Repair and Replacement of TouchScreens

When it comes to equipment, one needs to be able to get it fixed quickly to reduce downtime. I have had experiences with the Promark3RTK unit that has a damaged touch screen. The units slipped out of the pole mount bracket, swung down on by the antenna cable that got dinged by the pole of clamp somehow.

The unit still works by using the finger buttons in the Survey Program that does static GPS due to its simplicity but is too complicated to use without the touch screen options in the FastSurvey RTK program.

So I need someone to help me get the touch screen fixed without paying an arm and a leg. Magellan or Ashtech is poor about making it easy to get information on fixing it and I am concerned that it would not be worth the cost and effort to try anymore. I have observed that the cell phone industry has technical people who can repair any touch screen (replace it) for a forth of the cost or less.

I just need to find someone locally or who can be trusted to fix the touch screen. Can anyone out there help me with this.

I have researched the replacement of the touch screen without confirming that the touch screen can be replaced with the touch screen used on the iPhone or HTC phone or other more mass produced part. I suspect that it is a part used for more than just the PM3RTK or MMII and other products of the same size screen by Magellan/Thales/Ashtech and maybe several other manufacturers. Somehow I am hoping, with the progress of Skip Farrow we can all find a solution that will not cost $400 but $100 or less to replace the screens ourselves or with local electronics repair professionals.

Ashtech would really get the attention as a company that cares for surveyors and is a much more reliable source of equipment and service to land surveyors. They have made it very hard to communicate and provide feedback to promote their products and service to land surveyors. That has been commons to most land surveyor equipment so maybe it is time give up and forgive them, and go on to better and more simple things for a living.

I was a big fan of them but, with so little customer support, the only thing now is the fact that they got me into Survey Accurate GPS (SAGPS) equipment as a very reasonable price vs. the expensive units. There is no way that I could afford SAGPS otherwise as a "one man show" surveyor providing reasonably priced services. I still have hope that Ashtech will take a more proactive role in helping its customers so that we can promote the reasonably priced SAGPS to others the keep our profession alive and healthy. It has kept me alive as a happy surveyor with happy clients but that may come to an end if we do not get our authorities to defend our hard work from those who are out to harm us.

What happened with the accident - it might help others avoid a situation that could be harmful?

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ronnie r. monilla RCE,JGE,CSP October 25, 2010 at 5:44am

i have mine touchscreen not working properly maybe due to the accident which kill one of my people. i just use the old ways using primarily the keyboards to navigate thru the commands, luckily it works! regards to your family my friend, God bless you always.
- Gary Breisch > ronnie r. monilla RCE,JGE,CSP October 25, 2010 at 9:34am
  
  I have researched the replacement of the touch screen without confirming that the touch screen can be replaced with the touch screen used on the iPhone or HTC phone or other more mass produced part. I suspect that it is a part used for more than just the PM3RTK or MMII and other products of the same size screen by Magellan/Thales/Ashtech and maybe several other manufacturers. Somehow I am hoping, with the progress of Skip Farrow we can all find a solution that will not cost $400 but $100 or less to replace the screens ourselves or with local electronics repair professionals.
  
  Ashtech would really get the attention as a company that cares for surveyors and is a much more reliable source of equipment and service to land surveyors. They have made it very hard to communicate and provide feedback to promote their products and service to land surveyors. That has been commons to most land surveyor equipment so maybe it is time give up and forgive them, and go on to better and more simple things for a living.
  
  I was a big fan of them but, with so little customer support, the only thing now is the fact that they got me into Survey Accurate GPS (SAGPS) equipment as a very reasonable price vs. the expensive units. There is no way that I could afford SAGPS otherwise as a "one man show" surveyor providing reasonably priced services. I still have hope that Ashtech will take a more proactive role in helping its customers so that we can promote the reasonably priced SAGPS to others the keep our profession alive and healthy. It has kept me alive as a happy surveyor with happy clients but that may come to an end if we do not get our authorities to defend our hard work from those who are out to harm us.
  
  What happened with the accident - it might help others avoid a situation that could be harmful?

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Repair and Replacement of TouchScreens

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