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Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? #143559
05/18/08 11:54 PM
05/18/08 11:54 PM
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 713
WA, ID, MT
davefarmer Offline OP
old hand
davefarmer  Offline OP
old hand

Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 713
WA, ID, MT
So I heard you all mention the wristband to unit connection being a weak link, and sure enough, today it half disconnected. Lucky to still have the unit. Anyone offer a solution to keeping the two parts together? I kind of like having a some sort of band to attach it to my wrist or upper arm. Can't really attach anything with any thickness to the back of the unit because the charging strap needs to span the backside, and there's no room to build up any material. And the existing strap is very smooth where it meets the back of the unit, so adhesives seem suspect. Thanks!

Dave

-- Have You Seen This? --
Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: davefarmer] #143560
05/19/08 02:27 AM
05/19/08 02:27 AM
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 322
South Australia
Marcus F16 Offline
enthusiast
Marcus F16  Offline
enthusiast

Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 322
South Australia
Mine broke too & so I now put in on the boom otherwise a trap line or sheet will just rip it off again.

Marcus


Marcus Towell

Formula Catamarans Aust Pty Ltd
Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: Marcus F16] #143561
05/19/08 05:41 AM
05/19/08 05:41 AM
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,224
Roanoke Island ,N.C.
Team_Cat_Fever Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Team_Cat_Fever  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,224
Roanoke Island ,N.C.
I put some Aqua-seal/ Neo-Rez wetsuit repair goo behind the band, and kept it kinda thin for the charger.
It just lasted through the Tybee ,which was pretty brutal to me this year, so I'd say it worked pretty well. We lost our mapping GPS on the 2nd day and I did all the the navigating while on the helm with the 201. I just wish it had mapping capability, the thing is awesome.
Todd Hart


"I said, now, I said ,pay attention boy!"

The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea
Isak Dinesen
If a man is to be obsessed by something.... I suppose a boat is as good as anything... perhaps a bit better than most.
E. B. White
Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: Team_Cat_Fever] #143562
05/19/08 06:46 AM
05/19/08 06:46 AM
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 157
Framingham, MA
acceleratedchaos Offline
member
acceleratedchaos  Offline
member

Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 157
Framingham, MA
We had one of these strapped to each side of the boom for the entire Tybee. Like everything else on the boat, we taped the snot out of it each day so that it wouldn't go anywhere. After we dismasted on the final day, I took one of them off the boom and put it on my wrist for the final 11 miles, and found it great to have, but annoying when on my wrist as each time I had to lift something or pull a line it would start to come loose. I would highly recommend these units, but attaching them to the boat somehow is ideal.
FYI, We used one last year that Tripp bought new and it got a little water in it, stopped working and we were SOL. This year we each picked one up on EBAY that was a referb model, got great prices, and they worked spectacular even with the stress we put them under.
Chris

Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: acceleratedchaos] #143563
05/19/08 09:43 AM
05/19/08 09:43 AM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,049
Sebring, Florida.
Timbo Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Timbo  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,049
Sebring, Florida.
Have any of you guys talked to someone at Garmin about the wrist band issue? Seems to me they have a good product but a crappy wrist band. Maybe they can come up with something better? I have two Garmin GPS units (on ETrex, one 3 Pilot) and both have been excellent for about 6 years now. I have heard good things about their factory support, all they need is direct input from end users and I think they will try to help, it is in their best intrerest of course. I will buy a Fortrex for sailing and bike riding, but not until they figure out the wrist band issue. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />


Blade F16
#777
Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: Timbo] #143564
05/19/08 09:51 AM
05/19/08 09:51 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Jake Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Jake  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Quote
Have any of you guys talked to someone at Garmin about the wrist band issue? Seems to me they have a good product but a crappy wrist band. Maybe they can come up with something better? I have two Garmin GPS units (on ETrex, one 3 Pilot) and both have been excellent for about 6 years now. I have heard good things about their factory support, all they need is direct input from end users and I think they will try to help, it is in their best intrerest of course. I will buy a Fortrex for sailing and bike riding, but not until they figure out the wrist band issue. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />


I haven't spoken with them but heard from several people who did - Garmin didn't seem that interested in addressing the issue (though I heard that 2nd hand).

The pins are weak - but the problem is also that the unit is long and the wrist band is in the center. Everytime I've lost one, it's because it slides down my wrist (so the wrist band is where it should be) but the unit extends over the back of my hand. When I flex my hand backwards (like when I brace myself on the hull coming in from the wire) it puts a lot of stess on the pins. My thought was to build a thin composite enclosure with a stronger band attachment and offset the band to the right of the unit so I can wear it on my left hand and not have it extend over my hand. Someone else made a good suggestion to me to make a band that is as wide as the unit itself so it won't slide down over your hand.


Jake Kohl
Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: Timbo] #143565
05/19/08 09:52 AM
05/19/08 09:52 AM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 168
San Diego
H
hokie Offline
member
hokie  Offline
member
H

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 168
San Diego
I got one of the refurbished 201s off ebay over the winter and put some outdoor double sided mounting tape between the band and the unit, it seems to stick well and the charger still snaps on just fine. TeamCatFever's solution is probably a little more permanent and I definitely haven't put mine through as much as he probably has.

Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: Jake] #143566
05/19/08 10:55 AM
05/19/08 10:55 AM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,049
Sebring, Florida.
Timbo Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Timbo  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,049
Sebring, Florida.
"Someone else made a good suggestion to me to make a band that is as wide as the unit itself so it won't slide down over your hand."

Good idea there Jake, maybe share that with Garmin, see what they can do? I can't even count the number of wristwatches I've lost overboard when the latch on the wristband got snagged on something, came undone and was flicked off my wrist in an instant while tacking or something.

I changed from the standard Casio buckle wrist band to the velcro sports bands many years ago, but I just lost my Casio while playing last weekend when the velcro band got snagged on something and it flew off before I could grab it. I have even taken to putting tape over the wrist band to keep anything from snagging but only during races.

These things (GPS's) are just too expensive to risk tossing overboard every time you sail! Can you read the numbers from the wire if you tape it to the boom?


Blade F16
#777
Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: Timbo] #143567
05/19/08 11:47 AM
05/19/08 11:47 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Jake Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Jake  Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina
Quote

These things (GPS's) are just too expensive to risk tossing overboard every time you sail! Can you read the numbers from the wire if you tape it to the boom?


No-way. Even with my glasses giving me 20/20 I can't read it with any water spraying around.


Jake Kohl
Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: Jake] #143568
05/19/08 01:29 PM
05/19/08 01:29 PM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 606
League City, TX
flumpmaster Offline
addict
flumpmaster  Offline
addict

Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 606
League City, TX
Quote
I haven't spoken with them but heard from several people who did - Garmin didn't seem that interested in addressing the issue (though I heard that 2nd hand).

The pins are weak - but the problem is also that the unit is long and the wrist band is in the center. Everytime I've lost one, it's because it slides down my wrist (so the wrist band is where it should be) but the unit extends over the back of my hand. When I flex my hand backwards (like when I brace myself on the hull coming in from the wire) it puts a lot of stess on the pins. My thought was to build a thin composite enclosure with a stronger band attachment and offset the band to the right of the unit so I can wear it on my left hand and not have it extend over my hand. Someone else made a good suggestion to me to make a band that is as wide as the unit itself so it won't slide down over your hand.


I nearly lost mine the same way Jake did. The Foretrex is a potentially excellent product for beach cat distance racing, but is seriously let down by the wrist band. Putting on the boom is a waste of time. I now tuck mine into a life jacket pocket and use it as a backup for a small handeld GPS in a baggie - which is harder and slower to read than a wrist mounted unit.

The full unit width wrist band sounds like a good idea - together with sturdier pins. I'm going to send an email to Garmin with these suggestions.

Chris.


Dave Ingram is my president. tcdyc rules
Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: flumpmaster] #143569
05/19/08 05:35 PM
05/19/08 05:35 PM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 87
Charleston, SC, USA
krona Offline
journeyman
krona  Offline
journeyman

Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 87
Charleston, SC, USA
Not to hijack the thread here, but I too got one of these from eBay.

Has anyone been able to connect it to a PC not having a serial port. I have not had a PC with Serial ports in a while now and the unit comes with a serial port only. I bought a serial-USB adapter hoping I could use that, but has been unsuccessful in getting it to work.


NACRA 570 #90308
Hobie 16 #68973
Re: Foretrex 201 wristband soulution? [Re: krona] #143570
05/19/08 07:53 PM
05/19/08 07:53 PM
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,246
Orlando, FL
tback Offline
veteran
tback  Offline
veteran

Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,246
Orlando, FL
I just posted to the Garmin Support site:

Quote
Thank you for contacting GarminĀ® Product Support with your inquiry.

We aim to respond to all emails within 3 days excluding weekends and holidays.
We appreciate your support of Garmin products and hope we can continue to serve you.


USA 777

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