Broken SD card Bad design

[+grazelda]

I have a Garmin Oregon 450 and bought a Micro Sd map card. The card location is really bad design as it sits under the batteries and within 3 months as I was changing the batteries the Sd card slipped out of position and broke as I was installing the new batteries. I contacted Garmin, they would not replace the card, so now I am forced to buy another... Grrrr. Has anyone else have this problem? Is there any other solutions?

[+Atlas Cached]

I have had two Name Brand SD cards split open on me, but never a uSD card (yet).

 

I never buy maps on uSD cards... I like to get the DVD and then copy them to the uSD card of my choosing, along with all my other data for the GPSr.

[+grazelda]

I have had two Name Brand SD cards split open on me, but never a uSD card (yet).

 

I never buy maps on uSD cards... I like to get the DVD and then copy them to the uSD card of my choosing, along with all my other data for the GPSr.

[+grazelda]

I have had two Name Brand SD cards split open on me, but never a uSD card (yet).

 

I never buy maps on uSD cards... I like to get the DVD and then copy them to the uSD card of my choosing, along with all my other data for the GPSr.

 

Thanks. Great idea!

[+Atlas Cached]

I have had two Name Brand SD cards split open on me, but never a uSD card (yet).

 

I never buy maps on uSD cards... I like to get the DVD and then copy them to the uSD card of my choosing, along with all my other data for the GPSr.

 

Thanks. Great idea!

 

Maybe if you call Garmin and plead your case, and send them the broken SD card, they may send you a discounted DVD of the same map?

 

Ask NICELY!

[Grasscatcher]

I have a Garmin Oregon 450 and bought a Micro Sd map card. The card location is really bad design as it sits under the batteries and within 3 months as I was changing the batteries the Sd card slipped out of position and broke as I was installing the new batteries. I contacted Garmin, they would not replace the card, so now I am forced to buy another... Grrrr. Has anyone else have this problem? Is there any other solutions?

 

?????? What?......The card CAN'T "slip out of position" !

 

Look at the "BAD DESIGN" and you'll see the words "open" and "lock". Once you move the lock cover to the open position, open it and slip the card into position, close and slide the little cover to the "Lock" position. It's there,and can't move (or slip out of position)!

 

There are so many choices of FREE maps available that are, in most cases, BETTER maps than the Garmin maps.......the loss of the card may not be a big deal anyway.

[+phlatlander]

I have to agree with the view that the microsd card latch operaton is faulty. The latch position failed on my unit within a month of purchase. Lucky for me I noticed the microsd flip out when I pulled out the batteries, perhaps too quickly. The latch would set then pop up all the time and I was not in the mood to send it to Garmin and wait indefinitely for a fix or replacement.

 

Fortunately there is a easy and cheap solution. I simply took a 1 inch piece of duct tape, folded it over so there were no sticky bits, and carefully placed it over the latch. I next carefully installed the batteries. But here is the most important step.

 

When you are replacing the batteries, replace them one at at time, that way the duct tape place holder stays in place. No problems since.

 

Sharp eyes will note that the latch is "up" in the left image. I press it down and it flips "up" every time.

 

I have downloaded OpenStreetMaps for ALL of North America, Mexico, and most of Europe on a 4gb microsd.

 

[Grasscatcher]

@phlatlander,

Sharp eyes also tell me that the cover is NOT slid into the "lock" position.....so of course it will not stay down. You have to close it, then, while it is down, slide it into the "lock" position.

 

Look at it with a magnifying glass very closely and you can see what I'm talking about. Take the card out first. You can also take the little chrome cover completely out and repair / return it's shape back to original.

[+phlatlander]

I stand corrected.

 

The latch works. So my little fix only fixed what I had neglected to figure out. The duct tape is no longer required and has been removed. As I recall the card stayed in place for the first couple of battery replacements and then popped out. I must have moved the latch and not noticed the change and incorrectly assumed the latch to be faulty.

 

Thanks Grasscatcher - sharp eyes indeed!

[Grasscatcher]

Fantastic! Glad that was the solution! Also very glad your photos were clear enough for these VERY OLD eyes to be sharp enough to spot it. (with help from a clear Dell monitor and reading glasses,and a magnifying glass on this end too)

 

When I got my first GPS with micro card, I thought the same thing (kinda Mickey Mouse).... but then saw what the problem was.

 

So........been there ,done that.

[+grazelda]

Thanks everyone. I will deffinately check out free maps or at least buy a DVD. I did contact Garmin via email, I might try calling as well I work in customer service so understand being nice gets faster/better results. This has been very helpful and I will be more careful.