GPS V quirks

March 20, 2002

After using my GPS V for a few months (firmware 2.02) there are a few quirks and idiosyncrasies that bug me a little bit. Still though, I don't think I'd trade it for anything else on the market today!

Anyway, I've made a list of a few of the things I think should be fixed/added/changed in the firmware and I was planning on sending a polite note to Garmin. It probably won't help but it couldn't hurt either.

I've included my listing of things that came into my head below... Does anybody have anything they'd like to add? Perhaps we can merge it all together and present it to Garmin in one big pile!

---

When the elevation setting in SETUP->UNITS is set to "Meters", the "Trip Information Page" will show elevation in KILOmeters if you're above 1000m! Seeing "1km" or "2km" for elevation is mostly useless. It needs to actually show the value in meters.

When selecting a waypoint icon on my GPSMAP 76, pressing the rocker left/right would scroll the waypoint icon listing a "page" at a time - backwards or forwards. The GPS V doesn't work the same way - you can only scroll through the list one waypoint icon at a time by pressing the rocker up/down. Rocker LEFT will simply beep. Rocker RIGHT will exit the waypoint selection process. It should work the same way as the GPSMAP 76. Other lengthy selection screens on the GPS V should behave the same way.

Having HDOP displayed on the "Satellite Status Page" would be a nice bonus. How about displaying EPE or "accuracy" to 1 decimal place also?

Deleting waypoints is really keystroke intensive! There are fewer keystrokes to delete waypoints on the GPSMAP 76.

More battery type settings! Alkaline and lithium are a good start but please add NiMH. NiMH batteries are really the only affordable way to keep a GPSs supplied with power.

Waypoints and tracklog have an altitude value tied to them. How about adding an "altitude profile" feature like on some of the eTrex units?

There should be a "Waypoints" option in the Menu-Menu screen like on the III+ and GPSMAP 76.

---

March 20, 2002

After upgrading to firmware version 2.02 when using Mertoguide the telephone numbers of the POI do not come up. This was not a problem before the firmware update.

March 20, 2002

I steered clear of the firmware update because it was mysteriously pulled from Garmin's download area for several weeks with no explanation. At the same time there rumors here on this board that the update actually introduced problems. Since my GPSV was running flawlessly I decided to not tempt fate and wait til the next update.

Anyway, having said that there are a few things I'd like to see.

-- Nearest Waypoints. IT annoys me that the 'nearest' feature under find only shows waypoints up to a certain distance away (I think it's 15 or 20 miles -- I'm really not sure). Anyway with a capacity for 500 waypoints I'd like to see an option to set the range for 'nearest'. I like to go cache hunting and once i've logged a cache do a search for the next closest cache.

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/26453_300.jpg

March 21, 2002

quote:
I steered clear of the firmware update because it was mysteriously pulled from Garmin's download area for several weeks with no explanation

Just checked Garmin's site and the ver 2.02 update is back and listed as the current firmware. Would they pull it down, make changes then put it back up as the same version???

1k · March 21, 2002

The ability to project a waypoint in "feet" would be a great asset for geocaching.

Worldtraveler

March 21, 2002

Another big thing for me is the projection of a waypoint. In the Vista you can project to 3.45 miles, while the V all you can do is 3.0, 3.5, 4.0. There is a lot of distance to look for a cache between 3.25 and 3.5.....Also in the Vista with MS topo loaded you can get POI. Now with the V they don't show up. Garmin needs to update the V at least equal with the Vista. Right now I do like the V, although I believe if the Vista had the V's antenna I'd go back to the Vista. The V right now is way over rated until the upgrade. Just my .02 worth.

March 21, 2002

Quoted from GarminGPSpublic.:

----It looks like the next version for the GPS V (v2.03) will be

available for download from Garmin's site around the end of March

(source: Garmin Europe support - having received a direct response

from the developers in the US)

This version will have a normal quota of bug-fixes, but of particular

interest to me is the increase in the limit on autorouted "points"

from 254 to 1000.

The significance of this is that now I will be able to download a

route calculated on the PC using the MS CS software which is able to

get me more than just 100mi in one stretch on smaller roads - without

having to stop and load a new route.

Background - the V truncates the route during download to the unit if

it exceeds 50 "turns" or 254 "points", both values being next to

impossible to determine from the data available within MS. Btw, these

have nothing to do with "route waypoints", which are treated as just

another data element.----

We'll see what they have in store for us with this one.

Gary "Gimpy" Strong

[This message was edited by Gimpy on March 21, 2002 at 08:56 AM.]

March 21, 2002

I just bought a GPS V about a week ago. The only problem I have had so far is I did an auto route with the mapsource program on the computer. I uploaded it to my GPS. When I selected the route on the GPS it said that the maps that created the route are not available. It then asked if I wanted the GPS to calculate the route. After the GPS calculated the route it was not the same as I had with mapsource, and I could not modify the route on the GPS. (Or I didn't know how to modify the route) Anyone else have this problem or is that 254 auto routed point limit thing. Also can I edit the routes the GPS calculated?

2.9k · March 21, 2002

My GPS V is crapping out alot now. When I do an Auto-Route it Locks up with the buzzer continually going. Only way to stop it, is to pop open the battery door, then do a QUIT,OUT,Power-ON key combination, to do a total reset.

The GPS used to lock-up only after 75 miles of Simulated Autorouting. Now it's real bad, and i have Version 2.02

March 21, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by Geoffrey:
My GPS V is crapping out alot now. When I do an Auto-Route it Locks up with the buzzer continually going. Only way to stop it, is to pop open the battery door, then do a QUIT,OUT,Power-ON key combination, to do a total reset.

Have you tried re-flashing 2.02? Maybe a bit was dropped during the flash...you may want to try flashing again. I would think it wouldn't hurt to at least try since your V seems to be pretty flakey.

I for one would like to see the displayed track log increased to the size of the Vista's...the V's teeny-tiny dotted track line is pretty much invisible.

[This message was edited by SergZak on March 21, 2002 at 11:36 PM.]

March 21, 2002

Lots of good "quirks" being posted! The following is really good news though...

quote:
Originally posted by Gimpy:
Quoted from GarminGPSpublic.:

----It looks like the next version for the GPS V (v2.03) will be available for download from Garmin's site around the end of March (source: Garmin Europe support - having received a direct response from the developers in the US)

Looks like I'm going to wait 'till 2.03 comes along before I fire off an email to Garmin. Hopefully the 2.03 release isn't going to be a case of "2 steps forward, 1 step back!" (ala GPSMAP 76 comment-field bug...)

March 22, 2002

Hey! I've been using the V for about a week now. Husband uses his III+ at the same time. I've noticed tht the V looses sats more frequently than the III+. Has anyone else noticed this?

Dx

"Have you no news on your travels?" the Book of fairy & folk tales of Ireland (1888)

March 22, 2002

The V looses signal more than my II+, III+ or Etrex ever did. Especially in fog, rain (heavy cloud cover), or near buildings.

It does acquire fast.

The auto routing has a few quirks related to fastest or shortest route determination (the actual route combination of major and secondary roads).

And there is a noticeable delay in route recalculation in the city using metro guide vs city select.

I loaned my II+ to a buddy the other weekend, when I showed him how to use a GPS it really hit me how basic the software was in the unit compared to the V. The simplicity of the functionality and software use made it very easy to instruct the 'how to'.

M

2.9k · March 22, 2002

I have flashed the firmware a couple times, to no avail. I also have done the master reset at lease 3 times, since October. I use the GPS alot, and noticed that the basic functioning of the unit has degraded alot. Sometimes when I press "UP" on the cursor keypad, the cursor goes "DOWN".

There are many features on the GPS V, that stesses the Microprocessor to the limit, like:

1) Having the "lock on road" - ON

2) Map Detail - HIGH

3) Autorouting - ON

4) WAAS - ON

5) Leaving the Data Port ON when navigating.

6) Tracklogging - Turned ON

These all turned on, will stress the processor to the point, of causing errors, down the road.

To avoid problems with the GPS V when NAVIGATING, turn off WAAS, Data Port(in setup), and keep the MAP DETAIL at normal. If you have the GPS connected to a PDA or Laptop, then turn off all the features, that you dont need, except the Data Port.

When my GPS V was NEW in October last year, it would freeze up after 75 miles of simulated driving, then Freeze up after 5 minutes, when i tried it again a few minutes later.

I have alot experience with the Garmin GPS II, III, III+, V, so I know what works, and doesn't work.

I may have to mail the GPS into Garmin for repair.

2.9k · March 22, 2002

They have taken away some features, when they went from the 3plus to the GPS V. The Firmware is about 1 megabyte now, and if they put in elevation profile, and other features that were in the Vista and 3plus, the firmware may get too large.

March 22, 2002

I've had no problems with my GPSV at all. Once in a blue moon it will shut off unexpectedly but this usually happens when I'm unplugging the power supply when getting out of the car.

The only real quirk I've seen (three times in as many months) has to do with autorouting. If i'm following a route and go off course I've found that if I continue moving/driving while the GPS recalcualtes the route it can cause problems. (Such as telling you to turn left when you should turn right). Stopping while the unit is recalculating and giving it time to complete the task seems to solve this problem.

As I posted previously I opted not to update my firmware to 2.02 because of the rumors of problems.

I am glad to hear 2.03 is soming out. Hopefully it will add a few new features to expore.

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/26453_300.jpg

March 22, 2002

>

Really? I'm surprised to read this. I had an Etrex and a Vista but I got rid of both of them because I was frustrated with the frequent signal losses.

I've been extremely pleased with the GPSV.

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/26453_300.jpg

March 22, 2002

I used the GPS V during the rain/fog this week, lost coverage at least 1 time during each use (same mount point in the vehicle). The II+ and III+ I had never seemed to loose signal, the II+ did once driving a trail while in a valley between one sheer rock wall and heavy tree cover on the other side. The V has done it enough for me to notice.

The Vista patch antenna works well, even in a vehicle.

2.9k · March 22, 2002

Just sent in my GPS V for repair, hopefully it will work, when it gets back, and hopefully it does get back to me.

March 22, 2002

May the force be with it!

Dx

"Have you no news on your travels?" the Book of fairy & folk tales of Ireland (1888)

March 23, 2002

Where can I find the actual message from Garmin about the new version 2.03 due at the end of this month?

March 23, 2002

A guy from the Yahoo "Garmin GPSPublic" group apparently talked directly to a garmin tech.As Geoffrey states below, you have to be a member to access the groups messages.If you're a member, you can view it & other info there.

[This message was edited by Gimpy on March 23, 2002 at 05:43 PM.]

2.9k · March 23, 2002

Only members can go to GarminGPSpublic

March 24, 2002

Geoffrey

Can you cut and paste the info for me? Don't want to have to join and go through all the hoops. Just want to see the article. Thanks in advance

March 24, 2002

This is pretty much all of it.

---It looks like the next version for the GPS V (v2.03) will be

available for download from Garmin's site around the end of March

(source: Garmin Europe support - having received a direct response

from the developers in the US)

This version will have a normal quota of bug-fixes, but of particular

interest to me is the increase in the limit on autorouted "points"

from 254 to 1000.

The significance of this is that now I will be able to download a

route calculated on the PC using the MS CS software which is able to

get me more than just 100mi in one stretch on smaller roads - without

having to stop and load a new route.

Background - the V truncates the route during download to the unit if

it exceeds 50 "turns" or 254 "points", both values being next to

impossible to determine from the data available within MS. Btw, these

have nothing to do with "route waypoints", which are treated as just

another data element.

After much playing around, I have developed a feel for when the route

may truncate, but you can't just add up the turns shown on the route

properties or add up the points listed in the text file (export to

file option)

With the truncated route on the GPS V, you may or may not see how far

it got - sometimes it refuses to load the route at all, so you have

to go back to the drawing board with your route planning, and can't

proceed with the next leg until this one is sorted... you get the

picture.

Hopefully this will all become a thing of the past in the very near

future...

Pablo

Antwerp Belgium---

2.9k · March 25, 2002

Not a Yahoo member, SORRY.

March 25, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by Geoffrey:
Not a Yahoo member, SORRY.

It is free! No reason not to.

March 25, 2002

Hope Garmin comes through with the update. I bought the V to have the top of the line GPS. Right now its not even close to the Vista. IMHO

Quad

7.4k · March 25, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by KF Quad Explorer:

Right now its not even close to the Vista. IMHO

Wow, my experience with the V has been COMPLETELY the opposite; in fact, I got rid of my Vista for a V and have never looked back. I don't use POI lookup with topo maps much, nor do I use it for waypoint projection, so I guess I haven't experienced the same frustrations that you have.

For me, the routing of the V is the killer app -- I will have a hard time using another GPSR that doesn't have this feature! I love being in an unfamiliar town, having the wife request the nearest Italian restaurant, doing a POI lookup in Metroguide for the nearest such restaurant and then having the unit route us there! I also love the reception I get with the unit compared to the Vista.

March 25, 2002

I've noticed that the older GPSr's seem like they are not loosing satellites, but in fact they probably are. They dont seem to be as responsive as the newer ones like the eTrex or maybe the GPS V. The signals almost apear to be in a delay.

This may be why the V seems to loose satellites more often. The V may loose it and reaquire it before the older units even realise they have lost it. By that point the older unit will not report that it has lost a signal.

Just my observations.

March 25, 2002

Too Large? The LEgend firmware is 2.2 meg, and it has less memory, why would 1 meg or more be too large?

quote:
Originally posted by Geoffrey:
They have taken away some features, when they went from the 3plus to the GPS V. The Firmware is about 1 megabyte now, and if they put in elevation profile, and other features that were in the Vista and 3plus, the firmware may get too large.

http://members.aol.com/geoffr524/5_Rubik.gif

2.3k · March 25, 2002

quote:
Originally posted by vertigo235:
Too Large? The LEgend firmware is 2.2 meg,

The latest for Vista (2.24) is 1.12 Megabytes. Did you update the Legend twice?

Anders

March 26, 2002

No I wasn't paying attention and I know realize that I was looking at the POI database download. Sorry about that.

2.9k · March 26, 2002

Whole bunch of features have been removed, when they went from the 3plus to the GPS V. I would like to see Battery voltage and a battery timer again.

As far as the firmware goes, it is stored in Read only Memory(EEPROM chip). The Data is stored in separate memory from the map memory also.

March 28, 2002

The V does have a battery timer. I have not checked it out yet to see how it works. Maybe check the manual.

nscaler

"Anyone not here, raise your hand!"

2.9k · March 28, 2002

I have both the 3plus and the V, and found alot of things missing on the V. The Main Menu has the items removed from it, like the battery timer. I could not get the Voltage or Battery timer to come up in the Trip Computer Page, like on the 3plus.

My home page about GPS units and information

March 28, 2002

Hit the menu button while on the map page and then pick "map setup". Keep moving to the right and the Timers should come up.

nscaler

"Anyone not here, raise your hand!".

March 31, 2002

Well here we are the end of March. No update. Just wondering if it was just rumor, or is Garmin just running behind?

I'm waiting.

Quad

2.9k · March 31, 2002

The GPS V has so many features that demand a chunk of time that it is easy to get the sofware wrong, when you devote too much time on any one or a number of features in the GPS, it causes errors somewhere else. You may notice this when the unit is having trouble trying to draw the map screen.

My GPS was shipped back to Garmin on the 22nd of March, and it may be in the shop for a while, because it keeps hanging up(freezing up), requiring me to pop open the batter door. After a few lock ups, it will make many errors, like having me drive the wrong way on a divided highway.

I only have the Vista and the GPS 315, right now. The Magellan GPS 315, will be my Geocaching unit till i get a gps back from Garmin, since the Vista is acting poorly.

My home page about GPS units and information

[This message was edited by Geoffrey on March 31, 2002 at 02:28 PM.]

2.9k · April 7, 2002

Got my GPS V back, and it still is messed up, so im waiting for the upgrade. Just put out my latest cache using the Mag 315, since the vista was no good in the woods.

My home page about GPS units and information

April 8, 2002

Man why is it taking Garmin forever to update and add new features to their most versatile GPS on the market?

Afraid the firmware would be to big? I say loose the stupid game

April 12, 2002

<< posted April 08, 2002 05:10 PM

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Where are the updates?

Man why is it taking Garmin forever to update and add new features to their most versatile GPS on the market?

>>

Okay, so where IS it?

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/26453_300.jpg

2.9k · April 12, 2002

The GPS V is a neat unit, but the electronics inside can use some improvement. My GPS V has been Reset a few times, but I am getting less and less out of it each time I use it in simulator mode. It is down to only 57 miles before it fails, and have to pop open the battery door.

This unit will need to be improved both in hardware and software.

I had gotten a letter from Garmin, stating that they will not be able to come out with the UPDATE, until mid-month. Hopefully they can get the software to work properly.

My home page about GPS units and information

April 12, 2002

Everything you describe could very easily be caused by software problems. We're only on the first software revision, I wouldn't start bashing the hardware just yet.

I havn't had any trouble with my V.

May 2, 2002

OK so there still isn't an update? Has Garmin forgot that they make the GPS V?

May 3, 2002

until June when the new 'version' of the V is out to purchase one.

They will be unlocking the entire City Select for the whole country as a default.

Currently, you can only unlock one region and the City Select has routing for the 300 biggest cities/towns.

May 3, 2002

GPS update for GPS V, version 2.03 is on the Garmin site now.

May 3, 2002

From Version 2.03 release notes

* Corrected "Lockup" problem while navigating an auto-route in simulator mode.

I hope you're happy

quote:
Originally posted by GOT GPS?:
The GPS V is a neat unit, but the electronics inside can use some improvement. My GPS V has been Reset a few times, but I am getting less and less out of it each time I use it in simulator mode. It is down to only 57 miles before it fails, and have to pop open the battery door.

This unit will need to be improved both in hardware and software.

I had gotten a letter from Garmin, stating that they will not be able to come out with the _UPDATE_, until mid-month. Hopefully they can get the software to work properly.

http://members.aol.com/geoffr524/5_Rubik.gif http://members.aol.com/geoffr524/myhomepage/howto.html

May 4, 2002

I havn't had any trouble with my V.>>

I just ran my GPSV through the paces (2200 mile road trip autorouting the entire way).

Not one freeze or glitch. I couldn't be happier. As a side, I should point out I'm still running the original firmware. 2.02 seemed to cause more problems than it fixed so I'm waiting for 2.03

Jolly R. Blackburn

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/26453_300.jpg

May 5, 2002

Easy and Expert GPS lock up after the 2.03 update. If you do not need the download capability, go ahead and upgrade. I have done the upgrade and will give Easy GPS a chance to fix this problem. I will post a new thread if they can fix it AND it works.

Ain't modern technology wonderful?

nscaler

"Anyone not here, raise your hand!".

GPS V quirks

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