Lanyard for Etrex

[pedalsheep]

Having read the 'Broken?Etrex' thread I'm inspired to buy a lanyard for my Etrex but all the ones I can find are both very expensive and way too long.
What are other folk using?

[meic]

The one that came with it. Though it did break on my first GPS causing it to have a small journey bouncing along the road which it did survive.

[Steveo2020]

Very sadly I lost my Etrex 20 last week when it fell off during a ride. It was a fast group ride and I was not looking at it, and only realised it was gone at the end of a 45 mile loop. By the time I could go back to look, there was no sign of it. The mount does not appear to be safe to use without a lanyard. I have tried to ring Garmin but so far have just been on hold for long periods.

It is doubly annoying that the Edge units have a mount that appears totally satisfactory - why can't they use that on the Etrex

[delstron]

There are numerous on Ebay starting at a fiver. If that is too much and you are not concerned about appearance, a simple length of thin strong cord tied in a loop will suffice. Poke one end through the metal loop and thread through itself.

Failing that there are loads of folk continually upgrading and changing units, post a wanted add.

[Sweep]

I have the Etrex20 and find the mount fine, though have somtimes wondered if a lanyard would be handy.

Isn't that what the two small holes/slots are for at the bottom? I have a dim memory of seeing some Garmin bit that slotted in there but at a barmy price for a cord?

Poke one end through the metal loop and thread through itself.

Do you mean the battery cover lock/handle on the Etrex20? If so, would it be wise to use that?

[youngteam]

A phone lanyard would probably be fine?

A few for 99p on eBay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-x-New-Yello ... 3f24e0965d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-x-New-Wrist ... 4170929f01

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-SONY- ... 3cd18961bd

[pedalsheep]

Thanks for that youngteam that is exactly what I had in mind. The garmin specific lanyards I found were £24.99!
Just occurred to me I've got an old camera, I can probably use the wrist loop from that.

[NZGraham]

For lanyards it could be worth trying your local camera shop - they may have an 'odds and ends' bin with that sort of thing in it. I picked up a Canon wrist strap for about 50p - ideal for my Etrex 20.
For robust, quality GPS unit mounts try RAM Mount UK http://www.ram-mount.co.uk/gps-handheld-garmin-c-360_169_659.html. Well designed with a variety of fixing options.
Graham

[Sweep]

How do you fasten these lanyards to the 20?

Anthing involving tying a cord sounds failure-prone - I assumed the oddificial one (not that I've any intention of buying it at that price) locks on in some way - presumably into those two holes at the bottom of the unit.

[pedalsheep]

Portland wrote
How do you fasten these lanyards to the 20?

Anthing involving tying a cord sounds failure-prone - I assumed the oddificial one (not that I've any intention of buying it at that price) locks on in some way - presumably into those two holes at the bottom of the unit.

I've just used one from an old Canon camera. The very thin bit threads thro the 2 holes you mention and then you pass the main loop thro it just as you would to attach it to a camera. I've not tried it on the bike yet (will do tomorrow) but there seems no reason why it shouldn't do the job.
Not that my Etrex has ever bounced off even after 200k of New Forest cattle grids but I'd rather not take the chance - I've already smashed a front light and a computer this year through bouncing off the handlebars.

[Sweep]

thanks for that pedalsheep - I was being stupid - a while since I've fiddled with lanyards.

[delstron]

Lanyard fits to the bottom of the unit , just below the 'GARMIN' writing. It has an orange coloured opening on the Etrex 20.

[andymiller]

Very sadly I lost my Etrex 20 last week when it fell off during a ride. It was a fast group ride and I was not looking at it, and only realised it was gone at the end of a 45 mile loop. By the time I could go back to look, there was no sign of it. The mount does not appear to be safe to use without a lanyard. I have tried to ring Garmin but so far have just been on hold for long periods.

It is doubly annoying that the Edge units have a mount that appears totally satisfactory - why can't they use that on the Etrex

I got a mount from RAM which is basically a plastic cradle. It's not exactly low profile but is very secure.

I'll see if I can find a link or picture.

EDIT: here's a link to their US site (there's also a UK site). I think I paid something like £13 for the cradle and basic handlebar mount.

http://www.rammount.com/NewProducts/gar ... abid/3927/

[Sweep]

Well after advising someone on a forum, possibly this, that the etrex20 mount is fine, despite a little rattling, my etrex 20 has just bounced off and died**.

So a future one will be lanyard attached as well.

Have tried, as per advice above, to test mount a lanyard to my dead unit but cannot manage it. Are those two holes in the bottom of the etrex 20 linked - ie, can you thread a string/cord through?

I couldn't manage it.

Am pissed off by the breakage, particularly as the plastic mount is expensive for what it is.

If anyone has a good cheap supplier of the etrex20, or the newer 20x, please let me know, though am inclined to go for the cheapest if the thing isn't secure.

** it hit the road, don't know if any cars got at it before i retrieved it. At first sight all seemed good, screen fine, it switched on, but then i realised that, somehow, one of the internals of the buttons had broken/become displaced, and there is no way of getting at them.

[Samuel D]

Have tried, as per advice above, to test mount a lanyard to my dead unit but cannot manage it. Are those two holes in the bottom of the etrex 20 linked - ie, can you thread a string/cord through?

They are and you can, though it takes a bit of fiddling because if the string veers off-centre (i.e. up to the display side or down to the battery-door side) it gets trapped beneath a little plastic ledge. The design is poor. The key then is to keep the string (or lanyard loop) centred as you thread it through the holes.