A GPS, like any other piece of electronic equipment, needs to be stored properly for years of use. Many times a person decides they no longer need the GPS and will put it away in case they need it in the future. Then several months later they may find that they have stored their unit wrong and it has lower performance or none at all because it was stored improperly.

When it comes to how to store a GPS when not in use, most the answers are pretty straight forward. The first and foremost answer is to avoid extreme heat and cold. Unless a car GPS is being used everyday, the car is a bad place to keep the GPS unit. Depending on locale, the inside of a car can get up to 140 or 160 degrees when closed up during the summer months. This temperature change can occur within a few hours. The inner workings of the GPS may survive OK, but the plastic case can start to separate under these extreme conditions.

The best place for the GPS is in the house. The temperatures in the home are perfect for electronic equipment. If the original packaging was kept for the GPS, the cardboard case that was in the package and held the unit is good for keeping other stored items away from the sensitive touch screen. The hard corner of just one heavy box can damage the GPS screen.

How to store a GPS when not in use is an excellent question. If the owner is not going to use the unit more than once a week, they should bring the GPS inside and store it safely in a drawer where it can be gotten to easily and still stay safe. If the GPS is used everyday and a person finds it inconvenient to carry it in and out of the house everyday, then they should place the unit under the cars seat or in the glove box to avoid being kept in direct sunlight. Most GPS units are up to the challenge when it comes to storage, but proper storing of the unit can add years to the life of the GPS.