kentwoodkrew

Naughty software! Stop double posting.

"On a different note - I don't know if this a a GPSr or map issue: I was using the unit going to work this morning, and the unit would not lock on to roads. I had that setting turned on, and it was consistently showing me off the road by 30-40 feet both ways. WAAS is enabled, and my satellite lock was excellent, along with a very nice day. " Hi. I have a venture hc with topo 2008 maps. On the way to work I see myself doing some intense 4 wheeling a good 100 or 200 feet off the highway. I must have a hell of a suspension system. If I take the back way I am tearing up a lot of peoples yards and smashing into apartment buildings. I end up parked in the woods about 1/2 a mile from work. The GPSr doesn't lie does it? Topo 2008 ain't great.

Has anyone out there made their own maps for the explorist line from available data? What about using the gis data at data.geocomm.com? Can other formats such as USGS or garmin actually be converted? I have looked at some yahoo groups but they were not very helpful. It's a dead subject. I would like some pointers from someone who has actually done it. I have mmo, oziexplorer, and global mapper available but I don't know much about them. Thanks.

Hello there. Just thought I would say I would be glad to send you a garmin venture hc and maps cds and provide any help needed. If all works you can slide the krew say $100 if it works.

I am always glad to learn something so can you point me the way. I llke the maps but the color drives me crazy i

I love my new to me garmin venture hc but the topo 2008 gives me a pause. The background low contrast yellow color sucks. Am I missing something or can I improve the map view?

A member of the krew has a new pn-20 and we would like to check it out over the holidays . Unfortunately it is kicking our butts. It finally has some good looking topo 7.0 maps showing. Now how do we easily add waypoints or geocaches. Now remember we are old geezers raised on explorist xls and we could barely figure out downloading to venture hc. We have to use reading glasses just to see such a small screen. Please help.

Bought a used PN-20. Topo install cd did not work. I would be glad to trade street atlas 2009 for topo insall Thanks

First off shoot the magellan execs not yourself. Then piss on the software for upload maps. It never worked for me. Have you managed to create the detail map you want. I think you have. It should be a .imi file. It should be in the folder "C:\Program Files\Magellan\MapSend Topo 3D USA\Export\Images" If not just search for it. Now right click and copy. You need to paste it into the detail map folder of your sd card. Look here for more info on that: http://www.gpsfaqs.org/faqs/magellan/explorist/exploristxl/ I will be glad to offer more help later but the hour is late.

;^) You're lucky, a quick and merciful death, no more waiting for a reprieve that may never come. ;^) I don't think I'm ready to kill mine yet, maybe come May I'll dissect it, but not before (even though Maggie already pithed it to a certain extent) . . . Sorry Norm Maybe it was hubris. I got waas back. I could do anything. But my buddy still had better accuracy. I'll show him. I'll make it better, stronger, or at least scratchless. The gods punished me. When I put it back together the positive wire with no copper showing on its end somehow made contact with the chunk of metal that the ground wire attaches to. I decide to hook it up to the computer to see if it is ok other than the lack of battery power. I turn it on and out comes smoke. The smell of burning wire insulation in the morning does not smell like victory. But what a nice doorstop.

I opened up my explorist xl to see if changing the scratched screen was possible. Bad move. I put it back together and it didn't start up. Turns out I pulled off the positive battery wire and I cannot figure where it attached to the circuit board. There is no stub or obvious solder point Are there any pictures or diagrams available? Any ideas?

The explorist xl is now an older magellan unit. Only used units operating before 7/31/07 pick up waas sats, maybe. If you bought one new after that you ain't got waas. If anyone is interested I will post how I fixed my explorist xl. I would need somewhere to upload the 14mb euro firmware update for all to use. In the mean time study up at the following site to learn about useful service functions you will need. http://rhamphorinkx.newmail.ru/sf.htm

My friend the former geology major wants to know what kind of rock he is standing on. I told him there are definitely none ready to go for his explorist xl but he doesn't believe me. Is there anything available for any GPSr(he might buy a new one). I don't know anything about making maps. Might it be possible for any GPSr?

That sounds like the software detected that the format of CRITMEM.MEM was wrong for its platform or version and re-wrote the default values. If they are storing the binary information in a way that's close enough to the original WAAS almanac messages, I might be able to poke around in those files and find something to tweak. If anyone's interested, I can send you my email address. But if it has some kind of checksum or security/integrity protection in there, I'm probably out of my league. I forgot that my friends explorist xl had the original firmware and I had updated mine to the latest 2006 version. That may have made a difference with the critmem.mem replacement. Good luck with your tinkering and let me know if you ever fix it for meridians. I don't have one but I would love to see it done.

I tried replacing the CRITMEM.MEM and FIRMWARE.BIN files with versions from my friends Explorist XL but it did not work. The old and new CRITMEM.MEM files were of different size. After restarting the file was always back to it's old size. The european firmware update 1.55 fixed the problem for me. Good luck.

Also an XL owner said he had luck w/ a secret service menu [95] (NAND clear), and reloaded his basemap (as that gets wiped), then reloaded the Euro firmware upgrade, and got WAAS back. He also stated that he loaded the Rev. 9.2.10 firmware, but wasn't specific about WAAS after that particular incarnation. YES YES YES Installing the 1.55 euro firmware worked for me. I've got Waas! Is there any reason I should try installing the 9.2.10 NA firmware over it? Do I gain or lose anything? Hey Magellan you couldn't tell us this! The fix is in the european software but you can't slip it into a little program for NA. Actually I feel sorry for your employees. Magellan delenda est.

Oh please stop giving me hope! The fact that my buddy's exact same unit can get much better accuracy just makes me mad at the company that won't do me right. If Magellan fixed this problem right now right fast I might consider buying from them again. As they will not I would love to get a fix, tell them to shove it and always buy from someone else. Magellan delenda est!

Magellan's tech support number: 800 707 9971 I don't know if they have actually engaged in any fraud but it might be useful mention it when you call.

While geocaching only chiggers and ticks. Actually saw my first chigger this summer. A bright red tiny tickish thing that packed a terrible itch. I put him between a rock and a hard place in revenge. I have run in to other nasty things in my youth but I have not even had a big problem with mossies since I started geocaching.

Sorry, I left after posting my new message and apparently there was a problem. Anyway, as of 8/1/07 Magellan Explorist xl firmware points you towards satellites that no longer transmit waas info. . Other than getting new firmware(not available) the only way the GPSr can find new waas satellites is by getting info from a waas satellite which you can't access. So much for "TrueFix® technology" with two waas channels and "Reliable accuracy to within 3 meters". Hence my exaggerated but useful charge of fraud. If all this is not so please let me know and tell me how to fix the problem. Please see my previous recent post for background. I would like to hear from anyone who bought a NEW explorist xl after 7/31/07 in the USA. Do you have waas? The easiest way to check is to look for "waas" appearing above the accuracy number in the position screen. If you want to go further you can use the service function as detailed here: http://www.gpsfaqs.org/faqs/magellan/explo...documented.html You will probably find it looking for a satellite #122 which ain't working no more. I would like to here from people to add to my ammunition when I go over the heads of the unfortunate low level tech support guys. If you have this problem call in too and nicely go over their heads. This should be a very minor change in firmware code. If Magellan cannot do this they are pathetic.

Yikes! What stupidity. I can confirm that replacing the critmem.mem file did not work. As far as I can see Magellan has engaged in false advertising since 7/31/07. No explorist xl purchased after that can use waas. I am mad. How hard could it be to change a few numbers in the program and recompile. I think this company wants to commit suicide. I am going to make sure they hear me loud and clear

A few things I should add. Yes the satellites marked with a W are visible on the screen. In a side by side comparison with the exact same model my friend gets the waas information I do not. Magellan says to do a restart. I have done that several times already. I am at a loss. Does anyone know anything about the service function or have any other ideas?

I bought a used explorist xl and waas is not working. My buddy has the same model and is getting much better accuracy. His accuracy indicator shows waas in use. I tried the service funtion 03 and it now shows Fast,Long, and Iono are turned on. Any ideas about the problem?