RE: [Paddlewise] Garmin and waterproof kayaking gear

From: Carey Parks <cparks_at_fuse.net>
Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2004 09:55:49 -0500
Hi all,

I have a GPSmap 76S that has been a joy to take hiking, climbing and
paddling (functionally that is.) Great job designing the features, but yes,
the case gave me a scare when I capsized and later found the unit
non-functional. It was just the batteries that gave up due to salt water
immersion, but that still left me with no position etc.

I've got two ideas I want to try, but since the water here is still solid,
maybe someone else has tried them and can report. First, and easiest, I'm
thinking of taping the seams of the battery/power cover with a quality
plastic tape in hopes that the pressure drop from a dunking will pull the
tape tighter into the seams and prohibit the entry of water. Ditto the
external antenna jack as I don't have an antenna on my helmet <g>. If that
doesn't do the trick, I plan to coat the inside of the cover with oil or
petrolium jelly so silicone sealant won't stick and then fill the gap around
the OUTSIDE of the battery compartment with silicone sealant and press the
cover nearly into place. After it sets, I'll trim away the flash and
hopefully have a custom gasket. A little silicone grease from my dive kit
might seal the stalk of the latch. Next I'll try both together.

I don't like the bags because the size of the unit is increased, operation
and legibility are compromized, and heat that would normally escape to the
environment is trapped on the unit. I did put a screen protector from my PDA
over the GPS screen so I can peel off scratches when they happen. I had to
trim the screen protector, but it works great!  The ones I have for my
Pocket PC work better than the ones I have for my Palm device as the plastic
is different and easier to see thru. Your results may vary.

Has anyone tried these ideas?

Regards,

Carey
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Received on Thu Feb 12 2004 - 06:56:17 PST

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