eXplorist 500 needs HELP

[4077th]

I've searched high and low for a solution to this problem but I always end up at a dead end. Hopefully someone here can point me in a new direction... without going in to excessive details... here's:

 

What happened: I was upgrading the firmware on my eXplorist 500 using the updater from Magellan's website. The GPS said it had finished erasing the device and was in the process of writing the new firmware when it powered off.

 

Now: The only way to turn it on is to use the 'secret' key combination of 'light' 'enter' and 'power'. The only display I can get is "Software Upload Mode Active".

 

I've tried: Leaving it on at the upload screen for 30 minutes. Hooking in up via USB to the computer, but the computer does not recognize the device. 3 or 4 methods of 'updating' via SD card.

 

Does anyone know if there's a way to install the new firmware or where I can get instructions... as I said, I've looked all over for this, but I've never found a resolution that deals with this scenario.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

PS - It's not under warranty and I'm not sending it in to get fixed, so if I can't do it myself, it's going in the garbage and I can't really afford a new GPS, so I'd really like to get it working again.

[+embra]

My recollection of the Explorist line was that if it failed during a firmware upgrade, it was bricked. I think the only way to recover was to send it in to Magellan for them to do a firmware installation via internal ports. That might be what the "Software upload mode" is about...

 

I might be wrong, though; it's been a long time since I had my 500. It could be worth checking in with the Yahoo Explorist Users group to see what they think--lots of informed knowledge used to be there.

[+jeffbouldin]

Give them a call. I did when my Explorist 210 went loco. They replaced it with a Triton 300. Maybe they'll have a solution for you.

[+musthavemuzk]

bricked huh?

we returned out explorist GC this past saturday to best buy as it froze on us friday night. tried and tried and tried to get it to do anything besides nothing. did the fancy key combo i read on the forums here and it took me to the grey screen that give you options across the top, but did nothing.

it was less than 10 days old so we took it back and they gave us a new one.

i had done the firmware update on within the first wk through vantage point software. and it seemed ok.

then i signed up on magellans site and grabbed the firmware that way when it froze on us.

so far with the new one i am on the firmware it shipped with. i dont wanna freeze this one.

scares me alot.

[vagabond]

try here it's the triton forum, my 500 bricked about a year ago and I was able to get it back up and working.

[4077th]

Thanks guys, I found some great information over at the Yahoo group... I'm going to build a serial cable that should allow me to re-install the firmware. Just have to wait for some parts to come in.

[+czechyour6]

The latest firmware they made for the 500 is 5.2.05 made in 2007, just download it to your computer, use the AC power cable and have it plugged into the usb and then initiate install, maybe you will get lucky and the unit will not be locked, there are a few little bugs in upgrading them and many have wiped out stuff in the unit. Its only taken be 5 yrs to start figuring out the 500 ALso there were never any drivers made for the unit to work on anything higher than windows XP, so that may also cause an issue, magellan will also not fix, repair, offer any type of parts for the discontinued units, just offer a trade in towards newer models.

 

Jake

 

Thanks guys, I found some great information over at the Yahoo group... I'm going to build a serial cable that should allow me to re-install the firmware. Just have to wait for some parts to come in.

[4077th]

Just want to update this thread with the resolution.

My GPS is now FIXED!

It would not connect to my PC using just the USB cable, and it would only start up in programming mode. Using information from the explorist forum on yahoo, I built an interface cable that allows the GPS's USB cable to connect to the PC via the PC's serial port. Using software and firmware file also from the yahoo forum, I was able to program the GPS with the 5.2.70 firmware.

Everything is good now, so I won't be messing with it again any time soon!

[+musthavemuzk]

that's great to hear you got it going again.

thanx for letting the ppl here know you won the battle!

 

Monty