Having a go at fixing stuff...

[Stingray]

Whenever some gadget stuffs up, and when all else fails, I generally pull it apart and have a go at fixing it before I chuck it out. In a lot of peoples minds the first (and only) option is bin it. My grown-up kids are classic examples. My motto is you can't stuff it if it's already stuffed so why not have a go?. I must admit though that my success rate has been dropping in recent years as things get more fiddly, with microelectronics etc. Its a lot harder to spot a loose wire or the like... .

Anyway, I have a tyre monitoring system which is real handy bit of kit. It does the car and you can switch the trailer on or off. This is done by holding one button (link) down and pressing a + to add or - to remove the trailer. I went to add a trailer the other day and couldn't. I rang the manufacturer, told him the story and he said "yeah?" and silence. I said well I was calling to see how I could get it repaired and was told "No, we don't do repairs, how old is it? I told him about 6 years, he laughed and said "its time to buy a new one mate". How much? $260 or thereabouts.

So I pulled it apart gingerly and confirmed the link button was stuffed. I went to Altronics and found a little switch, but bigger than the original. It was $1.10 so I bought it. I removed the old one (top left) and soldered in the new one (and realised how much shakier I am now). Tested it and it worked. It sits higher than the old one so I just cut off the rubber knob off the back of the button (bottom left) and screwed the unit back together. Works fine.

All up it cost me a little time, a little fuel and $1.10. So end result is there is one less bit of e-waste in the system, I saved enough to buy a cordless rattle gun and a torque wrench, and the satisfaction that goes with fixing stuff was free.

 

[grubstake]

Push-buttons are old school now - the latest model is most likely touch-screen driven. Now there's a real short-term, not user-serviceable technology for you. Often dodgy when new, useless with wet/greasy hands, easily damaged by dust and grit, and no doubt dead as a brick in a couple of years.

 

[Simmo]

Our new ute has a factory system installed, but I put this one on the Nissan Patrol, works great!
Sensor batteries were flat when we bought it, so extra expense.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/404141404357?hash=item5e18b470c5:g:B-IAAOSwAIhj3L8x

 

[Stingray]

Thanks Simmo, looks great for the price so I just ordered one for my 80 series

 

[Stingray]

Hey Grubstake, your comment about touch screens is too true and is another nail in they coffin or fix it yourselfers. But you just reminded me of a mate with a flash 200 series who decided the black screen on the dash would be a good place to attach a suction mount. The screen turned out to be his built in nav unit with touch screen. It stuck on very well, too well, and he broke the screen trying to get the mount off. He had a track on there to a 'secret' spot he had been taken to and was devastated.

He had tried to get people to fix it/get the data out but to no avail and by the time I found out he had the system removed and replaced. He had the old one in a box so I thought I would have a go. I managed to power it up which was a mission given the crazy wiring harness it had and with a lot of fiddling/pressing/sliding on the screen I managed (somehow) to get a 'delete waypoints screen' and then a list of waypoints and lat/longs which I photographed for him.

And if you're wondering... no he couldn't find the spot from the list, but fortunately when looking for it again later we found a different one.

 

[wiley coyote]

Hey Grubstake, your comment about touch screens is too true and is another nail in they coffin or fix it yourselfers. But you just reminded me of a mate with a flash 200 series who decided the black screen on the dash would be a good place to attach a suction mount. The screen turned out to be his built in nav unit with touch screen. It stuck on very well, too well, and he broke the screen trying to get the mount off. He had a track on there to a 'secret' spot he had been taken to and was devastated.

He had tried to get people to fix it/get the data out but to no avail and by the time I found out he had the system removed and replaced. He had the old one in a box so I thought I would have a go. I managed to power it up which was a mission given the crazy wiring harness it had and with a lot of fiddling/pressing/sliding on the screen I managed (somehow) to get a 'delete waypoints screen' and then a list of waypoints and lat/longs which I photographed for him.

And if you're wondering... no he couldn't find the spot from the list, but fortunately when looking for it again later we found a different one.

Is it possible to fix the screen on a Bushnell Backtrack GPS. Mine was in my back pocket when I hopped in my car and sat on it. I took it to the mobile phone repairer at the shopping centre, and he said. "It can't be fixed, buy a new one." There's waypoints on it of nuggets I've found in the whipstick bush near Inglewood Vic, that I'll never find again without those waypoints. wiley.

 

[Simmo]

Is it possible to fix the screen on a Bushnell Backtrack GPS. Mine was in my back pocket when I hopped in my car and sat on it. I took it to the mobile phone repairer at the shopping centre, and he said. "It can't be fixed, buy a new one." There's waypoints on it of nuggets I've found in the whipstick bush near Inglewood Vic, that I'll never find again without those waypoints. wiley.

It it connectable to a PC?
Like access it externally through USB?
If so you could maybe get the info then?

The only success I have had with screens is if the panel is dislodged somewhat from its connection strip.
Pull it of, clean it up with isopropyl and seat it back down. Worked for me 2 out of 4 times??

 

[grubstake]

Is it possible to fix the screen on a Bushnell Backtrack GPS. Mine was in my back pocket when I hopped in my car and sat on it. I took it to the mobile phone repairer at the shopping centre, and he said. "It can't be fixed, buy a new one." There's waypoints on it of nuggets I've found in the whipstick bush near Inglewood Vic, that I'll never find again without those waypoints. wiley.

Every LCD screen is unique to the model of the device that it's fitted to, they're not a generic component. To repair yours, you'd need another Backtrack of the same model with an undamaged screen and a very skilled technician who could cannibalise the second one and use the screen from it to replace your broken one. It should be doable, but I doubt there'd be any guarantee. Still, it only needs to work long enough for you to read and make a copy of the waypoints.

 

[Nightjar]

Someone used our Dyson to suck up water on the floor, WRONG. Vacuum roller decided not to operate.
Thought this would be a handy project to have a look at internal workings and maybe (not at all confident) get it working again if dried out.
Dyson use the "star" headed screws holding workings together, not a common tool in everyone's shed.
Under the seat of the ute there are are allsorts for those "maybe" jobs while away prospecting.
In a kit I've carried for decades was the tool I needed, the smallest of the star drives.
Dyson stripped, (sneaky buggers hid one of the screws under the info sticker) dried and after much head scratching and frustration (Design engineer is also a torture specialist) I got it back together.
Much to my surprise, plugged it is raring to go again. Many $$'s saved.

 

[Stingray]

Not really fixing something that broke but I am about to head off for the season and decided to address a few things that were giving me the poops last year before I go. Here's something that you might find useful. I use my camp oven as an oven, cooking in a baking dish or foil tray sitting on a trivit. The lid is too low and the top of roast/bread etc would often burn or stick to the lid and limit how much we could stuff into it. Last year we used an old tin dish covered in alfoil as an extension and put the lid on top of that. It worked to some extent but it is thin and rusted.

Yep, I could have bought a bigger one, but instead I just made an extension sleeve out of two rings of 50 mm x 3 mm flat bar welded offset to form a rim and channel. Rough as guts but should work better than the old dish. Also made one for my smaller oven.

The other thing was my day water container. I use a 10 L as it is easy to carry and refill but the original plastic tap was a pain, twisting etc. Replaced it with a brass tap with a lever, but had to cut the threaded end off the spout so it was the same length as the other (for packing) and also inserted two lots of plastic tube up the spout to alter the water flow to a stream at low velocity - it was like a sprinkler before.

These are just little things but should make life easier out there.

 

[LONEWOLF]

Our new ute has a factory system installed, but I put this one on the Nissan Patrol, works great!
Sensor batteries were flat when we bought it, so extra expense.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/404141404357?hash=item5e18b470c5:g:B-IAAOSwAIhj3L8x

For the price they are great... Mine has been going for 2yrs and no issues now that i swapped over to Internal sensors..... Best insurance for your tyres...
I wont buy the ones that are $300.. I just buy a cheepie from Ebay... Just as good i feel.. But now i need a 6 wheel one to include the trailer ...

LW....

 

[kiwifred]

My thing is........ (if your going to pay someone to do it)......... have a go at doing it yourself...if it's not to expensive, and if you stuff it up....get them to fix your stuff up and learn from where you went wrong

 

[Stingray]

But now i need a 6 wheel one to include the trailer ..

Lonewolf, instead of buying a new unit with 6 sensors you should consider buying another of the same unit for more flexibility. I did after Simmo pointed them out and now have both units on the dash when towing. One unit with four sensors for the tow vehicle and the other unit with either two or four sensors depending on the number of wheels on the trailer.

I agree they work great and very good value for money. The only negative of these (compared to the bigger, more expensive unit I have) is the size of the screen (and display) and that you have to have the screen facing pretty much directly towards you to read the display. But the alarm is just as good and that is all that matters at the end of the day.

 

[LONEWOLF]

Yes i, was thinking about that and the bonus with that idea is i can monitor the spares. Meaning if i do get a flat. it's just a matter of replacing with a spare that has the sensor already fitted and tuned into the unit.. Mines ok where its mounted....... One issue some of them have is signal strength... A mate has trouble receiving the signals from his car trailer... Basically the distance from sensors and the unit itself.. So he got a Truck one that covers 10 wheels and seems to be far better option for His needs.....

LW...