By Nicole Bremer Nash
The Garmin StreetPilot c330 is a great GPS navigation device, that’s been getting rave reviews. One thing the reviews don’t mention is the c330’s rugged toughness – something we had to tackle in order to crack it open.
Read my Geek Gift review of the Garmin StreetPilot C330 GPS Navigator.
The c330 comes with an AC cord for plugging into a car lighter, a suction mount that allows the unit to be mounted on the windshield or dashboard, and the unit itself — a small T.V.-like touch-screen unit.
This model features an SB memory card slot, and one speaker on each side.
A simple nut and bolt on the back is the first step to cracking the c330 open.
Removing the nut and bolt from the back did not allow the unit to be opened, so we had to get creative and saw all the way around to open the case.
Unscrewing, sawing, and prying didn’t work, so we decided to try driving over the unit. The c330 is built super-tough, with screws and glue points inside that cannot be accessed from the exterior.
Backing over the c330 with a mini-van finally cracked it open!
When the c330 finally cracked, there was a flash of orange and blue, and a good puff of smoke.
At this point, the unit is still stuck together along one side.
The power and volume switches and USB port have been successfully released from the housing.
A considerable amount of force still had to be applied in order to force the unit apart.
The screen did not hold up well to being driven over.
Notice the blackened wires coming out of the battery. That’s probably what created the sparks and smoke when the unit was cracked open.
The metal plate in the middle is probably supposed to protect the circuit board from being touched by the battery wires. Note the blackened mark on the bottom left of the metal plate. That is probably where the batteries hit during the crack, causing the sparks and smoke.
Note the crushed USB port — it held up surprisingly well.
The protective metal plate is easily lifted off the circuit board.
A closer look at what the metal plate protects.
Three screws removed, the circuit board still must be pried off due to glued bolts on all four corners.
Prying up one side of the circuit board reveals circuit ribbons that will need to be detached.
A look at the interior side of the circuit board before the hard prying begins.
The power button is still mostly intact. The StreetPilot c330 is surprisingly tough.
The circuit board is pried off, and flipped over here. You can see how it would fit back into the monitor side of the unit.
The monitor side of the circuit board also had protective metal plates that were easily lifted off.
The screen did not hold up to the cracking, but the monitor looks as if it might still work if put into a new unit.
Nicole Bremer Nash is Director of Content and Social Media for HuTerra, where she uses SEO and social media to promote charitable organizations in their community-building and fundraising efforts. She enjoys volunteering, arts and crafts, and conducting science experiments at home. Nicole has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Transylvania University, and has experience in copywriting for education, print, business, and the web. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter via @HuTerra.
