Venture HC

[+rhelt100]

About a week ago, I broke the screen on my old Magellan Explorist 210 and ended up picking up a Garmin Venture HC as a replacement. I'm noticing some strange issues with it and I'm hoping somebody else who uses this GPS can tell me if theirs does it too or if it's an issue with this particualr GPS.

 

 

I've noticed that the arrow on the compass screen doesn't seem to update properly. Yesterday, I went to maintain one of the stages of a multicache I own. I was able to get within a couple hundred feet by memory and used the GPS from this point on because it was light out and I couldn't follow the reflectors. The GPS said 240 feet when I plugged in the coords. I followed the arrow for awhile and it suddenly jumped to 90 degrees to the left. So, I turned 90 degrees to the left and continued hiking. The arrow never moved. The distance kept getting lower like I was walking right at it...but the arrow kept pointing 90 degrees to the left. This activity kept up, with periodic update of the arrow every few minutes. 20 minutes later, I found the 2nd stage. I have been to the location multiple times with my old magellan and I always walked right up to it. The arrow on my magellan updated constantly.

 

 

Is this a known issue with the Garmin Venture HC? Is there a setting that I can change to make the arrow update more frequently when I'm close to GZ? Any other Garmin Venture HC users have this problem?

 

 

Thanks for any help provided.

[+Blindmantoo]

About a week ago, I broke the screen on my old Magellan Explorist 210 and ended up picking up a Garmin Venture HC as a replacement. I'm noticing some strange issues with it and I'm hoping somebody else who uses this GPS can tell me if theirs does it too or if it's an issue with this particualr GPS.

 

 

I've noticed that the arrow on the compass screen doesn't seem to update properly. Yesterday, I went to maintain one of the stages of a multicache I own. I was able to get within a couple hundred feet by memory and used the GPS from this point on because it was light out and I couldn't follow the reflectors. The GPS said 240 feet when I plugged in the coords. I followed the arrow for awhile and it suddenly jumped to 90 degrees to the left. So, I turned 90 degrees to the left and continued hiking. The arrow never moved. The distance kept getting lower like I was walking right at it...but the arrow kept pointing 90 degrees to the left. This activity kept up, with periodic update of the arrow every few minutes. 20 minutes later, I found the 2nd stage. I have been to the location multiple times with my old magellan and I always walked right up to it. The arrow on my magellan updated constantly.

 

 

Is this a known issue with the Garmin Venture HC? Is there a setting that I can change to make the arrow update more frequently when I'm close to GZ? Any other Garmin Venture HC users have this problem?

 

 

Thanks for any help provided.

 

Are you aware that the Venture does not have an electronic compass. If moving too slowly the compass reading will be incorrect. This was the main reason that I returned my otherwise great Venture and purchased a Vista HCx.

[+Red90]

It does not need a compass to work properly.... It matters not how fast you move.

 

Check on whether your are using a "course" or "bearing" pointer. You want "bearing". That is the only thing I can think of. If not that, there is something wrong with your unit.

[+rhelt100]

I'm aware that the venture hc does not have an electronic compass. My explorist 210 didn't have one either, but it was still able to determine which direction I was going based on movement and adjust the arrow.

 

 

I checked to see if I was on bearing or route and it was on bearing. Surprisingly, I took a cacher friend who stopped by my house tonight out in the back yard to show him what the unit was doing. I marked a point near my house and as we walked around the back yard, the arrow corrected itself about every 5 seconds. It wasn't doing that in the woods yesterday so I'm a little confused.

 

 

Thanks for the input guys.

[+sheepmaniac]

I have a Venture HC and love everything about it. I've never had that problem. Even when i take baby steps. I can always get it down to a foot for geocaching.

 

Maybe it was a bad satellite day for some reason. Were you under trees or was the signal obstructed? If it continues I would suggest getting another of the same.... or call Garmin and check with them. Maybe try a reset to default settings to make sure everything is set right.

[+Norwegian Sergeant]

I'm on my 3rd Garmin and my Venture HC has the same problem described above. (I sold my first one to bankroll the Venture and still have the second as a back up) My old blue e-trex does a better job at pointing me in the correct direction. My first GPSr was a Geko 201 and it worked equally as well as the blue e-trex. I've had the Venture HC problem in a variety of settings: woods with no leaves, semi urban areas, and out in the open.

 

The bells and whistles on the Venture HC are a fantastic upgrade, but if the basic GPSr functions don't work... is it really an upgrade?

 

I saw there was an software update on the Garmin web site. These updates have been downloaded to my unit. I'll see this evening if it has mad a difference.

 

Another problem my I notice in my Venture sometimes the case creaks when I press the side buttons. (my blue e-trex doesn’t do this) I took my first Venture back, checked the store's demo (it didn't creak) and exchanged it for another unit. Before I took the unit back I called Garmin and told them about the problem. The phone tech put me on hold to check with his supervisor. When he returned his response was to the effect. "The unit is breaking in." HMM!?!?!

[+Norwegian Sergeant]

The software update doesn't solve the problem.

[gitarmac]

I have a venture but had not noticed that with mine. I do have a differant issue though, when I am using it in gps off mode and turn the satillites on it seems to lock up. I might call garmin about it.

 

 

Do you have battery saver on? I have heard that will cause certain issues.

[+Norwegian Sergeant]

I have a venture but had not noticed that with mine. I do have a differant issue though, when I am using it in gps off mode and turn the satillites on it seems to lock up. I might call garmin about it.

 

 

Do you have battery saver on? I have heard that will cause certain issues.

 

I've not had the issue you have talked about w satillite off mode.

 

I'm pretty sure I don't have the battery saver mode on. But I'll check. I did that with my blue eTrex Legend and it does move crazy-slow.

[+rhelt100]

I did a full firmware update 2 days ago and tested it out on a long cache run yesterday. It seems that the firmware was the issue with mine. The arrow started updating every second or so like i was used to. The factory firmware that came with the unit was 8 updates behind current.

[donc30]

Newbie here with a Venture HC on order.

What is firmware? Will I need to do something to update mine when I get it (tomorrow).

Thanks

[+Norwegian Sergeant]

Venture doesn't have a battery saver mode. I called Garmin yesterday. Told 'em all the things I tried. They asked me a battery of questions and offer some solutions. Nothing worked so I'm sending it in so that they could give it the once over. Chuck from customer service was knowledgeable and a great help.

 

Is firmware the updates that are on the Garmin website?