jsarche
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Posts posted by jsarche
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I've got a couple of questions about img map files. I understand how it would be useful to have multiple img files on my Colorado (which had all kinds of problems running the 2.94 beta but appears fine with 2.95), but I don't know how to produce them. Mapsource produces (if I recall correctly) map files with a gdb extension.
How do we obtain img files, or convert gdb to img? And once we have the img files, should they be loaded into the "garmin" folder on the Colorado?
Thanks in advance.
Jon
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I take them caching!
Find three or four local caches of different types then sit down and talk. After finding the first give them the GPS and a quick drill and let them take you to the second. Great advice in the posts above but nothing will get the game across like actually doing it, and since that will be a natural environment for you relaxation and spontaneous conversation will be easier.
As a 15-year former wire service reporter, I heartily recommend following Rambler's advice. Don't just sit in a coffee shop and talk, ask the reporter and photographer to drive with you to a couple of decent caches nearby. They'll get a much better feel for our hobby/sport/obsession, and the photographer will actually have something to do.
By the way, also as a former reporter, I can give you a few other tips: I'd advise against asking for questions in advance. Conversations never follow those kind of written pathways, and it could look a bit suspicious to the reporter. Also, don't ask to review the story before it's published -- very, very, very few newspapers will allow that anyway.
For the interview, if you don't know an answer, tell the truth, but offer to help with research to find an answer. Never lie. If you're at all uncomfortable with any of the questions, it's your right to decline to answer, but it's also good form to try to explain why you don't want to answer.
Treat it as a conversation, not an interview, and it should be fun.
Best,
Jon
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Colorado 400t is sold. Thanks!
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One more price drop, then I hit the auction sites: $375 shipped anywhere in CONUS.
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Has anyone been able to figure out how to go back to the last non-beta release, the 2.90 version?
My 400t went crazy when I tried to upgrade to the 2.94 release. It wouldn't read more than one .gpx file (I had three of them loaded up, and none of them were more than about 3 MB). I lost all my settings, profiles and waypoints -- it seems to have completely reverted to the default settings, and now whenever I power up, it defaults to the waypoint manager screen. Another problem: I haven't been able to transfer any waypoints from the latest version of Garmin MapSource.
I did try to go down to the 2.92 beta, but that didn't seem to help.
If anyone knows how to revert back to the 2.90 version, I'd love to hear how to do it.
Thanks in advance,
Jon
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Price drop to $400.
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BA 8110 / 2037 connecting through London?
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Up for sale is an almost brand-new Garmin Colorado 400t with the 2008 version of Garmin's City Navigator North America DVD, providing turn-by-turn directions and the capability to search for addresses -- right on the GPS unit and on the fly. Also included -- and installed -- is ZAGG's very high-quality screen protector.
This GPS might as well be coming straight from the store with the latest firmware update and the street maps. Everything you'd get with a new Colorado 400t is in this box. Here's the story: I bought a 400t and the City Navigator maps in June 2008 and have never had any problems with it. I in fact had a great time with it -- right up until I dropped it screen-down on a sharp rock. And that happened just a couple days before a planned road trip to Yellowstone National Park. Well, I couldn't make that trip without my trusty 400t, so figuring I could get my original one repaired, I bought a new one.
The unit I'm selling -- the one pictured below -- is a replacement unit Garmin sent me after I sent in my original 400t for repair. Please note that this is NOT a repaired unit, it is a different serial number than my original. Garmin allowed me to transfer the license to the City Navigator maps to this unit, and it's working perfectly.
I can provide higher-resolution photos upon request. Please note that what looks like a scratch on the screen in the close-up shot is a flaw in the screen-protector, not the screen itself. The screen itself is absolutely unscratched underneath the screen protector, which will peel off easily if desired.
I'm asking $450, and I prefer PayPal.
Thanks for looking.
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Some units like the eTrex series and GPSMAP's have clear plastic layers over the screen that can be replaced fairly easily and cheaper than paying and sending the unit in. Sorry to say, it sounds like the display on yours is toasted. At least you were able to backup your data.I can see two layers of cracks, so I guess the right answer is yes (I didn't know one layer was plastic). The screen brightens up when I power it on, but it doesn't display anything. There's just a big black dot on the screen centered on the impact point. I've seen ruined lcd screens before, and that's what happened here. The good news is that it still works fine as a USB mass storage device, so I was able to back up my data to my computer.
I'll post a photo in a little while.
Yep, I think it's safe to say it's toasted:
(I forgot to mention: I was using the ZAGG Invisible Shield, which I put on within days of buying the unit last June. I highly recommend it. Despite pretty heavy use including several hiking, backpacking, scrambling-up-mountain and those kinds of trips, the screen has absolutely no scratches on it. In fact, I've already ordered another one for when I get this fixed. And no, I have no connection whatsoever to the company. It's just a good product.)
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Rich has most likely had more dealing with their customer service, I myself, only the one time. I wasn't in any type of a rush as I also ended up getting fragged and was on the heal at the time. I was surprised that they replaced the unit after all that time, I was more than willing to pay for the parts and do it myself. Three days isn't a very good turn around for email, and not getting a reply even worse... Best of luck with your situation. Is the screen itself damaged or is the clear plastic screen cover broken?
I can see two layers of cracks, so I guess the right answer is yes (I didn't know one layer was plastic). The screen brightens up when I power it on, but it doesn't display anything. There's just a big black dot on the screen centered on the impact point. I've seen ruined lcd screens before, and that's what happened here. The good news is that it still works fine as a USB mass storage device, so I was able to back up my data to my computer.
I'll post a photo in a little while.
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Thanks, everybody -- it's good to hear good things about customer service at Garmin. I'll see what they say when I call on Tuesday and let you know. The unit is still under warranty (for about another month), but this is clearly not a defect in manufacturing. Actually, the Colorado never gave me any problems besides the very occasional lockup that forced me to remove the batteries and restart. It's been a great companion on a lot of different kinds of trips, so I'm looking forward to having it back up and working again.
Oh, and on the e-mail issue, the last time I sent in an e-mail, I got a response within three days. I didn't think that was acceptable. I'll definitely work on getting through by phone.
Thanks again -- have a great holiday weekend, everyone.
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I hope nobody has had to have that kind of service, but if anybody has, I'd appreciate hearing how it went. I killed my Colorado 400t today by dropping it on a sharp rock. Yep, just like buttered toast, it just had to land screen-down. The screen is completely ruined.
Garmin product support is closed for the long weekend, so I figured I'd check around here to see what experiences people have had with their repair service. Any idea on what this might cost me? Any idea how long it might take?
I'd appreciate hearing whatever you all have to say.
Thanks,
Jon
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What do you do when you find a TB in a cache, but the TB is listed on the site as "in the hands of the owner." Apparently, the owner put the physical TB in a cache but didn't report doing that. Another cacher then found the TB, logged it as "discovered," and moved it to another cache. I picked it up out of that cache this weekend and am not sure now what to do with it (I've already flown home about 1,200 miles away from the cache).
I've e-mailed the owner to see about trying to re-create this TB's path so far, but haven't heard back from him. I've also posted a "discovered" log. I notice there's an option to grab a TB from the hands of the owner, but I'm not sure about the etiquette on that.
Any advice?
Thanks in advance.
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I had similar problems. I've gotten around them, though, using a USB cradle.
When you tell GSAK to export a GPX file for Cachemate, don't let it put the file in the Palm Quick Install program; just hit cancel at that point. Then run Palm Desktop as an administrator and drop your GPX file in at that point. Then run Hotsync as an administrator (I've got it set so it doesn't run automatically when Vista starts up) and sync the handheld. This is the only way I've gotten it to work reliably with my system (Vista 32 bit, Palm Tungsten T3).
Sorry if this is too obvious for the more experienced users.
Good luck!
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Thanks -- The answer was on that page; I must have simply missed it when I looked before.
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I've searched the Garmin Colorado wiki (http://garmincolorado.wikispaces.com/) and these forums but haven't found an answer to what may be a dumb question. And I apologize in advance if the question's been asked and answered.
If I plug my Colorado in with a cigarette-lighter power cord while in my car, will the unit stop taking power from the batteries, or will it take power from both sources? A corollary: If I power the unit through the cigarette-lighter adapter, do I need to take the batteries out?
Again, sorry if it's been asked and answered, and thanks in advance for any help.
Jon
Colorado firmware 2.95 Beta
in GPS technology and devices
Posted
Thank you! So if I want multiple img files, I would have to send them to the Colorado that way, then remove them, rename them on my computer and reload them in the Garmin folder? I guess it's not all that clunky for the convenience of having multiple img files, but there's no easier way?