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Oregon 600 Screen Issues: Pixels not showing when backlight on


Mineral2

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Oregon600.thumb.jpg.cd0161d04ce8eb26f749c64e8d6ad890.jpgSomething weird started happening with my Oregon 600 and I'm not sure what the problem is or if it's even fixable. I was flying home on Thursday. When I boarded the plane, everything looked fine. Then, partway through the flight, I noticed specks on the screen that wouldn't go away as I changed the screen content. They started out as small dots but have since grown into short line segments in the image below. The weird part  is that this only appears when the backlight is turned on. When the backlight is off or the screen is illuminated by bright sunlight, you can't see them and the image is clear.

I always thought that lcd screens, even those lit by LEDs, were lit from the side, but it appears that each pixel has its own light source. What would cause some of them to fail like this, and why would the issue spread to nearby pixels? Is this permanent?

It was annoying enough when it was small dots, but at least it was still somewhat useable. but as these spots grow, it's making the screen unreadable in situations where the backlight is needed.

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21 hours ago, Mineral2 said:

The result is that when the backlight is on, the dark pattern persists on each of the display test pages (including black, just appears as a slightly lighter dark grey compared with the black.)

 

Is it possible that what you're seeing is an “overlay” of sorts? Are the dots seen on every function? I see no dots or lines on mine with the backlight on, but I tend to get various lines when it's shut off, especially when the battery dies, and they persist for a while, and that's normal, but... I dunno, probably unrelated, just thought I'd bring it up.

 

IMG_E3529.jpg

 

My 650 threw up all over the place a few months ago. I was on a day trip out of town for Geocaching at the time. Good thing I have my Nuvi to route me home, because I had no phone service. The maps are gone, no caches or POI or anything, the Text Language is “Missing”, can't mark a waypoint (“Database Error”), time and date are way off, no satellites are found, it is no longer recognized by the PC (doesn't connect, just powers on or off). There's assorted other weirdness. Other than that, it's fine.  My personal info is still there (the startup file!). Menu, power key, I can "Reset" it, stuff like that. I'm not sure that there's not a hardware problem, but it's unchanging now. Stays the same degree of broken all the time. I haven't even bothered with a factory repair or whatever. I wouldn't trust this thing in the field.

 

 

Edited by kunarion
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12 hours ago, kunarion said:

Is it possible that what you're seeing is an “overlay” of sorts?

It isn't an overlay. But now that you mention it.... I did have an issue with the actual pixels themselves while on the flight. When I got to the airport and saved my track, I turned off the GPS and removed the batteries and the stuck pixels went away. I'm more familiar with that issue in which charge builds up in a pixel causing it to darken and get "stuck" in the on position, even when turned off. The charge usually dissipates over time when the device is off. And it did. That problem went away on its own as expected.

The original/current problem is only with the backlight. Like I said, when the backlight is off, there's no disturbance to the image on the screen. Nor is it visible when direct sunlight hits the screen (IE the ambient reflective light is stronger than the backlight). So I'm guessing this is an issue with the LED light source itself. I'm hoping someone here can explain how the screen is built, because it's apparently not built the way I thought it was in which the light is on the outside of the screen and simply illuminates a layer behind it.

Edited by Mineral2
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Well, after almost a month of sitting in my drawer with no batteries in it, the problem still persists, but it's not quite the same....

The lines/spots are no longer black, but a light green. Still only visible when the backlight is on. But now green, which is less noticeable when using the GPS. I'm thoroughly confused, and I have no clue as to how these screens are constructed, let alone how they work. But I'm hoping it's just some sort of static charge issue that heals itself through dissipation with time.

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13 hours ago, Mineral2 said:

Well, after almost a month of sitting in my drawer with no batteries in it, the problem still persists, but it's not quite the same....

The lines/spots are no longer black, but a light green. Still only visible when the backlight is on. But now green, which is less noticeable when using the GPS. I'm thoroughly confused, and I have no clue as to how these screens are constructed, let alone how they work. But I'm hoping it's just some sort of static charge issue that heals itself through dissipation with time.

 

I had something vaguely similar happen with my Oregon 700 a year or so back, only it was just at the bottom of the screen and only really noticable when the backlight was on. It went away after a few days, though, and I put it down to condensation that might have gotten in there. Maybe leave it somewhere warm and dry for a while and see what happens.

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5 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

I had something vaguely similar happen with my Oregon 700 a year or so back, only it was just at the bottom of the screen and only really noticable when the backlight was on. It went away after a few days, though, and I put it down to condensation that might have gotten in there. Maybe leave it somewhere warm and dry for a while and see what happens.

 

That could explain how the lines may grow or change color.

 

My 650T has no dots or lines, but one day while at a park 60 miles from home, the GPS threw up. The first thing I noticed was "No satellites" are found.  But it also lost its maps, lost its "Language", has no caches or waypoints, set the date to June 22, 2019 at 10:30am, and lost the ability to connect to USB.  It also refuses to "Hard Reset".  Other than that, it turns on, and I can use various screens.  It even shows my custom start information.  I've been guessing that something corroded inside.

 

I can even run the "Hidden Test Pages".  A couple of those cycle through colors, which supposedly can fix a "stuck pixel".  Which I'm not sure is the OP's problem.

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On 2/10/2020 at 7:38 AM, Mineral2 said:

 I turned off the GPS and removed the batteries and the stuck pixels went away. I'm more familiar with that issue in which charge builds up in a pixel causing it to darken and get "stuck" in the on position, even when turned off. The charge usually dissipates over time when the device is off. 

 

Does not help with your issue, but just as a note since you mention it, I have the same thing you describe in the above clip happen occasionally with my 66st. Glad to know it is not unheard of.  I take out the batteries and it slowly dissipates. Perhaps it would go away over time also if just left it turned off long enough. I have not tried that as the few times it has happened, the pixels have stayed stuck for a few minutes, so I then remove the batteries and the screen slowly clears over 30 seconds to a minute.

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2 hours ago, Mineral2 said:

Happy to report that after another two weeks of sitting in storage with no batteries, the screen is back to normal - backlight on or off. What a strange thing this was.

 

I still wonder if barefootjeff's guess above was right:  condensation.  I think mine got steamy inside, and that could explain its wackiness.  It turns on, but operates in a deranged way.  Something corroded and shorted out, that's what I'd bet.  But the screen is perfect.  :rolleyes:

 

I had a bucket of silica gel bead kitty litter, once intended for caches until I found out how much "silica gel" is required for wetness by volume.  But if I knew a device was internally moist, I might try putting it into that bucket for a couple of days.

 

 

Edited by kunarion
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28 minutes ago, Mineral2 said:

My thought was heat - which could relate to condensation. It got really warm hanging in front of the airplane window. But I didn't notice anything until it dropped. Still, it didn't land hard and I've dropped it much worse while out and about.

 

I can't explain how "moisture" could make those dots and lines.  And I did not expect it to clear up like that. 

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