Old Garmin handheld GPS, battery problem

N_Cook

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Apr 25, 2016, 10:48:10 AM4/25/16

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It seems the plastic housing has deformed to slightly oval tubes or
something, but no rechargeable AA size batteries (2x2) comfortably slide
in and out. Had to cut in from the side to make an access point to lever
out the 2 deeper AAs, wedged in ther, no corrossion , just lack of
freeboard. Any ideas how to enlarge the bores a bit, no engineering
reamer available. Those silly sandpaper cylinders on a rubber cylinder
"mandrel" for "Dremmels" would do the job if there was a way to extend
the shaft. I'll try the core of a "choc block" connector as a coupler,
but any other ideas?

MJC

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Apr 25, 2016, 1:04:29 PM4/25/16

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In article <nflagp$hjf$1...@dont-email.me>, div...@tcp.co.uk says...

Strip the insulation off the batteries so they fit?

Mike.

N_Cook

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Apr 25, 2016, 1:38:11 PM4/25/16

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Even after shrinking on , its very thin.
Don't tell any mechanical engineer. A core of a choc-bloc, 10A?,
is just right to join 3/32" shafts together. Luckily I save worn down
"dremmel" grinding discs for when I need to cut the narrow edge of a
slot in steel plate. So using one of them, a bit smaller than the bores
of the GPS, did a great job of material removal to depth, not very
pretty and probably not very concentric. Will tidy up with one of those
sandpaper cylinder things hot melt glued o nthe end of a hotmelt glue
stick , manually turning and sliding.

N_Cook

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Apr 25, 2016, 1:46:52 PM4/25/16

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Because of the off-axis coupler, I had to wrap 8 turns of 1mm copper
wire around non-protruding side of the couple, and grind the screws down
to grub screws, to balance things up a bit

Michael Black

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Apr 25, 2016, 7:19:53 PM4/25/16

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I'm not sure if it's "deformed".

I have a Garmin, sort of slender and long, and I've had some trouble with
rechargeables in there. The battery cover has a thing in the middle that
you twist to lock it closed. That has been a tight fit. I seem to recall
trying the thing with alkaline AAs, and it was easier to close that cover.

Michael

N_Cook

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Apr 26, 2016, 3:14:06 AM4/26/16

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The closers are Dzus Camlock. Perhaps deliberately undersized bores so
as to lock you in to buying Garmin undersize AA batteries.
If you are forcing home the closer , then you will have the same problem
of the lower cells jammed in the bore. As the moulding around the bores
is highly asymetric, perhaps the plastic releives over time and bends,
anyway my "reaming" has done the trick, crude but effective, GPS still
works BTW

MJC

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Apr 26, 2016, 9:54:20 AM4/26/16

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In article <nfn49d$k6d$1...@dont-email.me>, div...@tcp.co.uk says...

>
> anyway my "reaming" has done the trick, crude but effective, GPS still
> works BTW

You're lucky! My admittedly old (1997) Garmin GPS-II+ screen became
totally unreadable (though the rest of it worked) years ago.

Mike.

N_Cook

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Apr 26, 2016, 10:00:51 AM4/26/16

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This is a GPS 12

Bob F

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May 13, 2016, 1:23:22 PM5/13/16

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Are the origional batteries really undersized, or has the case just warped from
heat? You could wrap the batteries with a few layers of paper, heat the case
with an hot air gun, and insert the batteries to warp it back out.

N_Cook

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May 13, 2016, 2:57:34 PM5/13/16

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No real way of engineering-wise checking , but I suspect the tubes have
gone banana shaped to some extent. Perhaps the plastic releives on one
side, no tthe other, due to the asymetric structure of the case. Not
kept in a hot place or sun though.

avag...@gmail.com

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May 13, 2016, 8:00:00 PM5/13/16

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http://www.mcmaster.com/#grinding-bits/=12ed2ml

such bits as metal grinding carbides are essential for rust maintenance.

avag...@gmail.com

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May 13, 2016, 8:00:50 PM5/13/16

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On Monday, April 25, 2016 at 10:48:10 AM UTC-4, N_Cook wrote:

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/category/970/battery-holders/1.html