Broken Mederian

[+Will+Bill]

I have a magellan meridian that has been acting erratically for the past few months. Every once in a while, it would turn off without any user initiation.

 

We went out Caching today, and the GPS finally wouldn't even turn on! Is there anything we can do, or is our GPS broken?

 

Thanks!

 

Will

[+hogrod]

I have a magellan meridian that has been acting erratically for the past few months. Every once in a while, it would turn off without any user initiation.

 

We went out Caching today, and the GPS finally wouldn't even turn on! Is there anything we can do, or is our GPS broken?

 

Thanks!

 

Will

 

I had a couple meridian golds and had similar issues with one of them. if your willing to take the thing apart (a few screws on the back) I suspect its a contact issue with the battery terminals and the main board. I fixed my by bending them back into place, though you could do a better fix by soldering the contacts with a small piece of wire.

[+TotemLake]

I have a magellan meridian that has been acting erratically for the past few months. Every once in a while, it would turn off without any user initiation.

 

We went out Caching today, and the GPS finally wouldn't even turn on! Is there anything we can do, or is our GPS broken?

 

Thanks!

 

Will

 

I had a couple meridian golds and had similar issues with one of them. if your willing to take the thing apart (a few screws on the back) I suspect its a contact issue with the battery terminals and the main board. I fixed my by bending them back into place, though you could do a better fix by soldering the contacts with a small piece of wire.

Be very careful when you do this. The serial connections to the board are quite fragile.

[+Klemmer]

Sounds similar to a problem with my Meridian last year. When inserting the batteries, you might push down on the end with the bump, and accidently push down on the spring battery contact. Open it up carefully, and push the spring contact back where it belongs, against the electronics board. I'm now more careful not to push down on the contacts when changing batteries, and have had no problem in over a year. Good luck!

[+Will+Bill]

I am thinking about opening up the unit, but because it also does not power on with the power cable, I do not see how this would help.

 

Thanks!

 

Will

[+Klemmer]

Hmmm.... Good point. Can't hurt it any, then, right? Sure as heck it's out of warranty, right? Whatcha got to lose? Of course, if you don't try too hard to fix it, then you have to buy a new one, riiiight?

[+hogrod]

I am thinking about opening up the unit, but because it also does not power on with the power cable, I do not see how this would help.

 

Thanks!

 

Will

 

I nolonger have my meridian, But I can say for sure that my 60cx will not work with external power and no batteries installed. so if it was a battery contact issue(very common for meridian gps)even when hooked to external power it still may not power on.

Edited December 3, 2006 by hogrod

[+hikergps]

Of course, if you don't try too hard to fix it, then you have to buy a new one, riiiight?

 

Or you could try too hard to fix it for the same effect.

[+Will+Bill]

OK. I have already bid on a new one on eBay (We "need" it for Christmas vacation). I did try to put more tension on the battery contacts. There didn't seem like there was much else to play around with in there. Any other ideas?

 

Thanks!

[robertlipe]

But I can say for sure that my 60cx will not work with external power and no batteries installed.

 

Then yours must be broken becuase the X models will power from either USB or the gigantic round connectors.

[GreatCanadian]

But I can say for sure that my 60cx will not work with external power and no batteries installed.

 

Then yours must be broken becuase the X models will power from either USB or the gigantic round connectors.

 

Same for my Legend C and CX...will run from power cord without batteries. And the Magellan Meridian series will as well.

[robertlipe]

OK. I have already bid on a new one on eBay (We "need" it for Christmas vacation). I did try to put more tension on the battery contacts. There didn't seem like there was much else to play around with in there. Any other ideas?

 

The contact between the PCB and the springs in the Meridian are a top point of failure - but you're correct that if it won't power up from the extern power connectors, that wouldn't be the problem.

 

The last time I opened one up, I replaced one of the battery springs with one cut from a radioshack AA carrier and soldered short wires from the springs (which was a pain since they were plated in stainless steel) to the circuit board. It made the unit much more stable on battery power, but I can't say it's a job for the non geek crowd.

 

Be sure to get that rubber gasket back into the groove before tightening the screws if you do crack it apart.

 

If it won't power up from either battery or external power (and you're sure you don't have a double whammy like a bad battery spring AND a bad fuse or bad power cable) it sounds like it may be what we in the business call "broken" and beyond the kind of dead that can be reversed by hobbyist tinkering.

 

Magellan has a flat-rate repair service for out of warranty repairs.

[+EScout]

I too had to fix my Meridian because the battery springs moved off the PCB. It is an easy fix. Good advice from Robertlipe. Check the power cable for fuse or open. Plug it into power source and check voltage with your meter at the contacts of the cable. Then open up your unit to check if the wires inside are all connected to the external contacts.

[+Will+Bill]

But I can say for sure that my 60cx will not work with external power and no batteries installed.

 

Then yours must be broken becuase the X models will power from either USB or the gigantic round connectors.

 

Same for my Legend C and CX...will run from power cord without batteries. And the Magellan Meridian series will as well.

 

Thanks, I will try calling them tomorrow.