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Garmin Colorado FAQ and Issues List


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I have taken the Colorado 300 with TOPO US 2008 on a car ride to enjoy street labels working only to find out that they initially do, but after few miles on the road disappear both from Recreational or Automotive map view. They could be brought back by zooming out and back in or by panning but not reliably. It is possible that it comes back on its own.

I have experienced street labels dissapearance again today while driving. The only way I was able to get them to show up again was by turning the unit off and on again, I actually had to do it twice because first restart did not help. I tried everything else first: zoomin in and out, panning, switching to Trip Computer page and back, switching from Recreational to Automotive mode and back but only the restart worked.

 

I have also seen it once when biking too but it came back on its own. It seems to happen more often when driving (speed of movement seems to have something to do with it).

 

I believe it is a problem with software, it could possibly be related to specific map (US TOPO 2008) and/or location (Portland, Oregon) but I doubt it.

 

Still no one else?

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OK, I have a couple of questions on this unit.

 

1. Will the topo maps set I recently very recently bought which was US version 3.02. Will this version work with the Colorado and show 3D mapping with it?

 

2. What are the size dimensions of the unit by inches?

Edited by sawblade5
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Why remove something that did work nice on the 60 series??

 

I suspect that quite a lot of what is "missing" on the CO compared to the 60xxx, is down to marketing. I took my CO caching for the first time this weekend and I was glad I had my good old 60cs along for next-turn pop-ups (I haven't found those on the CO), turn info with distance and time, and the page button to let me flip from map to turn map to turn info with one finger. My guess is that Garmin wants you to buy one GPS for geocaching and another with better navigation software for long trips. The navigation features of the CO are OK for people on a cache run with a co-pilot, but it's not as good a road navigation system as the 60.

 

Although, if that's true, then why have they gone and put in the "automotive" view of the maps? It's a really nice version of this, too. Often you're either too high or too low; on the CO your height varies with distance, which is exactly what you want. And the overall map rendering is way better than the 60 series.

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Here's a twist on "description crashes" or "hint hangs".

 

On GC179PX, the hint is totally absent in the Colorado. I noticed this because I was having trouble finding the cache, so I read logs, which mentioned the hint. So I called up the cache on WAP and there was the hint.

 

I presume that something in the description - perhaps the font - is causing the hint to be missed. The HTML source of the cache page looks OK, though (no unmatched <FONT> that I can see).

 

To be fair, this was the first and only time I called up data on WAP in a 20-cache day. Normally (as in, pre-Colorado), when I'm paperless, I use it every 3rd cache or so.

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1. Will the topo maps set I recently very recently bought which was US version 3.02. Will this version work with the Colorado and show 3D mapping with it?

 

2. What are the size dimensions of the unit by inches?

 

Topo 3.02 works on the Colorado although it doesn't have DEM so the shading won't work the same as Topo 2008. You can get shading on Topo 3.02 if you load both 3.02 and 2008 but the problem is that you can see vector data from both sets of maps so the map views get very busy -- almost unreadable in some cases.

 

Dimensions are on Garmin's Colorado page.

 

GO$Rs

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After doing a little homework (I'm just studying up for the future) reading about 'POI loader', I get the

impression setting "proximity alarms" for POIs is a function on the front end; in POI loader before moving

to the handheld.

Right?

Or wrong?

Norm

Soooo?! . . . The answer is . . . ?

 

Norm

This is correct Norm. You can assign a proximity distance (or speed, although I have not used the speed setting) when loading your custom POIs. This works on my 60Cx and other units, but not yet on our COs. It will assign an alert to an entire file of POIs. On my 60Cx I can then set the general proximity alert to ON in the Setup menu. I create such a file to a proximity distance of 1500 ft to alert me of any unfound caches as I drive along.

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Just got my 400t on Friday and like it a lot but have a concern with the battery meter.

 

I found my battery meter to be very flaky even with the 2.40 update. I have yet to get more than 5-6 hours out of a fresh set of alkalines and when the battery meter goes into the red I can shut off the unit and then turn it back on again to find the battery meter at 2 or 3 bars and then it continues to run although the battery meter will soon begin to drop. What is everyone getting on their Colorado's in terms of battery life? Should I return this one?

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I have seen a few folks talking about caches that crashed the 400t. Last night we were out and about and ended up at GC16V2V. So on BOTH of our units when we went to cache description it would shut down the power. This happened repeatedly and I am curious if it can be reproduced by anyone else? Waiting for the next update :unsure:

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Hi Moonpup, this sounds in line with my battery life depending of course on how I use backlighting, navigating, and switching screens, etc. I use rechargeable NiMH and Sanyo Eneloops and in below freezing temps on long snowshoe treks I get about 5-6 hrs, and a bit longer with 2750mAh ones. I use 30 sec backlight as needed. If I let my 300 sit (with WAAS enabled, compass OFF) in a warm room, I can get over 10 hrs on a set of AAs.

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Hi Moonpup, this sounds in line with my battery life depending of course on how I use backlighting, navigating, and switching screens, etc. I use rechargeable NiMH and Sanyo Eneloops and in below freezing temps on long snowshoe treks I get about 5-6 hrs, and a bit longer with 2750mAh ones. I use 30 sec backlight as needed. If I let my 300 sit (with WAAS enabled, compass OFF) in a warm room, I can get over 10 hrs on a set of AAs.

 

Hmmm... I left mine on overnight with the compass and backlight off and it didn't even make 7 hours before it died. I turned it on at 10:30pm and when my son woke me up at 5:40 am the unit was off and dead.

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I have seen a few folks talking about caches that crashed the 400t. Last night we were out and about and ended up at GC16V2V. So on BOTH of our units when we went to cache description it would shut down the power. This happened repeatedly and I am curious if it can be reproduced by anyone else? Waiting for the next update :unsure:

As a test for you I just loaded this cache on my 300 and I can read the description without it crashing. It is kinda garbled due to the html code, but it is all there.

 

Edit: I loaded this using Send to GPS from the cache listing and it worked.

Edited by Timpat
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Just got my 400t on Friday and like it a lot but have a concern with the battery meter.

 

I found my battery meter to be very flaky even with the 2.40 update. I have yet to get more than 5-6 hours out of a fresh set of alkalines and when the battery meter goes into the red I can shut off the unit and then turn it back on again to find the battery meter at 2 or 3 bars and then it continues to run although the battery meter will soon begin to drop. What is everyone getting on their Colorado's in terms of battery life? Should I return this one?

 

Have you told it which type of batteries you're using?

 

Setup>System>Battery Type

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I have seen a few folks talking about caches that crashed the 400t. Last night we were out and about and ended up at GC16V2V. So on BOTH of our units when we went to cache description it would shut down the power. This happened repeatedly and I am curious if it can be reproduced by anyone else? Waiting for the next update :unsure:

 

One thing that would help is if you could specify where the gpx file came from. Was it Send To GPS, single file GPX download from the cache page, pocket query or a 3rd party tool like GSAK?

 

GO$Rs

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Here's a twist on "description crashes" or "hint hangs".

 

On GC179PX, the hint is totally absent in the Colorado. I noticed this because I was having trouble finding the cache, so I read logs, which mentioned the hint. So I called up the cache on WAP and there was the hint.

 

I presume that something in the description - perhaps the font - is causing the hint to be missed. The HTML source of the cache page looks OK, though (no unmatched <FONT> that I can see).

 

To be fair, this was the first and only time I called up data on WAP in a 20-cache day. Normally (as in, pre-Colorado), when I'm paperless, I use it every 3rd cache or so.

 

What was the source of the gpx file? Pocket query, Send To GPS or GSAK?

 

GO$Rs

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Hmmm... I left mine on overnight with the compass and backlight off and it didn't even make 7 hours before it died. I turned it on at 10:30pm and when my son woke me up at 5:40 am the unit was off and dead.

 

I get 13 hours on a set of 2650 Ni-MH. Normal caching use.

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Ok, I know it is somewhere, but the clock on my 400t does not change until I get Sat lock. Is that what is normal?

 

Just reasking, still looking for an asnwer.

 

Thank you.

My 300 has done this from day one, and after v.2.40, too. Garmin techsupp told me it is a firmware issue and is being worked on for an upcoming update.

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Soooo?! . . . The answer is . . . ?

Norm

This is correct Norm. You can assign a proximity distance (or speed, although I have not used the speed setting) when loading your custom POIs. This works on my 60Cx and other units, but not yet on our COs. It will assign an alert to an entire file of POIs. On my 60Cx I can then set the general proximity alert to ON in the Setup menu. I create such a file to a proximity distance of 1500 ft to alert me of any unfound caches as I drive along.

Thank-you, just doing a little more studying than I did before I got Magellanacated ;^)

Hopefully the bruises will be gone, and the socks washed before May, but I doubt it.

Either way, I think I see Colorado on the horizon.

Norm

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Just got my 400t on Friday and like it a lot but have a concern with the battery meter.

 

I found my battery meter to be very flaky even with the 2.40 update. I have yet to get more than 5-6 hours out of a fresh set of alkalines and when the battery meter goes into the red I can shut off the unit and then turn it back on again to find the battery meter at 2 or 3 bars and then it continues to run although the battery meter will soon begin to drop. What is everyone getting on their Colorado's in terms of battery life? Should I return this one?

 

Have you told it which type of batteries you're using?

 

Setup>System>Battery Type

 

I have similar problems with 2.40 and alkaline batteries. 2-week old support call has yet to yield a useful answer from Garmin. (Made the mistake of doing it by e-mail.) And, yes, I use the right battery setting, clean the contacts, make sure the batteries are firmly seated, don't test in sub-freezing or Saharan weather, and just generally "do everything right" (as the Garmin support tech tells me I am doing). Basically, I've just resigned my self to lousy battery life on this unit.

 

Tom

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I have seen a few folks talking about caches that crashed the 400t. Last night we were out and about and ended up at GC16V2V. So on BOTH of our units when we went to cache description it would shut down the power. This happened repeatedly and I am curious if it can be reproduced by anyone else? Waiting for the next update :unsure:

 

One thing that would help is if you could specify where the gpx file came from. Was it Send To GPS, single file GPX download from the cache page, pocket query or a 3rd party tool like GSAK?

 

GO$Rs

As part of a GPX file direct to the unit, no 3rd party intervention.

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I have seen a few folks talking about caches that crashed the 400t. Last night we were out and about and ended up at GC16V2V. So on BOTH of our units when we went to cache description it would shut down the power. This happened repeatedly and I am curious if it can be reproduced by anyone else? Waiting for the next update :unsure:

 

Some caches seems to cause lock-up and crashes. It is fairly infrequent, so I would suggest sending the cache in question Garmin so that they can figure out the problem.

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Here's a twist on "description crashes" or "hint hangs".

 

On GC179PX, the hint is totally absent in the Colorado. I noticed this because I was having trouble finding the cache, so I read logs, which mentioned the hint. So I called up the cache on WAP and there was the hint.

 

I presume that something in the description - perhaps the font - is causing the hint to be missed. The HTML source of the cache page looks OK, though (no unmatched <FONT> that I can see).

 

To be fair, this was the first and only time I called up data on WAP in a 20-cache day. Normally (as in, pre-Colorado), when I'm paperless, I use it every 3rd cache or so.

 

What was the source of the gpx file? Pocket query, Send To GPS or GSAK?

 

GO$Rs

 

GSAK. If I use "Send to GPS" it doesn't show up at all! That's subject to assorted caveats because it's the first time I've used "Send to GPS". But I sent another cache that way as well and it showed up. Maybe you could try it at your end.

Edited by sTeamTraen
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Has anyone had this problem? In planning trips, I've created waypoints using third-party programs like NG TOPO and TopoFusion. I've also downloaded tracks using MotionBased. I load these into the Colorado as .gpx files. Then MapSource won't recognize any tracks or waypoints on the unit. Here's an exercise I just did...

  • Open .gpx file using MapSource
  • Transfer waypoints and tracks to unit via MapSource
  • Close file and create new blank file in MapSource
  • Try (unsuccessfully) to transfer same waypoints and tracks back from Colorado to MapSource
  • Disconnect unit and create a current location on the Colorado
  • Attempt to transfer into MapSource again, successfully this time. It shows both the gpx waypoints and the current location waypoint

WTF?

 

Garmin support tells me they don't support third-party programs. (I should have mentioned MotionBased, which they own.) They suggest manually entering coordinates into MapSource.

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Before you transfer data back to Mapsource you probably just need to reboot the Colorado. This does two things

 

1) On power up the waypoints/tracks from the gpx file are transfered into structures/databases in internal memory

2) On transfer to USB mode, it the internal information is saved into the current.gpx file that mapsource reads

 

Basically the same sequence as above except it probably doesn't have anything to do with marking a new waypoint, just remove that step.

 

GO$Rs

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Before you transfer data back to Mapsource you probably just need to reboot the Colorado. This does two things

 

1) On power up the waypoints/tracks from the gpx file are transfered into structures/databases in internal memory

2) On transfer to USB mode, it the internal information is saved into the current.gpx file that mapsource reads

 

Basically the same sequence as above except it probably doesn't have anything to do with marking a new waypoint, just remove that step.

 

GO$Rs

 

The list I gave was just the most recent incident. I've had plenty of re-boots before with the same problem. I'm going to do some further testing over the next few days and try to sort this all out.

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I just ran a simple test with ExpertGPS.

 

Downloaded a few waypoints and tracks into the Colorado using EGPS

Restarted and verified I could see them -- okay

Connect Colorado to the PC

Uploaded everything into Mapsource

 

I see all of my waypoints including the new points that I downloaded from ExpertGPS.

 

I only see the current tracklog in Mapsource.

 

I don't think additional tracks (no matter where they come from) are put into current.gpx, just the current internal tracklog is dumped into the file. Have you ever seen a track other than the internal tracklog get uploaded from the Colorado?

 

GO$Rs

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Here's a twist on "description crashes" or "hint hangs".

 

On GC179PX, the hint is totally absent in the Colorado. I noticed this because I was having trouble finding the cache, so I read logs, which mentioned the hint. So I called up the cache on WAP and there was the hint.

 

I presume that something in the description - perhaps the font - is causing the hint to be missed. The HTML source of the cache page looks OK, though (no unmatched <FONT> that I can see).

 

To be fair, this was the first and only time I called up data on WAP in a 20-cache day. Normally (as in, pre-Colorado), when I'm paperless, I use it every 3rd cache or so.

 

What was the source of the gpx file? Pocket query, Send To GPS or GSAK?

 

GO$Rs

 

GSAK. If I use "Send to GPS" it doesn't show up at all! That's subject to assorted caveats because it's the first time I've used "Send to GPS". But I sent another cache that way as well and it showed up. Maybe you could try it at your end.

 

Have you marked the cache as Found? The hint will not display if you have found the cache. If you have you can mark the cache as unattempted and the hint will show back up again as an unfound cache.

 

I added this issue a while back and forgot about it.

 

BTW, I downloaded this cache to my 400t (as a single GPX file not using send to gps) and I can see the hint fine.

 

GO$Rs

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Have you ever seen a track other than the internal tracklog get uploaded from the Colorado?

 

GO$Rs

No, and I've played around with tracks a bit. I opened the Current.gpx file in MapSource and added one of my track.gpx files to it. It didn't acknowledge it and when connecting again via USB it was not in the Current.gpx anymore.

 

I tried fooling it by emulating the naming convention of the internal track segments by giving my track.gpx a similar name, and no go this way either. Your track.gpx files need to be in the Garmin/GPX folder to work.

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If you have saved tracks on the unit, simply open the files with Mapsource or whtever program you are using.

 

That isn't working either. I just transferred a test.gpx track file to my Colorado 300. I can see it on the unit when I select Where to > Tracks. But I can't see it in MapSource using File > Open, nor can I transfer it to MapSource using Send to device.

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That isn't working either. I just transferred a test.gpx track file to my Colorado 300. I can see it on the unit when I select Where to > Tracks. But I can't see it in MapSource using File > Open, nor can I transfer it to MapSource using Send to device.

 

When you do File/open, you need to change the file type in the dialog window to GPX. The default is GDB.

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That isn't working either. I just transferred a test.gpx track file to my Colorado 300. I can see it on the unit when I select Where to > Tracks. But I can't see it in MapSource using File > Open, nor can I transfer it to MapSource using Send to device.

 

When you do File/open, you need to change the file type in the dialog window to GPX. The default is GDB.

 

Yeah, I checked for that. It's just bizarre behavior. I'm not sure what the practical implications are yet, but I'm going to continue to play around with it.

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The latest...6.13.7.

 

OK, to be clear. You are using a PC with Mapsource 6.13.7

 

When you go File / Open and you look under "Files of Type" at the bottom of the "Open" dialog, there is no choice for GPS Exhange Format (*.gpx) ?

 

If so, there is something seriously wrong with your Mapsource installation.

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GSAK. If I use "Send to GPS" it doesn't show up at all! That's subject to assorted caveats because it's the first time I've used "Send to GPS". But I sent another cache that way as well and it showed up. Maybe you could try it at your end.

 

Have you marked the cache as Found? The hint will not display if you have found the cache. If you have you can mark the cache as unattempted and the hint will show back up again as an unfound cache.

 

I added this issue a while back and forgot about it.

 

BTW, I downloaded this cache to my 400t (as a single GPX file not using send to gps) and I can see the hint fine.

 

GO$Rs

 

No, the cache was not marked as found. I encountered the problem when scratching my head looking for it. :laughing:

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OK, to be clear. You are using a PC with Mapsource 6.13.7

 

When you go File / Open and you look under "Files of Type" at the bottom of the "Open" dialog, there is no choice for GPS Exhange Format (*.gpx) ?

 

If so, there is something seriously wrong with your Mapsource installation.

 

Oh, I can see .gpx files. I just can't see the one in question -- test.gpx -- even though it is on the unit.

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Oh, I can see .gpx files. I just can't see the one in question -- test.gpx -- even though it is on the unit.

 

OK, I'm not understanding... If you can not see it, how do you know this file it on the unit??? I think you need to explain what exactly you are doing.....

 

The unit looks for all tracks in all files under the GPX directory. There can be multiple tracks in each file and they are all visible.

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Oh, I can see .gpx files. I just can't see the one in question -- test.gpx -- even though it is on the unit.

 

OK, I'm not understanding... If you can not see it, how do you know this file it on the unit??? I think you need to explain what exactly you are doing.....

 

The unit looks for all tracks in all files under the GPX directory. There can be multiple tracks in each file and they are all visible.

 

Well, I could see a track labeled "test" on the Colorado under Where to > Tracks. But as you point out, there can be multiple tracks in a file. I made the mistake of assuming I could see one in MapSource labeled test.gpx. Turns out the track is there, in the GPX folder, as a file named "Temp.gpx"

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The name of the track on the Colorado will be the same as the name of the track segment inside the gpx file -- it has nothing to do with the filename. Which means if you have a single gpx file with "Track Segment A" and "Track Segment B" you will see two tracks on the CO with the same name under WhereTo?->Tracks.

 

GO$Rs

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The name of the track on the Colorado will be the same as the name of the track segment inside the gpx file -- it has nothing to do with the filename. Which means if you have a single gpx file with "Track Segment A" and "Track Segment B" you will see two tracks on the CO with the same name under WhereTo?->Tracks.

 

GO$Rs

 

Red90 and GORs,

 

Thanks for helping me sort this one out.

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I had my first lock up today. On two different geocaches loaded when I hit on the discription it just freezes and will not do anything. I ended up taking a batterey out and starting it agian. the GC # numbers for them were GCK5E7 and GCKJEN. Can someone load those two caches in and see what happens? so see if it is just me. I had never had this happen to any others Just these two any ideas?

Edited by Nascar Fam
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I had my first lock up today. On two different geocaches loaded when I hit on the discription it just freezes and will not do anything. I ended up taking a batterey out and starting it agian. the GC # numbers for them were GCK5E7 and GCKJEN. Can someone load those two caches in and see what happens? so see if it is just me. I had never had this happen to any others Just these two any ideas?

Maybe you should post this issue in this thread : Caches that don't work on the Colorado

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Ok, I know it is somewhere, but the clock on my 400t does not change until I get Sat lock. Is that what is normal?

 

Just reasking, still looking for an asnwer.

 

Thank you.

My 300 has done this from day one, and after v.2.40, too. Garmin techsupp told me it is a firmware issue and is being worked on for an upcoming update.

Nobody has been able to convince me that this isn't a hardware problem. My 400t always has the right time, even without a sat lock.

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