Garmin Colorado 400T arrow issue

[+bittsen]

I am getting sick of this issue and want to know if anyone has any similar issue or knows how to fix it.

Sometimes when I'm geocaching and turn around to walk the other way, the arrow doesn't rotate. The arrow will point in the opposite direction I need to go and the distance will decrease, essentially the arrow is backing up.

I can swing the unit to and fro but the arrow still won't rotate to the direction I am walking. Eventually, after a few minutes (or more), it will swing around.

 

Any ideas?

[+fegan]

I am getting sick of this issue and want to know if anyone has any similar issue or knows how to fix it.

Sometimes when I'm geocaching and turn around to walk the other way, the arrow doesn't rotate. The arrow will point in the opposite direction I need to go and the distance will decrease, essentially the arrow is backing up.

I can swing the unit to and fro but the arrow still won't rotate to the direction I am walking. Eventually, after a few minutes (or more), it will swing around.

 

Any ideas?

 

Calibrate your compass...always fixes the problem for me. You're supposed to calibrate the compass every time you change batteries, sometimes I forget.

[+bittsen]

I am getting sick of this issue and want to know if anyone has any similar issue or knows how to fix it.

Sometimes when I'm geocaching and turn around to walk the other way, the arrow doesn't rotate. The arrow will point in the opposite direction I need to go and the distance will decrease, essentially the arrow is backing up.

I can swing the unit to and fro but the arrow still won't rotate to the direction I am walking. Eventually, after a few minutes (or more), it will swing around.

 

Any ideas?

 

Calibrate your compass...always fixes the problem for me. You're supposed to calibrate the compass every time you change batteries, sometimes I forget.

 

Does the compass automagically turn back on whenever you change the batteries? I turned the compass off a long time ago but haven't checked to see that it is still off.

[+fegan]

Does the compass automagically turn back on whenever you change the batteries? I turned the compass off a long time ago but haven't checked to see that it is still off.

Never noticed if it automagically turns back to Auto, I doubt it does. I've always had mine on Auto and your original post never mentioned if yours was Off or Auto. If yours is Off then I doubt calibrating would help.

[+Red90]

I've seen it happen. The direction arrow "sticks" sometime. I just look at the map. And my compass is off.

[+bittsen]

I've seen it happen. The direction arrow "sticks" sometime. I just look at the map. And my compass is off.

 

Yeah, it sticks. Any way to oil it?

[+Red90]

LOL

 

No, it comes back eventually. I usually use the combination map/compass page for caches. If the pointer is lagging, zoom in and look at the track log. All very easy with the Colorado Geocaching setup...

[+bittsen]

LOL

 

No, it comes back eventually. I usually use the combination map/compass page for caches. If the pointer is lagging, zoom in and look at the track log. All very easy with the Colorado Geocaching setup...

 

OK, you aren't following me here. I am not looking for a way to deal with it. The thing just irks me beyond belief.

I want to fix it! I want to punish it when it acts up.

I want to take that little arrow out of the unit and flog it. I want it to scream and beg for mercy. I want it to promise to do better with the penalty of boiling tar and feathers of a dragon. I want the stupid arrow to WANT to please me. I want to to point to the correct location even if it's under water. I want it to put on a rubber suit and ball gag and call me by a name of authority.

 

The stupid arrow needs to learn its place in life. I want to OWN it, I don't want to be it's whipping boy.

[ZeMartelo]

I just want to add my voice to Bittsen. My Colorado 300 does the same thing and its annoying.

The unit knows that I am moving, why doesnt it update the arrow???

[+Red90]

Don't worry. Oregons are much worse.....

 

[+Walts Hunting]

If you want to fix it you need to purchase an older 60 series. They have the sirf chip and helix antenna. While yours has the helix it has the MEK chip which was a significant downgrade. The problem you describe is well known by Colorado/Oregon users and there is nothing that can be done. It is a hardware problem. Just be glad you don' t have an Oregon. I was up in the Sierras under medium forest cover with my Oregon and my partner had his Colorado. We were walking along a road looking for an entrance (arrow pointed 90 degrees to left). We found one and headed in. His changed right away and mine took over 500 feet and didn't change until we entered a clearing. I calibrate my compass every battery change and have it set to auto.

[+GeekBoy.from.Illinois]

I just want to add my voice to Bittsen. My Colorado 300 does the same thing and its annoying.

The unit knows that I am moving, why doesnt it update the arrow???

I have a certain park where I had used my Colorado 300 several times. Every time went to that park, the "arrow" on the map screen would point 90 degrees off from the direction I was heading. The track og would come out of one of the back edge corners as I walked, so it left an accurate track log on the screen, it just didn't know which way I was moving. It always happened in that park. Since that time, I have replaced my Colorado 300 with an Oregon 400t, and this past weekend, it just did exactly the same thing (except in a different park). Talk about confusing...

 

In my case, once I got back out of the woods and onto the trail, the map screen pointer was working properly again. One thing I did notice was that on the bushwhack to this cache, at one point, my distance to the cache was not changing, but my GPS accuracy was changing (for the worse). It went from 12 feet all the way up to 91 feet at one point, before it slowly came back towards the 21 feet range.

[+g-o-cashers]

The Oregon and I believe the Colorado to a lesser extent need to see movement above a certain speed before they will update the heading/compass.

 

On the Oregon (and I'm assuming the CO too, although I haven't tried) it is easy to observe this by putting the speed and heading data fields on the map page or compass page. As you move at walking speeds notice how the heading field does not change when the speed is < 1-2mph. As soon as your speed increases the heading/compass changes.

 

Speed, particularly on the Oregon, is not very reliable (probably related to sensitivity and filtering associated with your position) and as a result you'll see the heading lock up if you have poor reception at lowers speeds.

 

Note: all of this assumes the e-compass is disabled and not causing the problems because it isn't calibrated, held level, etc.

[+Red90]

If you want to fix it you need to purchase an older 60 series. They have the sirf chip and helix antenna. While yours has the helix it has the MEK chip which was a significant downgrade. The problem you describe is well known by Colorado/Oregon users and there is nothing that can be done. It is a hardware problem. Just be glad you don' t have an Oregon. I was up in the Sierras under medium forest cover with my Oregon and my partner had his Colorado. We were walking along a road looking for an entrance (arrow pointed 90 degrees to left). We found one and headed in. His changed right away and mine took over 500 feet and didn't change until we entered a clearing. I calibrate my compass every battery change and have it set to auto.

 

Actually it has nothing to do with the GPS. The GPS updates probably and is accurate. It is just the direction arrow that freezes. Normally it is when leaving a car and last for 5 to 10 seconds.