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Garmin Edge 800 - Replace or other?

theDude

Maximum Pace
Oct 7, 2011
773
112
So I plugged in my 800 after my ride today, it starts up and starts looking for satellites. Hmm. Not what usually happens....

Try another USB plug. Same.

Try another computer. Same same.

crap.

Tried various forms of wiggling and re-doing ad jamming tissues in there to make sure it's OK.... got a couple other alerts like "device not recognized" on the Garmin something along the lines of "unsupported".

Random searching for help online.... Eventually came to the conclusion that the leads were corroded and required help, WD40 recommended.

So I sprayed it on a USB cable and 'lubed' the Garmin. Repeated once. Let dry for a superficial amount of time, then reconnected.

Failed with some weird error. Hmmm.

Try again. Bingo. All good.

So i've got this thing getting charged now, seems basically back to normal.

BUT. I don't really want to get stuck with this later when I don't have a convenient can of WD40 around.

Options....
- Somehow get it fixed. Not heard anything good about Garmin in this department tho.
- Buy another one? 810? Would also require buying a new set of maps I suppose. Ugh.

Any thoughts?
 
So I plugged in my 800 after my ride today, it starts up and starts looking for satellites. Hmm. Not what usually happens....

Try another USB plug. Same.

Try another computer. Same same. crap.

theDude, sounds similar to an issue I had a few months back. It turned out that the cable was the problem, so I replaced it and have not had an issue since.

I hope this helps.
 
Ummm, USB cables and the Garmin port are picky. USB port was never designed for repeated use, BTW. It is basically shit from the beginning.

Satellite dictionary will change according to location. If you travel often it might take an hour or 2 to update. If you want it quicker then reset the Garmin and force a dictationary update.
 
Ummm, USB cables and the Garmin port are picky. USB port was never designed for repeated use, BTW. It is basically **** from the beginning.

Satellite dictionary will change according to location. If you travel often it might take an hour or 2 to update. If you want it quicker then reset the Garmin and force a dictationary update.

thanks. Unfortunately the only way I know to get data off the device is via USB.

Satellite connectivity is not the problem.
 
theDude, sounds similar to an issue I had a few months back. It turned out that the cable was the problem, so I replaced it and have not had an issue since.

I hope this helps.

I remember that.... I've been using the same cables for months, so that's not it.
 
Change cables, anything, I find that changing the cable is the surest way of maintaining connectivity. Sadly, I really hate USB ports for this reason. Same problem with my cam, BTW.
 
I've changed everything but the unit itself. Do people consider these things relatively disposable? I've "fixed" it but I can see this coming back again.
 
well, i cleaned mine out with contact spray, then used a new cable. then it connected ok. moment of anxiety. piece of sh*** what else can be said? any device that requires repeated connection by USB ....
 
any other options besides Garmin? Continuing to buy crap finite life products just encourages the bastards to keep producing crap finite life products. Try another brand would be my advice and then send them an e mail telling them why. Nothing effects change like falling revenues.
 
Eventually came to the conclusion that the leads were corroded and required help, WD40 recommended.

Did your Garmin perhaps get wet today?

Hydrocarbons do not conduct electricity, therefore a thin film of them would not directly improve contact, but because they're hydrophobic they can help when moisture short-circuits electrical contacts (the WD in WD40 stands for "water displacement").
 
Besides WD40, another choice might be contact cleaner, such as used on audio RCA plugs and 1/4" jacks on musical equipment.

***
Decades ago I had an even older volvo that would never start in damp weather. I sort of discovered that leaving the hood open for a while would somehow "fix" the problem. After describing that to a shop person, he suggested spraying the distributor cap and wiring with WD40, which he said would prevent carbon arcing. It worked.
 
I've had 2 units go down for similar reasons.. Recommend 1) airing out contact area before plugging in, such as opening rubber flap and placing unit close to PC/laptop vent fan. 2) occassional WD40 3) Storing your rides and route to mini usb rather than unit. This way you can download the ride direct from mini usb even if the unit goes kaput...
 
I noticed a few things upon close inspection:

1) The USB plug on the Garmin tends to get bent and worn pins easily. I 'fixed' these with magnifying glass and a pin to straighten them. Would be nice if I can just replace the plug itself.

2) Correspondingly - a slightly worn cable will not connect properly - so using a new one will often 'fix' the issue.

3) I use a bit of dialectric grease in the port to help prevent corrosion and moisture contamination.

4) My unit fogs up when wet and is also quite rain sensitive. All the Garmin's Ive had are like this. Putting them in jar of rice to dessicate them helps. Occasionally I need to disassemble them and clean with contact cleaner.

5) Clingwrap the unit seems to help a bit - but may cover the temp /barometer port leading to some innacuracy. Also - it's effective at keeping moisture in!
 
any other options besides Garmin?

Yes there are alternatives to Garmin. There's Yupiteru Atlas, and there's some company called Panasonic. Sorry I can't immediately give you a link for the latter, but I noticed that Panasonic was running a two-page ad for their GPS in a recent issue of some Japanese pushbike magazine. The advert was as uninformative as most adverts are, but one could see that the device was closer to the size of a sumaho than to that of a Garmin 800. The downside is obvious, but it would be a plus for me: I could (perhaps) read the map without having to stop and squint.

There are models of Yupiteru Atlas that are about the size of the Garmin 800 and are marketed to cyclists. HiRoad is one shop that stocks at least one model. The price including a map of Japan is a lot less than the Japanese price of the Garmin 800 with the map. I know nothing about the quality of the map, about connectivity and compatibility, etc. (Ditto for the pair mentioned below.)

A bit of googling brings up Mio's Digiwalker P560. Apparently it doubles as a Windows 8 device. Maybe Windows 8 isn't so bad, and I could use this with my wireless LAN and leave the Android at home. Less clobber.

There's the Xplova G3. The map looks tiny and the RRP isn't appealing, but maybe it's available discounted.

And there may well be more besides.
 
@microcord, I think someone in the market for a Garmin Edge 800 replacement will be looking for cycling GPS functionality first and foremost and navigation second. That means good GPS recording (including barometric altimeter), ANT+ support for cadence / speed / heart rate / power meters, temperature sensor and decent battery life. These are not optional features road cyclists would trade for better/easier navigation.

Of the non-Garmin units I have heard about, the CycleOps Joule GPS, which competes more directly against the Edge 500, seems like a credible alternative. Like the 500 it doesn't offer map-based navigation, only GPX/TCX type breadcrumb trails. I have no idea though if its water protection is any better or its USB socket any more robust than the Garmin's.

Of the products you mention, the Mio Digiwalker P560 (4.5 hour battery life, no ANT+, no altimeter) seems targeted more at people going for walks or a mamachari ride around the neighbourhood than at road cyclists. Mio's closest equivalent of the 800 would be its Cyclo 500 / Cyclo 505 / Cyclo 505 HC product range, which seems available only in Europe (and therefore probably no JP map availability I'd guess).

The Xplova G3 (10 hour battery life, barometric altimeter, ANT+ support for cadence/speed and HR though no mention of power meters) does look like a road bike unit, but Eugen (@bird) didn't seem too excited about it two years ago.
 
@microcord, I think someone in the market for a Garmin Edge 800 replacement will be looking for cycling GPS functionality first and foremost and navigation second. That means good GPS recording (including barometric altimeter), ANT+ support for cadence / speed / heart rate / power meters, temperature sensor and decent battery life. These are not optional features road cyclists would trade for better/easier navigation.

I sit corrected. (In particular, a 4.5 hour battery life would be crap for real walking, too.)

Still, at least one, I think two, of the Yupiteru Atlas devices are marketed for cyclists. Plus there's the Panasonic to investigate.
 
I've had 2 units go down for similar reasons.. Recommend 1) airing out contact area before plugging in, such as opening rubber flap and placing unit close to PC/laptop vent fan. 2) occassional WD40 3) Storing your rides and route to mini usb rather than unit. This way you can download the ride direct from mini usb even if the unit goes kaput...

Good points.... Certainly look to clean/wipe after rides. Lately on the mountain climbs I've been sweating all over it which I'm suspecting is the source of my issues. I've just changed the recording to go to SD as well.

I noticed a few things upon close inspection:

1) The USB plug on the Garmin tends to get bent and worn pins easily. I 'fixed' these with magnifying glass and a pin to straighten them. Would be nice if I can just replace the plug itself.

2) Correspondingly - a slightly worn cable will not connect properly - so using a new one will often 'fix' the issue.

3) I use a bit of dialectric grease in the port to help prevent corrosion and moisture contamination.

4) My unit fogs up when wet and is also quite rain sensitive. All the Garmin's Ive had are like this. Putting them in jar of rice to dessicate them helps. Occasionally I need to disassemble them and clean with contact cleaner.

5) Clingwrap the unit seems to help a bit - but may cover the temp /barometer port leading to some innacuracy. Also - it's effective at keeping moisture in!

I'll try to take a look at the pins and see what I see....maybe something to mess with in there.
I haven't had the issues with fogging or thought I've needed clingwrap. To be honest, this thing isn't fit for purpose if I had issues with that and I would have moved on a while ago.... fortunately it's been OK for that.


thanks all for the tips....
 
This thread inspired me to squirt a bit of CRC 5-56 onto the flap of my Garmin 500, to help keep water away from the USB connector.

As an added benefit, it has made it much easier to seal the flap after having it open. It seemed rather stiff before and often took a lot of thumb massaging to get it to close tightly.
 
This thread inspired me to squirt a bit of CRC 5-56 onto the flap of my Garmin 500, to help keep water away from the USB connector.

As an added benefit, it has made it much easier to seal the flap after having it open. It seemed rather stiff before and often took a lot of thumb massaging to get it to close tightly.

I glued mine in with silicon, real snug fit!
 
Here's a cool alternative
Wahoo Fitness RFLKT+ SMART Bike Computer with ANT+ Bridge
http://kck.st/1ap1j2C

If you already have an iPhone (with Bluetooth Smart) this device will pair with it your existing Garmin HR strap, cadence sensor and power meter.

It will control your music etc. There are too many potential functions to list here so have a read.

Btw, I signed up.
 
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