WARNING - Garmin Zumo XT hot-shoe connector weakness

[7andMoto]

A coax cable to the mount!!! Yeah, I wasn't expecting that...... OK I can overcome this challenge. But really - Garmin develops a great new product and then allows it's reputation to be ruined for the sake of a 10 cent connector interface that fails. I don't understand this kind of logic. Scheesh!

[Stu]

I just don't know whey they used that type of connector! They could have used the same mount as the rest and saved a lot of "design" time and money and messing about for users when they upgrade

[7andMoto]

Agreed Stu. However, being on the design side of developing new products, I know there is always a push and focus on making the user experience better. I'm sure that was Garmin's intention.

However, it is inexcusable to fail so spectacularly with a new product for what is normally a simple interface design issue. Its clear to me it happened due to a lack of appropriate testing. If your designing a connector interface there are standards that every product manufacturer follows using special equipment for vibration, heat, cold - even salt spray for corrosion. Typically when you fail testing, you learn from the failure and improve the design until you pass. Or you go with what you know works. But to then design themselves into a corner with no real option 2 really begs the question of who was the person responsible for allowing this to happen and why did it happen???

Garmin had better come up with a robust fix and fast or they risk losing any current customers as well as future customers from all the negative publicity. Will it be expensive - yeah - but it's just keeps getting more expensive the longer they wait.

[larsras]

Just an update on the new mount:
- Have used it for some month now. Still see the loss of power, but not as frequent as with the old mount.
- One of my friends, also with the new mount, is also having the issue.
This is my 3rd mount, the first two was both with the old connector, but the 2nd was with the tape added for improved stability.
Not sure if I wan't to call Garmin again. They seem not to be aware of this issue here. Last time, the guy completely locked up, as I apparently told him a wrong procedure, when asked, for resetting the device (I have a 220, 390, XT and a 3490 in the car, so confusion might have happened).
Never had any power issues on the other units, except I broke one of the pins on the 390 connectors myself at some time.
Might just try to return it...

[rbentnail]

Agreed Stu. However, being on the design side of developing new products, I know there is always a push and focus on making the user experience better. I'm sure that was Garmin's intention.

However, it is inexcusable to fail so spectacularly with a new product for what is normally a simple interface design issue. Its clear to me it happened due to a lack of appropriate testing. If your designing a connector interface there are standards that every product manufacturer follows using special equipment for vibration, heat, cold - even salt spray for corrosion. Typically when you fail testing, you learn from the failure and improve the design until you pass. Or you go with what you know works. But to then design themselves into a corner with no real option 2 really begs the question of who was the person responsible for allowing this to happen and why did it happen???

Garmin had better come up with a robust fix and fast or they risk losing any current customers as well as future customers from all the negative publicity. Will it be expensive - yeah - but it's just keeps getting more expensive the longer they wait.

With the XT connector, the battery connector on the 59x, the crappy customer service, the lockup problems with revisions & upgrades, the XT maps-to-computer debacle and the always present Bluetooth problems you honestly think Garmin is fretting about their reputation & negative publicity? LOL!! You must be new to this.

[7andMoto]

Yes, I am new to this Garmin "thing". Allow me to explain.

The XT was a replacement for my old Mark IV which came in my 2012 GTL 1600. That unit apparently was purpose built for BMW by Garmin. I decided to upgrade to get more options and faster response times. Building and transferring routes has never been an issue for me. I use Garmin express to connect to the computer for file transfers and the old Map source from Garmin - saved as GPX. It's pretty simple to transfer files directly back and forth .

When I looked at the close to $1K prices for the new Mark "whatever" built as a replacement for that old Mark iV unit, I decided that a Garmin is a Garmin quality wise, and went with the XT at half the price and with more options. In my mind it was a tremendous value over the BMW replacement.

I was wrong. Apparently those Germans knew what they were doing and it seems they directed Garmin to build a better unit for the GTL. Too bad for me though. Now I get to deal with the consequences of a bad product design.

I'm confident I'll work through it regardless and eventually I'll have a robust setup when I'm done.

7 bikes and counting.....BMW GTL 1600, Harley Davidson FXST, Vintage XL & SC Hondas and a Suzuki GT550. Yeah, I've fixed a few problems here and there........

[Stu]

Agreed Stu. However, being on the design side of developing new products, I know there is always a push and focus on making the user experience better. I'm sure that was Garmin's intention.

However, it is inexcusable to fail so spectacularly with a new product for what is normally a simple interface design issue. Its clear to me it happened due to a lack of appropriate testing. If your designing a connector interface there are standards that every product manufacturer follows using special equipment for vibration, heat, cold - even salt spray for corrosion. Typically when you fail testing, you learn from the failure and improve the design until you pass. Or you go with what you know works. But to then design themselves into a corner with no real option 2 really begs the question of who was the person responsible for allowing this to happen and why did it happen???

Garmin had better come up with a robust fix and fast or they risk losing any current customers as well as future customers from all the negative publicity. Will it be expensive - yeah - but it's just keeps getting more expensive the longer they wait.

Instead of modifying the cable have a look at this it may work for you

https://www.adapter3dmotorrad.it/prodotto/e-k6xt/

[7andMoto]

Interesting - Thanks!

[Stu]

Interesting - Thanks!

I have one on my RT

https://www.zumouserforums.co.uk/viewto ... =44&t=1318

[7andMoto]

Hi Stu, I received a replacement connector from Garmin quickly and at no charge. That's nice but I really didn't see much in the way of design improvement. So I decided that I would add an automotive grade water proof connection at the other end. That way I can leave the Garmin mounted and move from bike to bike using a RAM mount and an automotive connector. Hopefully, the pogo pins will last longer if I don't have to interface with them very often. I wanted the capability to easily move the Garmin from bike to bike so this should work well for me. It isn't the most elegant solution but I believe it's robust and weather proof. The nice thing is if the automotive connector fails out in the middle of nowhere, it can easily be fixed.

Garmin XT change.JPG (55.55 KiB) Viewed 5686 times

Garmin Connection now.JPG (65.36 KiB) Viewed 5686 times

BMW Setup.JPG (56.97 KiB) Viewed 5686 times

Bike setup.jpg (178.64 KiB) Viewed 5686 times