Garmin Edge 305

So I took a nasty spill last Saturday and realized that the Garmin Edge was not working.  Steve also pointed out that I had a nice dent in my frame which I didn't even notice.  I guess the pain of the second time I fell on my arm and scraped the exact same area that I fell on the week before didn't give me time to look over the bike.

I did some research on the Garmin Edge 305 and found out that the unit has a bad design in that it has connectors for the battery and wires for the USB.  These connectors got pushed down after the fall.  I noticed the case was a little dented.  Apparently these connectors don't touch after many bumpy rides.  It looks like they discontinued the unit and the later ones are all soldered wires.  So if you're looking for a 305, spend a little more for a better one.

I also found out that Garmin will replace/fix it for $79.  Seeing that a new unit is about $200, I wasn't going to pay to get a refurbished one that will disconnect again.  So I took the unit apart and took a look.  All I had to do is insert a small flat screwdriver and pop the case open.  It's just glued on!  No screws whatsoever.  Another bad design flaw.  So I see that 3 of the connectors are really flat and don't touch.  I just pried them up a little and put the case together to see if it came on and it did.  Next was how to put the case back on.  I had a tube of loctite and decided to use it.  I placed some all around the rim of the bottom part and pushed it together.  It is currently sitting on top of three heavy textbooks for 24 hours to cure.  I did wipe the excess and opened the case again to see if any leaked into the unit.  Apparently this was the only good design of the unit.  It did not allow for any of the "glue" to go inside.