Explorist repairs

[+capjap]

I have a explorist 500 that I have a tough time recharging. I just discovered the reason is that on the unit, the little hole that you screw the cable into, is stripped. It's not stripped all the way...my husband took the washer out of the cable and it attaches again. However I have a hard time getting it to recharge because I have to get it recharging, and gently place it down and turn it off before it loses connection.

 

Is there any way I can fix that? If not, does anyone know where I can take it for a repair in southern Ontario?

[Twister65]

I have a explorist 500 that I have a tough time recharging. I just discovered the reason is that on the unit, the little hole that you screw the cable into, is stripped. It's not stripped all the way...my husband took the washer out of the cable and it attaches again. However I have a hard time getting it to recharge because I have to get it recharging, and gently place it down and turn it off before it loses connection.

 

Is there any way I can fix that? If not, does anyone know where I can take it for a repair in southern Ontario?

You might be able to get it fixed under warranty, if it's still under a year old.

 

Regardless, you could try Bill's Electronics in Mildmay, Ontario. Bill's Electronics is actually where Magellan told me to send my eXplorist 200 about a year ago when it required warranty repair. I can't see why he wouldn't do non-warranty repair as well. Might be worth a shot. If you Google "bill's electronics ontario" you'll find the contact info.

 

Scott

[+GeeOCachers]

You can fix it, sure! Buy a Garmin

[+parker2]

You can fix it, sure! Buy a Garmin

 

LOL

[+Dave + Jen]

You can fix it, sure! Buy a Garmin

 

LOL

Hmmm...looks like the old Magellan with the stripped threads has found more than three times as many caches than the Garmin.

 

LOL

[+northernpenguin]

One way to avoid the whole "stripped threads" thing is to spend $20 on a car mount (Canadian Tire, Walmart)

The eXplorist power/data cable clips into the bike/car mounts and will provide a good connection to the back of the unit.

 

Rather than screwing the cable into the unit, I pop mine in the car mount with one easy click. This will allow you to charge/load the GPS without using the thumbscrew. Personally, I find it much easier to pop the GPS in and out of the cradle than to fumble around with that tiny screw.

 

Bill's Electronics is the service centre for Magellan in Canada.

 

Bill's Electronics

60 Elora Street

Mildmay, Ontario

Canada

N0G 2JO

 

Telephone: 519-367-2771

Fax: 519-367-5224

 

He typically turns the units around in under two weeks, but that's not a guarantee.

 

Hope this helps,

 

northernpenguin

[+capjap]

I actually have a RAM mount and tried it out as an alternative to the screw, but it does not make good contact. I thought there might be an easy way to fix it myself, like with that tape you put on pipes, or something like that. So I guess it will be a trip to Mildmay at Christmas! And of course, the warranty just expired.

 

Oh yes, I would buy a Garmin, if there were no trees in Ontario.

Edited November 10, 2006 by capjap

[+northernpenguin]

I actually have a RAM mount and tried it out as an alternative to the screw, but it does not make good contact. I thought there might be an easy way to fix it myself, like with that tape you put on pipes, or something like that. So I guess it will be a trip to Mildmay at Christmas! And of course, the warranty just expired.

 

Oh yes, I would buy a Garmin, if there were no trees in Ontario.

 

Not the RAM mount, I have one of those on my bike and the charge cable doesn't connect as well to it. The Magellan mount makes excellent contact - I don't even bother charging my explorist in the house - the car mount (the Magellan one) works just fine for charging the GPS.

 

Also note - it's not trees, it's anything with a slight greenish tint that throws off the Garmin units. Green paint and the green geocaching tshirts are problematic too

[+JabbaTHutt]

Funny thing is I remember being at this years GHAGAFAP V and zeroing in on a cache with my GARMIN GPSMAP76CSx in complete tree cover while everyone else put thier GPS's in their pockets.

 

I would call magellan and ask about getting it repaired, explain to them it has been going on for 4 or 5 or 6 months which would put it under warrenty and that you just figured out what was causing it.

 

Either way I would then buy one or two of the magellan mounts people are talking about, one for the car and one for the house this way no more messing with the screw.

 

Maybe this problem is why they have no added AA battery packs to the lineup for those units?

 

I actually have a RAM mount and tried it out as an alternative to the screw, but it does not make good contact. I thought there might be an easy way to fix it myself, like with that tape you put on pipes, or something like that. So I guess it will be a trip to Mildmay at Christmas! And of course, the warranty just expired.

 

Oh yes, I would buy a Garmin, if there were no trees in Ontario.

 

Not the RAM mount, I have one of those on my bike and the charge cable doesn't connect as well to it. The Magellan mount makes excellent contact - I don't even bother charging my explorist in the house - the car mount (the Magellan one) works just fine for charging the GPS.

 

Also note - it's not trees, it's anything with a slight greenish tint that throws off the Garmin units. Green paint and the green geocaching tshirts are problematic too

[+JabbaTHutt]

http://www.magellangps.com/products/accessories.asp

 

Anyone with one of these units here is a good deal for you all.

 

While supplies last, you can purchase a Li-ion battery and AC adapter for only $19.99! That's a savings of $42.00. Keep an extra Li-Ion battery ready to go for your eXplorist 400, 500 or 600 and use the AC adapter to keep it charged when not in use.

 

Hell the battery is $40 itself and the charger is $35.

 

Get them both for $20.

[+DyverDown]

BUt you may want to check the shipping for that! 25.00 US.. a little steep for me, that's why I said "no thanks"

 

Maybe if we get a bunch of interested people we could put in a bulk order for them....

 

Anyone?

 

http://www.magellangps.com/products/accessories.asp

 

Anyone with one of these units here is a good deal for you all.

 

While supplies last, you can purchase a Li-ion battery and AC adapter for only $19.99! That's a savings of $42.00. Keep an extra Li-Ion battery ready to go for your eXplorist 400, 500 or 600 and use the AC adapter to keep it charged when not in use.

 

Hell the battery is $40 itself and the charger is $35.

 

Get them both for $20.

[+northernpenguin]

 

Maybe this problem is why they have no added AA battery packs to the lineup for those units?

 

 

You mean this and this , don't exist? I think I paid $9 for mine, including shipping/customs.

 

The part number for the Magellan AAA Battery Clip for the eXplorists is 980819. It's even smart enough that it won't try to charge the AAA batteries if you plug into your charge cradle. Works great for me. I've got some rechargable AAA batteries I keep in my pack for those long days away from the car.

 

I've also got a USB battery box that carrys 4 AA's in it, great for winter. The eXplorist uses the same USB charging system that the PSP uses (5V USB), so PSP charging accessories like the USB plug for the cigarette lighter work fine, you just need to plug the data cable into it. I like to use it on those -40C caching trips -- run the data cable down my sleeve and keep the batteries inside my coat. Much longer run time that way.

 

WARNING to those considering the AC adapter/battery combo -- I don't see anything on that link/picture that looks like a cradle. It looks to me that you're still going to be charging the new LI-ION battery inside the GPS - don't get any ideas about charging one battery while you're out caching with the other!

[+Juicepig]

I also had the same issue, and asked Magellan to replace it under warranty. They told me it wasn't the actual hole in the GPS that was the problem, just the cable, and that I should buy a new cable (which wasn't covered under warranty)

 

So I bought a new cable ($100 after shipping, handling, crossborder inspection, angry mailman tax, etc) and what do you know... I was right! It was the hole in the GPS all along. I called Magellan up again, and they said that I must have got a defective cable, but as I had already opened it, I couldn't return it (not to mention half the money actually went to getting it to my place to begin with)

 

So I devised a little device that held the power cable in place using elastic bands, nails (hammered directly into the explorist) and a very still hand to power it up until I got my wedding gift - a Garmin.

 

Last i checked, the Magellan was fully powered (but that was many months ago, and it has probably suffocated in dust since then). Thanks Magellan, for showing me the way.

[+High IQ]

Buy a swivel mount and don't worry about it. The cable connects to the mount and you just pop the GPS into the mount. No more fussing with the cable. Check it out here http://www.gpscentral.ca/accessories/magel...ploristswiv.htm