+gpsblake Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 I'm on vacation out of state but just bought the Triton 300 today. I haven't had a chance to check for firmware/software updates yet. But two things I have noticed. 1) The odometer error... way overstating actual mileage 2) I noticed that you can only zero in down to 1/10th of a mile when searching for a geocache rather than the amount of feet. This to me seems to be a critical error 3) It's very hard to see the screen during the daytime without the light on. The Garmin Legend Cx does not have this problem (I had them side by side today) 4) The basemaps are getting worse and worse..... The basemap for the 300 doesn't even have any of the US Routes near my hometown. The basemap of the Meridian and Legend Cx has them... The basemap of my old Legend B*W unit even shows the state highways through my hometown. Quote Link to comment
+Evshro & son Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Initially I was reallly excited about the Triton, but what kind of company releases a promising product in such a careless manner. If I did my job like this I would be fired. I understand that in any release there are bound to be issues, and that would be fine if the company were prepared to aid all in need. It will be very interesting to see how the Garmin Colorado is received upon release. I have decided against the Triton and may pick up the Colorado. At least then I should have customer support if I need it. I was really impressed with Magellan when I picked up my Explorist 210, but things have really taken a turn for the worse. Quote Link to comment
CacheNCarryMA Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 I'm on vacation out of state but just bought the Triton 300 today. I haven't had a chance to check for firmware/software updates yet. But two things I have noticed. . . 2) I noticed that you can only zero in down to 1/10th of a mile when searching for a geocache rather than the amount of feet. This to me seems to be a critical error . . You can add the "Distance to End" bricklet to your compass or large data screen. Mine drops down to feet when close to the objective. I wonder if this was a setting in the profile? Quote Link to comment
+TheBlueDog Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Agreed... being in the web app/software biz bugs are just a know given, but after thorough testing any bugs in a released product can still be there and I can accept that. However it does seem that some of the issues that we've been finding right out of the box are not a good sign. Either the issue (speedo) was known and released anyway or the software was not thoroughly tested. Another minor thing I noticed... I went to attach the belt clip yesterday and for the life of me the screw will NOT thread into the hole. Just add that to the list. As of right now mine is on the bubble of being returned to where I purchased it. Quote Link to comment
swales Posted January 6, 2008 Author Share Posted January 6, 2008 Many of you have posted our reviews of the 400.. and indicated it is just a 300 with an SD slot.. However it seems that they are using different firmware on the two. Obviously there must be additional code included for the 400... however many of the issues... like the Profiles not working on the 400 do not have the same problems on the 300. BTW... I received an email response to my support issue about the Triton not being a support option on their website... their response is they will update the website shortly.... and they did not bother to answer any of my other questions, but referred me to phone support. Quote Link to comment
+gpsblake Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 You can add the "Distance to End" bricklet to your compass or large data screen. Mine drops down to feet when close to the objective. I wonder if this was a setting in the profile? Thank you and it worked well and zeroed me right in to a waypoint I created. However I did notice when you leave that screen, it defaults back to Current Speed and Heading for the data fields. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr I also don't like the fact that on the map screen, there are no options for data fields.... but yet on the 1500, there is..... On the positive, it appears to get a fix pretty fast and when the backlight is on, it's a really nice looking display. But the 300 is clearly a beta product that shouldn't be on the market yet but if they do fix the software bugs, this unit has good potential. Quote Link to comment
swales Posted January 17, 2008 Author Share Posted January 17, 2008 Took a trip the other day... approximately 660 miles. The battery (2500mah) lasted over 14 hours... although I did not use the interface much.. just to create a couple waypoints... so backlight was off most of the time. The battery meter was reading dead for the last 7 hours, but it was still operational. The unit did mess up once on me... I picked it up and on the map screen there was a pop that had the current time of day information... and when I pressed a button the popup changed to say "Something Goes Here"... looked like an incomplete dialog used during development. Well the unit was unresponsive after that... had to remove batteries and restart. When I got home I noticed the track log was incomplete. It only saved about 1/2 my trip... so maybe when it locked up it stopped tracking??? I submitted 2 support requests today... first was to ask why the Tritons were not listed on the Request Support page... the second request was to ask when a firmware version is to be expected. IMHO this unit is a nice toy right now... but DO NOT rely on it in the field. Too many bugs to be reliable. Just read the previous posts... I believe they will be fixed in the future... but my patients are wearing thin... the firmware release I have is over 2 months old now... it needs a patch.. and soon. Quote Link to comment
swales Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Applied Firmware Update 1.28. (1.24 was stock firmware) Here is what it seems to have improved: ----------------------------------------------- 1. Interface speed. Menus are now faster, even with 25+ waypoints and a couple routes... appears much quicker to navigate. 2. Brightness now has 10 levels... previous firmware only had 5. Brightness works correctly whereas previous had hard time when cycling through to stop on backlight off. 3. Satellite screen now shows status of satellites better (green, yellow, red). Accuracy is 14ft inside and more consistent. Here is what they DID NOT FIX: -------------------------------------- 1. Odometer.. Still off.. Took a short drive that was 11.5 miles and Triton said it was 17 miles. 2. Altimeter.. Still shows in miles when above 4000ft. (What a stupid feature.. unless you are an astronaught). 3. Tracks - Vertical Profile. This screens scrolls so slowly it is useless if you want to know an elevation for a point in time. You have to wait until you download to computer to utilize. 4. Connectivity. Says there is a File Transfer option, but it does not appear to do anything. Only VantagePoint option works. New bugs introduced: ------------------------- 1. When viewing a profile and then exit, the Profiles and Settings buttons are both highlighted. The Settings actually has focus. Not a big deal, but an interface issue. Summary ----------- Some progress was made with this firmware, however you would think Magellan would focus on the most important features... like the odometer issue. As I stated before. I would not rely on this unit in the field quite yet. It does save WayPoints and draws a decent Trail, but if you rely on the odometer you will surely be lost. Quote Link to comment
+TheBlueDog Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I haven't done the firmware update yet, and actually had mine back in the box to be returned. Wonder if I should hold off. I was debating on just returning it for another 300 so at least I could extend my window to return the unit if Magellan doesn't fix these issues. Anyone know if there are similar issues with the 1500/2000 units? Is it worth the sacrifice of the extra bucks to get the higher end unit? Quote Link to comment
+Marky Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I haven't done the firmware update yet, and actually had mine back in the box to be returned. Wonder if I should hold off. I was debating on just returning it for another 300 so at least I could extend my window to return the unit if Magellan doesn't fix these issues. Anyone know if there are similar issues with the 1500/2000 units? Is it worth the sacrifice of the extra bucks to get the higher end unit? There are similar/more issues with the 2000. I'm not sure about the 1500. I know the 2000 is behind the curve on updates. I'm giving Magellan one more update before I decide if I should return my 2000. --Marky Quote Link to comment
+Redwoods Mtn Biker Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 I'm giving Magellan one more update before I decide if I should return my 2000. Kinda wish I could return my 1500 but it came from NewEgg. Plus, I guess I should hang on to it for testing and blogging about, in case they really keep improving the firmware. But I have to wonder how much I'll actually use it. Maybe it will stay in the pack and be pulled out to confirm location on those nice NG maps. I expect I'll use something else in hand for navigation, like the Colorado 300 due to arrive today. Quote Link to comment
+mattlikesbikes Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Kinda wish I could return my 1500 but it came from NewEgg. Plus, I guess I should hang on to it for testing and blogging about, in case they really keep improving the firmware. But I have to wonder how much I'll actually use it. Maybe it will stay in the pack and be pulled out to confirm location on those nice NG maps. I expect I'll use something else in hand for navigation, like the Colorado 300 due to arrive today. I wish i could return my 1500 also . But I am in the same boat with newegg I think I am going to wait on the Colorado for a little. Maybe Magellan will get their act together if not ebay the 1500 and a get the pricey Colorado Quote Link to comment
+TheBlueDog Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 I think my plan will be to return the 300 for another one, at least I can extend the return period for another 30 days and wait for another round of updates. I thought about going to the Colorado, but it looks like people are have just as many, if not more issues with those. Quote Link to comment
swales Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 Took my 300 on an airplane ride the other day... that was fun... I was unable to get a signal (green), until I held it up to the window for about 30 seconds... then she locked in... As long as I was 6 inches or so from the window I got constant data. It was neat to see that I was flying at 552 mpg... at a height of 37000 ft. I could tell when we started decending... and could see it was at a rate of 1000 ft per minute. Also because I set a waypoint at the airport we were returning to I could see how far out we were... and the included map has enough data so I could see what city the light out the window were. Also I just upgraded batteries to 2650 mah... what a difference they make over 2500 mah... What have I learned recently on the 300..... 1. Save your current data... BEFORE replacing the batteries. If you have not saved your current track.. it is lost... makes sense... but stinks when you forget. 2. If you save Trails there doesn't seem to be a way to delete them in the unit... you have to clear all memory. Trails can take up alot of memory... so I cleared memory, then connected to computer to put my waypoints and routes back on. Hope they fix this in future. 3. Now have 10 levels of backlight... what a waste... only really need about 3... you have to click alot to turn it off... better just to set settings to auto off in 60 seconds or so. 4. Sometimes unit is fast... sometimes slow as far as the menu's go... not sure why. I thought maybe it had to do with most of the RAM being consume... but still unpredictable when memory cleared... 5. Still hate the Altimeter changing to Miles when above 4000ft... however if you want the current altitude... just click to create a waypoint... you can see your altitude in feet... just abort the save... so you don't end up with a bunch of useless waypoints. 6. Odometer is better with 1.28 firmware... but still WAY off. however I think it still gets you to your destination when geocaching, or to a waypoint pretty well. Just don't rely on odometer to figure out how far you traveled that day... transfer data to VantagePoint and it will be correct there. Quote Link to comment
swales Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 (edited) Did some Power usage testing on the 300. I connected a ammeter between the batteries to see what power usage the unit took under the different backlight conditions... Here are the results. Please note that my ammeter only shows to tens place... so as you see in Level 5 to 6 it shows same... but 6 took more... just un-measureable by my meter. Also the numbers would bounce between say 220 and 230 on Level 9... so these are just good estimates. No Backlight 90 - 100 ma Level 1 - 150 ma Level 2 - 170 ma Level 3 - 180 ma Level 4 - 190 ma Level 5 - 200 ma Level 6 - 200 ma Level 7 - 210 ma Level 8 - 220 ma Level 9 - 230 ma So with a good set of 2650 batteries you should get 10 hours at highest backlight... if you could use all of juice in battery... but we all know that don't happen.. If no backlight you could get 24 hours or so... I have gotten close to 24 hours with unit on and no backlight... Edited February 10, 2008 by swales Quote Link to comment
+KCL777 Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 I also have a 500 and can echo many of the same items listed in the previous reviews. The four way switch (joystick) stopped working after a week of use. Left/Right and down would work but would not scroll up. I called Magellan service and was ablt to get right through. The unit is now in Ft Worth being fixed. Quote Link to comment
+KCL777 Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 (edited) Double Post, sorry. Firewall issues Edited February 13, 2008 by KCL777 Quote Link to comment
swales Posted March 11, 2008 Author Share Posted March 11, 2008 New firware is available... 1.45... download through VantagePoint. After update unit says: Firmware Version, Date 1,45,0,129, 2008/02/29 Shell version,Date 1.14, Feb 14 2008 Sirf Version,Date GSW3.2.4 What appears to be fixed... 1. Finally the altimeter will read in Feet instead of Miles... Before when you got above 4000ft the unit switched to displaying in Miles. Only way to see Feet was to create a Waypoint. 2. There is now a circular progress meter that displays when you are waiting for something to load. 3. When selecting a point.. or Waypoint displayed on the main map there is an option to GOTO that will draw a route to the waypoint. Don't remember if this was in earlier firmware. 4. When cycling through Page/GoTo screens the Current Location is displayed at the top.. so you don't have to use one of your user selectable fields to see Long/Lat. 5. On the GoTo - WayPoint the options for Select Waypoint now seem to work... Nearest, Date Added, Name, and Search. 6. Create Waypoint can now be done in 6 clicks. They moved the OK (check button) to the top when you create a WayPoint so you don't have to arrow down to the bottom... hey it saves 3 or 4 clicks!!! What doesn't appear to be fixed... 1. On the GoTo - Places the option to Search for a place never returns anything. 2. Still cannot delete a Trail or Track individually. You have to clear the units memory. Trails and Tracks consume alot of memory.. so this would be a nice option to have. 3. When you went into a screen to rename an item it used to default to the delete (backspace) button.. which was REALLY nice... now you have to arrow down to get to it.... hope they change this back. Other 1. Be sure to set your Owner information (Settings- About - Owner) after the firmware upgrade... it gets wiped when you update. 2. Backlight levels... There are 9 of them.. the original firmware had about 5 levels... wish they would go back to that. There is no need for 9 levels... a Off, Low, Med, High would be enough. Untested - Things I haven't tested yet. 1. Odometer... did they finally fix this... will have to take a ride to find out. Thats it for now... Quote Link to comment
swales Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 I was able to test the Odometer.. and it now seems right on... Quote Link to comment
swales Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 OK... it's official... the Triton 300 is a Piece of SHI$.. I discovered that if you fill the memory... the unit will freeze and you will NOT get it back... at least with the latest firmware. Earlier firmwares you could 'play' with it and get it back... now all I get is a blank screen... I see the battery bar and no sat signals... everything else is blank. Does anybody know how to 'clear' the memory.. the Select-ESC-Power On only resets it (like removing batteries), but does not clear memory... Quote Link to comment
+tangative Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 OK... it's official... the Triton 300 is a Piece of SHI$.. I discovered that if you fill the memory... the unit will freeze and you will NOT get it back... at least with the latest firmware. Earlier firmwares you could 'play' with it and get it back... now all I get is a blank screen... I see the battery bar and no sat signals... everything else is blank. Does anybody know how to 'clear' the memory.. the Select-ESC-Power On only resets it (like removing batteries), but does not clear memory... Were you able to reset your unit yet? Quote Link to comment
swales Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 (edited) OK... it's official... the Triton 300 is a Piece of SHI$.. I discovered that if you fill the memory... the unit will freeze and you will NOT get it back... at least with the latest firmware. Earlier firmwares you could 'play' with it and get it back... now all I get is a blank screen... I see the battery bar and no sat signals... everything else is blank. Does anybody know how to 'clear' the memory.. the Select-ESC-Power On only resets it (like removing batteries), but does not clear memory... Were you able to reset your unit yet? Nope its dead... tried everything. Vantage Point wont connect and trying a firmware install also wont connect... says it cant identify unit... the unit flashes the computer symbol... but it never connects. Magellan said to send it back... I think that is a great idea... send back to the store I bought it and buy something else. The frustrating part is I know it is just a software issue... If I could get the darn thing to flash I could probably resurrect it... at least for the time being... wonder how Magellan will fix it when it get returned? They need to post the low-level formatting tool so we can fix our own. Edited March 26, 2008 by swales Quote Link to comment
swales Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 OK... it's official... the Triton 300 is a Piece of SHI$.. I discovered that if you fill the memory... the unit will freeze and you will NOT get it back... at least with the latest firmware. Earlier firmwares you could 'play' with it and get it back... now all I get is a blank screen... I see the battery bar and no sat signals... everything else is blank. Does anybody know how to 'clear' the memory.. the Select-ESC-Power On only resets it (like removing batteries), but does not clear memory... Were you able to reset your unit yet? Nope its dead... tried everything. Vantage Point wont connect and trying a firmware install also wont connect... says it cant identify unit... the unit flashes the computer symbol... but it never connects. Magellan said to send it back... I think that is a great idea... send back to the store I bought it and buy something else. Quote Link to comment
swales Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 BTW.. the odometer is not fixed... it is still off... took a 50 mile trip... Triton said 37 miles..... it seemed close on short trip... couple miles.. but that was too short to really tell. Quote Link to comment
swales Posted March 29, 2008 Author Share Posted March 29, 2008 Well... no more Triton 300... luckily the store I purchased it from allowed me to return it for a full refund. Disapointing as I had high hopes for this unit... but it just isn't ready for production yet... So.... what to purchase now??? hmmm been thinking of the Garmin 60Csx... I have figured I want an expandable unit (unlike the Triton 300).. I was always running it out of memory... I like the color screen.. I need a high sensative receiver as I use in the mountains and trees alot. Any recommendations? Thanks. Quote Link to comment
Baumer Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 If you could put up with a Triton for 3 months, you'd be able to deal with the Colorado's minor issues no problem Quote Link to comment
NewZealand Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Well... no more Triton 300... luckily the store I purchased it from allowed me to return it for a full refund. Disapointing as I had high hopes for this unit... but it just isn't ready for production yet... So.... what to purchase now??? hmmm been thinking of the Garmin 60Csx... I have figured I want an expandable unit (unlike the Triton 300).. I was always running it out of memory... I like the color screen.. I need a high sensative receiver as I use in the mountains and trees alot. Any recommendations? Thanks. If you want a serious outdoor unit, take the 60 CSX, currently Garmins best GPS, by far, followed closely by the Vista HCX.If you can wait at least 12 months, try the Colorado then, and look if it also became a serious outdoor unit at that time. Quote Link to comment
+Evshro & son Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I second the Colorado. Swales, you seem like the type that wouldn't mind having a brand new unit that still needs some upgrades as long as it works. I have been very happy with mine.....IMOH the only issue that really bothers me is the freeze ups on various caches when using the paperless caching option. I am sure another firmware update will come out soon, and Garmin has been very responsive to my e-mails. I almost bought the Triton a few months ago but waited just a bit....glad I did. Quote Link to comment
+bpcooper14 Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 The Delorme PN-20 is a solid unit with great maps and the ability to overlay a number of other map types that are downloadable. And right now Delorme is running a special that prices the unit at $299.95. And a 30 day return gives you the opportunity to test it out and ensure it works as advertised. I've had mine for a couple of months, replaced an explorist 500 and have been pleasantly surprised with no complaints. Quote Link to comment
swales Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 Not sure I want to spend the $$$ on a Colorado... Garmin seems to be VERY proud of that unit... that was one reason I bought the Triton... unfortunately it just didn't hold up.... I would like to stay under $300... I see the 60CSx and Vista HCx are in that ballpark. Quote Link to comment
swales Posted November 24, 2008 Author Share Posted November 24, 2008 Here the update on what I decided to do... I was thinking of getting either the Etrex Vista HCx or 60Csx... After reading all the issues with the Colorado's and Oregon's... I figured I would stay away from them. Plus the low battery life just wasn't for me. Then I starting reading about the Delorme models... people seemed pretty happy with them... and their employees ACTUALLY read and respond to these forums... sounds like good customer support to me... So I went ahead and ordered a Delorme PN-40. I hope it is as good as it reviews. Also I just discovered there is a $50 rebate going on... so that put it cheaper than the Garmins.. around $280 shipped... The other thing that really helped make my decision was that it came with Topo maps and Street maps.... nobody else is doing that right now... and I was intrigued to see I could download aerial photo maps to it... You can bet I will run the Delorme through the same types of tests I ran the Triton through... Guess I will need to start a new thread for that one. Thanks for all the help and listening to my complaints.. This is a great forum and the user community is a big help. Quote Link to comment
+embra Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 (edited) With the discounted retail price and the rebate, there's a heck of a lot of GPS and software in the PN-40 package for that price. I think you'll love it...be sure to let us know if you have any questions as you get it up and running. Edit: looks like the rebate doesn't apply with your particular purchase; see my post here. Edited November 24, 2008 by embra Quote Link to comment
+Jhwk Posted November 24, 2008 Share Posted November 24, 2008 Wow, this thread died faster than a hooker in Vegas - baby! Quote Link to comment
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