Caches disappeared from Oregon 450 . . .

[+GerIRL]

I just updated my unit with Webupdater to "Software Version 5.20/GPS Software Version 5.00". I copied a 5mb GPX file into the \GPX folder yesterday, went caching and downloaded my field notes. This evening when driving home, I pulled over to do 2 caches that popped up on m nuvi screen, turned on my Oregon and when I selected the Geocaches button, the unit displayed "No geocaches found". I then pushed "Where to?" and selected "Waypoints" and there were no waypoints. I know for a fact that there were a bunch of child waypoints in the .gpx file.

 

I came home, plugged the GPSr into my PC and the .gpx file is still in the \GPX folder.

 

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

Thanks.

[+myotis]

reload it

[+GerIRL]

Not the best of solutions when you're out in the woods and it happens.

[+myotis]

Sure it is - if you are prepared and have your PQs on your card not your GPS. Then if it happens out on the woods, shut down GPS, remove card, start it up, shut it down, put card back in, restart GPS and the PQs will be reloaded.

[Colorado Bear]

I have had this problem before, the GPX file does not load properly. I have found that once I reload it from my computer it works.

Lesson learned, whenever I load fresh GPX file, I power the GPSr on and check a random cache including the desscription and the hint before heading out.

 

Jay

[+GerIRL]

Sure it is - if you are prepared and have your PQs on your card not your GPS. Then if it happens out on the woods, shut down GPS, remove card, start it up, shut it down, put card back in, restart GPS and the PQs will be reloaded.

I stand corrected! My (hopefully) final question would be where on the SD card to place the .gpx file, and how to have the Oregon look for it on the SD card. FWIW - I have my City Navigator image file on the SD card.

 

Thanks.

Edited November 9, 2011 by GerIRL

[+Timpat]

Hi GerIRL. On your card create a folder named Garmin, then within that, a folder named GPX, just like in the internal memory. So it would be "Drive:\Garmin\GPX". Put the .gpx file(s) from your PQ in there. Remember there is a limit to number of caches (not sure on an OR 450), and a limit to number of .gpx files total (I believe it is 200) between internal and card memory.

 

If I follow myotis correctly, by loading to the card, and something goes amiss with internal files, by his instructions your unit will then find them. Maybe it would pay to load a spare card this way if you are on a trip or long hike away from the PC? If caches go "poooof" throw in the spare card and cache-on!

 

Cheers!

Pat

[+myotis]

TimPat is correct on where to put the files on the card. However, put all your PQs on your card, do not have any in internal memory. Having an extra card with the gpx files would not make any sense. If you pull the card, start, then replace the card, it will reload the gpx file.

[+c_dog]

If you pull the card, start, then replace the card, it will reload the gpx file.

 

Not necessarily. The GPSr will only reload the gpx if the the time stamp for it is different from what it that the GPSr will keep for it from the previous load in a non-referenced internal memory. Usually, just pulling the card and replacing it will not be enough to get GPSr to reload the gpx file. That's why I usually bring a netbook or a android tablet along road trips to copy the the gpx file to another drive and back in order to 'touch' the time stamp of the file. Not like this has never happened to me since Garmin changed the way new gpx files are handled in the COs & ORs in firmware betas last year.

Edited November 9, 2011 by c_dog

[+dfx]

If you pull the card, start, then replace the card, it will reload the gpx file.

 

Not necessarily. The GPSr will only reload the gpx if the the time stamp for it is different from what it that the GPSr will keep for it from the previous load in a non-referenced internal memory. Usually, just pulling the card and replacing it will not be enough to get it to reload the gpx file.

 

Pulling it and then starting the Oregon will. Because when you do that, it will see that the GPX files have disappeared, and will delete the contents from its internal memory. Upon replacing the card, it will thus reload the caches.

[+c_dog]

Pulling it and then starting the Oregon will.

 

Starting the GPSr again without the card is the key here.

 

The GPSr will need to clear the reference for that file and its caches and waypoints from internal memory. Otherwise the if the the lock-up on the previous load was during a partial load of the file, the GPSr will often continue with on with the load after you put the card back in, but only see that portion of the caches and waypoints got loaded before the lock-up. Seen this happen a few times too.

 

I use the copy back-and-forth method via a spanner mode to a (PC or tablet/smartphone w/ USB support) so I don't have to take the card out ever time the GPSr misses the load. Keeps the card from getting lost or damaged.

 

Have to say that v5.20, so far, is the best version yet at handling user created/loaded gpx files. Only have had it 'lose' the load of the caches and waypoints of a file twice. Seems to be related a reload after when the GPSr has shut down from the batteries going dead or a battery swap. My guess is that the references in non-volatile memory are getting corrupted because they are still open when the power goes away.

Edited November 9, 2011 by c_dog

[+Walts Hunting]

Sure it is - if you are prepared and have your PQs on your card not your GPS. Then if it happens out on the woods, shut down GPS, remove card, start it up, shut it down, put card back in, restart GPS and the PQs will be reloaded.

 

Someone told Mr this some time ago and it works. I had mine blank out in the middle of a 20 mile bike ride and it worked

[+GerIRL]

Thanks to you all for your input and help.

[+h2o z]

Wow, thanks to everyone in this whole thread. All of sudden I couldn't view my bunch of caches or waypoints even though they were in the memory. I'm haven't used pocket queries for a while so that part confused me but I looked on my map card and there was room so I copied my GPX folder over to it and now it all shows. Thanks.