Shanu

Garmin doesn't block free maps, if a free map isn't working there's most likely another issue causing the problem. Encrypted firmware on a lot of their new devices will stop non-legit maps from working, while still allowing free maps to work. Pretty good rundown of the 67i here Better price here

When it turns 90 degrees the tablet also has to be turned 90 degrees to suit. There's 5 mounting holes on the thermal, 2 small ones each side like the pic above for the Picatinny mount and the one on the bottom for tripods or whatever. Currently I'm just using the bottom tripod mount screwed through the aluminium plate, quick release would be preferable. I did have it on an old tripod head but that wasn't really stable and was worse when it was up sideways. I will have a look at the links you provided, thanks. I would prefer to get the correct Picatinny mount for it but no business in Australia seems to be able to help so far, and most I've contacted couldn't even bother replying which is quite disappointing. I have no idea who the Australian importer is for Picatinny or the Guide company for that matter, searching for Picatinny stuff all that seems to come up is mounting rails for scopes etc., Nioa seems to appear top of the list in a lot of searches I've tried so I've contacted them earlier today to see if they can help. Night Vision Australia in Sydney was where I bought the thermal from and they've been zero help, despite promising multiple times to send me the part number for the Picatinny mount they have not. One of their staff I spoke to tried to convince me the "Picatinny Interface" as it's described in the Chenglish manual was an electronic interface, and didn't seem to want to believe me when I said I didn't think that's what it was for. When I asked him to explain he couldn't tell me how or what it was used for

Instead of it being mounted the normal way with the tripod mount at the bottom, I want to mount it sideways with the tripod mount on the side, rotated 90 degrees from the normal mounting position. With it held at 90 degrees or sideways it gives a better depth of view to view things on the ground up close as well as at a distance, display resolution being 1280x960, when on it's side that becomes 960 wide by 1280 deep. It's beside a roof mounted spotlight on an aluminium plate currently, using the tripod mount with it the right way up it's quite stable but the mounting thread is right at the front of the unit, I've tried using that with an angle bracket to mount it sideways but it appears there's too much weight and it won't stay in the right position. The Picatinny mount I am hoping might add more stability as there's two mounting holes each side of the unit. I could probably make something I guess, or even put a rubber block under it to support it's weight when it's mounted sideways via the tripod mount, but I thought getting the right mount that suits the mounting holes might be better. I will email Smartrest and see what they might recommend, so far every single Australian site I've emailed last weekend asking about it have not replied, which is pretty disappointing.

G'day All, Wondering if anyone knows where I might get a Picatinny mount to suit a Guide TD-210 Monocular? It's listed as an optional accessory in the very vague instruction manual that belongs to the 210, but doesn't have the part number for it. Searching the web so far has been unproductive, the place I bought it from I've asked 4 times now if they could get me the part number as they claimed when I first purchased it they don't get them in anymore, something about people ordering them then not taking them, and so far from the 4 phone calls to them about it I've had exactly zero responses, even though I've been told repeatedly they'd "email it to me". I see now they've removed all references to the TD-210 model from their website, and considering their lack of customer service in the past 6 months since the purchase, and that they're in Sydney and I'm in Western Queensland and can't just go in and sort it out over the counter, I will not deal with them again. Attempts to contact Guide Sensmart the company that makes them, China based, emails go unanswered and their web contact form always fails at the verification stage, possibly deliberately it would seem. I've emailed several Australian sites that sell Picatinny gear but none of them seem to be able to respond or help. It does have a standard tripod mount which is a single threaded hole, but I want to be able to mount it at an angle of 90 degrees, and the best way I can see to do that and make it stable on a vehicle remote mount is using the 4 screw holes already in it designed to suit the Picatinny mount. Any ideas? Thanks!

Using them every night, putting on/taking off all the time they were exceptional if they lasted 4 or 5 months. I bought 3 in about 14 months, never again. I do miss the fully adjustable output brightness at times, but only having a couple of brightness settings doesn't take long to get used to, and the extra beers I can buy with all the saved money soon reassures me I made the right decision. If it were a case of buy once & get guaranteed free lifetime repairs/replacements if they stuff up I would maybe consider spending that sort of coin for a 19R, but seeing as they wouldn't do anything about the ones I had that only lasted a few months I believe the words 'fools and their money' may be appropriate...

Nowdays I use a couple of different ones, these for smaller jobs. Get a full night out of a recharge using on the duller output, never really needed the brightest output for more than a few minutes so not sure how long they last on full brightness. If I might get wet or for bigger jobs I use one of these, adjustable focus & get nearly 2 full nights on fully charged batteries on the lower brightness setting, uses those oversized AA type batteries, a little heavier than the above one though. LED Lensers are good but not worth the money IMO, the straps not lasting was a major annoyance, especially in summer once they get perspiration on them they didn't seem to last much longer after that. Over time the wiring fails, breaking internally from constant movement. Failed straps were an easy fix, buy a cheap junk headlamp from somewhere & use it's strap on the Lenser, the wiring could be fixed also with a bit of messing around but for the prices charged for a Lenser this should be made to last as long as the LED itself I reckon.

Rarely Nick, I use mine for 3 knives 3 or 4 times a week & buy new belts on average about every 5 or 6 months. Sooner if I get lazy or don't concentrate enough on what I'm doing & don't hold the knives in the guide correctly, sometimes they catch & it chews the belts out. I use only Swibo or F.Dick & sharpen with the medium roughness belts (fine, medium & coarse available) and can do up 3 knives from blunt to good in a few minutes. Keeping the blades cool while sharpening I find important, if they get too hot it can bugger the knife up. I do one run on each side of the blade then dip in water, wipe with towel another run, water, towel etc. I used to just use a belt sander held in a vice using water to keep the blades cool before I bought the KE-280. That works well too but the 280 is better as it has the guides to keep the blade at the same angle each run.

I've got a KE-280, had it for years, worth it's weight in gold I reckon. Paid a couple of hundred for it at the time though I see now they're on e-bay for less than $100.

I've got a GPS 60, you can't load shonky maps onto it because it's not a mapping unit. You need something like a GPSMAP 60 to be able to do that.

Hey All, Thought I'd drop in & check out the site. Lived in central west QLD since the mid 80's. Cheers