You wash your car and change the oil. You update your computer, fine tune your lawnmower and clean out your refrigerator (I hope) every so often. Why shouldn’t you take care of your GPS receiver?
Taking care of your GPS is not only fun (riiight) but it’s something that has to be done. Without proper care you will be buying a new one every six months or so. Or else you’ll end up curing the one you have. In the interest of keeping the family vacation as G-rated as possible, here are some tips on how to maintain your GPS.
It’s important to keep your GPS out of extreme heat or cold for prolonged periods of time. In cold weather your LCD screen might freeze. In hot weather your GPS receiver could become too hot damaging your circuitry. So if it’s too hot or cold out, maybe a good idea to take it with you if you’re going to be away from your car for an extended period of time.
Keeping your GPS relatively dust free is a good idea. Dust causes all kinds of problems with electronics. It’s true that most GPS receivers are not vented and lack a cooling fan, however, even a small layer of dust can insulate your unit and cause overheating. Plus, it looks better.
Cleaning your screen is one of the most important things you need to do. Dust on the screen can make it hard to see the display at an angle, encouraging backseat navigation, which is always bad. Just make sure you don’t use any harsh chemicals or better yet, buy a kit for cleaning your GPS. Yes they make them, and they are worth it.
Lack of computer updates affects performance. You will have to update maps, software and drivers for your GPS on a regular basis. I know every six months is a regular basis, but try every month and before you take any long trips, okay? The software updates will keep your GPS receiver communicating with the satellites more efficiently and will also recalibrate your unit so you don’t have to worry about driving through someone’s azaleas.
So you don’t have disconcerting feeling that comes from driving down the highways and your GPS showing you in a cow pastor. Make sure you do this before every long trip as well. Maybe a new road opened up that will shave some time off the drive, there’s some incentive!
Taking care of your GPS receiver is not anything as intense as changing your oil or making your youngest child take a bath. The process is pretty straightforward and will help insure accuracy and longevity in your GPS unit. The payoff is money saved and getting to where you need to go without the GPS or your spouse chirping at you.
Zeeman Haus enjoys writing articles online on a variety of subjects. You can check out his latest website on Garmin GPS Accessories which showcases reviews of some of the top accessories for your Garmin GPS system.