In responding to a post on the eTrex GPS, Bill Hansen wrote, "yes, I'd be very interested in knowing if the unit is truly waterproof. My personal luck with Garmin (RE: both water-resistance of their "waterproof" units, and also RE: repairs) has been poor, though I know that others have had much better experiences." No first hand data on the eTrex's waterproofness, yet, Bill. (But there is a real "navigation" problem in using this navaid, I've found. Putting it down on my typically cluttered desk at home resulted in the apparent loss of the unit for two weeks. Just found it last night after the third, rather extensive search of the desk top. Did I mention it was cluttered? Bright yellow is good, but the blasted thing is tiny!) As to its submersibility: one piece of anecdotal information (from a retailer of eTrex, suggesting his source was Garmin) is that, while the electronics portion of the unit is submersible, the battery container may not be. I'd be surprised if Garmin is weasle-wording its watereproof statement, however, and the battery case does have a thin "O" ring seal on it, but I'm going to test this bit out now and will provide some feedback. If the battery compartment leaks, it goes back for a refund. Any other eTrex owners have water problems yet? Jack Martin, getting a six foot long, international orange streamer for his eTrex *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Jack - You wrote, RE: waterproofness of the Garmin eTrex GPS, that <(from a retailer of eTrex, suggesting his source was Garmin) is that, while the electronics portion of the unit is submersible, the battery container may not be. > That's exactly what I learned, after I'd gotten rust in the battery compartment of my Garmin II+ for the first time . The water got in not from anything close to immersion, but from drips off the paddle while paddling on a relatively calm day. At the time, Garmin claimed their II+ unit was "waterproof" to immersion. Nobody at Garmin ever admitted, either by phone or in e-mails, that the battery compartment wasn't immersion-proof as well. So - stupid me, after the unit was repaired, I went ahead and used it on deck without a waterproof deck bag, for a second time. Rust again, right away. Repaired again. Lost all my waypoints. Now I never use it without the Aquasafe. No mas. Nunca mas. Never again. Bill Hansen Ithaca NY *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
JCMARTIN43_at_aol.com wrote: > As to its submersibility: one piece of anecdotal information (from a retailer of eTrex, suggesting his source was Garmin) is that, while the electronics portion of the unit is submersible, the battery container may not be. I'd be surprised if Garmin is weasle-wording its watereproof statement, however, and the battery case does have a thin "O" ring seal on it, but I'm going to test this bit out now and will provide some feedback. If the battery compartment leaks, it goes back for a refund. > > Any other eTrex owners have water problems yet? > > Jack Martin, getting a six foot long, international orange streamer for his eTrex > Just after I bought mine I was questioning the same thing, so I put it in a bowl of water for 15 minutes, no leaks to be found. I don't know yet if it will seep water at the depth of a roll (I will find that out soon if I don't get a dry bag for it), but it is ok sitting barely submerged. Mike, who puts his eTrex on a special shelf in his desk. -- Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a great blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space. Mark H Hunt *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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