TRACE Up - Wanted

[PonoBill]

Nice work replacing the battery, unfortunately my issue is the case on both of mine. It seems to have separated at the seam a bit on the bottom.

I did really enjoy the Trace while I had it, and the guys there are super nice (it helps I won a trip from them to Tavarua - just to stick that in there one more time).

I'm using the Rip Curl SearchGPS now, and while not perfect, it's durable.

Separating at the seam is probably not a big deal. If you look at the one I have apart you'll note there is an O-ring and a groove that it fits into. There's probably 1/4" or more of movement available before the O-ring won't seal. There's no attempt to seal the case at the seam--the O-ring is the water barrier.

[PonoBill]

On a completely unrelated note, has anyone been able to remove the trace mount from their board without taking the top coat off with it?

It's probably 3M Ultra VHB. The easiest way I've found is to use  monofilament fishing line. Wear gloves, stretch the mono between your hands and press down as you work it under the edge. Pull like you were slicing through. The line will go about a third of the way and then stop as the adhesive builds up on it. Pull vertically with both hands and the edge will probably unstick. Then you can use a plastic knife and denatured alcohol or a spunger (if you're an electronics geek) to work the adhesive free. Doesn't always work, the longer the VHB has been on the surface the tighter it holds.

[Beasho]

On a completely unrelated note, has anyone been able to remove the trace mount from their board without taking the top coat off with it?

I've done it with a razor blade.  I didn't think it was too hard.  Then again I have only taken them off of broken boards so I wasn't worried about the board.

I have been putting them back on with double sided window tape.  It's got adhesive on either side of what looks like a strip of 1/16" foam.  I've put it on 2 boards now, over many months, with NO failure.

[PonoBill]

Get a roll of VHB--you can get it in all kinds of widths. It's magical stuff. I sometimes use it instead of bolting stuff together. The big rack I put on my MoHo for PV cells was mocked with VHB, and the stabilizers are VHB with rivets through them.