Vista HCx goto waypoint

[+viking0311]

OK...so I got my new Vista HCx, took it out geocaching this weekend, and I cannot for the life of me get this thing to give me a bearing, distance to waypoint, or directional arrow on the compass screen(luckly I brought my Magellan map330 as backup)

 

To give the run down, I have every setting I can find in it set to off road or pedestrian settings, I calibrated the compass before clicking goto and after I got no arrow, started moving in the general direction of the cache(from what I could tell), shut it off and restarted it, and yet still nothing.

 

Does anyone know if this is a common problem, how to fix it, or if I should just contact Garmin?

 

thanks

[TeamEcuador]

From the Legend HCx, which is the same except for the compass and altimeter, here are the steps:

 

Before you do anything, after your unit has acquired satellite lock, go to the compass page and hit the menu button (bottom left side). The menu should say Course Pointer, which means it is currently set for Bearing. If it says Bearing pointer, select that option.

 

Assuming your Geochache waypoint is in the Geocache list, cursor over to Geocache, and click enter. If it's in the Waypoints list, click enter on that.

 

Cursor down the list of waypoints until you get to the geocache you want to find. Click enter.

 

At the bottom right of the screen the GOTO button is highlighted in yellow. Click enter.

 

This should take you direct to the compass screen, with info in your data fields. To change your data fields, press the Menu button and it will give you options for how many data fields you want, and the option to change them. Check your owner's manual for more info on this.

 

I have my compass screen set up with four data fields: bearing and Dist. to Dest. on the top row,

and Heading and Elevation on the second row.

 

If you are doing al this and it still doesn't work, well, I dunno.

Edited May 3, 2008 by TeamEcuador

[+viking0311]

Thanks for the response...tried your instructions step by step and still nada...I'm at a loss.

[+coggins]

Try updating the unit with the Web Updater. Maybe you had a bad load from the factory.

[+MacFlash]

Maybe you should tell us what it does do. Do you lock on satellites? Does the map page show where you are and also the waypoint you are trying to go to? If not you have a defective unit. If so, can you hightlight the waypoint (cache) you want to go to on the map page and the, hold down the enter (stick) to bring up the way point menu. Then select GO TO. Do you then see a line between your current position and the waypoint on the map page?

 

If you got this far then switch to the compass page. There should be a big red arrow on the compass pointing to the waypoint. If not you have major problems with your gps.

Edited May 4, 2008 by MacFlash

[+viking0311]

The unit works as I would expect. It tracks satellites, tells me where I am(location was verified by my old magellan) accurately, loads waypoints, the cursor selects waypoints, the waypoint page works, all menus work as stated in the manual. Everything about this unit works as I would expect it to, the unit does connect my location and the waypoint with a pretty purple line. Everything seems to work fine except I get no bearing or distance info, or a big red arrow. I do however get bearing and distance in the waypoint screen...but little good that does me since the waypoint screen doesn't tell me anything else. I have updated the unit to software v2.60 and am loading geocaches with GSAK.

 

The compass is calibrated and the unit seems pretty accurate as I was able to guess my way to a geocache using only the map screen, but goto info with a nice big red arrow would be nice.

 

Thanks for any input you guys can give. I do have an email into Garmin tech, but apparently they like work on the weekend just as much as I do.

Edited May 4, 2008 by viking0311

[+MacFlash]

The unit works as I would expect. It tracks satellites, tells me where I am(location was verified by my old magellan) accurately, loads waypoints, the cursor selects waypoints, the waypoint page works, all menus work as stated in the manual. Everything about this unit works as I would expect it to, the unit does connect my location and the waypoint with a pretty purple line.

 

So you can bring up a menu for a particular waypoint select go to and see no purple line?

 

Very weird!

[+viking0311]

no... i get the purple line, but I don't get the red directional arrow nor bearing and distance info on the compass page after a goto has been set.

 

It makes no sense to me at all, and seems to be some weird bug or something.

[+the hermit crabs]

no... i get the purple line, but I don't get the red directional arrow nor bearing and distance info on the compass page after a goto has been set.

 

It makes no sense to me at all, and seems to be some weird bug or something.

Yes, it does sound like a weird bug.

 

Here's one more thing to try, if you haven't already: on your map screen, change two of the data fields to "Pointer" and "Distance to Destination" to try to take the place of the features missing fromm your compass page.

 

Do you get the arrow and distance when you try it that way, or are those fields also blank on the map screen?

[+MacFlash]

no... i get the purple line, but I don't get the red directional arrow nor bearing and distance info on the compass page after a goto has been set.

 

It makes no sense to me at all, and seems to be some weird bug or something.

 

What happens if you shut off the electronic compass? You have a bunch of features that the legend doesn't like sight and go- try shutting all this off and see what happens.

[+viking0311]

ok, tried adding every combination of data fields to the map screen I could....still nada. The only time it seem that I can get distance or bearing is in the waypoint screen when I click on the waypoint from the map screen(in the box at the bottom of the screen) then I click the goto button on the bottom right and I get a purple line from the "you are here" arrow to the waypoint, all the data fields for bearing pointer and distance how no numbers or display and when I switch to the compass screen I get the little red circle in the middle of the compass and blank data fields at the top. the compass works and turns when I face different directions. All the while the satellite screen shows 10-11 signals, most of which are near max with a few that are bouncing around half strength, so the unit definately knows where it is.

 

I have also now tried shutting of the electronic compass...nothing new. and I tried sight and go and that got me a red arrow on the compass, but it didn't do anything for the waypoint goto, that one still comes up blank.

 

I am planning on calling garmin in the am, which I hope is fruitful. I will post if I get a resolution.

Edited May 5, 2008 by viking0311

[jmundinger]

I am planning on calling garmin in the am, which I hope is fruitful. I will post if I get a resolution.

 

Based on your description, I really think that is your only option. I'll be curious to hear what they say.

[+viking0311]

UPDATE:

 

Just got off the phone with Chris at Garmin. Apparently no one there has ever seen or heard of this problem with the goto function. He is emailing me a paid shipping label to send the unit directly to him so he can take a look at it and; 1) fix the software problem and send it back to me, 2) Send me a brand new unit.

 

Yes I lose unit for a few days, but Chris promised to try and get a unit back in my hand before this weekend so I don't have to use my old Magellan

 

Will update when situation is resolved, though I will say that the folks at Garmin have already shown that they are far more competent than their counterparts at Magellan who wouldn't even send me a firmware update(though they did offer to trade me my WORKING yet out-of-date MAP330 for a discounted(to fair market value btw) new unit from their line up. Since Magellan unit suck now I said no. I guess there is a reason everyone on this forum is trying to decide between the HCx/CSx/Colorado's....all Garmin. Lets hope this continues on the yellow brick road of sunshiney happyness.

[+Maingray]

Been using a Legend C for ages and now a Vista HCX for a while. I've started to see intermittent issues with the arrow and same info as the OP vanishing from the goto screen when I'm walking to a cache (off road and at a slow speed. Checked all the usual..lock on road, off-road navigation etc. If i turn the unit off and then back on the arrow is restored for a few seconds, and then vanishes. If I calibrate the compass it will re-appear for longer.

[+viking0311]

Maingray, from what I have read on that problem you might want to check the speed at which the arrow switches from the electronic compass to the GPS compass. if you lower the transition speed you might see fewer problems.

[+Tjdreams]

I had similar problems with my Girlfriend's Legend then with my Vista

 

First a few Question

Do You have a Micro SD card installed?

If so Have you reformatted the card?

Are their any maps on it?

 

We found that on the etrex models the compass worked fine with no card and after the card was formatted and had maps on it

But it would not work with the card in and No maps on it.

 

So Try removing the batteries then the card

let it sit for a minute then reinstall the batteries only

calibrate the compass as instructed above.

The unit should now be working just fine,

 

We also encountered the same problem when we tried switching the cards from one unit to the other.

 

we have 4 units

nuvi 360

Legend HCx Topo 2008 on a Sandisk 2 gig micro sd card

GPSMAP 60 CSx City Nav NT 2008 on a Sandisk 2 gig micro sd card

Vista HCx Topo 2008 Sandisk on a 2 gig micro sd card

[+Tjdreams]

I had similar problems with my Girlfriend's Legend then with my Vista

 

First a few Question

Do You have a Micro SD card installed?

If so Have you reformatted the card?

Are their any maps on it?

 

We found that on the etrex models the compass worked fine with no card and after the card was formatted and had maps on it

But it would not work with the card in and No maps on it.

 

So Try removing the batteries then the card

let it sit for a minute then reinstall the batteries only

calibrate the compass as instructed above.

The unit should now be working just fine,

 

We also encountered the same problem when we tried switching the cards from one unit to the other.

 

we have 4 units

nuvi 360

Legend HCx Topo 2008 on a Sandisk 2 gig micro sd card

GPSMAP 60 CSx City Nav NT 2008 on a Sandisk 2 gig micro sd card

Vista HCx Topo 2008 Sandisk on a 2 gig micro sd card

[+viking0311]

I did have a 512mb card in the unit, though I can't remember if I had tried using the unit without the card or not.......dang Garmin had me send the unit in last week, and it would be a dang shame if it works for the tech guy because the card isn't in the unit now..... Well at least now I know what to tell him when he calls and tells me I am off my rocker...lol

[+viking0311]

Well finally got through to Garmin today, after a bit of trouble finding out what the deal was the tech that had me send my unit directly to him finally called me back to let me know that 1) The unit still had the problem when he got it(without the SD card) 2) He sent it off to the engineers to figure out what exactly is going on, and best of all 3) he just shipped a brand new unit to me via 2nd day UPS. So here's to hoping the problem was isolated.