GPS Dependability....

tackdriver10 · #1 05-01-2010, 10:11 AM

Ok, I have and use a Garmin 60csx, and I love it. Never let me down once. But, there is always and chance that it could fail. I know it best to have a backup plan like a Map and Compass.

My question is, have any of you guys ever had a GPS unit to fail. I don't mean lose reception, what I mean is, it just goes dead for whatever reason, the screen goes black, or the keys stop working..

Something like that could spell disaster...

Chas1 · #2 05-02-2010, 06:38 AM

Never had one fail but, I think you wanting a back up plan is is a smart idea. Part of my plan always includes letting folks know where I'm going and when I should be back.

tackdriver10 · #3 05-02-2010, 06:48 AM

Thats also a good idea as well. I'm really surprised more people haven't chimed in on this one. I know there are tons of GPS users on this site right?

Chas1 · #4 05-02-2010, 08:27 AM

You would think and maybe they will.

ilscungilli · #5 05-02-2010, 08:40 AM

My Garmin Etrex Vista failed on me. I was drifting down a river I know very well, so it wasn't a big deal. In this case, it was a known problem (I later learned), where the connection to the LCD screen was loose. Technically, the unit still "worked", but the screen had failed so I couldn't see the output.

Garmin "repaired" my unit for $75 (just sent me a new one). The new unit will occasionally produce lines across the screen.

tackdriver10 · #6 05-02-2010, 07:40 PM

Thanks Visigoth, thats exactly the type of info I was looking for. Glad your incident wasn't life threatening.

royinidaho · #7 05-03-2010, 10:23 AM

GPS tracking in its various forms is core to my precision agriculture business. We use GPS systems of all makes and sizes. From RTK (cm repeatability), to WAAS (meter repeatability) to no differential correction accuracy.

The largest number of failures involve inadvertently over pressuring the screen on mobile devices such as the ipaq. Happens very frequently and very easy to do. The last failure was when the ipaq was in the shirt pocket and the guy leaned over the seat too adjust a camera (in an airplane). Tore the screen and they flew blind looking for objects on the ground. A bad deal but not disastrous as having no fall back method back in the hills.

If it has a battery, made of plastic and has an LCD or glass screen it WILL fail and do so unexpectedly.