Oregon 550T: Crashed...

[+yawppy]

Okay, I have looked around for a solution, but thus far have only found sites selling manuals, or a lot of gibberish.

 

So figured I'd try a fresh post on an issue I am not to sure of, in hopes that someone knows of the solution too :

 

Here's the background

 

I purchased an Oregon 550T about two years back, after the 1st year, it went caput, wouldn't boot etc.

 

Took it back to REI, they surprised me, replaced it with a new one, that was a complete surprise, any rate, here I am again, just about a year later, the thing just died today.

 

Worked fine all day , strted at 05:00 and as usual, bats died around 14:00, and I replaced them with fresh bats. Powered on, ready to go, yeah right.

 

All I get is the Garmin logo, on and off on and off, ... and it will not power off via the switch, you have to pull out the bats,.... fast forwrd to home (Glad to have a pal and ol smart phone), plugged it to the PC, will not even communicate with the PC, if you hold the power down, it seems to try to install a driver, just a hoax tho, as it just seems to be a brick.

 

I have tried a hard reset, problem is, again, the on and off logo, it appears to be just a brick.

 

So, does anyone know what the issue is, and or know of the solution?

 

Also,I plan to visit REI, just to see when I obtained this unit, sure it is at least over a year or year and 1/2, so will REI do a replacement as the last time, wondering if I can just upgrade all together.

 

My Nuvi's work 5 yrs and going, why the hand held issues.. (Also had issues after a year or so on the CO)

 

So should I just abandon Garmin handhelds? I like the Montana, but...I want a GPS for more than a year....seems ridiculous that every year I seem to have an issue.

 

K TY

[+Atlas Cached]

I believe REI will again replace or refund you for the faulty unit.

 

ALL of my Oregon's have done the same exact thing you describe, and always at the most inopportune times.

 

A new version of the Oregon will be out some time this year.

[+sduck]

Check out http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/ - I think his has been covered there at one point or another. My 550t did that once, and I did find a solution somehow - it was some combination of plugging in the USB and holding the power switch.

[+phlatlander]

At the risk of asking the obvious, do you have a micro-sd card? If so, remove it and reboot the unit.

[+yawppy]

TY for the wiki link, I am still looking at it.

 

I have tried the USB Cable Power button hold down, no good. As for the SD card, never had one in it, never had a need for it really.

 

It just seems weird, was working fine, i do not believe it's a corrupt file, as my last GPX/POI upload was well over a month ago, I mean I have been using it, and then all of a sudden wham, good thing for the smart phone, un-opportune timing, last GWSIX...My CO 400T went on the fritz, had no smart phone then...that was bad!!

 

Well. I will head back to REI, later this week, gonna take a break for now, see if there is a fix later on,see what Garmin says, sure it'll be the same $140.00 send it in, blah blah, so see what happens, I'll check back later, fingers crossed!

 

TY

Yawppy