipment
in another thread and I am wondering if it is due to the way I treat
my stuff. For example, my neighbor noticed that I leave my VHF and
fishfinder/depthsounder on the console of my Tolman Skiff out in the
rain all the time and said I should bring it inside. My thinking is
that I bought them because they said "Submersible" so they should take
being outside in Florida.
I carry my handheld VHF and GPS around in my sail bag with some heavy
tools and I throw it down into the cabin when I get aboard. Is this
abuse or normal use?

Neither thermal cycling, humidity cycling nor hi-G transients are
calculated to improve product life. Yet any one of these treatments
can fail an otherwise useful device.
But you knew that.
Live with the utility and sacrifice life - or live with the lifespan
you'd like, and sacrifice utility.....

Brian W