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Endura Safari freeze


KentHofer

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I just dug my ancient Endura Safari out of the closet and powered it up.  Bootup splash screen and then screen goes all white and stays there.  I tried previous posts (take batteries out, wait at least an hour, hold power button for 2 minutes, power up with cord), no effect.  Downloaded the latest 1.5 version (was very surprised it still was available), put it on an SD card, booted it up, and it said installed successfully, and to remove the SD card and batteries, then power up.  Did that, now it freezes on the bootup splash screen (yet the screen clicks when I touch it, and tapping the power button still lets me adjust the brightness).  Anyone still know how to fix this or am I gonna have to replace it.  Really disappointed though, it worked fine when I put it away (and no, I didn't leave the batteries in it when I put it away).  What the heck happened?

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Electronic components are not immune to breakdown and decay, which is why an old device, even if sitting in a drawer for years untouched, can boot up and malfunction despite working properly the last time it was used. That's certainly true of products with moving parts (hard drives, etc.), but also non-moving parts are likely to fail with age including storage and memory. Technology is getting better, but at the same time, technology is moving (or has moved) in the direction of products designed to be replaced after a short duration of use rather than for long-term durability and repairability. 

I was hoping to avoid Atlas Cached's answer in the hopes that maybe someone here still uses an Endura and can give you some useful help. But as far as I can tell, the Endura line was release in 2009 and had a limited adoption. That is, with stiff competition from Garmin and Magellan at the time, I think Lowrance had a hard time keeping relevant in the handheld GPS market. I'm not sure when Lowrance exited the market, but it seems that these units are no longer made and supported, a trend that has hit many of the handheld GPS makers over the last decade leaving Garmin as the primary market share to compete with cell phones, which are just as capable these days as a dedicated GPS receiver.

So that leaves us with Atlas Cached's solution: Buy a Garmin. Is it worth it? Maybe. Depends on what you're using the GPS for.

@KentHofer Since you have no geocaching activity according to your profile, can we assume that you are not using your GPS for geocaching? The advantage of using a Garmin is that Garmin is still in business - and still in the business of producing handheld GPS receivers, and since each iteration seems to be built from the same basic tech as the previous, even when an older model loses support, it's likely that you'll be able to find documentation somewhere to help you solve problems with it. Plus, with Garmin commanding over 80% of the handheld GPS market share for the better part of a decade now, there are many knowledgeable users who have built a knowledge base and repository of resources (Maps, etc.) for use with Garmin devices.

On the other hand, maybe you'll find what you need using an app for your phone. You can find ruggedized cases for most models, and even find natively ruggedized phones built for outdoor use. And while battery life is sometimes a concern, bringing a power bank isn't much different than bringing extra AA batteries with you, though there are obvious differences to contend with. Personally, I still like having a dedicated GPS receiver, but who knows how much longer that will be. I've already decided that I will most likely not replace my Garmin Nuvi in my car because a cell phone can do the same thing with more information - yes, even with the information stored for offline use.

So, in short: I do support the idea that it is time to put the Lowrance Endura aside and use something else for your navigation needs. Whether that something else is a Garmin or your cell phone will depend on your needs and preferences. 

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Honestly, not to sound like the Garmin online sales department, but what those smart guys said. You've already tried all the "take two aspirin" kinds of advice. If it's not booting, no amount of computer trickery is likely to revive it. It's very likely what the industry calls "broken". :-) There's just not a lot of Lowrance experience here. They do live on in the marine world, but I doubt they'd repair a ten year old device for you at any price you'd be willing to pay.

To Mineral's point - and specifically NOT to start any folklore about GPS here - there are even names for some forms of failure from equipment just being old: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague Penny parts made around the turn of the century had a HUGE failure rate and are still failing, slowly, even now. The affected types of parts are usually found in power supplies as in computers, TVs, monitors and not battery operated portable devices, but it's a very tangible example of why that 15 year old computer device just doesn't work any more. Those caps outside that date range fail, too, but nothing like the failure rate we saw in that bracket.

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