60CSx and 76CSx Broken Battery Contacts

TurnerTech · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 22, 2006 Posts: 6

Has anybody else experienced problems with the battery contacts snapping off when you change the batteries?

I am now on my third GPSMAP 76CSx having purchased the first one in February 2006. One contact broke on the third battery change. To their credit GPSWarehouse changed it and got me a new Unlock code.

The replacement device lasted about the same length of time before it failed in exactly the same way. Again GPSW replaced it although they had more aggro from Garmin this time around but I did get a new Unlock code.

The third device lasted slightly longer but last week, two contacts fractured on the same day.

Garmin say it is due to user misuse which is preposterous. This is the Roy Meadows approach. "If it keeps happening it must be the Users fault and not a flaw in the material". He was eventually discredited for applying statistics incorrectly.

I operate the GPS on Duracell 2300 mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries. I change them regularly because I need it to keep running for long periods at a time. I am now frightened of changing the batteries and I am not prepared to to take the risk of using for the purpose for which I bought it because I do not feel confident in its reliability.

What used to be pleasant and enjoyable is now just a distressing experience.

In contrast my GPS 12 is still operating reliably after 8 years of use. My 2610 is also operating trouble free.

The battery contacts on the GPSMAP models are made of a thin strip of steel bent double. The batteries are a tight fit and inevitably within a short space of time, the extra pressure exerted on an already weakened metal strip leads to metal fatigue leads and fracture.

I would be interested to hear of other people with the same problem. Then we can exert some pressure on Garmin to fix the problem instead of blaming the users. After all at over £400 per device, you expect the product to be bulletproof.

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