Third Colorado 330 Still Having Clock Issues!

[Didjerrydo]

I posted a topic a few days ago on my Colorado 300's clock failing to continue keeping time when the unit was turned off. Well, I found this issue present on three 300's that we recieved here at the store. All of them had to be returned to Garmin as defective. All these units were low serial # units (16900100-169000600) but all were updated to the current software but still had this issue.

Finally, I acquired a "newer" unit (169005021) which seemed to be OK, as far as its clock function, for several days but this morning when I booted it up it's clock also had dropped 8 hours and 44 minutes overnight!

Is this behavior something that just sporadically happens in any GPS unit? I can't believe I'm seeing this in unit after unit. What could be going on here anyway?

P.S. Oops, sorry I called it a Colorado 330 in the topic title. It won't let me edit the title apparently.

Edited February 10, 2008 by Didjerrydo

[+mlk3454]

I would think that it would depend on the draw from the batteries. If they are getting low then the clock will suffer. Does anyone know if the GPSr actually has a watch sized battery in it to keep time like a computer does?

[Didjerrydo]

I would think that it would depend on the draw from the batteries. If they are getting low then the clock will suffer. Does anyone know if the GPSr actually has a watch sized battery in it to keep time like a computer does?

That really should have no bearing whatsoever on the timekeeping of the internal clock. There's no internal "battery" per se. I assume there's a capacitor or something that maintains enough power to keep the clock active (supposedly).

[+Contryguy]

I have had my 300 shut off for 4 days and just turned it on to check the clock and the clock was correct. My serial number falls in the 16900500-169000600 area.

[+verdugan]

Are you leaving it outside for at least 20 mins?

 

If you have and all 3 units are still bad, you have incredibly bad luck. My first unit, 169000152, had that problem. I returned it. The second unit, 169000171, hasn't had any problems at all. I just turned it on after 4 days of not using it and the time was spot on.

 

[+apersson850]

There's a so called supercap (high capacity capacitor) that's supposed to keep the clock running, if you remove the batteries. But normally, it runs from the regular batteries in the unit.

[moonpup]

I posted a topic a few days ago on my Colorado 300's clock failing to continue keeping time when the unit was turned off. Well, I found this issue present on three 300's that we recieved here at the store. All of them had to be returned to Garmin as defective. All these units were low serial # units (16900100-169000600) but all were updated to the current software but still had this issue.

 

I can appreciate you testing out these units at your store, but you did receive them as stock to sell as new to a customer. That fact that you open them up and play with them and re-box them to sell as new to a customer bothers me though.

[+Marky]

I posted a topic a few days ago on my Colorado 300's clock failing to continue keeping time when the unit was turned off. Well, I found this issue present on three 300's that we recieved here at the store. All of them had to be returned to Garmin as defective. All these units were low serial # units (16900100-169000600) but all were updated to the current software but still had this issue.

 

I can appreciate you testing out these units at your store, but you did receive them as stock to sell as new to a customer. That fact that you open them up and play with them and re-box them to sell as new to a customer bothers me though.

 

He's really just opening them up to see if there is a Garmin Wherigo geocoin enclosed. The subsequent testing is just a bonus. (This is a total joke, and I actually think it's great that some stores fire up the units to make sure everything is okay before I take them home.)

 

--Marky

[Didjerrydo]

I posted a topic a few days ago on my Colorado 300's clock failing to continue keeping time when the unit was turned off. Well, I found this issue present on three 300's that we recieved here at the store. All of them had to be returned to Garmin as defective. All these units were low serial # units (16900100-169000600) but all were updated to the current software but still had this issue.

 

I can appreciate you testing out these units at your store, but you did receive them as stock to sell as new to a customer. That fact that you open them up and play with them and re-box them to sell as new to a customer bothers me though.

 

After seeing the first unit's clock fail, I simply thought I'd be doing our customers a favor by putting batteries into these units, letting them locate, turn them off and then some hours later turn them on inside to make sure the clock was functioning properly. Commonly here at the store customers ask me to initialize their new units and make a few basic configurations for them. I handle these units with kid gloves and never in 15 years have I had a customer complain about doing this!

[+verdugan]

After seeing the first unit's clock fail, I simply thought I'd be doing our customers a favor by putting batteries into these units, letting them locate, turn them off and then some hours later turn them on inside to make sure the clock was functioning properly. Commonly here at the store customers ask me to initialize their new units and make a few basic configurations for them. I handle these units with kid gloves and never in 15 years have I had a customer complain about doing this!

 

In the other thread about the clock problem they recommend that you leave the GPSr outside for at least 20 mins to download all the info (almanac?). From your post above it sounds like you're just letting them get a signal and then shutting them off. Is that correct?

[+apersson850]

Two different things, though. A complete almanac, which is broadcast from all satellites at least every 12.5 minutes, is essential for a quick first fix, when turning the unit on the next time.

To make that work, though, also requires the unit knows what time it is. Otherwise it will not know which part of that almanac data to apply.

 

I think the confusion comes from that some people have experienced a long time to first fix, due to the Colorado loosing track of time over night. Then support has recommended the full almanac download procedure, where the 20 minutes comes from the 12.5 minimum time, plus some safety margin. Which is perfectly logical, as that could be the problem. But in some cases it was the clock that was wrong instead. The customer didn't know, though, as he didn't notice, and the support guy couldn't know, as the customer hardly would tell him something the customer wasn't even aware of.

 

Personally, I think it's a very good initiative of a retailer to do some of the quality check a customer would expect to be fulfilled, before he spends his money on the product.

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

I agree. A car is allowed to be sold as new even with a few miles on it from test drives and such. I would have been happied if someone hadn't sold me an untested unit that turned out to be defective. They also would have saved themselves a $500 sale, as I wouldn't have had to return it.

[Didjerrydo]

After seeing the first unit's clock fail, I simply thought I'd be doing our customers a favor by putting batteries into these units, letting them locate, turn them off and then some hours later turn them on inside to make sure the clock was functioning properly. Commonly here at the store customers ask me to initialize their new units and make a few basic configurations for them. I handle these units with kid gloves and never in 15 years have I had a customer complain about doing this!

 

In the other thread about the clock problem they recommend that you leave the GPSr outside for at least 20 mins to download all the info (almanac?). From your post above it sounds like you're just letting them get a signal and then shutting them off. Is that correct?

No, I actually gave them the 20 minute treatment.

[+verdugan]

Personally, I think it's a very good initiative of a retailer to do some of the quality check a customer would expect to be fulfilled, before he spends his money on the product.

 

I don't mind as long as everything is exactly the same. My first Colorado 300 I got at REI had no plastic screen protector. I didn't know it was missing until I returned it for my second one, which had it. Clearly somebody had removed it at the store when they were playing for it. And they didn't even check for the clock problem

[+apersson850]

I could understand that checking if the unit is operating properly would be more difficult without removing the screen protector. Putting it back on is ususally difficult. It will at least not look new any longer.