SHARCNET-USA - Out-of-Warranty GPS & Digital Camera Repair Center

I've received numerous emails from fellow GPS owners asking about how to care for their GPS. The following are some tips that you might wish to consider:

Case Cleaning:
You can use a soft lightly damp cloth with a mild dish detergent to clean the outer case of your GPS. Be careful not to get the serial tag/decal wet and try to keep any moisture from going into the speaker grill holes. Please don't use any stronger solution, as the case is painted.

Screen Cleaning:
The best way to clean the display screen of a GPS is to use an eyeglass lens cleaning kit. Sears sells a nice lens care kit that contains a small pump-spray bottle with larger refill, pre-moistioned cleaning cloths and soft cloth. I prefer to use the soft cloth. I spray the soft cloth with the lens cleaner liquid and "gently" wipe the screen. After any repair, SHARCNET-USA cleans your GPS's case and screen prior to shipping your unit back to you.

Cold Weather:
Your GPS contains an LCD Display. LCD stands for "Liquid Crystal Display". We all know what happens to liquid when the temperature goes below 32 degrees F (0 degrees Celcius). You should never store your GPS in extreme cold temperatures. The liquid may freeze, expand and crack the display. The cold temperature will also slow down the screen performance as well, until the ambient temperature has risen back to normal. The typical storage temperature of a GPS LCD display is -25C (-13F) to +70C (+158F).

Hot Weather:
Hot temperatures are just as bad as cold temperatures for your GPS. You should never leave your GPS in a hot vehicle, especially mounted to the window, in direct sunlight. Not only is the heat damaging to your GPS but it's also advertising to thieves, "Come and Take Me!"

Carrying Case:
Your GPS may come with a black leather carrying case. The case is great to protect your screen and case from being scratched or collecting dust and dirt on the screen. The case should fit snug. If your case is becoming too loose, you may want to purchase a new one. A loose case may cause your GPS to slide out and fall to the ground. If you don't wish to purchase a new snug case for your GPS, wrap a wide rubber band around the case to keep your GPS from sliding out.

Screen Protectors:
I've had a few GPS's come in for repair with screen protectors applied to them. Screen protectors are an adhesive cover that is applied over the touchscreen. They will not affect the functionality of your touchscreen. They will protect your touchscreen from being scratched or knicked, however I can not validate if they will protect your GPS's screen from being cracked when dropped. Most screens are cracked when an object hits the glass head on or when dropped on its side causing the glass to be flexed and stressed.

© Copyright 2010 SHARCNET-USA - All Rights Reserved
Images are property of their respective owners
This site is not affiliated with any GPS or Digital Camera Manufacturer
We are not a Factory Authorized Service Center