I've got a 3+ year old Garmin forerunner 301 that's having some technical issues, specifically the port used to recharge the battery and load data to the computer appears to be wearing out. Accomplishing either of these tasks is a matter of wriggling the connection cord around to the perfect angle, or when charging the battery positioning the Forerunner at the perfect angle to maintain contact until the battery is recharged. I've tried cleaning the usb port, but it appears to be only a matter of time before the port is useless.
I'm thinking about sending it back for repair, but the minimum service charge is $79 plus shipping. I know I can find a replacement 301 on-line for not much more than that, and I've seen prices listed for the 305 at around $155. All my spare cash these days goes to home renovation projects so I'm trying to be sensible (cheap). What I'm wondering is if this usb port issue is just the start of a series of problems that might require repair over the next year or two. Anyone have any idea of what the life span of a Forerunner 301 is? I've tried googling but found no useful information.