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Vista HCX Trip Odometer FIx?

sli23sli

By sli23sli
in GPS technology and devices

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sli23sli

+sli23sli

Posted
Posted

I just spoke to Garmin Tech support this morning (40 min wait) and they told me that there is a fix for the Vista HCX odometer problem. It will be chipset update 2.5. They said it would be on the My Garmin site soon. Maybe it'll work. They also told me that the software version 2.5 fix fixed the momentary backlight coming on then going off when you initially power up. The fix is that the backligh does not come on when you power up untill you click twice. FYI. Sli23sli

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Mojoski

+Mojoski

Posted
Posted

I just spoke to Garmin Tech support this morning (40 min wait) and they told me that there is a fix for the Vista HCX odometer problem. It will be chipset update 2.5. They said it would be on the My Garmin site soon. Maybe it'll work. They also told me that the software version 2.5 fix fixed the momentary backlight coming on then going off when you initially power up. The fix is that the backligh does not come on when you power up untill you click twice. FYI. Sli23sli

 

That is good news! Has anyone tried it yet? If so, let us know what you see and if you think the issue is really fixed..

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Rhialto

Rhialto

Posted
Posted (edited)

Just updated to 2.50 and the backlight fix is that previously if you pressed the backlight in the 1st 2 welcome screens, the backlight was going off after those and you had again to press the backlight button to have backlight.

 

Now you can press the backlight button right from start and it will remain on, even after the welcome screen.

 

I can't wait to read the changes in v2.50 of chipset.

Edited by Rhialto
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bubnme

bubnme

Posted
Posted

Just updated to 2.50 and the backlight fix is that previously if you pressed the backlight in the 1st 2 welcome screens, the backlight was going off after those and you had again to press the backlight button to have backlight.

 

Now you can press the backlight button right from start and it will remain on, even after the welcome screen.

 

I can't wait to read the changes in v2.50 of chipset.

 

So there will be a 2.5 update for the chip to compliment the 2.5 update for the software?

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Chuy!

+Chuy!

Posted
Posted (edited)

...They also told me that the software version 2.5 fix fixed the momentary backlight coming on then going off when you initially power up. The fix is that the backligh does not come on when you power up untill you click twice. FYI. Sli23sli

 

Oh man, I liked that function 'cause in the dark the backlight tells me the GPS is powering up. I sometimes don't push hard enough on the on-button.

 

I never had the odometer problem; I hope the fix don't mess it up for me. :P

Edited by Chuy!
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bubnme

bubnme

Posted
Posted

...They also told me that the software version 2.5 fix fixed the momentary backlight coming on then going off when you initially power up. The fix is that the backligh does not come on when you power up untill you click twice. FYI. Sli23sli

 

Oh man, I liked that function 'cause in the dark the backlight tells me the GPS is powering up. I sometimes don't push hard enough on the on-button.

 

I never had the odometer problem; I hope the fix don't mess it up for me. :P

 

I like the light coming on intially also...

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orum

+orum

Posted
Posted

While I also like the initial backlight coming on (that was removed in version 2.50 of the Vista HCx software), one disadvantage was if you were in a low battery state.

 

If the unit is on, and you get to a low battery state and attempt to turn the backlight on, you get a message on the screen to the effect that the batteries are too low to turn on the backlight. However, the unit will stay on and continue to work.

 

If you shut the unit off at this point, and then turn it on, when the backlight comes on during power up the unit shuts off. With the change in 2.50 the unit will power up and can still be used for a while. This is handy if you don't have any spare batteries with you.

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bubnme

bubnme

Posted
Posted (edited)

I just spoke to Garmin Tech support this morning (40 min wait) and they told me that there is a fix for the Vista HCX odometer problem. It will be chipset update 2.5. They said it would be on the My Garmin site soon. Maybe it'll work. They also told me that the software version 2.5 fix fixed the momentary backlight coming on then going off when you initially power up. The fix is that the backligh does not come on when you power up untill you click twice. FYI. Sli23sli

 

I just got off the phone with Garmin. The Chipset 2.5 update is available through them if you call. They said the testing is complete and got approval from the manager to send it to customers by email until it is posted on the "MY Garmin" website. The process seemed simple enough to run. You unzip it to your desktop and take the RGN file and place it over the exe file to automatically run after your unit is plugged in. The rep said to make sure you update to the software 2.5 version before you run this chipset 2.5 version. I have it on my desktop as I am writing this post.

Edited by bubnme
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FiveNines

FiveNines

Posted
Posted

I just spoke to Garmin Tech support this morning (40 min wait) and they told me that there is a fix for the Vista HCX odometer problem. It will be chipset update 2.5. They said it would be on the My Garmin site soon. Maybe it'll work. They also told me that the software version 2.5 fix fixed the momentary backlight coming on then going off when you initially power up. The fix is that the backligh does not come on when you power up untill you click twice. FYI. Sli23sli

 

I just got off the phone with Garmin. The Chipset 2.5 update is available through them if you call. They said the testing is complete and got approval from the manager to send it to customers by email until it is posted on the "MY Garmin" website. The process seemed simple enough to run. You unzip it to your desktop and take the RGN file and place it over the exe file to automatically run after your unit is plugged in. The rep said to make sure you update to the software 2.5 version before you run this chipset 2.5 version. I have it on my desktop as I am writing this post.

Can you post it somewhere where we can download it and try it out?

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bubnme

bubnme

Posted
Posted

I just spoke to Garmin Tech support this morning (40 min wait) and they told me that there is a fix for the Vista HCX odometer problem. It will be chipset update 2.5. They said it would be on the My Garmin site soon. Maybe it'll work. They also told me that the software version 2.5 fix fixed the momentary backlight coming on then going off when you initially power up. The fix is that the backligh does not come on when you power up untill you click twice. FYI. Sli23sli

 

I just got off the phone with Garmin. The Chipset 2.5 update is available through them if you call. They said the testing is complete and got approval from the manager to send it to customers by email until it is posted on the "MY Garmin" website. The process seemed simple enough to run. You unzip it to your desktop and take the RGN file and place it over the exe file to automatically run after your unit is plugged in. The rep said to make sure you update to the software 2.5 version before you run this chipset 2.5 version. I have it on my desktop as I am writing this post.

Can you post it somewhere where we can download it and try it out?

 

You have to contact Garmin directly for them to send you the email with the zip file. 1-800-800-1020

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FiveNines

FiveNines

Posted
Posted

I just spoke to Garmin Tech support this morning (40 min wait) and they told me that there is a fix for the Vista HCX odometer problem. It will be chipset update 2.5. They said it would be on the My Garmin site soon. Maybe it'll work. They also told me that the software version 2.5 fix fixed the momentary backlight coming on then going off when you initially power up. The fix is that the backligh does not come on when you power up untill you click twice. FYI. Sli23sli

 

I just got off the phone with Garmin. The Chipset 2.5 update is available through them if you call. They said the testing is complete and got approval from the manager to send it to customers by email until it is posted on the "MY Garmin" website. The process seemed simple enough to run. You unzip it to your desktop and take the RGN file and place it over the exe file to automatically run after your unit is plugged in. The rep said to make sure you update to the software 2.5 version before you run this chipset 2.5 version. I have it on my desktop as I am writing this post.

Can you post it somewhere where we can download it and try it out?

 

You have to contact Garmin directly for them to send you the email with the zip file. 1-800-800-1020

I don't want to wait for 40 minutes on hold. Can you post it somewhere, please?

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bubnme

bubnme

Posted
Posted (edited)

I just spoke to Garmin Tech support this morning (40 min wait) and they told me that there is a fix for the Vista HCX odometer problem. It will be chipset update 2.5. They said it would be on the My Garmin site soon. Maybe it'll work. They also told me that the software version 2.5 fix fixed the momentary backlight coming on then going off when you initially power up. The fix is that the backligh does not come on when you power up untill you click twice. FYI. Sli23sli

 

I just got off the phone with Garmin. The Chipset 2.5 update is available through them if you call. They said the testing is complete and got approval from the manager to send it to customers by email until it is posted on the "MY Garmin" website. The process seemed simple enough to run. You unzip it to your desktop and take the RGN file and place it over the exe file to automatically run after your unit is plugged in. The rep said to make sure you update to the software 2.5 version before you run this chipset 2.5 version. I have it on my desktop as I am writing this post.

Can you post it somewhere where we can download it and try it out?

 

You have to contact Garmin directly for them to send you the email with the zip file. 1-800-800-1020

I don't want to wait for 40 minutes on hold. Can you post it somewhere, please?

 

I cannot post a zip file that I received from Garmin. I will try and forward the email to you. The actual wait time was 10 minutes at the most.

Edited by bubnme
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bubnme

bubnme

Posted
Posted

I just spoke with someone from Garmin customer support and he told me he didn't have the update available to e-mail to me. He said it should be up on the website sometime between today and Tuesday

 

The rep I spoke with had the update on his personal gps. He was in the tech support department. His manager authorized the release of the chipset 2.5 version. I guess it is a randon hit and miss on who has the update available for release until it gets released via "web updater".

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sli23sli

+sli23sli

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I had spoken to a tech rep and was sent the chipset update a few days ago. He had told me that it would be up on the download page very soon. It installed sucessfully and I had already upgraded to the 2.5 software version. On the morning of the same day I got it, I had gone to a high school track when I had chipset version 2.3 and had walked at 3.0 mph, the odometer and the saved track log read .25 mile. I then walked at a 1.9 mi/hr pace and the odometer and saved track read .26mi and .25 mi. I then walked an excrucatingly slow pace of 1.3 mi/hr by stopping frequently and walking very slow. In that case the odometer read 0.1 mile and the saved track read 0.25. I went home and updated to chipset version 2.5 and went back to the track and walked at a 1.6 mi/hr pace and the odometer read 0.31 mi and the track log read 0.26 mi. I then walked at a 2.8 mi/hr pace and the odometer read 0.26 mi and the saved track log read 0.25 mi. I haven't tested it any further. Its hard to walk that slow. So the chipset revision changed something and it was closer to the correct value after the upgrade, but not correct. Why don't others also post what they find. Sli23sli

 

 

I just spoke with someone from Garmin customer support and he told me he didn't have the update available to e-mail to me. He said it should be up on the website sometime between today and Tuesday

 

The rep I spoke with had the update on his personal gps. He was in the tech support department. His manager authorized the release of the chipset 2.5 version. I guess it is a randon hit and miss on who has the update available for release until it gets released via "web updater".

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jim slim

jim slim

Posted
Posted

Well thanks to bubnme I got the 2.5 chipset and did a small test outside. A couple of week earlier I had walked around my house outside looking at the speedo and it wouldn't record any speeds below 1.7mph. Now with chipset 2.5 I did the same thing and now it was recording speeds as low as .7mph and my traklog odometer and the track info in mapsource all had the same distance traveled. So I think that Garmin is getting much closer now.

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BuckyBuck

BuckyBuck

Posted
Posted

I just spoke with someone from Garmin customer support and he told me he didn't have the update available to e-mail to me. He said it should be up on the website sometime between today and Tuesday

Darn. Just checked the Garmin update page and no update yet, so this probably means it won't be there before Monday at the earliest. Means a lot of anxious users won't be able to test this this weekend. (Hint, hint).

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patester24

patester24

Posted
Posted

Yesterday, I did a test in Hammel Woods in Shorewood, IL to lay down a track with my new Garmin Vista HCX GPS. When finished, the Trip computer page showed that i walked 0.96 miles while the saved track page showed 1.02 miles. So my unit definitely has the trip computer bug. I'm running Software version 2.50 and chipset version 2.30. I usually use my gps for biking most of time but will do a walk with it once in a great while. (I also have the Legend C which i'll keep for some time yet.)

 

 

Brian

 

from Joliet, IL

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BuckyBuck

BuckyBuck

Posted
Posted

Well, something has changed with the 2.50 firmware. I'm cautiously optimistic that it's better.

 

Last October, I walked around my high school track with my HCx (and whatever firmware version I had at that time). Back then, the HCx trip odometer recorded a distance of .26 miles when I walked it at normal walking speed, and a distance of .22 miles when I walked it at plodding speed.

 

Today, with the 2.50 firmware, I walked it again. The HCx trip odometer indicated that I had once again walked .26 miles (at an indicated 3.2 mph). When I repeated the lap today at plodding speed (1.7 indicated average speed), the HCx recorded .28 miles.

 

Different, and at least a little closer with the 2.50 chipset. This time, I had the presence of mind to record the track logs. My normal walking speed track log recorded that I had walked .2 miles and covered 109528 sq ft. My plodding speed track log recorded that I had walked .3 miles and covered 110940 sq ft.

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Smac999

Smac999

Posted
Posted (edited)

So how do we get the FW 2.50 update? Call Garmin and ask em for it?

 

Its not on their site yet...

 

cool I'm waiting for it. software 2.4 helped a bit but it still wasn't good. hiking 5km and having it show 1.8 with the orignal software was rediculus!!!

Edited by Smac999
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jmundinger

jmundinger

Posted
Posted

So how do we get the FW 2.50 update? Call Garmin and ask em for it?

 

Its not on their site yet...

 

I sent Garmin an email with a request for the software. I received a polite response, including a copy of the update and a request to provide Garmin with feedback on whether the update to the chipset corrects the trip computer issue.

 

I had a couple of issues getting the software installed because I am not that computer literate. The attachment was a compressed file which, when unzipped, included the current version of the UpDater and a .rgn file. When I tried to run UpDater, I got an error message which I finally figured out meant that I had to run UpDater from the C:\ prompt. I wasn't sure how to do that. But, after looking at the Command Prompt screen, I moved the UpDater and the .rgn file to the folder referenced on the screen and then typed in UpDater space and the name of the .rgn file and UpDater opened up and, from there, I just had to follow instructions on the screen. My GPSr hung up on "transferring data" after UpDater indicated that the operation had been successful but, when I rebooted it, things seemed to be normal.

 

Now, I will have to test the unit on a few walks.

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bubnme

bubnme

Posted
Posted

So how do we get the FW 2.50 update? Call Garmin and ask em for it?

 

Its not on their site yet...

 

I sent Garmin an email with a request for the software. I received a polite response, including a copy of the update and a request to provide Garmin with feedback on whether the update to the chipset corrects the trip computer issue.

 

I had a couple of issues getting the software installed because I am not that computer literate. The attachment was a compressed file which, when unzipped, included the current version of the UpDater and a .rgn file. When I tried to run UpDater, I got an error message which I finally figured out meant that I had to run UpDater from the C:\ prompt. I wasn't sure how to do that. But, after looking at the Command Prompt screen, I moved the UpDater and the .rgn file to the folder referenced on the screen and then typed in UpDater space and the name of the .rgn file and UpDater opened up and, from there, I just had to follow instructions on the screen. My GPSr hung up on "transferring data" after UpDater indicated that the operation had been successful but, when I rebooted it, things seemed to be normal.

 

Now, I will have to test the unit on a few walks.

 

My post #8 explains the installation process. When you take the file and drop it over the exe file it automatically runs. You are also correct about knowing when to disconnect because the unit still shows that it is transferring data even though the computer says it transferred it completely.

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Lodogg2221

Lodogg2221

Posted
Posted (edited)

Currently on hold to Garmin, I got the update, except it was 2.30, which is not what they said they were emailing me!

Maybe its because the guy I talked to had no idea at first of the update, then said oh, yeah, ill email it to you...

So I guess Ill try again. I wish they got it right the first time...I hate waiting on hold.

 

So this guy finally gets that I want the GPS SW 2.50 and not the update on their web updater after he puts me on hold...

He is sending me an email...I guess Ill find out soon enough if it is right or not.

 

BTW, my Vista hung after the original update too...screen froze, so I turned it off, and back on, and it worked fine but showed the old firmware version...

Edited by Lodogg2221
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jmundinger

jmundinger

Posted
Posted

Please jmundinger don't forget to say something about this new GPS SW version

 

I have not had a chance yet to take the unit on a long walk. But, my initial impression is that the trip computer is more functional than it was prior to the update. Two things I noticed immediately is 1) that the odometer registers slow speeds and 2) that the odometer no longer hangs up on 0 while the unit is moving, i.e. it might drop to 0 while moving slowly but, if moving, it quickly returns to registering the speed.

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Lodogg2221

Lodogg2221

Posted
Posted

Has anyone heard when the update may be posted on Garmin's site?

 

Post number 20 says when...

 

Except that was yesterday, and it isnt there....

 

Call them, I finally got the right one, though I havent tested it much, heck, I hadnt had the Vista but for a few days, I just wanted the most recent version...

Anyway, I had to talk to two people, as I posted the first said it was what I needed, but it wasnt, and then I called back and was sent the correct version.

Strange thing, the first was a .exe file which was a winrar app, the later was the zip file everyone here mentioned. The odd thing, both .rar files were a number, and the same number...but the first my Vista said was 2.30 and the second my Vista says is 2.50

 

So now Im happy, I have 2.50/2.50....most current versions....and I only had to spend roughly 30 min on the phone total to get it.

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AlunS

AlunS

Posted
Posted (edited)

firmware = online. ITS GPS version 2.60 :anicute: !!!!

When I run Webupdater it says "GPS Chipset Type M2 (Region file)" and no Change History. Great description there Garmin ;):blink:

 

It is version 2.60 though according to the Main Menu -> Setup -> Software version screem.

 

I also updated my wife's Venture HC which uses the same chipset.

 

It does however, "hang" in the Transferring Data screen on the GPS itself and doesn't automatically reboot like when you update the main software, and requires a power off/ power on cycle.

Edited by AlunS
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AlunS

AlunS

Posted
Posted

TeMpL,

 

are you saying that we could update the GPS Chipset SW with the webupdater?

 

regards

Just run Webupdater .. it tells you the main s/w is up-to-date, but then offers to look for additional software or something like that. The new GPS s/w is offered in that screen.

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sli23sli

+sli23sli

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I upgraded from chip set version 2.5 to 2.6 using webupdater sucessfully. I'll try it again to see if this is indeed the fix of fixes. A Garmin tech sent me an e-mail telling me about it. Garmin definately seems to be trying.

 

 

quote name='trx250r87' date='Jan 9 2008, 08:43 AM' post='3248365']

Easy money! So what was affected by this update? Funny that you can update through Garmin WebUpdater but their website does not show it yet.

 

ERIC

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