catmandoo
Well-Known Member
Well I bought a Yeoman plotter and all I have to do is mark up the paper charts with any up dates
Dont Buy Garmin Products
- Thread starter pappaecho
- Start date
MarkJohnson12345
Well-Known Member
I would not support a boycott of Garmin Products.
But would support any case of making good equipment redundant.
Throwing good stuff away is one of the causes of the modern way of life, we just throw out too much, all that plastic, technology etc.
Bit like the analogue radio going t*ts up in 2015
You should be concentrating on how to extend the GPS life yourself, as many old car owners do.
That way. you win, the environmenmt wins, and it might teach Garmin to make any of their gear usable to any period required.
Also acknowledge Garmins ability to make an instrument to last that long.
Having said that I chucked out my first Phillips GPS as it was just too slow...
Gopod luck
But would support any case of making good equipment redundant.
Throwing good stuff away is one of the causes of the modern way of life, we just throw out too much, all that plastic, technology etc.
Bit like the analogue radio going t*ts up in 2015
You should be concentrating on how to extend the GPS life yourself, as many old car owners do.
That way. you win, the environmenmt wins, and it might teach Garmin to make any of their gear usable to any period required.
Also acknowledge Garmins ability to make an instrument to last that long.
Having said that I chucked out my first Phillips GPS as it was just too slow...
Gopod luck
Nigelhg
Well-Known Member
I personally think garmin have the best aftersales support I've come across in the marine industry so I'm surprised with your comments. i wouldn't get annoyed in the least being told that my equipment was obsolete as it's more likely the cartography or lack of updates for the charts that has made it obsolete. I think they may be only protecting themselves for liability because of this.
Gin
Well-Known Member
MES - you sell this stuff so you have a vested interest
However I do agree that a suggested embargo is OTT.
BUT why should a 10 year old unit be unuseable simply for the sake of a battery; I have a Seiko watch which is 30 years old and now on its anticipated 4th battery and still going strong .
It seems to me you are promoting planned obsolescence and for your own and the manufacturers advantage- put it another way- how many Classic Cars would be here now if we were all to accept this premise????
bluedragon
Well-Known Member
It's not just Garmin. Lots of our modern marine electronics have PCB soldered batteries I suspect...we just haven't found out yet 
I've had a similar problem with a Silva S15 radio and that was just 4 years old.
I've had a similar problem with a Silva S15 radio and that was just 4 years old.
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Lakesailor
Well-Known Member
As an aside......how are you finding the new forum software works on your BBC Computer?
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Blimey that's harsh....of you!
You have a product that has lasted you well (over 10 years), technology has moved on in leaps and bounds and you're boycotting Garmin and telling others to do so.
Guess you'll be blaming them cos they no longer support the charts for the 230, how dare they redesign their units to accept common SD cards.
I'm afraid that Garmin have gone further than just changing cards .... they also not only changed chart formats previously - now their new gear no longer supports many files and chartlets out there that were previously no problem. Various internet based chart author groups such as map_authors, GPS navigator etc. who over years have compiled topo maps, harbours, lakes, rivers etc. now find that new Garmin gear won't run them. This is not a copyright issue or anything to do with any Commercial interest - just Garmin again losing touch with it's customer base.
Searush
Well-Known Member
Try these guys for a new battery
http://www.strikalite.co.uk/
They will replace any battery for you. Reasonable prices too. No connection - just a satisfied customer. They rebuilt the battery pack of my ancient H/H VHF which now works better than it ever did when new 20 years ago.
Or you can simply throw everything away and encourage bad design.
http://www.strikalite.co.uk/
They will replace any battery for you. Reasonable prices too. No connection - just a satisfied customer. They rebuilt the battery pack of my ancient H/H VHF which now works better than it ever did when new 20 years ago.
Or you can simply throw everything away and encourage bad design.
lenseman
Well-Known Member
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pappaecho
Well-Known Member
Having been sailing for the last couple of days, I am surprised that it generated 50 replies. The BR2032 variant battery was fitted and replaced by holder and battery from Maplin.
The current state of play is that I have a perfectly working Garmin 152, and a perfectly working 230 which is 3 times the size and much more comprehensive and cost £800 when new. It does not yet remember data until i get round to repairing it. Computer makers fit removeable 2032 batteries, whilst Garmin took the decision to solder onto the motherboard the battery which they must have known would fail, which is why the manual says take it to them to be repaired.
If they no longer repair such items, they could surely as part of their "excellent" technical service have a third party to do the job. The guy I spoke to on Friday at Garmin in Soton, did not even have schematics.
Must tell SWMBO the next time the battery on her car fails, that she will have to buy a new car because the car is obsolete
The current state of play is that I have a perfectly working Garmin 152, and a perfectly working 230 which is 3 times the size and much more comprehensive and cost £800 when new. It does not yet remember data until i get round to repairing it. Computer makers fit removeable 2032 batteries, whilst Garmin took the decision to solder onto the motherboard the battery which they must have known would fail, which is why the manual says take it to them to be repaired.
If they no longer repair such items, they could surely as part of their "excellent" technical service have a third party to do the job. The guy I spoke to on Friday at Garmin in Soton, did not even have schematics.
Must tell SWMBO the next time the battery on her car fails, that she will have to buy a new car because the car is obsolete
stevebirch2002
Well-Known Member
It aint redundant, just change the battery FFS. Most people take their watches to jewellers to change a battery, tehse are similar but need a soldering skill.
I had similar thing with a Garmin 128 so sourced a few batteries and made them into kits with fitting instructions. as loads of friends had teh same problem with the 120/126/128 systems, also a guy with a GPS230 plotter. Not difficult to sort if you can solder. You need the battery with tags opposing each side. Lithium 3volt is the standard.
cheers
S
I had similar thing with a Garmin 128 so sourced a few batteries and made them into kits with fitting instructions. as loads of friends had teh same problem with the 120/126/128 systems, also a guy with a GPS230 plotter. Not difficult to sort if you can solder. You need the battery with tags opposing each side. Lithium 3volt is the standard.
cheers
S
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2Tizwoz
Well-Known Member
MES
Active Member
..not promoting anything and have never promoted anything on here, was just my personal point of view.
Like one of the other posters mentioned, spare parts are often the most profitable items, so it would actually be better for me if they WERE available.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
That's not very good on your part - as they ARE available ... if I can source suitable, if 2Mugs Birch can create a kit for it ...
Trouble is nowadays it's the throw-away society ... I have a couple of LED flasher Echo-Sounders ........ obselete but they work.
My Autohelms ... old Nautech AH800 and an AH1000 .... funny they still work ... had a few repairs, contrary to Raymarine advice rec'd ....
Like many - a long list could be produced .... but sorry - we should scrap it all and buy latest all-singing dancing 'built-in redundancy' kit ?
Sorry to some on here - but I side with Original Poster ......... why should he scrap a good piece of kit that he's happy with ... for sake of Garmin failing to supply board battery ? What does it matter it's 10 yrs old ?? Ridiculous posts by some ...
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MES
Active Member
Good for you/him/everyone else - i dont think anyone is saying he HAS to get rid of it.
But you have to be realistic also - how many parts for legacy items are suppliers supposed to stock on the off chance that someone might want a replacement in 10 years time? Sorry but its not practical.
As i said before its only my opinion regardless of who i work for.
covenanter
Well-Known Member
The electronics market today is buy cheap use it for a few years then buy an upgrade. Companies could make products with servicable parts, but would you be willing to pay twice as much in the first place.
Neil
Well-Known Member
I think the reason that Garmin have dropped Bluechart is not because the cost of providing charts in Bluechart format on CD or for a dealer to upload to a blank cartridge is prohibitive, but that the Bluechart CD's have been hacked. Garmin only sells maps on preprogrammed cards only, now (I think)
snooks
Well-Known Member
Just a thought....Using your example.....Would you take the 10 year old car back to the original manufacturer to replace the battery? (let's hope it wasn't a rover
)or would you go to Halfords or a local garage?So going back to your original post, just how much would you be willing to pay for a Garmin engineer to replace the battery?
Just the cost of the battery?
Or for their time and the battery?
Or just their time?
Or maybe want them to do it for free?
Would you be willing to pay for what it would actually cost? You'd have to pay for the time for every person your GPS has to go through to have it's battery replaced, from the person who signs it in to Garmin HQ, to the post person who has to deliver it, to the engineer to dismantle the product, for them to source the battery, that has to be delivered, the postage for the battery to be delivered, the post person again to deliver that battery in Garmin HQ, the engineer to fit the new battery, someone to package the GPS up again, the packaging, and then courier to send it back out to you.
Would you be happy to pay for that? or would you expect Garmin to pay for that?
As you've found out you can replace the battery yourself, you've saved yourself the cost of having a Garmin engineer do the job for you.
I'd better get another battery now so you won't have to go through the whole saga in 2019
BlueMan
Well-Known Member
Neil,
Thanks for the feedback re Bluecharts having been cracked. I had not heard that before. It is a real shame if that is the reason for me no longer being able to get chart updates for a perfectly good working device.
Regards,
Andrew
Thanks for the feedback re Bluecharts having been cracked. I had not heard that before. It is a real shame if that is the reason for me no longer being able to get chart updates for a perfectly good working device.
Regards,
Andrew
Neil
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I think the hacker went by the name of Jetmouse. There are several of peer-to-peer sites that you can download the hacked algorithm program, or the unlocked charts, often a universal unlock key, for a fee (of course). But, I have heard that many are virus infested and I think you would want to be "in the know" before going this route. Clearly, if a person can get any Bluechart for free, Garmin are unlikely to continue to support it. Hence G2, that has improvements of dubious utility, but supplied only on pre-programmed media, and updateable by secure web only.
My beef with Garmin is the very belated and slow-in-coming support for Mac
My beef with Garmin is the very belated and slow-in-coming support for Mac
