Re: Garmin Edge 830 elevation issues

On Thu, 1 Aug 2024 21:36:41 -0000 (UTC), Ted Heise <theise@panix.com>
wrote:

I do wonder if the thing got too wet when riding in the rain a few
days ago, and is getting gradually better as it dries out.  Who
knows.

That's a good possibility:

"Rain and moisture has serious detrimental effect on 830"
<https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/cycling/f/edge-830/194977/rain-and-moisture-has-serious-detrimental-effect-on-830>

It's possible to "pump" water into an allegedly waterproof enclosure.
Heat the GPS with hot air to about 45C.  Then dump it in a bucket of
10C cold water.  The air inside the GPS will contract and create a
partial vacuum, which then sucks the water into the enclosure (if
there are any leaks).  Look for condensation INSIDE of the enclosure
and intermittent button press failures.

Most consumer GPS products can survived one or two heating and dunking
cycles without difficulty.  The units that I tested in the mid 1990's
were horrible.  None of them survived more than about 10 heating and
dunking cycles.  After failure, none of them recovered by themselves
as there was no path for the water vapor to exit the enclosure.  I had
to disassemble all the test units and hot air dry them.  (Hint:  Rice
doesn't work).

The Edge 830 has a IPX7 water rating:
<https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/edge830/EN-US/GUID-CE2FC337-A232-482C-8747-A49C0098962E.html>
<https://www.garmin.com/en-US/legal/waterrating-definitions/>
"IPX7 - Withstands incidental exposure to water of up to 1 meter for
up to 30 minutes.  Suitable for: splashes, rain or snow, showering"

In other words, forget about submerging it in a bucket of water even
though the spec hints that it can be done.  That also includes a
puddle of water on the faceplate, standing water on the faceplate
caused by a front bezel that creates a pond, or standing water on any
joint in the pastic case.

If you suspect that water is the culprit, my suggestions is to open
the Edge 830 case and let it dry out.  Hopefully, that will help it
recover.

Sorry about not answering your question earlier.  I had no idea what
was causing the problem and didn't think of water incursion until you
mentioned it.

Good luck.
--
Jeff Liebermann                 jeffl@cruzio.com
PO Box 272      http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann      AE6KS    831-336-2558