PQs no longer load on Oregon 550

[+TexasCacheCrew]

The pocket query I've run and loaded on a weekly basis for more than a year failed to load on my Garmin Oregon 550 this week. I reloaded it with no success. I reran the PQ and loaded it with no success. The PQ loads fine on my wife's Garmin 62s and a borrowed Oregon 400T.

As for the 550, I keep only one PQ on it. At most it will have fewer than a dozen GPX files on it at one time. And the PQ is for approximately 250 caches.

The 550 started acting strangely last week. I turned it on, and the backgrounds changed to the factory settings and my customized icon listings had reverted to factory as well.

I've got everything back the way I like it, except for the PQ problem. I've searched this site with finding anything covering this issue.

I'm sure it's something simple that I'm overlooking. Doh moments are my middle name.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks.

[+Red90]

Remove the microSD card.

 

Connect to computer and delete all GPX files. If you are on a MAC, empty the trash as well. Backup all waypoints.

 

Reboot the GPS.

 

Backup all waypoints.

 

Connect to computer again and add the pocket query.

 

Reboot.

[+phlatlander]

(sorry about this almost duplicate post, the above posting arrived while I was 1-finger typing mine...

 

When in doubt and most things don't fix the problem, HARD RESET power on.

If this does not cure your problem, if you have a micro sd card, remove it, HARD RESET power on, unit starts, power off, insert micro sd card, power on.

 

I would check the number of .gpx files you have under the garmin/gpx/archive, also the size of the current .gpx file. If you have not been removing the old files then storage may be becoming a problem.

 

These are the simple things. If this does not work then you will have to selectively remove certain files one of which may have become corrupt over time. Others on this forum will provide this info.

 

Your mileage may vary... In other words, good luck!

Edited April 19, 2013 by phlatlander

[+TexasCacheCrew]

Thank you both. Not sure which bit of advice did it, but my Oregon is up and loaded with caches again.

[+sduck]

Pretty sure it was the Red90 advice. You just need to delete the geocaching gpx files from your gps while connected to the computer, make sure you empty the trash on the computer while the gps is still connected, then restart the gps without your geocaching gpx loaded. Then reconnect the gps to the computer, load the gpx file, and restart again. Garmin devices have a fairly lame file and memory handling system, you have to be nice to them to have them work correctly.

[+Red90]

And to add to this... To avoid needed to have a computer involved, put the GPC files on the micro SD card. This allows you to recover in the field by removing the card, rebooting and re-inserting.

[+Walts Hunting]

And to add to this... To avoid needed to have a computer involved, put the GPC files on the micro SD card. This allows you to recover in the field by removing the card, rebooting and re-inserting.

 

That does work. I haven't had to do it much lately but it sure is nice when you are three miles into a 10 mile hike and all the caches disappear to be able to do that.

[+Red90]

That does work. I haven't had to do it much lately but it sure is nice when you are three miles into a 10 mile hike and all the caches disappear to be able to do that.

Yes, it does not happen often, but if it does it is usually at the worst location, 100 meters from a cache that you spent the last 8 hours hiking to.