Garmin problems

[idratherbehiking]

I was out of town training for a new job recently and went caching one day and my GPS worked fine. A couple of days later when I got ready to go caching it would not lock onto the satellites. I tried everything I could think of even out in a wide open parking lot but it would not get a lock. I tried again over the next several days and nothing. I even missed out on a couple of FTF's because it would not work. Well, I just got back home yesterday and the users guide that came with the unit was not any help so I decided I would do a little research online to see if I could figure out how to fix it without sending it to Garmin. I found a website with the info I needed to reset it. I would lose all of my waypoints (about 400 of them) in the process so I just transferred them from the gps into GSAK, did the reset, then resent them to the GPS. Now the thing works fine. I don't really know what was wrong with it but the reset fixed the problem. The website that I found is http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/secret.htm#reset
It has a lot of info on the older models from Garmin but I thought this info may come in handy for some folks that use Garmin.

[sayitagain]

Hey Richard,

Guess I missed this post before I posted mine last night. Was your GPS without batteries on February 1, 2007.

Sayitagain

[idratherbehiking]

No, my batteries were fine. My problem was on Feb. 5th. I had used the GPS on Feb. 3rd and found several caches that day and it was working fine. I turned it off and put it in the console between the seats in my car like I always do. When I got it out on the 5th it would not lock on the satellites at all. After I got home a few days later and reset it, it worked fine. It actually seems to get a better lock now than it ever has. I actually had a lock on 8 satellites the other day and I have never seen it lock on more than 6. All is fine with it now but I was knid of hoping this would give me an excuse to get a newer GPS. Maybe for Christmas.

[OldRiverRunner]

I had a similar problem with my first Garmin, an eTrex Vista, about 3 years ago. I was on a trip to Arizona and spent the night in Albequerque on my way. I got up very early, before my family, and did some geocaching before returning to awaken them and get on the road. My GPSr worked fine. Once on the road, I turned it on and it was working fine for a while. I pulled off I-40 to grab a cache hidden in some lava rocks along a frontage road when the unit lost a lock on the satellites and wouldn't recover. Fortunately, it had pointed me to within 10 feet of the cache before it lost the lock, so I was able to score the find. Unfortunately, my last one of the trip, except for some virtuals that I could locate from the cache descriptions, because the unit would never lock onto the satellites again.

When I returned home, I called Garmin and they walked me through several steps to try to solve the problem, including downloading an update to the software. Nothing worked, so they said to send it to them for repair. I asked how much it would cost, because the unit was 14 months old and the warranty was 1 year. They said not to worry. So I mailed it to them and about a week later I received a brand new unit back! And no charge! That unit worked well until I replaced it about a year later with a eTrex Vista C. As far as I know, it still works well (I gave it to my son, who had expressed an interest in geocaching but has never gotten started for some reason!)

Anyway, it was the oddest thing. I'll check out the link you provided. It may come in handy sometime. By the way, although I initially began to worry about the quality of the Garmin units, the way Garmin treated me has definitely made me a repeat customer. They were courteous, helpful, and took care of my problem at no extra cost to me! And my eTrex Vista C is nearly two years old and has operated without a hitch the whole time. -- ORR

[RugerPilot345]

I second your Gamin Company sentiment ORR......nothing like a satisfied customer to help sell a product and a company and nothing like a dissatisfied customer to destroy a company......I wish more companys treated their customers lke expected repeat customers rather one time buyers......I own three Garmins and have always been treated well by the company. Ha ha why do I won three you ask.....well kinda like pistols I always need one more, ha ha!! :D

8)

Cool!!

[Gaddiel]

We had a similar experience with Garmin customer service. Our Legend developed a problem with lines on the screen. Even though it was 3 months out of warranty, they sent a replacement unit to us at no charge!

Wayne