Garmin Striker 4 FF issue

As you can see in the attached picture, my practically new Garmin Striker 4 Vivid FF got moisture behind the screen. It sill works, but looks like this is a serious problem. Has anybody else had a similar problem?

Anyways, I went online, and it was incredibly painless to make a warrantee claim. I should have a replacement soon, at which point I'll send in the old one, so no need to go without a FF in the interim. I hope the new one does not develop the same problem...

Does the garmin have a SD card slot, like the Lowrance units?  I had issues with moisture until I stared filling that card slot with dialectic grease and then taping over it.

Oh weird. 

My Striker 4 has been pretty solid - had it for about a year.  Works well, never any leakage in the screen.  But, I have the basic Striker 4 with no SD card slot.  Curious if other versions have a card slot.  Hopefully the one you have just has a faulty seal or something and the new one is good to go. 

Just curious if the moisture issue was resolved and the overall performance of this FF.  My Lowrance Hook 4 gave out at the end of last year so I am looking for a replacement and this FF seems to be pretty highly rated.  Any input will be appreciated.

Just curious if the moisture issue was resolved and the overall performance of this FF.  My Lowrance Hook 4 gave out at the end of last year so I am looking for a replacement and this FF seems to be pretty highly rated.  Any input will be appreciated.

I contacted Garmin, and they asked for a picture. When I emailed them the picture above, they sent me a replacement. I've had no problem with the new one.

Just curious if the moisture issue was resolved and the overall performance of this FF.  My Lowrance Hook 4 gave out at the end of last year so I am looking for a replacement and this FF seems to be pretty highly rated.  Any input will be appreciated.

Been rocking mine for a couple of years now with no issues, love it! I tried out the Vivid model but not really much of an upgrade from the plus so sent it back. Just make sure to clean your connections and use a dielectric grease. Made this mistake and had to replace the power cable after about a year of just rinsing at the end of the day.

I have the exact same issue, haven't taken the time to find a solution but it comes and goes. 

Same with mine, do you think the water getting in at the edge of the screen? We could probably throw some lexel around the edges but I'm not sure where it is getting in.

Fret getting a replacement unit and losing all of my tracks

Yeah, i'm really tired of losing the data when they die.  Do the more expensive units have better ways to store the data or transmit it without using an SD card?  If they do I'd possibly consider paying more to have a feature like that.

Yeah, i'm really tired of losing the data when they die.  Do the more expensive units have better ways to store the data or transmit it without using an SD card?  If they do I'd possibly consider paying more to have a feature like that.

The more expensive units that I have owned all required an SD card to transfer the data.  One has to manually transfer the data to the card or it stays on the internal memory of the unit.  The internal memory has never been big enough to hold all of my spots, so as I am adding new ones the old ones get erased and are lost for good if I forgot to manually transfer the data to the SD card.

Keeping the cable contacts clean with generous dielectric grease is key to maintaining a good working unit.  As the companies cut corners, many stopped supplying covers for the cables while not in use.  Vacuum caps can be found on Amazon and work well to keep the ends covered and protected.

West Marines Warranty is worth it IMHO,  Is added to MFG'.  If something goes wrong, no more phone calls, shipping, and waiting.  Just return the unit to West Marine, and walk out of the store with another NIB.


 

Kinda surprising how primitive these are, given the price. I’d expect Bluetooth, if not Wi-Fi for data transfer…

Kinda surprising how primitive these are, given the price. I’d expect Bluetooth, if not Wi-Fi for data transfer…

Some of mine have Bluetooth, but I never bothered to figure out if it can be used for that, it's just easier to pull the sd card for the transfer of waypoints.

Kinda surprising how primitive these are, given the price. I’d expect Bluetooth, if not Wi-Fi for data transfer…

Waiting for the day!

I've had mine for 2 years and haven't seen this issue. Will be keeping my eye on it.