+HelloNinja Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 This weekend I pulled the old bonehead move of putting my GPS unit in my jeans pocket next to my keys and I ended up w/ a small dime-sized area of the screen scratched all to hell. Obviously, I'm in need of a screen protector. I've just ordered one to protect myself against future mishaps. My question is - are there any methods of filling/clearing the scratches so they're not noticable? I've seen ads on tv for substances that are supposed to clear scratches off of eyeglasses, and they sell that stuff that's supposed to take scratches off of cd's. Are any of these able to remove the scratches from a gps screen? Thanks for your help! Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Mirror Glaze or Most any plastic polish will do the job. Also the screen protector itself can help cover up some small scratches and make the screen more useful. Quote Link to comment
+Caching Scout Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Try contacting garmin? Quote Link to comment
nathantw Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 This weekend I pulled the old bonehead move of putting my GPS unit in my jeans pocket next to my keys and I ended up w/ a small dime-sized area of the screen scratched all to hell. Been there, done that, except mine was on rocks and not keys and my unit was a new 60CSx. What I did to "fix" the problem was get Brasso, silver cleaner, and some really, really fine grit sandpaper. You can find the sandpaper at an auto parts store. I found mine at Kragen. Anyway, find the highest number they sell and get it. I think I have 800 and 1200. It'll take a LOT of work, but in the end you'll have a clean display once again. Do a search on my name and I'm sure you'll find my procedures and links. Good luck. nathan Quote Link to comment
nathantw Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 This weekend I pulled the old bonehead move of putting my GPS unit in my jeans pocket next to my keys and I ended up w/ a small dime-sized area of the screen scratched all to hell. Here you go: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...&hl=scratch Quote Link to comment
nathantw Posted April 16, 2007 Share Posted April 16, 2007 Here's the other link. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...&hl=scratch Quote Link to comment
+Bob Blaylock Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 This weekend I pulled the old bonehead move of putting my GPS unit in my jeans pocket next to my keys and I ended up w/ a small dime-sized area of the screen scratched all to hell. Obviously, I'm in need of a screen protector. I've just ordered one to protect myself against future mishaps. My question is - are there any methods of filling/clearing the scratches so they're not noticable? I've seen ads on tv for substances that are supposed to clear scratches off of eyeglasses, and they sell that stuff that's supposed to take scratches off of cd's. Are any of these able to remove the scratches from a gps screen? There's a product called Liquid Lense that claims to be good for fixing scratched glasses. Alas, I must report that it is impossible to apply it smoothly and evenly enough to be suitable for the advertised purpose. If glasses are so scratchy that applying this product to them is an improvement, then they are so badly damaged that they really need to be replaced. However, for surfaces that are not nearly as optically-critical — such as GPS displays — I find that this product is an excellent remedy for minor scratches and surface damage; and it even makes a good protective coating on such surfaces that are not yet damaged, to help prevent them from becoming so. I use it — with very good results — on my watch, on my calculators, on my GPS, on my cell phone; anything that has a clear-plastic window. Except my PDA. It doesn't work on the PDA, because it's not nearly durable enough to hold up under stylusing. But I apply it on the other things, and when it gets scratched up, it's the Liquid Lense that's getting scratched, and not the underlying plastic, so I can just clean off the old layer of Liquid Lense (using the solvent that is included for this purpose) and apply a fresh coating. Quote Link to comment
+DonB Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 This weekend I pulled the old bonehead move of putting my GPS unit in my jeans pocket next to my keys and I ended up w/ a small dime-sized area of the screen scratched all to hell. Obviously, I'm in need of a screen protector. I've just ordered one to protect myself against future mishaps. My question is - are there any methods of filling/clearing the scratches so they're not noticable? I've seen ads on tv for substances that are supposed to clear scratches off of eyeglasses, and they sell that stuff that's supposed to take scratches off of cd's. Are any of these able to remove the scratches from a gps screen? Thanks for your help! Try PlastX made by Meguiars. Under $7.00 for a 10oz bottle at some auto supply stores. Quote Link to comment
Brakeless1 Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 novus plastic polish three step process work's great. Quote Link to comment
+Night Stalker Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 I used PlastX from Maguires and it fixed the scratches on my SporTrak Pro. The screen looked like it was brand new when I was finished. Quote Link to comment
chondros Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 I didn't realize there were "screen protectors." Where can I get one? Quote Link to comment
+egami Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 I didn't realize there were "screen protectors." Where can I get one? Dozens of places...just google "gps screen protectors". Maybe some people can attest to if some are better than others. Personally, I haven't purchased one yet. Quote Link to comment
KSJohn Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 I haven't tried it yet but in my pen making, the final sanding is done with a product called "Micro Mesh" which is supposedly used by the airlines to remove scratches from the plexiglass windshields in jets. The coursest grit is about the same as 300 or sandpaper and the smoothest is about like a sheet of copy paper. If you have a Woodcraft store near you, I believe they carry it (darn CRS, seems like that is where I got mine). Or if you know someone that makes pens from wood they will have some. Its not like you are going to ruin it, just ask if you can use it for a couple minutes. Quote Link to comment
+dad2jnk Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 Invisible SHIELD has really done well for me. I also use it for my watch fob too. www.shieldzone.com dad2jnk Quote Link to comment
+MaliBooBoo Posted April 24, 2007 Share Posted April 24, 2007 I 100% agree with the last post. I would highly recommend the Invisible Shield. It is a great product and well worth the $10. It also has a lifetime warranty, but you won't need it. Quote Link to comment
tr_s Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 (edited) This worked a treat for a badly scratched eTrex 20... Steel wooled the unreadable area so it got matte, then used Autosol chrome polish to finalise (quite a lot of rubbing, probably ten minutes intensely). Almost looks new... Edited August 5, 2012 by tr_s Quote Link to comment
John E Cache Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Toothpaste is a fine grit polish. Quote Link to comment
tr_s Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Toothpaste is a fine grit polish. The toothpastes I tried before buying the tube of Autosol were way too weak abrasives to give a noticeable effect in a reasonable amount of time. Of course that will depend on the brand and type of toothpaste. As Autosol is a fixed-type product, it's much easier to recommend. Be careful not to get too much of it outside the screen or on the clickstick though, as I think it contains a small amount of gasoline or kerosene which might affect rubber. Quote Link to comment
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