Garmin 496 repair

[dforster]

Garmin will no longer service a 496.

However, that doesn't mean we are out of luck if the unit has a problem.

The audio output on mine failed for both the jack and line out. Best guess is that something in the amplifier circuit fried.

For $200, Portatronics (http://www.portatronics.com/) was able to fix it and it worked great on a subsequent test flight.

As the name implies, these guys specialize in repair of portable electronic devices. I have no association with the company.

Word of caution: although the repair was fine and the cost reasonable, their shop seems pretty disorganized. It took approximately 1 month from their receipt of the unit to when it was shipped back to me. During this period of time, they lost the cover letter I sent with the unit, incorrectly informed me that it had already been shipped back to me when in fact the repair had not started yet, and two different technicians a week apart needed a verbal explanation from me about the symptoms described in the lost cover letter (they didn't want an emailed copy of the letter, which I offered).