gallet

And there is the rub, when my life could be on the line, 'supposed to' makes me a bit nervous. Of course I would have batteries but out here in the Australian bush things have been known to get very disorienting such that a map and compass can be of little use. It's meant to be an emergency backup should it be necessary. I might just buy this and test it. The plan is to use it for an ipod touch, but I was hoping that it could serve me in a gps emergency situation.

Anyhoo, if anyone is able to answer my question regarding voltage, that would be most appreciated.

I'd go for the eTrex 20 due to the compact size and long battery life. That's important to me, most people seem to get transfixed by the bigass macho aerial on the 60 series, but since they put hi sensitivity receivers and changed the external design, the etrex is pretty sweet. If size is not that big a deal then the 60 series would probably be my choice simply for perhaps faster map rendering.

I was more thinking about using only as an emergency back up, where I would not need it powered on for very long but rather to just crosscheck my position on a map.

I am a bit confused about external power requirements for eTrex. Garmin says that it requires 5V yet it can also be run from a usb powered port which supply 5V. I'm thinking of getting the anker solar charger for my ipod 5gen and it supplies 5V 8W and 1A and I was wondering if it would be suitable to power a gps in the bush instead of taking spare batteries. That would just be for running the eTrex without frying it, not charging batteries.

OK thanks got it now, actually it was Setup Map > Data Fields > Dashboard > Compass that I wanted.

I notice in the "Geocaching" built in profile on the trex 20, it is set up so that a mini compass appears on the map. I would like to set up a map like this on a custom profile. However I have been through the menu in detail, and I am unable to locate where this is done, it does not appear to be an option on either the map setup or compass set up. thanks

Thank you for that information, that pretty much nails it for me. I might try and communicate directly with gamin usa. Like Apple®, Garmin will bend over backwards for their US of A customers but will obfuscate and generally take a belligerent stand in Australia.

No, they are only offering a refurbished unit, which I don't want or need. The one I have works flawlessly, it just has a worn out rock and roller wheel. Seeing as they obviously have this as a spare part, (otherwise they could not refurbish them) my reading of the law is that they are obliged to supply it to me at a reasonable cost. I guess I'll have to test the law. I'll report back.

Actually I'm not "whining about reasonable wear and tear", the knurls have worn down after 5 years, I don't have a problem with that. I'm just whining that I have to pay $150 for a $2 plastic part that I'd be happy to pay $20. I got the email below but I don't know if they mean they'll replace the entire item for $150 or they'll replace the knob for $150. I shall write for more clarification. For the record for those who seem to be having a high blood pressure day, an item such as this is analogous to car tyres, in that it's rubberised in order to provide the necessary grip to do the job it was meant to do and as such it will wear down. The rubber all over the unit has worn down a bit but that is not necessary for the unit to be functional and as you all know, this part just pops off and clips on. Unfortunately, we do not sell/provide any spare parts like the knob you require. This whole device will now need to be replaced. We offer an out of warranty replacement for $149.00. Should you wish to go for this offer please contact Product support 1800 235 822 Monday-Friday from 8:30am-5:00pm Sydney time to make payment. Ok well a little research turned up this... 4. NEW NATIONAL Consumer GUARANTEES PROVISIONS New national Consumer guarantees provisions (Chapter 3, Part 3-2, Division 1) replace current statutory implied conditions and warranties. The new Consumer guarantees relate to: Title; Undisturbed possession; Undisclosed securities; Acceptable quality (This has replaced the ‘merchantable quality’ warranty); Fitness for any disclosed purpose; Supply of goods by description; Supply of goods by sample or demonstration model; Repairs and availability of spare parts; Express warranties; Supply of services; Due care and skill; Fitness for a particular purpose; and Reasonable time for supply. And this... Is it reasonable for me to expect garmin to have this particular part available as a spare just a couple of years after it was discontinued. I don't know, I might have to test this. I will argue that the unit itself is designed to last for a minimum of 10 years and I dare say it will be working perfectly in 20 years time as many long time owners of other garmin handheld units will attest. Perhaps the response from Garmin was just made without thinking. I have come to expect this sort of shoddy service from US companies in Australia.

I've had my colorado for 5 years now and the rock n' roller wheel has the knurls on the the knob worn down to the point where it is difficult to get any purchase on it and I need to use my thumb and forefinger on either side of it to get enough torque to turn it. So it's not just a lost wheel that can cause this problem. I might try a complaint through the Australian consumer protection laws if I have no luck from Garmin.

I never used the compass on my old vista or colorado so I may as well get the 20. Thanks for the replies.

OK thanks that about determines it for me then etrex 30 it is then.

Ok I'm getting rid of my Colorado as it's bigger than I like and the battery life is not so hot. I lost my old Vista HCx some time ago and I miss the nice compact size of it, therefore I'm in the market for a new one which I'm somewhat surprised to see they still sell considering the new etrex have been out for a while. I don't really care about the caching software that either unit may or may not have, it's purely mechanical as far as I'm concerned. I see the battery life in the 30 appears to be the same 25 hours as the HCx, is this true. I only ask because I would have thought the more complex display on the 30 would have been more power hungry. I don't mind the HCx screen but if it does not use any more power then I suppose the 30 is nicer having got used to the colorado. I'd like to bring up the old issue of the HCx rubber surround. Is this issue regarding it's propensity to unglue in warm whether, fixed. And as the 30 appears to also have some sort of rubber surround, is this an issue that I should worry about on the 30. On the face of it it would seem that the 30 might be the way to go seeing as it's a bit smaller, however I wonder why the HCx is still sold. I would appreciate any thoughts on this particularly about the rubber surround on the 30, or any other mechanical issues I should be aware of. thanks. G

@mpilchfamily, no. as yogazoo said However some ponds cold cream smeared on the slide tube of a trombone and then wiped off with a soft cloth enables one to then use water on the slide rather than slide oil, and it works much better.

That's funny, I have been using the same tube of silicone grease from my Katadyne hiking water filter on various o-rings for years too. If only they sold those little white tubes of silicone grease somewhere. I used to fret about the day when it would run out. I can confirm that all silicone greases are not equal. I will report back on the Dow Corning® 111 NSF/FDA Approved O-ring Lubricant, which I am sure will be excellent.

It's done now. I bought some silicone grease a couple of years ago but it was not the right stuff. I used to have a katadyne silver impregnated ceramic camping water filter that came with a small tube of white grease for the o ring but that was many years ago. You'd be surprised how difficult is is to get some items over here.

I think you might be referring to the seal around the SD card slot that people complained allowed water into the battery compartment. If you imagine the o ring as a rectangle with rounded corners, then the back cover is placed over and straight down overlapping the short side of the rectangle and contacting the two longer sides. THEN, the cover proceeds by sliding along the o ring pressing down on it. This is fine as it slides along the sides. However by the time the leading edge of the cover reaches the final short side of the o ring it starts to pop the final bit of the o ring out of it's groove. Even if the o ring is glued in securely, rubber, being what it is, will still want to stretch along the surface facing the cover even if the lower surface is securely fastened to the groove. Bearing this in mind I realised that the solution is to keep the o ring well lubricated and I have obtained just the product suggested from this thread.

I'll see what condition the second hand one is in or I probably will just look for my own. this is a copy of my correspondence after phone contact. Subject: colorado o ring replacement Message: I need a new o ring for my colorado the large one that surrounds the battery compartment. Garmin Australia says they cannot supply that and that I must replace the unit. This is obvious a ridiculous answer. I just want to put a new o ring in. Can I purchase one from the US? Thanks Thank you for contacting Garmin Australasia Support. My name is Darren. As Garmin Australasia does not have a repair centre we do not carry any spare parts and can only replace the whole unit and Garmin US will not service customers out side of there region. If you would like we are only able to supply you with a refurbished unit at a cost of AUD$119.90 (inc GST) which will come with a 90day warranty. With kind regards, Darren F Garmin Australasia Support Specialist

Excellent. I just found and ordered it on ebay australia. 1/2 oz for $10 including delivery from the US of A.

Particularly the Colorado where the back has to slide over the seal around the battery compartment as opposed to say an etrex where the back is pressed straight down onto the seal without needing to slide over it. The Colorado seal is particularly prone to damage as the cover slides over the final piece, which I usually try to press down with my fingernail while sliding the back over it. So I'm after something appropriate that will not gum up or dissolve the ring over time.

Thanks, yes I will do that. btw I copy below the official reply from Garmin for your amusement.

Notice a few negative comments about the patch vs quad helix antenna. When I tested a Vista HCx against a MAP 60 CSx, I found no difference at all between the two antennas, even with the HCx hanging upside down so the patch antenna was not facing the sky. I also note that my Colorado has a quad helix antenna and I'm not real impressed with its performance. I think the quad helix antenna superiority died when Garmin introduced high sensitivity chips a few years ago.

I lost my Vista HCx and my Colorado is a bit too bulky for me. Small size is more important. I was thinking of getting rid of the Colorado and replacing my HCx but I see there are some new units out. Points that are important to me. 1. Small size (both seem about the same) 2. Long battery life. I know my HCx was good for the stated 25 hours but I'm not sure if I believe the stated 20 hours on the eTrex 30. 3. I've never used a touch screen so I wonder how it compares to the buttons on the eTrex 30 4. I found the HCx to be perfectly adequate using City Navigator maps. 5. I mainly just use it for bush walking and finding my way around. Not into geocaching. 6. I'm wondering if the new eTrex 30 still has the same rubber surround falling off due to the glue melting in warm weather problem.

I explained to two separate people the problem and they both said the same thing. I told them I have a colorado 300 that's about 3 years old and the large o ring that surrounds the battery case is worn out. The local Garmin supplier said I needed to contact Garmin Australia. I was told by two people that Garmin Australia cannot supply a new 50c o ring for my $500 Colorado, and that I need to replace the entire unit. Currently I'm waiting for a call back from their manager. What do Americans do when they need a new o ring for their Colorado's? EDIT: the manager called back and is going to send me out a second hand one. So that's something I suppose. I do know that the o ring is glued in but it's not like putting a new band on an etrex, it's just an o ring in a groove. Not really a full blown repair issure I would have thought.