GARMIN Whinges

[ISLANDRIBBER]

Dear All,

Just retired the Garmin 128 for a nice and shiney 555
and as usual I have found the kit to be excellent apart
from a couple of annoying niggles:

The multipin connector on the back of the instrument is far too long and fouls the bracket the instrument in mounted on! If you try and mount it on a sloping console the screen either has to go horizontal or vertical and if you want to change it you have to take it off,
0/10 for that. All it needs is a shorter or a right angle connector but these are not available. Sounds like Garmin trying to encourage us to buy more flush mounting kits.

Also, why-o-why do Garmin put the in-line fuse holder for the power cable with the
large fuseholder bit on the instrument side? This is twice the diameter of the cable and makes it a sod to get through a gland/grommit on a console, If it was installed the other way round i.e. the thin end on the instrument side, no problem. It was the same with the 128 and needs a quick resolder, but still a pain in the a.

Does anyone at Garmin actually use their own gear?

Sent a note to Garmin tech support but no response so far, but what some of the manufacturers could use is a feedback forum where you can write in comments on their kit
and point out this sort of thing.

On the plus side took the boat out for a 100mile run round some of the islands in the Clyde
in the sunshine last weekend and it was excellent (when I could see it!)

Al

aka Grumpy old man.

[Stoo]

Originally Posted by ISLANDRIBBER

Does anyone at Garmin actually use their own gear?

This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, with many products. I started to use a Blackberry a few weeks ago (replacing a Palm TREO) and while it has many great features, some of the ways it works just don't make sense.

I started to ask questions on a forum (filled with rabid fans) and was met with hostile answers like "get used to the new way of doing things". (The "new way" is dumb though!)

BB does have an owners forum where suggestions and discussions are encouraged. Similarly, I have had no response to mine!

[codprawn]

Totally agree - like car designers who insist on linking the washers and the wipers so when you run out you scrape a dry screen for 3 wipes!!!

Or the stupid warning buzzers to tell you the key is in the ignition or the lights are on............

Or VW for their stupid electrick parking brake that needs 3 feet if you have a manual.

The list is endless!!!