Garmin etrex Vista HCx problem - unintentional shut down

[+HHCacher]

Dear all,

 

I've got a little problem with my brand-new Garmin etrex Vista HCx (firmware 3.1) and would appreciate any suggestions / help. A 2 GB SD card is inserted. When I turn the etrex on and immediately change the lighting to 100% by pressing the power on button (lighting button) again (twice) and then press the menu button (all during acquiring sattelites) the system shuts down immediately without warning. When I first press the menu button and afterwards change the lighting everthing seems to be fine.

 

Can anyone please try this out / confirm this / negate this (with/without SD card)? Perhaps this is a general firmware problem and not a hardware problem.

 

Thanks in advance and may the cache be with you :-)

 

Regards, Tom (HHCacher)

[+BlueDeuce]

I didn't duplicate on 2.80 I probably should go update the version.

 

When you say press the menu button do you mean the lower left button and would that be one or two presses?

[+HHCacher]

I didn't duplicate on 2.80 I probably should go update the version.

 

When you say press the menu button do you mean the lower left button and would that be one or two presses?

Thank you for the quick answer.

 

Correct - I mean the lower left button (in my manual it is called the menu button). However, I do not have the chance to press this button twice, because the Garmin shuts down after pressing this button once, if the lightning button was pressed twice before it.

[+BlueDeuce]

Thanks. I'll try it again after the upgrade.

 

Wish me luck!

[+BlueDeuce]

Nope, didn't duplicate it with the card in or out.

 

And while typing this I turned the thing back on to verify a scenario and it won't go past the first Garmin screen.

Even after pulling the batteries and restarting.

 

Lovely.

 

(sigh)

 

I was about to head out caching, good thing I have a back up GPS. A trusty Blue Legend.

 

Edit: Now it's working. Let's hope it stays that way.

 

I did note the upgrade included things about the backlight. Obviously this version has a few bugs in it.

 

Changes from version 3.00 to version 3.10:

Fix potential lock up when SD card installed.

Fix the contour data intermittently drawing over interstates of Topo Map.

Improve the blue shading color when using the setting 'Marine colors' in Daytime display mode.

Correct the brightness can't move over 50% in eTrex Vista HCx.

Correct upside down direction of vertical speed.

Fix incorrect highlight index at unit field in 'Area Calculation' page after select reset in menu.

Changes from version 2.80 to version 3.00:

Correct time scale of altimeter chart (Vista only).

Add support for maps greater than 2 GB.

Modify track log function for steady barometer output at power on ( Vista only ).

Correct wrong indication of 'Vertical speed' and 'Glide ratio' ( Legend only).

Changes from version 2.70 to version 2.80:

Fix 'Highway Page' shutdown issue with menu key operation.

Correct power-on failure issue.

Changes from version 2.60 to version 2.70:

Improve distance calculation in odometer.

Fix system freeze issue.

Fix shutdown issue when browse detail map.

Correct user grid.

Disable route calculation icon when GPS is off.

Changes from version 2.50 to version 2.60:

Correct German translation of 'delete all waypoints'.

Fix data card unlock failure when 2 cards of the same map set are used in one device.

Improve sun times for polar regions.

Fix issue where ETA in non motor vehicle modes can be unreasonably short.

Increase precision of distance measurement to the cursor on the map page.

Allow backlight adjustment on the track back point selection page.

Fix shutdown when editing Estonian Grid coordinates.

Correct daylight saving time for New Zealand.

Improve selection of the names of cross roads with NT maps.

Correct potential shutdown when viewing a vertical profile.

Correct European word translation of 'Find' and 'Mark'.

Support multiple languages in American version.

Fix screen fading issue in cold temperature.

Correct total ascent calculation.

Correct direction symbol of vertical speed.

Fix reboot issue of GPS firmware update.

Correct battery issue of lithium battery.

Changes from version 2.40 to version 2.50:

Removed the turn backlight on action when unit is initially powered on.

Changes from version 2.30 to version 2.40:

Fix compass hint message issue when compass turn off (Vista HCx only).

Changed odometer calculation to more closely match track log distance.

Change number of lines of text in the address field on map feature review page from 4 to 6.

Limit number of custom POI bitmaps to 64 to ensure enough memory resources.

Added better compatibility with Mac computers in USB mass storage mode.

Improved pedestrian route calculation for shortest distance method.

Changed datum used in the SWEREF 99TM grid from GEO_NAD83 to GEO_NONE_GRS80.

Changed datum used in the Estonian grid from GEO_NAD83 to GEO_NONE_GRS80.

Fix potential shutdown when using TOPO West 1999.

Fix potential shutdown on track setup for data card when track log files have long file names.

Corrected French translation for 'Log track points'

Improve track log recording for sensor products to continue recording sensor data even when GPS doesn't have a fix.

Fix potential shutdown when propagating in a cul-de-sac across a map boundary.

Add A905/D900 unlock code communication protocol.

Make route recalculation on MPC maps behave like City Navigator maps.

Fix second power on issue.

Fix WebUpdater issue of GPS firmware .

Changes from version 2.20 to version 2.30:

Fixed Swiss grid issue.

Fixed postcode issue with CNE v.9 NT.

Added hint message when the E-compass of the unit has never been calibrated successfully by user,(Vista HCx only).

Change 'Lithium Ion' text to 'Lithium'.

Edited September 7, 2009 by BlueDeuce

[Moorheadbigj]

Dear all,

 

I've got a little problem with my brand-new Garmin etrex Vista HCx (firmware 3.1) and would appreciate any suggestions / help. A 2 GB SD card is inserted. When I turn the etrex on and immediately change the lighting to 100% by pressing the power on button (lighting button) again (twice) and then press the menu button (all during acquiring sattelites) the system shuts down immediately without warning. When I first press the menu button and afterwards change the lighting everthing seems to be fine.

 

Can anyone please try this out / confirm this / negate this (with/without SD card)? Perhaps this is a general firmware problem and not a hardware problem.

 

Thanks in advance and may the cache be with you :-)

 

Regards, Tom (HHCacher)

I tried my etrex vista hcx with software version 3.10 4 times in a roll and mine does not shut off. I have my first light setting at around 25% so when I start my etrx vista HCx up and immediately hit power button twice and get the 25% setting and immediately hit power button again to get 100% setting everything is ok and right away hit menu button twice I get the main menu and unit does not shut down at all. I would call Garmin tommorrow and tell them your problem. You may have just got a lemon and I do have a 2gb SanDisk micro secure digital card installed fully loaded.

Jerry

Edited September 7, 2009 by Moorheadbigj

[+HHCacher]

Thanks a lot for your detailed report / analysis!

 

Best Regards, Tom

[ehuber]

Yes, I faced the same issue. The solution you should not go to fast. Let your hcx make the job and then change what you want. This way it is always OK.

[+HHCacher]

Yes, I faced the same issue. The solution you should not go to fast. Let your hcx make the job and then change what you want. This way it is always OK.

 

Thanks a lot! Although I think this is a bug in the firware yet I followed your good idea just to relax during the startup ... no issues so far.

[ao318]

I noticed this on my Legend HCX and 2 venture CX's after the software updates. Just as mentioned before, wait until everything is done before pressing buttons.

[+leloup79]

Hi!

 

I have just updated my Vista HCx today, and came across the same issue:

1) Power on

2) Hit menu (lower left button) on the satellite screen

3) Shutdown

 

This is bad for me as I am used to press that button to go to the cache search (even if the GPS has no satellite fix yet). Also, I use it to go to the main menu to do some stuff until it has the fix.

 

Regards,

Leloup

[gitarmac]

I have had this happen as well. I cannot reliably duplicate the problem, it seems to have to do with timing, kind of like the other poster said.

 

It seems like every unit has some kind of bug or another. My venture is awesome, but if I use it with "GPS off" selected, then try and turn it on using the option of turning it on, it will lock up and I have to take the batteries out to fix it. I have to turn it off, then back on if I use it in gps off mode.

[+GrateBear]

I had the same problem yesterday. I was downloading a map set, decided to cancel it, and the unit shut off. I turned it back on, and it powered off right away. Did this several times with the same result. So, I replaced the SD card with a new one, and the unit stayed on. Must have done something to the card that caused it to shut the unit off. As I had just picked up a couple of 2GB cards for $5 each, and the "bad" one was only 1GB, just threw it away--didn't want to take a chance trying it in anything else.

[guggie]

the "bad" one was only 1GB, just threw it away--didn't want to take a chance trying it in anything else.

 

You should have just popped it in a card reader and reformatted it from your PC. Send it to me and I'll do it for you.

[+leloup79]

It seems that if you hit the page button to go away from the satellite screen once, and then hit menu, it will not shut down. In my opinion this manifests that it is a bug, that should be fixed.