Beta Update for Colorado ver 2.51

[+jotne]

The focus seems to have been fixing the bugs and not adding new features. Generally a smart way to develop software.

 

This is the way Garmin works. They do not add new features, only some minor if it's necessary.

Just look at the history of 60CSx or 60CS.

 

New feature are for new GPS, so it does not help with a wish list.

[+g-o-cashers]

Edit: Google Earth also supports Garmin PVT

 

GO$Rs

 

When I just checked, it's only available to subscribers to Google Earth Plus.

Might be worth it??

 

Ken Z

 

Only if you want to do tracking in Google Earth.

 

GO$Rs

[strumble]

................... The other big advantage is that you can use a regular USB cable for power in the car.

 

Could you explain this statement please?

[+GOT GPS?]

................... The other big advantage is that you can use a regular USB cable for power in the car.

 

Could you explain this statement please?

When you have somthing like this:

You can use a regular USB cable.

[+wiz8]

How long does it usually take before they offer a Mac compatible version of an update?

If you use Stuffit Expander 10 with the exe from Garmin, you can extract the GCD and copy the GCD manually to the Colorado. Stuffit Expander 12 will not work for some reason.

[strumble]

 

When you have somthing like this:

You can use a regular USB cable.

 

Thank you.

This is great news but it took some time for me to figure out that I had to:-

System-Interface[Garmin spanner]

to get the unit to work without drive mode.

A major step forward to see the unit work in a 'non-drive mode' in the car and on the PC

[+jotne]

It also does work in nRoute in this mode.

[+GadgetMonster]

I sold my 60csx a couple weeks ago and now only use my colorado300 for caching. This latest update is great and it's nice to see them coming .

 

Anywho, where would one get that cool auto d/c plug with the 2 usb ports power cable? that is cool!

[+jotne]

Ebay

 

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?s...earch&fgtp=

[+GOT GPS?]

I sold my 60csx a couple weeks ago and now only use my colorado300 for caching. This latest update is great and it's nice to see them coming .

 

Anywho, where would one get that cool auto d/c plug with the 2 usb ports power cable? that is cool!

Got that from this link:

http://images.google.com/images?q=USB+car+...tart=0&sa=N

[+Snakehult]

Changes made from version 2.40 to 2.51:

 

* Added ability to reposition waypoint to current location

* Added support for language-specific keyboards

* Added support for editing location in all position formats

* Added Spanner support

* Improved drawing of BlueChart tidal areas

* Improved performance when exiting mass storage mode

* Improved paperless goecaching (various)

* Improved Wherigo player (various)

* Corrected potential shutdown when selecting maps with a large variety of maps loaded

* Corrected potential shutdown when profiling a long route

* Corrected avoiding highways

* Corrected display of found geocaches

* Corrected issue preventing name of lakes and rivers from showing when highlighted

* Corrected display of bridge heights

 

upgrade my 300 with Colorado300_251Beta.exe but it did not power up after, totaly dead.

only thing that reacts is computer usb sound, but unit will not show in explorer and mapsource cant find unit.

 

/Markus

[+Snakehult]

Changes made from version 2.40 to 2.51:

 

* Added ability to reposition waypoint to current location

* Added support for language-specific keyboards

* Added support for editing location in all position formats

* Added Spanner support

* Improved drawing of BlueChart tidal areas

* Improved performance when exiting mass storage mode

* Improved paperless goecaching (various)

* Improved Wherigo player (various)

* Corrected potential shutdown when selecting maps with a large variety of maps loaded

* Corrected potential shutdown when profiling a long route

* Corrected avoiding highways

* Corrected display of found geocaches

* Corrected issue preventing name of lakes and rivers from showing when highlighted

* Corrected display of bridge heights

 

upgrade my 300 with Colorado300_251Beta.exe but it did not power up after, totaly dead.

only thing that reacts is computer usb sound, but unit will not show in explorer and mapsource cant find unit.

 

/Markus

[+Sith78]

Changes made from version 2.40 to 2.51:

 

* Added ability to reposition waypoint to current location

* Added support for language-specific keyboards

* Added support for editing location in all position formats

* Added Spanner support

* Improved drawing of BlueChart tidal areas

* Improved performance when exiting mass storage mode

* Improved paperless goecaching (various)

* Improved Wherigo player (various)

* Corrected potential shutdown when selecting maps with a large variety of maps loaded

* Corrected potential shutdown when profiling a long route

* Corrected avoiding highways

* Corrected display of found geocaches

* Corrected issue preventing name of lakes and rivers from showing when highlighted

* Corrected display of bridge heights

 

upgrade my 300 with Colorado300_251Beta.exe but it did not power up after, totaly dead.

only thing that reacts is computer usb sound, but unit will not show in explorer and mapsource cant find unit.

 

/Markus

 

I think you can do a reset by holding the two button in front of the unit and power it up.....

[+jotne]

No need to quote a message posted directly above you, this thread will be long enough.

Thanks.

[+Red90]

Pull the batteries first to make sure the unit is powered down, then try restarting. Next try the soft reset.

[+Marky]

If the current sat configuration is a bad one - all you are doing is averaging bad data. If it is a good one, multiple readings probably won't improve it by any significant margin. Either way - you have no idea what the configuration will look like for the hunters on any random day.

 

....just sayin........

Garmin could just add an averaging feature that did nothing but show the current reading with "Averaging..." under it and everyone would be happy. For the caches I've used the 400t to record the waypoint, people have said that the coordinates were spot on.

Edited April 9, 2008 by Marky

[+Marky]

No need to quote a message posted directly above you, this thread will be long enough.

Thanks.

No need to post these messages, this thread will be long enough. Doh! Now I made it longer.

[+Geocaching-Geckos]

Looks like the have fixed the issue of the clock not updatating the time until a sat lock was obtained. I now have the correct time when the 400t is turned on. Garmin support said it would be fixed with this update.

 

Anniebananie

 

It didn't work on my Colorado unit. I still have the issue of time "freeze" on my 300, as I still have a valid RMA, it will be going back to Garmin today.

[teamdw]

SET UP

System

options

Advanced NMEA Set Up

 

AutoPilot Mode

 

I don't remember seeing that before. Anyone know what it does?

 

I am wondering the same thing anyone know what this AutoPilot Mode is??

 

I turned it on but i can't tell what it is doing if anything.

[FGS-D187]

Changes made from version 2.40 to 2.51:

 

* Corrected avoiding highways

With Firmware 2.51 it is now possible to avoid highways, in case that the route is not longer than about 70 miles. On european streets this will result in avoiding highways (Bundesstrassen) and also motorways (Autobahnen) at the same time.

 

Bundesstrassen:

- Speed Limit: about 62 miles/hour

- normally single-lane, sometimes 2 lanes per direction

 

Autobahnen:

- Speed Limit: normally no speed limit at germany, but about 75 miles/hour in most european countries

- minimum 2 lanes, maximum 4 lanes for each direction

 

In areas with a lot of highways and motorways, "avoid highways" will result in chaotic routes on the Colorado. This means that a tour to a city that is about 10 miles away will result in a route that is about 80 miles long, because the Colorado avoids all highways and motorways. When the destination city is more than about 70 miles away, the Colorado uses the motorways anyway.

 

With the last firmware update of the Zumo and BMW Navigator III plus, it is now possible to really avoid only motorways (highways will not be avoided at the same time -> correct). Therefore, I was confident that the new Colorado would have this new routing engine with the next firmware update also.

 

Hopefully, Garmin will make the avoid highways/avoid motorways working like it already works for the Zumo (avoiding motorways and highways separately).

The current option "avoid highways" is not useable on (at least) europeen streets.

 

I would appreciate, if this point could be added to the FAQ and Issues List.

 

Thanks

 

Stefan

[+Team Truncheon]

Spanner works and it offers an interesting side feature -- the ability to connect to a PC w/o going into Mass storage mode.

 

Goto Setup->System->Interface and select Garmin Spanner. When you connect to a USB cable you'll be asked if you want to go into USB storage mode or not. If you do, it works the same way as it always did if you don't you'll be connected to the PC with the GPS in an operational mode and it looks like you are getting power from the PC's USB cable (screen is really bright like the auto adapter). I ran Spanner and connected ExpertGPS to the virtual COM port and it started tracking.

 

GO$Rs

 

hmmmm... can't seem to get spanner to recognize the colorado. it doesn't see the gpsr at all. could it be because i'm inside and can't get a sat signal? anyone else have this issue with spanner and the colorado?

[+fourbeer]

Looks like the have fixed the issue of the clock not updatating the time until a sat lock was obtained. I now have the correct time when the 400t is turned on. Garmin support said it would be fixed with this update.

 

Anniebananie

 

It didn't work on my Colorado unit. I still have the issue of time "freeze" on my 300, as I still have a valid RMA, it will be going back to Garmin today.

 

My clock works with version 2.4.

[+g-o-cashers]

I am wondering the same thing anyone know what this AutoPilot Mode is??

 

I turned it on but i can't tell what it is doing if anything.

 

Sounds like the CO can output NMEA data that can be interpreted and used by autopilot units.

 

APB - Autopilot format B is sent by some gps receivers to allow them to be used to control an autopilot unit. This sentence is commonly used by autopilots and contains navigation receiver warning flag status, cross-track-error, waypoint arrival status, initial bearing from origin waypoint to the destination, continuous bearing from present position to destination and recommended heading-to-steer to destination waypoint for the active navigation leg of the journey.

 

GO$Rs

[+g-o-cashers]

 

I would appreciate, if this point could be added to the FAQ and Issues List.

 

I'll add it. Thanks for the detailed description.

 

GO$Rs

[FGS-D187]

I'll add it. Thanks for the detailed description.

Thank you in advance!

 

Stefan

[+Vaucluse]

 

hmmmm... can't seem to get spanner to recognize the colorado. it doesn't see the gpsr at all. could it be because i'm inside and can't get a sat signal? anyone else have this issue with spanner and the colorado?

 

You have to activate the spammer mode on the colorado:

 

SETTINGS-SYSTEM-INTERFACE-SPANNER

[+Team Truncheon]

thanx vaucluse, but i've done that and i'm running in spanner mode already. i followed g-o-casher's instructions exactly, but still no dice.

[+g-o-cashers]

thanx vaucluse, but i've done that and i'm running in spanner mode already. i followed g-o-casher's instructions exactly, but still no dice.

 

In Spanner you just don't see the Colorado in the drop down list?

 

Are you using the latest version of Spanner?

 

GO$Rs

[+g-o-cashers]

Another thing I remembered. When you connect the CO in this mode for the first time you'll get prompted to install the Garmin USB GPS driver. Did that happen? Can you see the CO in the device manager when connected? Which driver version? I'm assuming you are on a Windows PC.

 

GO$Rs

[+Red90]

thanx vaucluse, but i've done that and i'm running in spanner mode already. i followed g-o-casher's instructions exactly, but still no dice.

 

Go in "Devices" and reload the Garmin USB drivers.

[+Team Truncheon]

i think i figured it out! I kept exiting out of the 'add new hardware' dialog when it popped up after connecting, because i thought it might be a glitch with windoze... after all, it should have already recognize the CO from previous connections, right?

 

wrong. i guess it adds some spanner code to the registry or sumpfin, because now it sees it. hooray! now i need a good mapping program that can work with the info...

 

on edit - yes, g-o-cashers, i wasn't allowing it to add the drivers, assuming windoze should already see the CO. it might be a good idea to include this little tidbit about allowing drivers to be installed if you add this info to the wiki.

 

thanx for all the input everyone!

Edited April 9, 2008 by Team Truncheon

[+g-o-cashers]

It actually uses a completely different driver when it isn't in mass storage mode. You needed to have that driver installed.

 

GO$Rs

[+Timpat]

It didn't work on my Colorado unit. I still have the issue of time "freeze" on my 300, as I still have a valid RMA, it will be going back to Garmin today.

I'm in the same boat G-G! I will be exercising my RMA as well. Some of the other fixes are nice, but if our clock doesn't work as it should after several updates it's time for a replacement.

[+Red90]

Yes, you need the same drivers that the 60csx and such use when in Spanner mode. These "should" install with Spanner (assuming that you install that). You don't actually need Spanner, just the USB drivers.

[+anniebananie]

After working last night for the first time( I turned it off and on four times over 3 hours and had the correct time) it had last night's time when I turned it on this afternoon.  Maybe time to send it in.   

 

Anniebananie

[+Michael]

Yes, you need the same drivers that the 60csx and such use when in Spanner mode. These "should" install with Spanner (assuming that you install that). You don't actually need Spanner, just the USB drivers.

 

The drivers installed for me when I plugged the 400T in, with spanner mode active. This was before I installed spanner. The PVT worked right away after the drivers were installed. Then I installed spanner and it let me use OZIExplorer which is great.

[Baumer]

After updating my 400T, I had a very difficult time getting satellite lock, and the time was way off on boot up as well. I have never had a time problem before, although I hadn't turned the unit on for a couple of weeks, second boot up seems normal, probably nothing.

[Baumer]

cache descriptions ( with jpg and heavy html use) that previously crashed the 400T are now displaying properly

[+g-o-cashers]

The drivers installed for me when I plugged the 400T in, with spanner mode active. This was before I installed spanner. The PVT worked right away after the drivers were installed. Then I installed spanner and it let me use OZIExplorer which is great.

 

I don't have Ozi to verify but I'm pretty sure you don't need Spanner - I think Ozi supports native PVT.

 

GO$Rs

[+Michael]

The drivers installed for me when I plugged the 400T in, with spanner mode active. This was before I installed spanner. The PVT worked right away after the drivers were installed. Then I installed spanner and it let me use OZIExplorer which is great.

 

I don't have Ozi to verify but I'm pretty sure you don't need Spanner - I think Ozi supports native PVT.

 

GO$Rs

While the newer version might I am using an old version. It did what I needed and saw no reason to update. As far as the one I have I dont think it does. Ill look and if it does Ill report back.

[+Michael]

well it says it does in the help file but I cant get it to see the 400 without spanner running. So it maybe an error in my understanding. But hey it works thats all that matters. I don't care Nema or PVT. I'm happy.

[+g-o-cashers]

Several things I noticed using 2.51.

 

The altimeter graph (altitude, ambient pressure and barometer) all seem to work much better. No big jumps down to 2mb on the pressure graph around the time the unit is turned on. More testing is needed but it seemed like a big improvement.

 

I'm not sure if these are new issues with 2.51 but I noticed two bugs this morning

 

1) In geocaching mode select a cache, goto it and select Options->Full Map View. Pan around the map, select another point and hit enter. You'll see the green "Go" button, press enter as if you want to goto the new location. The CO leaves geocaching mode but there is no magenta goto line and no navigation data. This is using Topo2008.

 

2) Wireless Send of Waypoints seems broken (or maybe it is something I haven't tried before). When I hit Send->Waypoint I can pick a Waypoint but when I hit enter I return immediately to the Send menu. With Tracks, Route and Geocaches once I select the object I get a green "Send" button. Maybe I need to have a receiving unit in the proximity but I don't remember seeing this before.

 

GO$Rs

[+myotis]

Both worked fine on my 400t. I get the green send button. I have City Navigator active and when I select goto the point it calculates the route

[+g-o-cashers]

Both worked fine on my 400t. I get the green send button. I have City Navigator active and when I select goto the point it calculates the route

 

I tried both again this morning and I cannot reproduce the inability to send waypoints issue. Not sure what I was doing differently but I tried it about 6 times and it failed the same way this morning. Seems to work fine for me now.

 

The geocaching thing I can still reproduce, you might need to be using Topo. I didn't try it with CN.

 

GO$Rs

[+Catsware]

The geocaching thing I can still reproduce, you might need to be using Topo. I didn't try it with CN.

 

I see the same issue with Topo Germany V1. But it is not a new one, I have seen it before with 2.4.

[FGS-D187]

 

I would appreciate, if this point could be added to the FAQ and Issues List.

 

I'll add it. Thanks for the detailed description.

 

GO$Rs

I just sent an e-mail regarding the "avoid highways issue" directly to garmin US.

 

Stefan

[+kezlu]

 

There is quite a bit of debate as to whether or not Averaging is any better than a single reading after the unit settles a bit.

 

 

As an 'eyeball alternative' to software averaging, zoom in as close as possible and watch the current track develop. If it jumps around during the time you want to wait, put your 'averaged waypoint' at the apparent center of the jumping. And the size of the zig-zag area is a good measure of your position 'accuracy'. Actually it's the reliability, it could be reliably inaccurate.

 

KenZ

[yogazoo]

On a sinical note...

 

1) Once again, with the release of this version 2.51 we are all "Beta" testers.

 

2) Geez, how hard is it really to give us the average waypoint option? Reliability, accuracy, prescision, I know I know. Its nice to be able to tell my field techs just to average the waypoint for a minute to cut down on wayward waypoints. I don't really want to explain to them how to enable the track, sit there for a minute and place a waypoint inside the supposed, subjective, center of the ball of yarn.

 

3) Jotne, thanks for your encouraging words about how it does no good to have some "wishlist" about features we think the Colorado should have. Isn't that the ENTIRE point to the list g-o-cachers compiled with the help of all of us? And what do we consider a "wish". Is it a "wish" to want the ephimeral waterbodies to show up on my GPS? Is it a "wish" to want my barometer to record data when its turned off (like its supposed to)? Is it a "wish" to want a bug-free, reliable, full-featured GPS for the price that I paid?

 

I digress. I just get a tad frustrated when I see folks making excuses for Garmin for missing or buggy features. I know I know, its not a 60CSX. Believe me, I know.

[+XopherN71]

I know I know, its not a 60CSX. Believe me, I know.

 

I know! It's SO much cooler, isn't it... I love it for geocaching, the screen, controls, feature set, profiles, wireless technology... such a great all around tool, definitely a keeper.

 

[+tcatkins99]

On a sinical note...

 

1) Once again, with the release of this version 2.51 we are all "Beta" testers.

 

So far, 2.51 is a beta release.

 

Says so right on the Garmin site:

"Colorado 300 software version 2.51 Beta as of April 7, 2008"