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Calling All Sportrak Owners

Karma Hunter

By Karma Hunter
in GPS technology and devices

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Karma Hunter

+Karma Hunter

Posted
Posted

This is a poll for all Sportrak owners. I own a Sportrak Map. I had heard about the Sportrak cases developing cracks, but thought mine was OK. After reading this thread and seeing Robree's photo (midway down in the thread) I examined my case again and found that it was beginning to bulge at the screws (not easily visible, but easy to feel by rubbing a fingernail across the side of the case). A week or two later the cracks started to show. My unit is less than two months old.

 

It seems that this is a common problem, but what I'd like to know is HOW common. If you have a Sportrak, please examine it carefully, then respond on this thread about it's condition. Maybe together we can come up with a rough percentage of how many units have problems, which could make it easier to deal with Magellan's "we haven't heard of this problem" attitude. To keep it accurate, please respond only if you OWN the unit, rather than about units you've seen or heard about. And for those who may be inclined, please don't bother with any "you should have bought a different model/brand" type comments. Let's just focus on finding a solution to the problem. Thanks, and maybe together we can get some leverage to have the problem fixed.

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Roswell.fr

Roswell.fr

Posted
Posted (edited)

I received my Sportrak Map on May 1st, 2003 (so it's 9 months old) and the D/C number is 42/02. I use it at least 5 hours each week, including in cold canadian weather and it has very visible crack under each of the 6 screws. I plan to send it to Magellan before the warranty expires.

Edited by Roswell.fr
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Cherokeecacher

+Cherokeecacher

Posted
Posted

This thread already exists, and you can read it to find out the severity of the problem.

 

Users stating they have 'the cracks" are from

Santa Barbara California

Florence, Alabama

Palmer, Massachusetts

Ottawa, Ontario

NYC

Southern, California

Riverside, California

Spokane, Washington

Sacramento, California

Houston, Texas

 

What would be more beneficial would be to know the date codes of the units having this problem. Then we would have a better idea of what date codes are “good" :) or “bad” :)

 

You will find the D/C on a sticker inside the battery compartment. Mine was 23/03 the 23rd week of 2003.

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M-Class

+M-Class

Posted
Posted

Sportrak Pro, purchased 7/03. D/C Code 4702. Yes, I have the cracks. My cracks appeared after just 1 month of owning this GPSr. I plan to send it in for warranty repair sometime, just haven't gotten around to it yet. My first cracks were small ones following the path of the middle two screws. Since then I've developed the same cracks on the lower two screws, and I just noticed a new arc shaped crack, larger than the other cracks, on my upper left screw. The upper right is still unaffected.

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kikifatz

+kikifatz

Posted
Posted

Hello from Germany,

 

I own a Sportrak too, bought in October 2003 from a dealer who sold it as a "demonstration" unit for 30 % less. Have been using it only 4 times untill now.

D/C code is 39/02.

 

Yes, I can see very tiny little cracks developing at the two middle screws in the direction of the screws' length. Would not have noticed them if I hadn't read this posting, but I will keep an eye on them now.

 

Kikifatz

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Karma Hunter

+Karma Hunter

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Cherokeecacher, not only is the purpose of this thread different, but your link is the same as the one in my post that started this thread. As Roswell.fr indicated, by hearing from all Sportrak owners, including those who do NOT have problems, we can figure out roughly what the odds are of developing problems. Including the D/C code is an excellent idea, and may help us figure out if there is a "bad batch" (maybe with bad plastic?), or whether the design of the shell is faulty overall, and the plastic, no matter what type, is simply to thin at those points to handle the load.

 

So again, ALL Sportrak owners please respond, and including the D/C code would be great too. My STM (with cracks) has D/C 3603.

Edited by Karma Hunter
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JoesBar

+JoesBar

Posted
Posted (edited)

I have a Sportrak Map I purchased in Jan. 03. However, the D/C code is 3802. I examined the screws with a magnifier and found thin cracks. I can feel a bulge, but without the magnifcation, the cracks are not visible. OK. I just read the other thread. Now I am wondering why Magellan didn't contact owners about this problem. I registered mine with Magellan when I bought it.

Edited by Joesbar
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dccbasser

dccbasser

Posted
Posted

i have the sportrac pro. new in december. have not used mine much yet.dont see any cracks yet,but i have not had it in my bass boat yet. thats a rough ride sometimes. date 4 7 02. dccode. this sounds like a major problem to me. everyone who has these models should get their new plastic replacement from magellan for free no hassles. i know i have spent a lot of money for cords and car bases ect and 267 dollers for my unit so i exspect this unit not to have these kinds of problems. i will make sure to check for cracks before warranty is up. i think people in numbers should complain about this problem and maybe point magellan to this forum. i find it hard to believe people at magellan dont know about this problem. voice in numbers people.

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Grimlock

+Grimlock

Posted
Posted

We actually own 2 Sportrak Maps. I've had mine for almost 2 years and the other one was purchased about 6 months ago.

 

The 2 year old Sportrak Map (D/C 2302) do has 3 cracks at 3 of the screws. The 6 month old Sportrak Map (D/C 4302) definitely has cracks at 3 of the screws also! I had never noticed that.

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garri

+garri

Posted
Posted

I purhased my Sportrack Pro in May/03 code 4302 in Spain. I noticed of the first crack on the middle screw of the right in September/03. Now the crack is bigger, one in each 4 screw of the bottom and one in the upper left screw.

 

sportrackcrack.jpg

 

I am not sure for send it to Magellan, they are so far...

 

What about waterproof?

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Finler

Finler

Posted
Posted

SporTrak Map - Dec 27 2003 D/C#3302 One noticeable pressure bulge has developed, and one hair line scratch along screw line. No full-fledged cracks yet. All screws have been backed out and slightly tighten, in order to prevent cracks from developing. I hope I caught it in time.

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Karma Hunter

+Karma Hunter

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The stats to date: Date codes range from 15/02 to 36/03. 16 with cracks, 7 without. Those with cracks cover the full spectrum of dates. Those without are spread around (22/02, 47/02, 02/03, plus 4 with no dates provided). Yes, I'm a geek, I put them in a spreadsheet for easy viewing.

 

To answer (or re-answer?) two questions asked in posts above, 1) the date code (D/C) is a four digit number inside the battery compartment indicating the date the unit was manufactured. The first two digits are the week, the second two are the year. And 2) if your unit has cracks, no, it is no longer waterproof.

 

Keep adding more posts. I'll update the stats every few days. Thanks!

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speez

speez

Posted
Posted

Okay, I got my SporTrak yellow on January 26 (that's right, four days ago). It's got D/C 2603. There didn't appear to be any damage, but after intense scrutiny I did notice signs of stress discoloration and the very beginnings of a hairline fracture by the middle left-side screw. Not anything worth reporting to the manufacturer (yet) but something worth monitoring nonetheless. Thanks for bringing this potential problem to my attention. One other thing; how do I find out about the warranty? I didn't see any warranty information in the packaging--the only time warranty was mentioned was a little piece of paper imploring me to buy the extended (2-year) warranty. I hope I don't have to cough up my rebate savings for that if I want to protect myself from this cracking thing?

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Nekkar

+Nekkar

Posted
Posted

I have a SporTrak Pro, purchased in July of 2003, Torrance, CA. Date code is 1502. Two (2) cracks visible. I have been monitoring the cracks since I first became aware of the problem several months ago. One crack has increased slightly in size, the other unchanged. You can be sure I will be contacting Thales before the warranty expires. Although I must say that I can’t complain too much. I bought the unit new from the local Boating World for 149.99US! It was the last one, and they were not going to carry the Magellan line of products any longer. That’s a great price, but it gets better. I sent in for the 30 dollar rebate, and guess what I got in the mail last week? A check for fifty bucks! So I’m figuring $112.36 final cost. Oh, I forgot to add the cost of the stamp.

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Cherokeecacher

+Cherokeecacher

Posted
Posted
got my STM 1/9/04.  no cracks :blink:

What is the date code? you will find the D/C inside the battery compartment.

 

the code is 3302.  i've been very happy with the unit - so much so that i'm upgrading to the STP (refurb @ cost ~same as STM) .

Thanks for the up-date ;)

 

Do not get me wrong. I loved mine, but I was nearing the end of my 30 period with the retailer and had to make a decision, leave the SporTrack family and move to the Meridian, or stay with the SporTrack family. After reading some of the posts in the other thread, I decided that Thales had not “fixed” the problem, and there was no way I was going to get in an endless loop of sending it in for a new case every couple of months, and then one day they tell me it is no longer under warranty. The folks at Thales were very nice, and placed a call to the retailer so I would not get hit with a 15% restocking fee ;) . I hope I made the correct decision and the larger size of the Meridian does not drive me up a wall. I had less than 18 hours to decide. When they fix the problem, I plan on buying another Pro for Michelle to use. I hope it is soon; she is already threatening to “confiscate mine.

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CC58

CC58

Posted
Posted
SporTrak Color, DC 2503 - no cracks or problems.

 

I kinda wish it did have the cracks - I could use a mount and some accessories. ;)

The Sportrak Color don't count. It has same general shape, but different plastics.

The Color only has two screws visible, while the map/pro/topo have six screws.

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TimasaurusRex

TimasaurusRex

Posted
Posted

I'm the user from Riverside, California that was mentioned above. I had cracks on three screws and a bulge on the fourth. My Sportrak was only a month old or so - and had never been dropped. I sent it in to Thales - under warranty - and they didn't give me a hard time about it at all. Also, if you don't have a warranty any longer, they offer to repair the case for $40.00, not including shipping (I think) and will sell you a new case for $30.00 if you can't bear to be without your GPS. One caveat though, by replacing your own case, you do void any warranty you may have had left. Look in the posts above for the "other" thread relating to this same issue - it has the Thales number in it that you can call for warranty support. I will post again when my unit comes back & let you all know if it seems any different, and again, if it cracks again.

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beatnik

+beatnik

Posted
Posted

Bought my first STP around June or July of 02. Noticed cracks that fall or winter I think. Some on the screws and one on the battery compartment! Which is when I got concerned and sent it in with no problems. Actually drove it over since they are only 4-5 miles from my house and picked it up later that day. Got it back with several new goodies. Noticed the battery pack fit much better and was now easy to thread. The new one now has a very very samll crack on one side at the center screw. But it's been a year now.

 

D/C is 1502 not sure if that changed when they fixed it.

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Karma Hunter

+Karma Hunter

Posted
  • Author
Posted

B)B):mad:

Here is the Sportrak poll summary to date:

 

Date Codes range from 1502 to 3603.

Total with cracks: 26 (79%)

Total without cracks: 7 (21%)

Date Codes without cracks are spread throughout: 2202,3102, 3302, 4102, 4702, 0203, 2503.

Also 2 with cracks and 3 without, for which no date codes were provided.

 

Please keep adding posts. The more data we have, the more accurate it will be. I'll summarize again in a few days. Thanks!

:mad::D:D

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