Marine GPS repair
 

I have a Lowrance Globalnav310 in for repair.
The fault doesnt seem to be much of a problem but it defies me to even open
up the case. The only way in that i can figure is almost certainly going to
seiously compomise its water resistance. therefore making it virtualy
useless for the job its designed to do.
The manual downloadable from the Lowrance site was as expected an "how to
plug it in and what buttons to press thing", hence useless!
It is of course way out of guarantee and marine electronics companies are
notorious for the line "we dont support our old product lines. would you
like to buy a new one?"
has anyone any suggestions?
thanks in advance

Alan

Marine GPS repair
 

I hate to say it, but older electronics are not worth repairing. They are
the disposable lighters of our time. Your are correct about compromising
the water seal with any attempt to repair. Look in any catalog and you will
be shocked at how inexpensive a new (and better) GPS is. A repairman could
not charge little enough to make a repair competitive.

--
Dennis Gibbons
S/V Dark Lady
CN35-207
email: dennis dash gibbons at worldnet dot att dot net
"Alan Springthorpe" wrote in message
...
I have a Lowrance Globalnav310 in for repair.
The fault doesnt seem to be much of a problem but it defies me to even
open
up the case. The only way in that i can figure is almost certainly going
to
seiously compomise its water resistance. therefore making it virtualy
useless for the job its designed to do.
The manual downloadable from the Lowrance site was as expected an "how to
plug it in and what buttons to press thing", hence useless!
It is of course way out of guarantee and marine electronics companies are
notorious for the line "we dont support our old product lines. would you
like to buy a new one?"
has anyone any suggestions?
thanks in advance

Alan

Marine GPS repair
 

the fault is probably the most common this item suffers. the button you get
to press after every other button is pressed. the enter button is duff. i
know i can fix it easy because i have lots of other bits from similar rubber
keypads. then again it might just need contacts cleaning!
accessing the switch is the problem, the front facia is acrylic and its
glued on with what i'd guess is not to different to black witch, a wetsuit
glue! if i could get the glue to give i'd get somewhere with it.
tried heat. that usualy works, i did wonder if i was just not heating it
enough.
actualy the problem with fixing old electronics is that the customers cant
believe the bull for doing the job. they will pay a car mech a fortune for
an hours work that took 10mins but if the thing is cheap to replace why pay
to fix. the money is in fixing stuff that costs a fortune to
replace............
thanks for the reply:-)
Alan

"Dennis Gibbons" wrote in message
...
I hate to say it, but older electronics are not worth repairing. They are
the disposable lighters of our time. Your are correct about compromising
the water seal with any attempt to repair. Look in any catalog and you
will
be shocked at how inexpensive a new (and better) GPS is. A repairman
could
not charge little enough to make a repair competitive.

--
Dennis Gibbons
S/V Dark Lady
CN35-207
email: dennis dash gibbons at worldnet dot att dot net
"Alan Springthorpe" wrote in message
...
I have a Lowrance Globalnav310 in for repair.
The fault doesnt seem to be much of a problem but it defies me to even
open
up the case. The only way in that i can figure is almost certainly going
to
seiously compomise its water resistance. therefore making it virtualy
useless for the job its designed to do.
The manual downloadable from the Lowrance site was as expected an "how
to
plug it in and what buttons to press thing", hence useless!
It is of course way out of guarantee and marine electronics companies
are
notorious for the line "we dont support our old product lines. would you
like to buy a new one?"
has anyone any suggestions?
thanks in advance

Alan

Marine GPS repair
 

First, your GPS isn't working and you can't get it repaired so you have
nothing to lose in trying to fix it yourself. If you are lucky enough to be
able to open the case without too much damage to it, find the problem and
repair it, you can seal the case with silicone seal when you're done.
Second, a new GPS isn't that expensive.

"Alan Springthorpe" wrote in message
...
the fault is probably the most common this item suffers. the button you
get
to press after every other button is pressed. the enter button is duff. i
know i can fix it easy because i have lots of other bits from similar
rubber
keypads. then again it might just need contacts cleaning!
accessing the switch is the problem, the front facia is acrylic and its
glued on with what i'd guess is not to different to black witch, a wetsuit
glue! if i could get the glue to give i'd get somewhere with it.
tried heat. that usualy works, i did wonder if i was just not heating it
enough.
actualy the problem with fixing old electronics is that the customers cant
believe the bull for doing the job. they will pay a car mech a fortune for
an hours work that took 10mins but if the thing is cheap to replace why
pay
to fix. the money is in fixing stuff that costs a fortune to
replace............
thanks for the reply:-)
Alan

"Dennis Gibbons" wrote in message
...
I hate to say it, but older electronics are not worth repairing. They
are
the disposable lighters of our time. Your are correct about
compromising
the water seal with any attempt to repair. Look in any catalog and you
will
be shocked at how inexpensive a new (and better) GPS is. A repairman
could
not charge little enough to make a repair competitive.

--
Dennis Gibbons
S/V Dark Lady
CN35-207
email: dennis dash gibbons at worldnet dot att dot net
"Alan Springthorpe" wrote in message
...
I have a Lowrance Globalnav310 in for repair.
The fault doesnt seem to be much of a problem but it defies me to even
open
up the case. The only way in that i can figure is almost certainly
going
to
seiously compomise its water resistance. therefore making it virtualy
useless for the job its designed to do.
The manual downloadable from the Lowrance site was as expected an "how
to
plug it in and what buttons to press thing", hence useless!
It is of course way out of guarantee and marine electronics companies
are
notorious for the line "we dont support our old product lines. would
you
like to buy a new one?"
has anyone any suggestions?
thanks in advance

Alan

Marine GPS repair
 

Do not be surprised if you open the box and out pops a brand new GPS
when it comes back. I sent my Lowrance fish finder in about a year
after the warranty ran out when it failed. Lowrance said it had "old
software" in it and it had leaked seawater, which it wasn't supposed
to do. They just sent me a new unit off the line and made a CUSTOMER
FOR LIFE!

Garmin did the same thing with my 725 VHF Marine walkie
talkie.....just replaced it! Amazing companies, both of them.



On Wed, 17 Dec 2003 15:12:15 -0000, "Alan Springthorpe"
wrote:

I have a Lowrance Globalnav310 in for repair.
The fault doesnt seem to be much of a problem but it defies me to even open
up the case. The only way in that i can figure is almost certainly going to
seiously compomise its water resistance. therefore making it virtualy
useless for the job its designed to do.
The manual downloadable from the Lowrance site was as expected an "how to
plug it in and what buttons to press thing", hence useless!
It is of course way out of guarantee and marine electronics companies are
notorious for the line "we dont support our old product lines. would you
like to buy a new one?"
has anyone any suggestions?
thanks in advance

Alan




Larry W4CSC

NNNN

Marine GPS repair
 

damn, wish i'd read that before trying to get in:-(
this one works but the button you use all the time, the enter key, has given
up on us:-(
got to be an easy fix but getting in is an awesome problem
thanks for reply:-)
Alan

"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
Do not be surprised if you open the box and out pops a brand new GPS
when it comes back. I sent my Lowrance fish finder in about a year
after the warranty ran out when it failed. Lowrance said it had "old
software" in it and it had leaked seawater, which it wasn't supposed
to do. They just sent me a new unit off the line and made a CUSTOMER
FOR LIFE!

Garmin did the same thing with my 725 VHF Marine walkie
talkie.....just replaced it! Amazing companies, both of them.



On Wed, 17 Dec 2003 15:12:15 -0000, "Alan Springthorpe"
wrote:

I have a Lowrance Globalnav310 in for repair.
The fault doesnt seem to be much of a problem but it defies me to even
open
up the case. The only way in that i can figure is almost certainly going
to
seiously compomise its water resistance. therefore making it virtualy
useless for the job its designed to do.
The manual downloadable from the Lowrance site was as expected an "how to
plug it in and what buttons to press thing", hence useless!
It is of course way out of guarantee and marine electronics companies are
notorious for the line "we dont support our old product lines. would you
like to buy a new one?"
has anyone any suggestions?
thanks in advance

Alan




Larry W4CSC

NNNN

Marine GPS repair
 

On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 01:22:04 -0000, "Alan Springthorpe"
wrote:

damn, wish i'd read that before trying to get in:-(
this one works but the button you use all the time, the enter key, has given
up on us:-(
got to be an easy fix but getting in is an awesome problem
thanks for reply:-)
Alan

It's a rubber switch, a piece of conductive rubber makes a circuit
with two contact pads on a circuit board. The rubber has come loose
or torn inside. It's a real easy fix, but requires the unit to be
resealed against water intrusion.....

All the switch contacts are on one rubber sheet in most units....they
all get replaced at once.


Larry W4CSC

NNNN