I took a look at the new one to see if we could push it in part way
without bottoming it out. I figured perhaps bottoming it was putting too
much strain on the thing unnecessarily. But, partial insertion will not
work because the connectors on the outside round edge "snap" into place
after it is plugged most of the way in. Unless you reach that point, the
plug will just pop out.


Correction:

The outer "pins" on the plug are just strips of brass with a "dimple" in
them. The contacts on the unit itself look like brass pins half embedded
in the unit's plastic. When plugged in, the dimples drag against their
respective mating pins. They are a really tight fit because the dimples
do not have enough flex to bend easily. I will try smashing down the
dimples a bit on the busted plug to see if I can get it to mate and
unmate easier.

I considered pulling Garmin's chain by attempting to get a replacement
under the warranty. This is obviously a defect in design (although I'm
sure the warranty only covers "defects in materials and workmanship").
But, I am still having reception problems and I want to fight the right
battle.

If the beast were in a HANGAR, I could leave the unit mounted. But, $400
a month with 2 months deposit is really ridiculous.

I'll report back if I can "improve" this connector.

Mike