Etrex 30 version 3.00 !

[+sim_v]

Garmin Express announce a new version for my Etrex 30 : version 3.00

 

Changes made from version 2.90 to 3.00:

 

Fixed several issues with sorting photos in the photo viewer application.

Fixed issue with prompted routing.

Fixed issue with saving a track's 'show on map' status across a power cycle.

Fixed issue with displaying tracks on the map after performing an area calculation.

Fixed issue with BirdsEye imagery's status not being saved to each profile.

Fixed issue with tempe sensor's status not being saved to each profile (eTrex 30 devices).

Fixed potential shutdown when viewing certain tracks or routes in German or Russian.

Fixed possible issue with reviewing a track's information.

Fixed possible issue with searching for an address in cities with extremely long names.

 

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=5553

[+BlackRose67]

I've downloaded the gcd file should I decide to do a manual update of my eTrex 20.

 

Given my experience with 2.90, I'll wait for someone else to try it first

[tr_s]

I've downloaded the gcd file should I decide to do a manual update of my eTrex 20.

 

Given my experience with 2.90, I'll wait for someone else to try it first

 

At least didn't brick my device

[+northernpenguin]

I confirm the Birdseye profile bug is fixed now.....

[+user13371]

at least didn't brick my device

But did it make it flatulent?

 

Still waiting for the bare GCD to show up in the wiki files or somewhere... Without a "real" computer I can't run th web updater.

[alandb]

Still waiting for the bare GCD to show up in the wiki files or somewhere... Without a "real" computer I can't run th web updater.

How about here: http://gawisp.com/perry/etrex/eTrex_10_20_30/

[+user13371]

Thanks!

[+sim_v]

I found a better response (waypoint, selection, GO TO, OFF road is more speedy than 2.90 version).

Some screens can now be quit with "Back" Button. some cache today, I noticed no problem.

[+neodraig]

I have a big problem with the compass on my eTrex 30.

 

When I'm in "on road" mode (I bought my eTrex 30 for its routing capabilities after all), the compass won't point to the cache or the waypoint. Worse it will even get stuck to a spot and stay focussed on that point even if I'm circling around it

 

Still in "on road" mode, the tiny compass of the geocaching dashboard will point anywhere but the cache. It's working just fine when no cache is selected and pointing to the nearest cache.

 

See the full details on the Garmin forum HERE

[+northernpenguin]

I have a big problem with the compass on my eTrex 30.

 

When I'm in "on road" mode (I bought my eTrex 30 for its routing capabilities after all), the compass won't point to the cache or the waypoint. Worse it will even get stuck to a spot and stay focussed on that point even if I'm circling around it

 

Still in "on road" mode, the tiny compass of the geocaching dashboard will point anywhere but the cache. It's working just fine when no cache is selected and pointing to the nearest cache.

 

See the full details on the Garmin forum HERE

 

What firmware are you running. Is this a new problem with version 3.00?

[wmarek74]

@neodraig

It is not a bug.

Needs some practice with Garmin outdoor philosophy.

 

1. In all Garmin devices compass always shows direction of move if speed exceeds 3 km/h. It is then so called "GPS compass";

 

So, use magnetic compass only when standing still.

[+neodraig]

Today I went hiking all the afternoon and I had some time to experiment.

 

Well,as my explanations aren't necessarily always clear, I've made ​​small drawings to help you understand my problem. With each time on the left the current behavior of the GPS, and on the right what it should be (in my opinion).

 

Yellow: Road

Pink: route calculated by the GPS

Red circles: checkpoints (maybe viapoints) that tell the GPS where to go at each intersection

 

GUIDANCE METHOD "ON ROAD" - LOCK ON ROAD "NO"

COMPASS CALIBRATED - GLONASS AND WASS ENABLED

NORTH REFERENCE "TRUE" - COMPASS "AUTOMATIC"

 

 

1A / I'm in the parking area, I select a cache in the list, the GPS calculates the route. However the route starts from the road, not from the parking area. I am standing still and the two compasses are pointing to the next checkpoint.

 

1D / Okay now that I realized that the compass shows the route in "on the road" guidance mode, I agree that the big compass should point to B. However I'm REALLY NOT glad that the small compass also points in this direction. The small compass of the Geocaching dashboard should always point to the cache, whatever happens!!!

 

 

2A / I started to follow the route and that stupid compass makes me make a U-turn, pointing me to the point A, probably the beginning of the route that the GPS has calculated, apparently the the parking area was not included in the calculation. though it's not the good direction, I'm going to the point A and this is where I use to get stuck before:

in fact there are around those checkpoints an area of about 10-15m radius large that I delineated in blue on the drawings. Once you are in this area, the compass will point to the red dot stubbornly (here A). You must actually leave the area so that the compass will finally indicate the next checkpoint.

 

2D / I really do not understand why the GPS wants me to make a u-turn, logic would dictate that it leads me directly to B!

 

 

3A / All right, I am back again in the Bermuda Triangle! The compass should already point to C but it's blocked on B. If I wanted to only be guided with compass, well it wouldn't work. I would be at a crossroads, I would oblige to switch to the map to know what direction to take.

I arbitrarily pointed the small compass of Geocaching dashboard in that direction, because even thouggh I have not tried any cache today , the other day the two compasses did not point in the same direction, and none of them were pointing in the cache direction.

 

3D / For me, the normal behavior of the compass would be, as soon as I reach these blue areas, to show me immediately the next direction. In addition, it happened to me that these checkpoints were in the middle of the road, that sucks.

 

 

4A / I finally left the blue area, the compass has resumed his senses and finally tells me the right direction. However the small compass is still useless and does not tell me where the cache is.

 

4D / As I already said above, the small compass of the Geocaching dashboard should always point to the cache!

 

@wmarek74

Thanks for the heads up!

I did notice that weird behaviour this afternoon (because you had warned me), and I found it rather disturbing.

What I can't understand is that in "off road" guidance mode, the compass will work even while walking, but won't in "on the road" mode.

Edited April 16, 2013 by neodraig

[wmarek74]

What I can't understand is that in "off road" guidance mode, the compass will work even while walking, but won't in "on the road" mode.

It is not true. The compass works equally in "on road" and "off road" modes.

If you move, it works in direction on travel (GPS compass is ON).

 

Try two tests:

1. Take a walk, hold eTrex in opposite direction to walk - compass will point out in the direction of your move (GPS compass switched automatically).

2. Stand still and rotate eTrex - see how magnetic compassreacts.

Edited April 16, 2013 by wmarek74

[wmarek74]

There is one, huge problem with current FW 3.00.

It gets stuck if very detailed vectorial map (IMG) is rendering.

Sometimes to that extend that blank screen appears for long, long time...

[tr_s]

There is one, huge problem with current FW 3.00.

It gets stuck if very detailed vectorial map (IMG) is rendering.

Sometimes to that extend that blank screen appears for long, long time...

 

Yah, saw that two times today too unfortunately. Once it blanked, the other time just turned off...

[+neodraig]

This afternoon I made ​​some tests and I had some weird bugs, I even filmed them!

 

My main problem that I described at length in my previous posts.

 

Same problem as above but in addition, the distance and time displays are stuck and won't give me any usefull information.

 

The compass is pointing in the wrong direction, no informtion from the distance displays, a soon as I am walking the compass will point up, whatever direcion I take.

 

@wmarek74

I think it's on that last point we had a misunderstood. I think I suffered the same bug the other afternoon and I didn't pay attention to the displays as I was too focused on the compass always pointing up!

 

That reminds me that I had another bug that same afternoon. The one where the map is stuck. I had to reboot the GPS to get it working again

 

Also on a few occasions the Etrex shuts off by itself.

Edited April 18, 2013 by neodraig

[+neodraig]

A new bug

 

I was trying to enter an address and the unit just turned off.

[+northernpenguin]

A new bug

 

I was trying to enter an address and the unit just turned off.

 

That could be attributed to a bad map, just an FYI.

[tr_s]

A new bug

 

I was trying to enter an address and the unit just turned off.

 

Seen that a few times even prior to this version. The search system is, in many ways, borked.

[+neodraig]

Most of the time on my eTrex 30, when I'm using the compass in "on road" mode, when I'm standing still, no problem the pointer will point in the "right" direction, but as soon as I am moving (walk, bike), the pointer will be stuck at 12 o'clock.

It will stay like that as long as I'm moving in any direction, and when I stop it will point in the right direction again.

 

I know I alredy mentionned that but it's really "bugging" me as it happens really often and I need to reboot the unit each time to get the pointer working again. And most of the time it's quite useless as the problem will appear again after a few meters/second

 

I wonder if the eTrex 10 or 20 are suffering from the same bug, because with those units you have to walk to get the pointer working !!???

[+northernpenguin]

Most of the time on my eTrex 30, when I'm using the compass in "on road" mode, when I'm standing still, no problem the pointer will point in the "right" direction, but as soon as I am moving (walk, bike), the pointer will be stuck at 12 o'clock.

It will stay like that as long as I'm moving in any direction, and when I stop it will point in the right direction again.

 

I know I alredy mentionned that but it's really "bugging" me as it happens really often and I need to reboot the unit each time to get the pointer working again. And most of the time it's quite useless as the problem will appear again after a few meters/second

 

I wonder if the eTrex 10 or 20 are suffering from the same bug, because with those units you have to walk to get the pointer working !!???

 

Perhaps you have a faulty unit. The compass and pointer work flawlessly on mine whether I am driving or walking or standing still. Mind you I don't use the Geocaching Dashboard when I am navigating a route.

Based on your comments here and on that Garmin Forum thread you started up it seems like this problem is isolated to your specific unit or use thereof.

[+neodraig]

Too focussed on my compass problems, i forgot to mention that I had 2 other bugs this afternoon:

 

- the unit just shut off while I was trying to display a 37km route (I already had a track displayed on the map when I tried that).

 

- my batteries were low and the eTrex displayed the usual warning message about that but after a few seconds the unit was stuck displaying the Garmin logo. I had to remove the (almost empty) batteries to get the GPS working again (but I used my new set of batteries). I'm using 2000 mah Eneloop batteries (with the right settings in the GPS).

[+neodraig]

Perhaps you have a faulty unit. The compass and pointer work flawlessly on mine whether I am driving or walking or standing still. Mind you I don't use the Geocaching Dashboard when I am navigating a route.

Based on your comments here and on that Garmin Forum thread you started up it seems like this problem is isolated to your specific unit or use thereof.

 

I've contacted Garmin (US and France) about that but still no answers

 

But I really think it's a bug as when I'm in "off road" mode, the compass is working flawlessly.

 

And for my "blue area" problem, I've been told that's the regular behaviour

Edited April 25, 2013 by neodraig

[+Saved by God's grace]

Oh no!!! I just updated my etrex, and it has said "Loader loading..." for the last 10 minutes! This can't be a good sign!

[+Saved by God's grace]

Ok... I've got the issue fixed! Hallelujah! If you happen to add any Open Street Map .img files to your GPSr at the same time as the update, be sure to remove them or the microSD card between unplugging it from the computer and powering the device on! If you get stuck, and the file is on the microSD, remove the batterys, remove the card, and then replace the batterys for the update!

[wwjd7]

Have an eTrex 30 with v3.00 with CN 2013.3 maps.

 

Did a funny thing today... switched profiles from Geocaching to Automotive and told it to go to my next location, and it showed “Route Calculation Error. Maps contain no routable data.” What th...? Retried a couple times, same error. I rebooted the unit and then it worked fine. It appears v3.00 still has an issue yet.

[wmarek74]

Write report to: eTrex.Beta@garmin.com

[wwjd7]

Write report to: eTrex.Beta@garmin.com

Email sent notifying Garmin of the error.

[tr_s]

Chiming in with something positive about 3.00. It seems they finally tuned the direction filter properly. The arrow no longer jumps direction during bushwhaking.

[tr_s]

Anyone else having problems with device enumeration after the upgrade to 3.0, when you plug it in via USB? I usually have to reconnect 3-4 times before the two drives actually appear as mass storage in Windows.... no problems at all prior to the upgrade.

[tr_s]

Remaining is also a bug where, despite the compass being turned off, the direction actually couples into the system somehow and rotates the goto arrow - but not the compass rose?!?!

 

Recorded some video proof. Note - only happens occasionally:

 

eTrex 30 strange compass behavior

Edited May 5, 2013 by tr_s

[+sim_v]

Anyone else having problems with device enumeration after the upgrade to 3.0, when you plug it in via USB?

 

Long, very long before OS recognize Device but I don't have to deconnect/reconnect.

[+sim_v]

I put 4 PQ GPX with a total of 3500 caches + additional waypoints (8 GPX files). So, I think, no problem this week for caching. Etrex parses the 8 files in several minutes.

But, when I would add another waypoint directly with Etrex30. It said me that memory waypoints is full.

 

No problem, I deleted the 8 big GPX files and put only 4 simple GPX for the 4 caches I'll make today. Turn GPSr on, 20 minutes later, the green bar (loading waypoints) is always at 50%. Restart and Etrex turn ON with 3 caches. aaaargh! Finally, I replace the last GPX with another downloaded cache file and I finally get the 4 caches !

 

Morality : 3500 caches put in 5 minutes. Replace them with 4 caches : 30 minutes !

[wwjd7]

Odd, another strange quirk on my eTrex 30... I was unable to switch Profiles. I was in the Automotive profile, and I could move the selection bar to the Geocaching profile, but nothing happened when I pressed Enter, it stayed in the Automotive profile. I had to turn the unit off then back on, then I was able to switch profiles from Automotive to Geocaching.

 

At least a reboot is able to clear these anomalies. Despite these quirks, the eTrex 30 is still a great unit and would still buy another one if I had to.

[+northernpenguin]

I put 4 PQ GPX with a total of 3500 caches + additional waypoints (8 GPX files). So, I think, no problem this week for caching. Etrex parses the 8 files in several minutes.

But, when I would add another waypoint directly with Etrex30. It said me that memory waypoints is full.

 

No problem, I deleted the 8 big GPX files and put only 4 simple GPX for the 4 caches I'll make today. Turn GPSr on, 20 minutes later, the green bar (loading waypoints) is always at 50%. Restart and Etrex turn ON with 3 caches. aaaargh! Finally, I replace the last GPX with another downloaded cache file and I finally get the 4 caches !

 

Morality : 3500 caches put in 5 minutes. Replace them with 4 caches : 30 minutes !

 

Watch out for recycle bin behaviour. Particularly if using a Mac. When I'm loading any Colorado or later series Garmin, I remove the GPX files (and POI files as I have a macro that loads child waypoints as POIs), then empty the recycle bin and then unplug and reboot my Garmin [Colorado | eTrex | Oregon | etc ] before reconnecting it to load.

 

Regarding the eTrex connection thing, I load mine using Parallels VM on a Macbook and I always have to plug the unit in twice before the Windows guest OS enumerates it properly. But it's been that way since I got it. I'll see the device come up the first time as GARMIN1 then unplug (wait while the silly thing reloads for a while) then plug it back in. I'd kill for a decent GSAK analogue for Mac. iCaching is close but definitely no cigar.