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[ST] New file uploaded



Michael Young has uploaded the following file for you to view

Description :-
This is what finally brought things to a head. Still undecided about a more permanent mount, I bungied the unit to my right forearm. Two hundred miles from home, at 70 mph, it decided it had had enough, and parted company. I toyed briefly with the idea of not going back to retrieve the traitorous deserter. Any way, I found it surprisingly easily after I turned around to retrieve the $250 I dropped by the roadside.

The only apparent damage was the deep scarring on the (replaceable) battery cover. I had a spare one from the handlebar mount kit ($18) that I used when I had the Bandit.

It would make a great Timex-type commercial -- takes a licking, but keeps on ticking -- but I found out last night that the case had cracked through on impact. The entire bottom inch or so of blue plastic was held in place by the rubbery strap. This allowed the case to flex, and from time to time removed enough tension on the batteries to turn off the unit. A quick bead of CA fixed the problem.

Overall, the Garmin eTrex series is tough as bricks, as adequately demonstrated here. They\'re waterproof -- immersible, not just spray resistant -- and a good match for motorcycling. The Legend has all the major county and larger roads in its basemap, precisely the amount of detail I want when on my serendipity tours. I have no trouble recommending it for motorcycle use.

Regarding software, I still use DeLorme\'s Street Atlas 5. There are newer versions out, and I think about updating from time to time, but still haven\'t found a real reason to. I don\'t need more detail than what\'s in the basemap, and so haven\'t purchased the Garmin maps. It\'s pricey at $250, but I wouldn\'t leave home without it.

The only downside is the proprietary power and PC interface connector. Garmin\'s cables are expensive -- $39 for the power plug, $50 for power and serial. The voltage regulator on the power cable is built into the cigarette lighter plug. It seems I\'ll have to throw out $38.50, and build a separate regulator, if I want to wire it into the bike. I\'m using nicads for power at the moment. The other aggravation is that the power cable doesn\'t charge the batteries -- I have the combined power interface cable, from when I used it on a roadtrip in the cage. You still have to take the batteries out to charge them. I keep two sets of batteries, one pair charging while the other is in use.

URL :-
http://www.triumphnet.com/st/upload/118-1831_IMG.JPG
File size = 63824
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