>> Any emergency equipment used in a marine environment should be waterproof for a lot longer than 30 minutes at one meter. The one meter for 30 minute standard may be fine for a flashlight used for backpacking in the rain, but I'd really like to see my marine radio survive being towed behind a freighter on a trans-Atlantic crossing. Waterproof cases will bring your gear more into line with this second criteria. >> ************************************************************************** * FYI, yesterday I gave my new Garmin 12XL GPS unit an immersion test. It is rated for 1/2 hour at a one-meter depth. Lacking anything that deep, I left it at the bottom of a water-filled plastic wastebasket for one hour. The depth was 22 inches (0.56 m). When I took it out, it was still operational. I dried it with a towel, then let it sit for another hour to air dry before I opened the battery compartment. However, I found that a small amount of water had penetrated the battery compartment and that the batteries had already started to rust. Bill Newman had the same problem with his Garmin GPS during his three-day crossing of Lake Superior with Don Dimond last year, and he had his in a Zip-loc bag that was never immersed. Though it appears that the Garmin's electronics are indeed well sealed, a GPS cannot operate if the batteries short out or rust out, and now I wonder also whether the contact springs in the battery compartment are rustproof. I think it is false advertising to claim that this unit is waterproof, and I am going to send a complaint to Garmin. Once I found a Mini-Mag flashlight lying in a foot of water in the BWCAW. When I turned it on, it still worked, and when I opened it up, there was no moisture inside. If a flashlight can be sealed this well, why not a GPS unit? Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Chuck Holst wrote: (In response to this:) > >> > Any emergency equipment used in a marine environment should be > waterproof for a lot longer than 30 minutes at one meter. The one meter for > 30 minute standard may be fine for a flashlight used for backpacking in the > rain, but I'd really like to see my marine radio survive being towed behind > a freighter on a trans-Atlantic crossing. Waterproof cases will bring your > gear more into line with this second criteria. > >> > FYI, yesterday I gave my new Garmin 12XL GPS unit an > immersion test. It is rated for 1/2 hour at a one-meter depth. > Lacking anything that deep, I left it at the bottom of a water-filled > plastic wastebasket for one hour. The depth was 22 inches > (0.56 m). When I took it out, it was still operational. I dried it with > a towel, then let it sit for another hour to air dry before I opened > the battery compartment. However, I found that a small amount > of water had penetrated the battery compartment and that the > batteries had already started to rust.[snip] I think it is false advertising > to claim that this unit is waterproof, and I am going to send a > complaint to Garmin. > > Once I found a Mini-Mag flashlight lying in a foot of water in the > BWCAW. When I turned it on, it still worked, and when I opened > it up, there was no moisture inside. If a flashlight can be sealed > this well, why not a GPS unit? Mechanically, it is much easier to seal a tube (aka flashlight battery compartment) than a rectangular opening like the battery compartmnet for a GPS or a VHF. One small "O"-ring does it for the flashlight. Even so, I had good luck on my Minolta Weathermatic for 4 years, with an enormous rectanguloid seal all around the rear of the case. The seal contributed to the bulk of the camera. Eventually, even that seal puked (not sure what the cause was -- might have been my fault) and salt water intrusion allowed the battery to fry its innards. I suspect that "low profile" and "fully sealed battery compartment" are very difficult to achieve in the same unit. I'd honk to Garmin, also. Very little salt water is needed to short out a piece of electronics which will kill it fast. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR sea kayaker -- and chemist *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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