GPSmap 60CSX battery vibration

[wheelnut46]

I remember reading somewhere (here) that folks were having problems with battery vibration wearing the contacts or shutting off the unit or something when mounted to the bike.
Curious - is this a concern if the bike is being used on road or only off road?
Does a thin foam shim help to keep the batteries snug and in place? Anyone use dialectric grease on the battery connections inside the unit?

[Brent4ADV]

Why don't you just hardwire to the bike? Fixes the problem of the 60 shutting off and if you need to use it off the bike just carry a set of batteries.

[ramz]

Originally Posted by wheelnut46

Anyone use dialectric grease on the battery connections inside the unit?

How would that help? I've heard this suggested before and it doesn't makes sense. According to Webster, dielectric - a nonconductor of direct electric current. I would think you'd want something that would maintain continuity, not prevent it. Not trying to be too critical here, just trying to understand what would work.

[katbeanz]

I tried mine on my xrl last year with just batteries on a ram mount. It worked ok for the first twenty miles, then just kept shutting itself off. I was just running gravel roads.
I got my hardwire kit and ram mount from cycoactive.

[flnthlsbkr]

I read somewhere that constant vibration will cause the battery contacts to arc and make for poor connections. I wrap my batteries with a little black electric tape and use dielectric grease on the contacts. after one year I have had no problems with unit shutting down.
I am also hard wiring the unit to the bike this weekend to eleminate the need to keep extra batteries on board.
FYI
Mike

[Countdown]

Originally Posted by flnthlsbkr

I read somewhere that constant vibration will cause the battery contacts to arc and make for poor connections. I wrap my batteries with a little black electric tape and use dielectric grease on the contacts. after one year I have had no problems with unit shutting down.
I am also hard wiring the unit to the bike this weekend to eleminate the need to keep extra batteries on board.
FYI
Mike

Put the tape over and under the batteries on the case. Only have to do once
not on each battery.

[ghostbuster2]

I have my uint hardwired and I put a foam ear plug on top of the batteries (actually lay it down between them) and put the cover on. The newer models have a large foam square under each electrical contact to keep it from greaking.

[DCMC]

Just to bring this thread back from the dead, I'm having the same issue with my 60Cx.

6000RPM on my 1-cylinder seems to be the worst speed, about 75MPH in 6th gear.

What I actually think is happening is that the vibration is messing up the unit's estimate of the battery voltage, as the battery meter appears to drop before the unit shuts off. After a shut-off, even hand-holding the unit the battery power may go out. I don't think it's a matter of losing power all at once, but the unit powering itself down when it senses the voltage dropping.

Anyone switched to the Oregon, Montana, or Dakota after a 60CSX and been happy?

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by DCMC

Anyone switched to the Oregon, Montana, or Dakota after a 60CSX and been happy?

Oh yes, but the Montana's the only one of the three you suggested which has a proper power connection, through a wired mount with surface connectors.

[Countdown]

Originally Posted by DCMC

I'm having the same issue with my 60Cx. What I actually think is happening is that the vibration is messing up the unit's estimate of the battery voltage, as the battery meter appears to drop before the unit shuts off.

Is it hard wired to bike battery? If not do it and don't run internal batteries, much less mass and therefore vibration problems.

[katbeanz]

Originally Posted by DCMC

Just to bring this thread back from the dead, I'm having the same issue with my 60Cx.
6000RPM on my 1-cylinder seems to be the worst speed, about 75MPH in 6th gear.
Anyone switched to the Oregon, Montana, or Dakota after a 60CSX and been happy?

Don't give up on your 60 until you wire it to the bike's 12vdc. I got a montana 600 recently, while I like the bigger display I have to stop to use the touchscreen. I would prefer buttons.

[DCMC]

Originally Posted by katbeanz

Don't give up on your 60 until you wire it to the bike's 12vdc. I got a montana 600 recently, while I like the bigger display I have to stop to use the touchscreen. I would prefer buttons.

GPS for moto is really frustrating these days.

The 60Csx is still the best moto GPS Garmin has made as far as I can tell hardware-wise. The 62 series isn't impressing anyone, and I see the Montana as being the unit of choice on this board not because of the touchscreen but because of its top-of-the-heap feature set like those external power contacts that don't break the waterproof barrier.

...and all this just to get the unit to stayed powered on and alive on the bars where you can operate it, then there's the crappy old software and the problem of finding a decent set of maps that won't set you back half the cost of the unit every year.

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by DCMC

GPS for moto is really frustrating these days.

The 60Csx is still the best moto GPS Garmin has made as far as I can tell hardware-wise. The 62 series isn't impressing anyone, and I see the Montana as being the unit of choice on this board not because of the touchscreen but because of its top-of-the-heap feature set like those external power contacts that don't break the waterproof barrier.

...and all this just to get the unit to stayed powered on and alive on the bars where you can operate it, then there's the crappy old software and the problem of finding a decent set of maps that won't set you back half the cost of the unit every year.

You obviously haven't tried the Montana. It's light years ahead of the 60 in a whole lot more ways than just the power connection. Maps have never been cheaper, and there are free ones out there which rival the Garmin ones.

But one major advantage of the Montana and the rest of the modern line is that you have a helluva lot more flexibility in the map loading, since they don't all need to be loaded at once into one file as on the 60/76 series and most of the other legacy units.

[DCMC]

Originally Posted by Emmbeedee

You obviously haven't tried the Montana. It's light years ahead of the 60 in a whole lot more ways than just the power connection. Maps have never been cheaper, and there are free ones out there which rival the Garmin ones.

But one major advantage of the Montana and the rest of the modern line is that you have a helluva lot more flexibility in the map loading, since they don't all need to be loaded at once into one file as on the 60/76 series and most of the other legacy units.

Ugh, yeah I certainly know that pain. Having to bake your own map images to get topo and route-able street maps requires a flipping computer science degree to do properly. I'm actually surprised I haven't seen any maps made by ADVers like the ones I described.

I'm probably going to get a Montana with a proper mount as soon as I've had it with the 60Cx.

[wayno]

There are sponge rubber nose pads that you put on eyeglasses to make them more comfortable. I put these on the battery cover over the batteries and it snugged it up enough to stop the batteries from vibrating and losing contact