Garmin Colorado 300 (two issues)

[+antigocache]

I have been using the Garmin Colorado 300 now for four years and really do love this unit! As an aside, with the crazy good price of the Garmin 62sc of $249 being offered through

Costco starting today, I am thinking I may grab one though. Ok, anyways, back to my original premise haha. Two things that I would like to hear helpful feedback on with regards to

the Colorado 300:

 

1. When downloading geocaches (either one at a time via usb or as a bulk pocket query) and using my gps in this mode (geocaching) my gps typically performs with consistent and

reliable accuracy while out trying to find caches. HOWEVER, when I manually imput a set of coordinates as a waypoint into my machine and then attempt to "go to" these at another

time, my compass acts very differently than it does when in "geocaching" mode. It seems particularly unstable and wonky, often times as I near what is supposed to be gz, it will

suddenly show me overshooting gz by now up to like 15-20 feet etc. Other times, while driving or moving at a higher rate of speed, the compass gets itself all turned around and

becomes very much useless, and I find myself going back to the main menu and restarting a search to that same created waypoint to "try again"... Why is this and what can I do to

remedy it (if anything)?

 

2. I borrowed another Garmin Colorado 300 from a guy to have as a backup for a friend of mine to use when we go caching together next weekend. This gps unit has only been used a

handful of times in the past (despite being from roughly 2009), and the problem that I am having is that when I go to turn this unit on (using FRESH batteries), it shows the word

"Garmin" across the middle of the screen, but then gradually fades (takes about 3-4 seconds) and the unit powers down. I presume that this is going to be some sort of garmin

webupdater issue, but could be way off! Could it be that the unit needs a hard reset? Anyways, whatever you may think could be the answer, could you please indicate using detailed

steps of a "how-to" in your response please?

 

Thank you in advance,

antigocache

[+Red90]

1. Never seen that.

 

2. Try a hard reset. Remove SD card, if it has one. Hold both front soft button and press power button. Hold soft buttons until reset screen comes up. It would be a good idea to make sure the firmware is up to date as well.

[insig]

1. Make sure your map datum and map spheroid are set to WGS 84. Check setup -> position format (or something similar, I don't exactly remember).

[+antigocache]

Ok, I just tried Red90's suggestion. I held both the left and right soft buttons in while holding on the power button. It shows the word Garmin on bootup,

then goes to a screen where it says "Do you really want to erase all data?" with "yes" and "no" as options below, but before I even get a chance to try and

select one of them the screen fades away and shuts down!

 

As for Insig's idea, I can't toggle through map datum selections as the unit does not even advance beyond the above mentioned stage.

 

Can I do a firmware update with my machine if I can't even get it to boot up properly? I tried connecting the unit to my computer and it does not

even recognize it...

 

Help please!! So frustrating arghh haha..

Edited November 26, 2013 by antigocache

[+Red90]

You might have a battery connection problem. Triple verify the batteries are good.

 

Try plugging it in to a USB power source and master reset that way.

 

For the computer to recognize it, it needs to go into mass storage mode. This is in the unit settings, if you can get it to boot.

[+antigocache]

Geesh, yeah I just took two fresh batteries out of their package and tried them as well with no success. Then, I kept those same batteries in the unit and connected it

to my computer via USB like you suggested, held down the soft buttons as well as power and same thing, it slowly powered down without letting me select yes or no on the

"erase all data" screen. Then, I unplugged the unit from the usb connection, and simply plugged it in without pressing any of the buttons on the gps. While it is now

connected it is now stuck on the "GARMIN" initial screen but at least is now not powering down... I gave it about ten minutes of being connected and my computer is not

even recognizing it... Then, after I unplug my gps from the usb cable, it remains stuck on with the "GARMIN" screen there, with me unable to power down the unit at all!!

I think you are close here Red to the answer though maybe? Any other thoughts, or anybody else?

Edited November 26, 2013 by antigocache

[+splashy]

Try here.

http://garmincolorado.wikispaces.com/Issues+List

[+Red90]

Yah, it is locking during the boot. Pull the batteries to turn it off.

 

Try this: http://garmincolorado.wikispaces.com/Miscellaneous#x-M12.%29%20My%20Colorado%20seems%20to%20be%20corrupted,%20is%20there%20a%20way%20I%20can%20recover%20it?

[+choochoo1996]

I have been using the Colorado 300 since 2009, and I have had the issues you describe. Here is what happened and what I did...

 

I use Energizer NiMH HR6 2300mAh rechargeable since I bought the unit with no issues...except for dying....I usually get 8 to 10 hours on 1 set of batteries without the backlight....Once, the batteries died on me while we were out touring the back country and all I had were a set of Duracell regular batteries. I loaded those in and WHAM....all hell broke lose on my gps...what you described, happened.....Luckily we new where we where and made are way back home....Once I got home I loaded a new set of rechargeable in the gps and still everything was all messed up....powered down before boot up...Garmin screen stuck in the center...Turns out the NIMH setting in the gps didn't like the regular batteries....I have 2 chargers for my batteries....1 is a quick charge that will charge 4 batteries in a couple of hours and the other will trickle charge 4 batteries in 16 hours...so I drained a set of rechargeable completely in a flashlight and put them in the trickle charger and waited till they were fully charged....I have found with the Colorado that when it starts to act up 1/2 or even 3/4 charged batteries still don't help....Next day I put the fully charged ones in the GPS....without the SD card and booted it up....Success for me anyway...it stayed on....I checked my setting and it had indeed changed the battery setting to alkaline ....seems like my Colorado anyway, doesn't like to use alkaline batteries in the NiMH setting, as does the alkaline setting not like the NiMH batteries....weird I know but that's what mine does....This wasn't the first time it has done it but when I do what I did it seems to fix it...Then I did a master rest as described above and reloaded it with my personal settings....I have found that if I know the rechargeable are about to die, and |I don't have another set but regular batteries I change the battery setting before I shut it down, Change the batteries to the regular ones and reboot....It seems to not mind it that way....I know it all sounds unreasonable but it worked for me....I have also fixed my scroll wheel half a dozen times or so if anyone needs help with that.....GOOD LUCK