GPS Cases

By Robert Lipe, robertlipe at usa dot net

From time to time, I'm asked about that nifty case that I carry my GPS in. About 30 minutes into my answer, most people are begging me to stop answering. This page is an attempt to capture some of my experience with these to that I won't have to be exposed to the rolling eyes and snoring that frequently ensues.

My first GPS was a Magellan 330. While my experience is therefore from that unit, I think most of this is pertinent to all GPS users. Wanting to save it from the scrapes and bruises along the way (why I don't cache in body armor to protect myself from scrapes and bruises is an interesting question, now that I think about it...) I sought a case for it. Magellan's own case was the dumbest thing I'd ever seen. A protective case that didn't protect the keypad or the screen seems to miss the point of a protective case to me.

Fone Home

After giving up on the vendor cases, the closest match in consumer products seemed to be the cases made for cell fones. However, even a small GPS is big compared to modern fones, so I had to look in the bargain bins for cases for obsolete models. Most places I shopped were really crabby about the possibility of returns when the case was being purchased for something that it wasn't actually made for anyway. Some nerd decided to package these things in plastic cases that must be cut open - therefore eliminating the opportunity to "try one on" and the rest of the industry followed. Eventually, I found a dealer with a closeout line on all the older cases that had snap packaging, so I picked the middle of a weekday when some 19 year old was behind the counter and no other customers were to be seen. I opened darned near every one of those cases, putting them back neatly on the pegs, until I found one that fit my GPS acceptably well. The belt clip stunk, but at least I had a case.

I used that case on about 100 geocache finds. It gave its life to deet. I was putting on tick repellant and got some on the clear plastic. It ruined the plastic, making it unusable. I tell myself that my $15 plastic case gave its life to save my $300 GPS. But now I'm even more motivated to find the perfect GPS case.

Case #2 - Close. Really close.

Eventually, I stumbled across Cartom Cases. They have reasonable prices -less than I paid for the cell fone case- and cases optimized for GPS units and they even called out my model. They even had answers to all the nerdy questions I sent them pre and post sales. (Funny that I've never used tech support for my GPS but that I'm one to have tech support on the ropes over a belt clip on a $14 case.) I eventually ordered the Neo Pro Floating GPS Case from them. This case has carried me through about 1,000 geocaching hunts across about ten states, saving my GPS from much wear and tear, so it's hard to argue that I didn't get my $14 worth. It's great, but it isn't perfect.

The Cartom case comes with a wrist strap, but it doesn't swivel. The end result of that is that the unit "spins" while walking as it coils and uncoils just from natural motion of walking. Fortunately, the cell fone case had a swivel wrist strap that easily clips onto this one.

The vinyl window fits close enough to the screen to not provide additional glare. After a few minutes of settling in the case, the air bubbles escape and the curves flatten out and it provides a very readable screen. At temperatures above about 20° the screen is easy enough to type through , but the backlight key (which on the Magellan is also the power button and has a ridge around it to prevent accidental firings) does need a little fingernail action to get adequate pressure on the key. In very cold temperatures, the vinyl is hard to type through, but since below about 10° the electronics and the fingers start to get funky anyway, this is forgivable.

My big objection was the belt clip. It came with a fairly unimaginative, though sturdy, belt clip. In fairness, it's a competent belt clip and unlinkely to break, but it's not a swivel model IWhan I would sit down or bend over, the odds of it pushing up and releasing from the belt were substantial. The one fate worse than dropping the GPS is losing it. So I sat out to improve their belt clip.

I started with the Belkin F8V6999 swivel belt clip that is really sold for the cell fone market. This unit does have a lifetime warranty that I've used once. I've seen it locally in stores and online for prices between $8 and $15. When I was studying attaching the small tab (I would have rather used the large tab but there isn't enough area on the clip) I realized there was a manufacturing "rib" to it that would prevent a flat bond by reducing the potential surface contact. I used a bench disk sander to plane it to a flat surface then a random orbital sander to get a flat, but not glossy, surface for bonding to the tab. Per instructions, I bonded the adhesive for 24 hours. That lasted for about three cache hunts before it came off. I then graduated to the various superglues. Each application was good for about 300 finds or so but invariably failed when I was travelling. Once it broke while exposed to understandable stress (I caught it in a car door I was closing) but twice it let go while I was just walking along. So there must be something about the plastics that don't lend themselves well to this approach. My current approach uses an epoxy provided by a friend. I have only a short time on this approach, but I think it'll do fine. Update: The epoxy, like the superglues before it, failed to hold. I've concluded the plastic used in the beltclip is 'glueproof'. This hybrid belt clip does allow use without the aftermarket clip (i.e., I just want to pick up the unit and go for a quick trip without trying to remember where I left the "good" clip) with only minor discomfort from the extra button gouging into my waist.

The Belkin clip itself did start to fail after about 900 caches. The plastic along the bonding of the spring started to crack. When I notified Belkin of this, they did send me a replacement without question and without making me mail them the remains of a $9 clip so they get a gold star for customer service.

I've had some luck with a hinged belt clip that allows the unit to flip up so you can see the screen without actually unclipping the unit. It's made by CCM and I got it from Target, but I've been unable to find information on it online to provide linky links. It doesn't have a lifetime warranty and I have low confidence in the lifespan of this unit.
Update:It turns out that confidence was appropriately placed as this belt clip shattered.

My next belt clip will be from Clip.com, which, while they have an obnoxious web page, does offer lifetime warranties on what appears to be better clips. They also do offer the Ultra Clip which has a nice feature - it will only unlock while the unit is held at a 90 ° position. This should eliminate the occaisional false unrelease I now experience when I bend just right and my tubby belly pushes the button. Conversations with the guys aat The Clip show they're confident in the water resistance of the adhesive they use. They make a big deal that you want the adhesive to fail and that is certainly true when you're fastening it directly to the device. I really DO want the tab to come off before the case of my cell fone (their target market) rips apart, but in this case where it's attached to an elastic band to provide shock absorption, I just can't get excited about the double-stick tape.

Case #3 - Perfection.

Eventually I upgraded to a Magellan Platinum. Cartom doesn't have a case specifically for the plat, but their case for the Garmin 765 fits the Meridian, albeit snugly. I like the zipper better than the velcro on the 330 case.

I did extensively modify the belt clip. I riveted the Ultra Clip tab to the frame and have been very happy with this combination. After Santa delivers my new camera, I'll put up pictures of the modification.