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I did the upgrade to 2.60 and gave my Vista the fridge test. It does appear that Garmin has corrected the washed out screen issue. Previous to the upgrade, the Vista washed out every time I placed it in the fridge for a few minutes. I am now hopefully optimistic.

 

Regards All

I've tested my Summit using the techniques described by other members here. Indeed, if I power it up cold, zero contrast. If I immediately power down and up again, the contrast returns. I'm not leaving the unit on long enough to warm up anything. Sounds identical to everyone's Vista problems.

 

Thanks to those of you who recommended this, as until Garmin sees fit to pass along the fix to those of us with eTrex HC units other than the Vista, there's at least a workaround until the weather warms up!

 

I'm fortunate in that I don't depend upon the Summit for vehicle navigation in cold temperatures. I have a TomTom 720 that I much prefer for that purpose. I picked up the Summit because TomTom doesn't directly support software that is convenient for geocaching, and the 3rd party developers for these units were locked out of any but road-snapped data in the recent NavCore7 software release (!?!). No API this time. The TT units sometimes have their own problems, but fortunately, none of them has afflicted my unit, and I haven't seen any bugs yet.

 

Again, thanks to those who persist with Garmin on this issue. I'll call tech support again tomorrow and reiterate my position that the Summit units share this problem with the Vistas, and will update them with my "power down / power up" experience as well. Gimme that 2.60 code!

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I've tested the 2.6 upgrade a half dozen times (cold starts) and the white screen issue seems to be resolved.

 

I received a note from Garmin support that stated:

 

... "One way to test the new update is to stick the device in

your fridge (not the freezer) for about 10 minutes then try to power it

up. Have a great evening!"

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Is it hard to do the up grade 2.60, I looking at buying a new vista HCX in a week or two On e-bay? :huh:

 

No, it is very easy. You connect your Vista to your computer via USB and then use the Garmin provided Webupdater software.

 

I updated to 2.60 / 2.60 last night and this morning my receiver came up in normal contrast ;) . Only one data point but very encouraging. My first power up in the morning has only worked correctly maybe 3 other times while failing maybe 50 times.

 

C.S.

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I got a message from garmin saying that a new unit has been shipped to me. Hopefully this one will take care of the issue. It is now in Ontario CA so i should have it tomorrow night. I will let you know. I would think that it will have the latest software but we will see. Any word on if the new software is a fix?

Well, I did the 'fridge test' (it was in there for a good hour, before I took it out) and no problems as yet. We'll have to wait a bit to see of it's a definitive fix or not.

 

On the subject of other H series GPS's having the same problem, all I can say is that my wife's Venture HC hasn't suffered from the problem once, and it's been used as many times and in exactly the same temperatures as my Vista HCx. I've just hooked the Venture HC up and ran WebUpdater and it reports it being up to date at 2.50/2.60.

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On the subject of other H series GPS's having the same problem, all I can say is that my wife's Venture HC hasn't suffered from the problem once, and it's been used as many times and in exactly the same temperatures as my Vista HCx. I've just hooked the Venture HC up and ran WebUpdater and it reports it being up to date at 2.50/2.60.

 

I don't believe all of the vista hcx units had the problem either. I think it is sporadic across all of the new etrex units. Maybe just more prevelant with the vista. Regardless I'm hoping the update comes out for all the H series units as obviously some of us are having issues.

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This morning I watched the screen very carefully as I powered up and for just a moment, I saw the old familiar low contrast screen and then BINGO, it changed to normal contrast. Then I powered off and back on and did not see even a hint of the low contrast screen during the second power up. Based on all this, I'd say 2.60 / 2.60 has fixed the problem on my receiver. Thanks Garmin!

 

C.S.

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:unsure::unsure: I might just want my money back. I got my new unit, did the software upgrade 2.6,2.6 everything seemed great. I then went down to get a burger at the local in and out. While waiting in the drive through I decided to make a waypoint. The unit froze. I got it to shut down although it just kinda faded out. So then I was talking on the phone sitting in the parking lot and then drove away. To my dismay the location arrow followed me to the highway and then stopped. Again the unit was frozen. I am really upset by this. I would think that if they were sending a unit to a customer who already had an issue they would test it first. I was thinking it could be due to my memory card, but it worked fine in the other unit. I do not wish to send it back again. Edited by toyotatechman
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I received this message in the email today in response to an email I sent to CS in regards to screen washout on my venture hc

 

"Thank you for contacting Garmin International.

 

I am happy to help you with this. I have informed our Engineers of this

issue and a fix will be released in the next firmware update. I

apologize for the inconvenience. "

 

So maybe they will take care of all units not just the vista.

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I have also been in contact with Garmin regarding this issue. I have a Venture HC. Just received this email from the customer service representative:

 

I received an update today, mentioning the engineers are aware of this issue and will release another update to address it. No timeframe has been provided to us at this time.

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I wanted to test mine with the fridge test. I forgot about it and left it in the fridge overnight... oops. The next morning my wife asked me what the GPS was doing in the fridge... lol. I turned the unit on and everything works great with no washed out screen. I was updated to 2.6/2.6 so it looks good so far.

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I have also been in contact with Garmin regarding this issue. I have a Venture HC. Just received this email from the customer service representative:

 

I received an update today, mentioning the engineers are aware of this issue and will release another update to address it. No timeframe has been provided to us at this time.

I received the following email yesterday as regards this problem with my Summit:

 

"I am happy to help you with this. I have contacted Garmin Engineers for

a firmware update to be released for this product, however I do not have

a timeline at this point. I apologize for the inconvenience."

 

So no schedule, but at least they're paying attention to the need for a 2.60 release for the other eTrex units as well.

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I wanted to test mine with the fridge test. I forgot about it and left it in the fridge overnight... oops. The next morning my wife asked me what the GPS was doing in the fridge... lol. I turned the unit on and everything works great with no washed out screen. I was updated to 2.6/2.6 so it looks good so far.

 

Just upgraded mine Friday. Before, the washed screen issue would intermittently occur between 25-35°F and always occur below 25. Today, I had a chance to take the upgraded unit to work and pop it into my temperature chamber. Took it all the way down to +10°F. No washed screen ever ! Very nice.

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Has anyone who updated to the 2.6 software had problems with their unit locking up? My replacement units locks up about every 5-10 minutes, and I was wondering if it is the software or if this unit is just junk. Anyway, Garmin claims they are working on a software fix and that it is due to my maps Topo 2008 however the other unit did not exibit this behavior.

 

Thanks

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So maybe they will take care of all units not just the vista.

They have issued 2.60 for the Legend and it seems to have cured the problem.

Good to hear they have Vista and Legend covered ... I keep wondering when they'll get around to taking care of my Summit! Still nothing using WebUpdater as of today. By the time they get around to that model, it may be too warm to care until next year!

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I experienced the same "washed out screen" problem, that many others have, this morning for the first time with my new Vista HCX after leaving it in our vehicle overnight (43 degrees here this morning in AZ). It was running "Software 2.50" and "GPS SW Version 2.60." Repeatedly turning it off and on did not remedy the problem. HOWEVER, I updated tonight to "Software 2.60" and "GPS SW Version 2.60" (using the WebUpdater) and put the Vista in the fridge (34 degrees F) for about 20 minutes, turned it on and NO WASHED OUT SCREEN. I will post again after several more "tests" if I the problem returns, but it would seem the software update is the solution. :blink:

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Glad to hear the update has resolved the washout issue. Luckily, my Vista HCx has not experienced the problem and I have yet to install the last two updates. I received my HCx as a Father's Day gift and it has seen a lot of cold weather. I live in Wisconsin and I only take my GPSr out of the car if the temperature is predicted to fall below 5 degrees F. I wonder if Garmin has multiple chip-sets being used in the HCx and maybe the units with the problem have the same chip.

 

Does it make sense for me to be hesitant to update since my unit has not manifested any problems other than a few low battery shut downs without giving me a low battery warning? I've only experienced this twice and it was while in the field during extreme cold. Luckily, I was only 20 feet from my car the first time and less than 250 feet the second.

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Does it make sense for me to be hesitant to update since my unit has not manifested any problems other than a few low battery shut downs without giving me a low battery warning?

 

No, you should update to the most current. The updates do more than fix one problem and usually can also add improvements. Also remember the VistaHCX has the unit software and the chipset software, the only way to get the chipset software updated is by using garmins webupdater and checking for aditional updates after it updates the unit software.

you can check your current unit and chipset software here: main menu, setup menu, system, click the option button(lower left) and select software version. If I'm not mistaken the most current are 2.60/2.60

 

here is the change log for the current unit software, as you can see it does alot more than fix the washed out screen issue.

 

Changes made from version 2.50 to 2.60:

 

* Correct German translation of 'delete all waypoints'.

* Fix data card unlock failure when 2 cards of the same map set are used in one device.

* Improve sun times for polar regions.

* Fix issue where ETA in non motor vehicle modes can be unreasonably short.

* Increase precision of distance measurement to the cursor on the map page.

* Allow backlight adjustment on the track back point selection page.

* Fix shutdown when editing Estonian Grid coordinates.

* Correct daylight saving time for New Zealand.

* Improve selection of the names of cross roads with NT maps.

* Correct potential shutdown when viewing a vertical profile.

* Correct European word translation of 'Find' and 'Mark'.

* Support multiple languages in American version.

* Fix screen fading issue in cold temperature.

* Correct total ascent calculation.

* Correct direction symbol of vertical speed.

* Fix reboot issue of GPS firmware update.

* Correct battery issue of lithium battery.

 

http://www8.garmin.com/products/webupdater/

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Has anyone who updated to the 2.6 software had problems with their unit locking up? My replacement units locks up about every 5-10 minutes, and I was wondering if it is the software or if this unit is just junk. Anyway, Garmin claims they are working on a software fix and that it is due to my maps Topo 2008 however the other unit did not exibit this behavior.

 

I've never seen the cold start problem tho' I've not enjoyed the conditions required.

 

However I have got problems with my unit locking up. Garmin have suggested doing a reset, but the system locked whilst it was subsequently reacquiring satellite data. I'm not convinced that the reset resets everything as some user data stayed put and it only took a couple of minutes to switch from the satellite screen to the map...

 

I have had a good look through the forums and not seen anyone else wit this issue but there has been talk last year about problems resulting from poor memory card contact but not with the HCx. Typically this was the card somehow being jolted out of the locked in position.

 

I have also wondered if there's an issue with the maps loaded and I'm about to have separate cards for Topo and City Nav to se what happens.

 

I'd be interested in discovering a harder reset than Page + Enter + Power On

I understand that Page + Enter + Find + Power On just bypasses the confirmation dialogue.

I'd expect the power up message to reset if the system had a real reset everything option...

 

Given that the Cold Start issue seems to be fixed (tho' it sounds like they've wangled it by getting the unit to auto start twice ;) should this be a new thread?

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I experienced the same "washed out screen" problem, that many others have, this morning for the first time with my new Vista HCX after leaving it in our vehicle overnight (43 degrees here this morning in AZ). It was running "Software 2.50" and "GPS SW Version 2.60." Repeatedly turning it off and on did not remedy the problem. HOWEVER, I updated tonight to "Software 2.60" and "GPS SW Version 2.60" (using the WebUpdater) and put the Vista in the fridge (34 degrees F) for about 20 minutes, turned it on and NO WASHED OUT SCREEN. I will post again after several more "tests" if I the problem returns, but it would seem the software update is the solution. :)

 

To my last post--which was my first on Groundspeak--I should have added a hearty "THANK YOU!" for all the input that many of you placed on the forum ("washed out screen")! It was quite a sickening feeling :D to find such a wonderful and expensive Christmas gift from one of my kids going "belly up!" "I don't want to spend hours talking with customer service!" "I don't want to use my tattered 'India for Dummys' translation dictionary to talk with a cs rep ("Good day! How can I help you weeth exceelent service today!...So, you have probleem weeth, washing screen--correect!")" "I don't want to send my Vista HCX to Garmin and wait and wait and wait and..." "I hate it when this happens!" :) (grumble, growl, gripe).

 

Enter, "Groundspeak"! :blink: After "Googling" a couple of words..."Vista" and "screen," what a relief it was to find the resourcefulness of all of you on this forum! Thank you!. :D

 

And thank you, too, to Garmin for "listening" to the complaints and coming up with the solution.

 

My condolences to "Toyotatechman"--we all "feel your pain" and frustration, but let us know how things work out.

Edited by BPAH
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<snip>

"I don't want to use my tattered 'India for Dummys' translation dictionary to talk with a cs rep ("Good day! How can I help you weeth exceelent service today!...So, you have probleem weeth, washing screen--correect!")"

<snip>

Garmin's tech support is based in the US, most likely at their headquarters in Kansas.

 

I have never had a problem understanding English... Garmin customer service is the best that I have ever experienced. I love my Dell but that is another sore subject on the customer service.

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<snip>

"I don't want to use my tattered 'India for Dummys' translation dictionary to talk with a cs rep ("Good day! How can I help you weeth exceelent service today!...So, you have probleem weeth, washing screen--correect!")"

<snip>

Garmin's tech support is based in the US, most likely at their headquarters in Kansas.

 

I have never had a problem understanding English... Garmin customer service is the best that I have ever experienced. I love my Dell but that is another sore subject on the customer service.

 

Uh-oh. :) Not to be misunderstood, those were merely my thoughts, based on previous frustrating attempts at talking with outsourced customer service from other companies and not about any personal experience with Garmin. Fortunately I have NOT had to call Garmin's customer service yet and trust I never have to (we own two Garmin GPS units--one for the road and one handheld), but I am delighted to know that IF it becomes necessary, on the outside chance, should there be even a remote possibility--though ever so miniscule--I will be talking with an American. Go Garmin!

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Has anyone who updated to the 2.6 software had problems with their unit locking up? My replacement units locks up about every 5-10 minutes, and I was wondering if it is the software or if this unit is just junk. Anyway, Garmin claims they are working on a software fix and that it is due to my maps Topo 2008 however the other unit did not exibit this behavior.

 

I've never seen the cold start problem tho' I've not enjoyed the conditions required.

 

However I have got problems with my unit locking up. Garmin have suggested doing a reset, but the system locked whilst it was subsequently reacquiring satellite data. I'm not convinced that the reset resets everything as some user data stayed put and it only took a couple of minutes to switch from the satellite screen to the map...

 

I have had a good look through the forums and not seen anyone else wit this issue but there has been talk last year about problems resulting from poor memory card contact but not with the HCx. Typically this was the card somehow being jolted out of the locked in position.

 

I have also wondered if there's an issue with the maps loaded and I'm about to have separate cards for Topo and City Nav to se what happens.

 

I'd be interested in discovering a harder reset than Page + Enter + Power On

I understand that Page + Enter + Find + Power On just bypasses the confirmation dialogue.

I'd expect the power up message to reset if the system had a real reset everything option...

 

Given that the Cold Start issue seems to be fixed (tho' it sounds like they've wangled it by getting the unit to auto start twice :drama: should this be a new thread?

 

I have had the same problem with the GPS locking up. I bought a Garmin Vista HCx and TOPO 2008 in early December from Amazon. The GPS would lock up while driving or if I was scrolling around the map screen. I tried the resetting the unit which did not help. I also removed the memory card and turned all logging options off but the GPS would still lock up. I contacted Garmin but all they told me to do was try the reset. I also contacted Amazon and they overnighted me a new replacement GPS and included instructions for returning the defective GPS using prepaid shipping. I am very happy with Amazons response.

 

The new replacement unit has worked good with the exception that I did run into the washed out screen problem after I had left the GPS in the car overnight. I have updated the software and have not seen the problem since.

 

I don't know if a software update will fix the lockup problem. You might want to try to get a new replacement GPS from the vendor where you purchased the unit or from Garmin.

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I have had the same problem with the GPS locking up. I bought a Garmin Vista HCx and TOPO 2008 in early December from Amazon. The GPS would lock up while driving or if I was scrolling around the map screen. I tried the resetting the unit which did not help. I also removed the memory card and turned all logging options off but the GPS would still lock up. I contacted Garmin but all they told me to do was try the reset. I also contacted Amazon and they overnighted me a new replacement GPS and included instructions for returning the defective GPS using prepaid shipping. I am very happy with Amazons response.

That's a mirror image of my units functionality.

Looks like a trip to the local post office is on the cards - as soon as I can find the POI

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I received this message in the email today in response to an email I sent to CS in regards to screen washout on my venture hc

 

"Thank you for contacting Garmin International.

 

I am happy to help you with this. I have informed our Engineers of this

issue and a fix will be released in the next firmware update. I

apologize for the inconvenience. "

 

So maybe they will take care of all units not just the vista.

19 Februray 2008 - Garmin has just posted software version 2.70 for the Summit HC http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3723 and the Venture HC http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3745 (You should get these automatically if you run Web Updater.)

 

Looks like they have implemented all of the recent fixes that were developed for the Vista HCx - changes made from version 2.50 to 2.70:

 

Correct German translation of 'delete all waypoints'.

Improve sun times for polar regions.

Allow backlight adjustment on the track back point selection page.

Fix shutdown when editing Estonian Grid coordinates.

Correct daylight saving time for New Zealand.

Correct potential shutdown when viewing a vertical profile.

Correct European word translation of 'Find' and 'Mark'.

Support multiple languages in American version.

Fix screen fading issue in cold temperature.

Correct total ascent calculation.

Correct direction symbol of vertical speed.

Edited by julianh
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Garmin was supposed to sen me another unit on thursday, but I have yet to see it. I used the one I have today, and it locked up 5 times. I think it is just a defect though, and doesn't have anything to do with the 2.6 update. Also, I tried a reset and that didn't help.

 

I had a thought a couple of days ago. I have not tried using my unit without the memory card and so I don't know if it locks up under that circumstance. It'll be nuisance to try as it makes the unit less knowledgable... My theory being that the unit gets garbled map data which causes the lock up.

So I removed the card and gave the contacts a good clean. I know gold contacts are supposed to be wonderful, but that's not the experience I've had with memory on pcs.

 

Now so far my Vista hasn't locked up again. If it does I shall have to try sans Sandisk*.

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Well, I've ruled out the memory card and had wonderful response from Garmin. If they are watching, well done. Very happy customer here. I'm to return my unit for checking/replacing too.

 

Got my unit back today - well, not the original - they sent me a new one, no quibbles, no fuss.

 

This is the sort of support I like. Well Done Garmin

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Use webUpdater to check for any updates. When it says "there are no updates, would you like to check for additional updates," check "yes" and continue and it will update the MTK chipset.

 

I also, recently recieved a new Vista HCx, installed the software update 2.60. But, when I looked for additional updates webupdater reported everything up to date, even though I have GPS software 2.40.

 

I noticed you mentioned an MTK chipset. Only update for mine was for the M2 are thier different chipsets for the Vista HCx's

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Use webUpdater to check for any updates. When it says "there are no updates, would you like to check for additional updates," check "yes" and continue and it will update the MTK chipset.

 

I also, recently recieved a new Vista HCx, installed the software update 2.60. But, when I looked for additional updates webupdater reported everything up to date, even though I have GPS software 2.40.

 

I noticed you mentioned an MTK chipset. Only update for mine was for the M2 are thier different chipsets for the Vista HCx's

 

figured it out, Re-read the preceeding posts. My unit is now 2.60/2.60

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