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Garmin Oregon 6xx Firmware Version 3.70


Barrikady

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Firmware Update for Oregon 6xx series of GPS Receivers.

Changes made from version 3.60 to 3.70

 

Added a separate zoom level setting for geocaches (Setup > Map > Advanced Map Setup > Zoom Levels > Geocaches)

Added support for additional ActiveRouting cartography

Improved GLONASS performance

Improved display of marine-specific lines in BlueChart g2 maps

Improved boot time when large amounts of photos are present

Fixed map display of highway shields

Fixed issue with incorrect letter capitalization of certain map points

Fixed issue retrieving PLSS data in certain TOPO US 24k maps

Fixed possible issue with +/- buttons when using Sight N' Go

WebUpdater

 

PLEASE NOTE: There have been a number of reports, on different forums, that the Oregon 6xx firmware update 3.70 can be problematic. If you have already upgraded, or plan to upgrade to version 3.70, please see Yogazoo's post #8 below, for a method to resolve potential problems caused by firmware version 3.70

My personal observation is that firmware 3.70 works fine. I have not noticed any problems whosoever. I should also state that I do not have a Garmin map in my 600. I use OSM maps exclusively, and I find them superior to Garmin's maps. GO HERE for more information about OSM maps for Garmin GPS's.

Edited by Barrikady
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I have 22GB of BirdsEye imagery on a 32GB microSD. Version 3.60 it took my Oregon 3 minutes to boot up. The first few times I booted up with version 3.70 it took exactly the same, 3 minutes.

 

So, I thought that maybe after a master reset I would experience the "Improved boot time when large amounts of photos are present". Now my unit will no longer boot and hangs every time on startup. I get hung right where the status bar comes up and says "Loading Waypoints and Tracks". It could be just me and the new firmware get's hung on some data on my GPS. After a Master Reset though, with all my user data gone, no change.

 

My Oregon 6xx is a complete brick unless I plug it into my computer to boot up, then it's fine. I don't want to set off any alarms and fully expect it to be something unique to my unit, some file or something.

 

Anyone else having issues with this update?

Edited by yogazoo
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I have 22GB of BirdsEye imagery on a 32GB microSD. Version 3.60 it took my Oregon 3 minutes to boot up. The first few times I booted up with version 3.70 it took exactly the same, 3 minutes.

 

So, I thought that maybe after a master reset I would experience the "Improved boot time when large amounts of photos are present". Now my unit will no longer boot and hangs every time on startup. I get hung right where the status bar comes up and says "Loading Waypoints and Tracks". It could be just me and the new firmware get's hung on some data on my GPS. After a Master Reset though, with all my user data gone, no change.

 

Anyone else having issues with this update? Mines a complete brick unless I plug it into my computer to boot up, then it's fine. Does me no good though.

Yogazoo,

 

Did you try to remove the microSD card and then reboot?

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I have 22GB of BirdsEye imagery on a 32GB microSD. Version 3.60 it took my Oregon 3 minutes to boot up. The first few times I booted up with version 3.70 it took exactly the same, 3 minutes.

 

So, I thought that maybe after a master reset I would experience the "Improved boot time when large amounts of photos are present". Now my unit will no longer boot and hangs every time on startup. I get hung right where the status bar comes up and says "Loading Waypoints and Tracks". It could be just me and the new firmware get's hung on some data on my GPS. After a Master Reset though, with all my user data gone, no change.

 

My Oregon 6xx is a complete brick unless I plug it into my computer to boot up, then it's fine. I don't want to set off any alarms and fully expect it to be something unique to my unit, some file or something.

 

Anyone else having issues with this update?

I don't it's just you, yogazoo. My unit seems to be bricked, too. Not sure how to get it to start yet. May have to try to revert back to the last version of firmware.

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I have 22GB of BirdsEye imagery on a 32GB microSD. Version 3.60 it took my Oregon 3 minutes to boot up. The first few times I booted up with version 3.70 it took exactly the same, 3 minutes.

 

So, I thought that maybe after a master reset I would experience the "Improved boot time when large amounts of photos are present". Now my unit will no longer boot and hangs every time on startup. I get hung right where the status bar comes up and says "Loading Waypoints and Tracks". It could be just me and the new firmware get's hung on some data on my GPS. After a Master Reset though, with all my user data gone, no change.

 

My Oregon 6xx is a complete brick unless I plug it into my computer to boot up, then it's fine. I don't want to set off any alarms and fully expect it to be something unique to my unit, some file or something.

 

Anyone else having issues with this update?

I don't it's just you, yogazoo. My unit seems to be bricked, too. Not sure how to get it to start yet. May have to try to revert back to the last version of firmware.

 

Reverting works. Mine is up and running again with version 3.60. PITA!

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I have 22GB of BirdsEye imagery on a 32GB microSD. Version 3.60 it took my Oregon 3 minutes to boot up. The first few times I booted up with version 3.70 it took exactly the same, 3 minutes.

 

So, I thought that maybe after a master reset I would experience the "Improved boot time when large amounts of photos are present". Now my unit will no longer boot and hangs every time on startup. I get hung right where the status bar comes up and says "Loading Waypoints and Tracks". It could be just me and the new firmware get's hung on some data on my GPS. After a Master Reset though, with all my user data gone, no change.

 

My Oregon 6xx is a complete brick unless I plug it into my computer to boot up, then it's fine. I don't want to set off any alarms and fully expect it to be something unique to my unit, some file or something.

 

Anyone else having issues with this update?

I don't it's just you, yogazoo. My unit seems to be bricked, too. Not sure how to get it to start yet. May have to try to revert back to the last version of firmware.

 

Reverting works. Mine is up and running again with version 3.60. PITA!

I've never had the need to revert, so I'm uncertain of the procedure. Would someone be kind enough to remind me how to get back to 3.60?

 

After "upgrading" to 3.70, my unit fails to boot about 50% of the time. It gets partway through the boot process (I'm not certain, but it may be when the display reads "Loading images"), then simply shuts down. A second boot usually succeeds, but in at least one case the unit froze and I had to remove and reinsert the batteries to get control back.

 

This is happening on a unit that has no photos and no Birdseye imagery at all, either on the unit or the μSD card.

 

--Larry

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OK, I think the take home message from early reports here is that updating to v3.70 is an AT YOUR OWN RISK venture. It's bricking some units some of the time and causing some users to revert to a previous version of software AND may require a master reset causing a loss of all user configurations.

 

UPDATE TO v3.7 AT YOUR OWN RISK

 

Reverting to a pervious version: INSTRUCTIONS

 

Download software v3.60 here: http://garminoregon6xx.wikispaces.com/file/view/Oregon%206x0%20360.zip/478248822/Oregon%206x0%20360.zip

 

Unzip the download folder and rename the .GCD file to GUPDATE.GCD

 

Connect the Oregon 6xx to your computer and place the GUPDATE.GCD file in the "Garmin" folder on your units internal memory (not your SD card) and disconnect from the computer. Reboot.

 

It may require you to perform a master reset (it did on mine). it may take 10-15 minutes for the GPS to "Validate" the software version. During this validation the screen will read "100%" for a very long time. Just let the unit go and it should eventually shut itself down requiring a reboot into v3.60. If this reboot fails to boot the unit, try a Master Reset. Hold down on the User Button (below the power button) and press the power button just long enough to power on. Keep holding down the user button until you see the "Are you sure you want to delete user data" (or something like that. Press yes and give it a few minutes.

Edited by yogazoo
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Hi,

 

I just revert to 3.60. I am a little bit disappointed with this new firmware version.

 

Lets see what will Garmin do next week

 

The software is also checking for the right GMA to the right map, who knows what's it doing more

 

That is one of the reasons for revert. I understand why Garmin doing it but I have no money now to buy expensive maps

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I've never used an "unlocked" version of the City Navigator maps nor have I illegally downloaded already unlocked map sets but version 3.70, and every subsequent version going forward, will put an end to their use. An acquaintance of mine has reported that v3.70 will now identify these maps as unauthorized. I'm not at all surprised by this development and like it or not Garmin has a responsibility to protect their copyrighted material.

 

The only concern with this update for me is the hang on boot-up.

Edited by yogazoo
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Right. And I took photos to mean aerial photos. Your right though, obviously. Wishful thinking on my part.

 

Yeah, it's regular photos and not satellite imagery.

 

When I updated, it took a few minutes to boot up the first time, but boot up time was faster than 3.60 on subsequent boot ups.

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I seemed to have stumbled upon a culprit of the crashes and will perhaps explain why some people brick and others don't.

 

I had Garmin's official 24K North Central map loaded in the units internal memory. When I remove that map file from my internal memory the v3.70 update works just fine, boot after boot. This explains why when I removed the card I got the same result, because the official Garmin map, which I paid for, was on internal memory.

 

So apparently Garmin needs to work out the kinks in their crackdown of pirated Garmin maps because it's flagging the 24K series which never was a locked product.

 

Can we get some verification here that those who are experiencing or have experienced the bricked unit on 3.70 have Garmin 24K products loaded on their unit? Likewise those who are not experiencing issues, no 24K product?

Edited by yogazoo
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I have a 650t with major boot problems and these maps on it:

Internal Memory


  •  
  • Topo Canada North and South
  • Northwest Trails

 

SD card


  •  
  • Backroad Mapbooks GPS Map BC & AB (Garmin Licensed Product)
  • Northwest Topos
  • OSM for CA and AZ

 

I wonder if the Backroad Mapbooks map is similar to the 24k maps as far as the Oregon is concerned?

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Yogazoo, earlier you mentioned the possibility that the "culprit" in all this might be the Garmin Topo 24K series maps. Are you abandoning that theory? It seems to fit the data so far.

 

Remember, the Topo maps supplied with the 6xxt units aren't the same as the 24K series maps (aren't they 100K?). Garmin may have accounted for the Topo maps that are built into the 6xxt units but not the separately-purchased Topo maps.

 

--Larry

Edited by larryc43230
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Yogazoo, earlier you mentioned the possibility that the "culprit" in all this might be the Garmin Topo 24K series maps. Are you abandoning that theory? It seems to fit the data so far.

 

Remember, the Topo maps supplied with the 6xxt units aren't the same as the 24K series maps (aren't they 100K?). Garmin may have accounted for the Topo maps that are built into the 6xxt units but not the separately-purchased Topo maps.

 

--Larry

Perhaps one of the culprits, but not the only one. I have the same problems with my Canadian 650t and am not using 24k on it. But perhaps the licenced Backroad Mapbook maps I do use are treated the same as 24K by the unit with 3.70 on it.

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Yogazoo, earlier you mentioned the possibility that the "culprit" in all this might be the Garmin Topo 24K series maps. Are you abandoning that theory? It seems to fit the data so far.

 

Remember, the Topo maps supplied with the 6xxt units aren't the same as the 24K series maps (aren't they 100K?). Garmin may have accounted for the Topo maps that are built into the 6xxt units but not the separately-purchased Topo maps.

 

--Larry

Perhaps one of the culprits, but not the only one. I have the same problems with my Canadian 650t and am not using 24k on it. But perhaps the licenced Backroad Mapbook maps I do use are treated the same as 24K by the unit with 3.70 on it.

Are those Backroad Mapbook maps locked to a particular unit, or unlocked like the Topo 24K maps (at least the older editions that I have)? If I understood it correctly, the common denominator of the issue was maps that aren't locked to particular units.

 

--Larry

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It's quite obvious that Garmin has changed the way the firmware validates maps. It's my opinion that perhaps there is a snafu in that process and that certain maps are not receiving full credit for being legit and falling through the firmware cracks. We all know that when Garmin does something new it takes a few tries to work out the bugs. I'd say that if your maps are legitimately purchased or free third party maps or even free Garmin maps then Garmin will make them all work. Of course there is no copyright issue with the aforementioned sources of maps. But it looks like if your trying to use pirated Garmin maps that are obtained normally through a purchase then it appears you may be SOL going forward.

 

By the way, the oregonbeta@garmin.com email address works well and they appreciate your helpful bug reports. It works the best when you can be as descriptive as possible about the symptoms. Also remember that they are not Garmin punching bags and are there to help solve your issues. There may be a difference between what we consider issues and what Garmin considers issues but if it's an obvious working error the software engineers on the other end of the oregonbeta@garmin.com have been very responsive in the past.

 

I often find that what we think are bugs or issues are actually intended or designed that way.

Take for example one of the "bugs" listed in the Oregon 6xx wiki - Configuring the Power Button to take screenshots [setup > Display > Screen Capture > On] disables all User Button functions. [12MAY13] [2.60] [2.70] [2.80] [2.90] [3.10] [3.20] [3.30] [3.50]. I doubt Garmin sees this as a problem. This seems to me like an intended function because if the user button functions are retained on the button used for capturing screenshots then there would be an obvious conflict. And how many users walk around constantly taking screenshots? That function is usually reserved for special occasions and can be turned off immediately after capturing screenshots. Some would make a case that this is still a bug and maybe their right but the case could be made either way. I recently noticed that highway shields are missing from highways and the Hwy number was placed as text like normal streets. This is an obvious bug and aberration from previous operation and was quickly addressed in v3.70. So I guess my point is there are shades of gray when it comes to bugs and it helps to make your case as to why something is a bug in an email.

 

Sorry for the digression.

Edited by yogazoo
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I am a recent owner of a Oregon 600 and just read thru these posts about v3.70.

Thanks for all the info guys.

 

I guess I lucked out because I never updated to v3.70, I am using v3.60.

I have Garmin Topo24Kwest and Topo24Ksouthwest and CNNA2012.4 (8GB total)loaded on a 32GB card.

The rest of internal memory is clear at this time and boot up takes less than 1 minute.

Plugging in the usb also boots up in less than 1 minute.

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Is there anyone out there not experiencing boot failures and flaky operation with v3.70? Is anyone still running it because it didn't cause an issue?

Yogazoo,

I have had no problems whatsoever with 3.70. I have used my Oregon 600 multiple times every day since firmware 3.70 was introduced on 31 January, and I am still booting the 600 using firmware 3.70. However, I am not using any Garmin maps on my Oregon 600. The only map I am using is an OSM of the West coast of the United States.

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Thanks for the reply's on v3.70.

 

I'm just perplexed as to why some are and some aren't experiencing issues. I guess the obvious is that there are some maps that are causing this and others aren't. Some have problem maps and others don't.

 

And to be clear these are not illegal maps causing validation issues. I'm running totally clean and paid for maps plus some free third party maps. Sometimes it boots fine, sometimes it hangs on boot. Sometimes it boots fine and operates normally for a period of time only to freeze up after a while making it unresponsive to input.

 

I'm using a 650t.

Edited by yogazoo
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I've never used an "unlocked" version of the City Navigator maps nor have I illegally downloaded already unlocked map sets but version 3.70, and every subsequent version going forward, will put an end to their use.

 

Ah, okay...so that's why they wouldn't work... Oh well, like always, someone will come up with a work-around soon enough.

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Let me guess, all those having issues with version 3.70 not allowing the unit to boot have Oregon 650t's? The Oregon 650's and 600's work fine?

 

Yes, my Oregon 600 runs fine on V7.30 and I just took it on a long trip, so it really got some exercise in use. Not a single problem, lock-up, etc. I'm just running TOPO US 2008 and a couple of state's worth of detail maps from gpsfiledepot. Don't have CNNT NA on it...yet...

Edited by sviking
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