Re: Garmin Etrex: rubber band problem

From: Chris Malcolm (cam_at_holyrood.ed.ac.uk)
Date: 07/09/04 

Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2004 16:53:13 +0000 (UTC)

"David Lee" <davidlee_malvern@dont.use.this.bit.hotmail.com> writes:

>Pieter Tieghem wrote ...

>> I have a little problem with the black rubber band around my Etrex
>> Venture: it is coming loose. I can't send my gps for repair, 'cause
>> next week I'm parting on holiday and I need it. Can someone advice me
>> how I can fix this myself? Which glue I should use and how I can do it
>> optimally?

>Follow the antique furniture restorer's cardinal rule - NEVER use anything
>that you can't get off again. ie superglue is definely a stupid idea!

>I haven't yet needed to attend to mine although my basic etrex is on the way
>but I've had similar problems with the rubber focussing rings around camera
>lenses. In that case I have had good results using simple rubber solution
>adhesive (used for tacking up art work) - traditionally "Cow Gum" in the UK
>but similar products are available from art shops. It holds pretty well and
>you can always peel the joint apart and rub off any excess or old adhesive.
>It may not be man enough for this job but try it first as it is quickly and
>easily removable so you won't lose anything in the attempt

>Another option is double sided sticky tape but the usual domesic sort tends
>to harden and crumble after a while and the residue can be very difficult to
>get off again. That said it looks like Garmin do use some form of double
>sided tape.

But their adhesive deliquesces into slime over time. I don't
understand how this manufacturer of glue which turns into slime has
managed to con so many device manufacturers for so long. It's been
around, annoying customers, for decades. It's also used on things with
little rubber feet, which start to slide around and eventually fall
off, leaving a slimy residue. Maybe it works well in hot dry climates.

>What ever you do you need to be careful that you don't interfere with the
>operation of the various buttons, so any tape you decide to use would need
>to be thin and flexible.

I repaired my Summit myself. It felt slighly squidgy and a bit sticky
on purchase, and gradually got worse. After a year the band was
slipping all over the place, sometimes slipping off the buttons and
making them hard to operate, and I needed to clean my hands after
using it.

I carefully removed the rubber band, then carefully removed the slimy
plastic tape. I cleaned the unit and the rubber band of slime-glue
with meths. I used silicone rubber as the new adhesive, being careful
to apply it sparingly, and to keep it well away from the operating
buttons.

Before replacing the band, make little marks on the case to identify
the button positions so that the band can be adjusted to centre the
button covers over the buttons before the glue sets. Be careful after
restoring the rubber band not to move it around too much or press it
on too firmly near the buttons, to avoid squidging glue into the
button recesses.

It's been over a year since that repair, and it still feels much
better, with easier and more reliable button operation, than when new.

Caution: the silicone rubber can be peeled away from eTrex plastic
body, but it may not be removable from the rubber band. 

--
Chris Malcolm cam@infirmatics.ed.ac.uk +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB,  Informatics,  JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]
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