Damaged etrex Vista HCx

[+the hermit crabs]

A month or two ago, I dropped my Vista HCx on a stone tile floor. It seemed okay at first -- no broken screen and the unit stayed powered on -- until I noticed that all my maps were gone. Luckily I was able to correct that by just removing and re-inserting the microSD card.

 

Then I tried to download coordinates from the PC to the GPS with the USB cable, and the unit just sorted of faded for about a second or two, and then shut off. I tried it a few more times, alternating the order that I did things (connecting the cable to the PC first vs GPS first, leaving the GPS powered on during connection or starting with it off and then turning it on later, etc.) After a few tries, it worked, and I was able to download waypoints.

 

Next time, same thing -- it took several tries to get it to work. But the third time (and every attempt since), it just won't work: the GPS will not turn on or stay on when connected to the PC. (It doesn't "fade" out any more -- the shutoff is instantaneous now.) Just in case, I tried a different PC, different OS (win xp vs win 7), and a different cable. The problem certainly seems to be with the GPS, and appears to be a direct result of being dropped.

 

I was just going to use this as an excuse to get a new etrex 30, but the more I read about its interface, the less I think I will like it. I'd rather get the HCx back to normal if I could.

 

So, with that long rambling backstory: does anyone have a suggestion for a solution for this problem, short of sending it to Garmin for repair? Thanks.

[+mpilchfamily]

Not much you can do. I suspect the drop knocked something loose on the inside of the unit. The USB plug may be damaged causing a short or some other issue. So either buy a used HCx or send that one into Garmin. But if you have the money to get the 30 then why not. I don't see any problem with the interface. It is very similar to your current unit from what i can see. Looks like a good mix of the typical eTrex interface and the Dakota/Oregon interface.

 

This video is of the 20 but they will have the same interface.

[+the hermit crabs]

This video is of the 20 but they will have the same interface.

It's funny; I saw that review a few days ago and it was the first thing that made me think that I wouldn't like the new interface at all (I can't watch it again to be sure, though; I was motion-sick for hours after seeing it the first time.)

 

I guess I am just used to the button-presses behaving in certain ways, and this one seems to rely a lot more on the click-stick for page-navigation than the HCx does.

 

But time marches relentlessly onward, and I guess I will be dragged kicking and screaming into the future whether I like it or not.