[aprssig] Garmin GPS18 problem

[Dave Baxter]

Sounds similar to the problem I had with my eTrex, after I left it
without batteries for some weeks, err, couple of months!  It lost all
it's internal setup, time, date, last fix etc.  So, it had to do a cold
start.  That took it over 20 minutes, but eventually it all sorted
itself out OK.

Strangely, it did not loose all the fixed waypoints I have in it, or the
last track!

Garmin say that there is no battery backed memory in the thing, and
leaving the batteries out will not "harm" it in any way.  Well, it
depends on what you mean by harm I guess.  No physical damage, or need
for software reload, just what they term a cold start so it could
rebuild it's ephemeris database, or whatever it's called.  (Satelite
tables)

I now leave the batteries in even when not needed!  An old Magellan
GPS3000 I have, also suffers like this, but in that case, it is
documented that it needs the batteries to maintain it's internals.  It
will though flatten them even in the "Off" state in a couple of months.
Anyone got one of the external power/data modules spare for one of them?

Take care.

Dave G0WBX.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: rradiohham1 [mailto:rradiohham1 at earthlink.net] 
> Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2006 5:00 PM
> To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [aprssig] Garmin GPS18 problem
> 
> Chris,
> 
> If you have let the GPS18 run down on low power, it will go 
> into another mode, you my try resetting it with a program 
> that you can find on the Garmin web site. I belive this is 
> only a problem witht he early units, the later units had an 
> updated program. I had this problem with one of my GPS18 
> shortly after I received it, Iwas testing to see how long the 
> unit would run before the battery ran down, this is when I 
> learned about this problem.
> 
> Even though you have updated the software, it my have not 
> done the job, you may want to give the update software another try.
> 
> GL and 73 Vince, K6BIR
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Chris Kantarjiev" <cak at dimebank.com>
> To: <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
> Sent: Saturday, April 01, 2006 8:50 PM
> Subject: [aprssig] Garmin GPS18 problem
> 
> 
> > I've got a GPS18LVC that has gone ... well, deaf. It still talks out
> > its serial line, I just updated it with the latest software from the
> > Garmin website. It responds fine to the serial port.
> >
> > aprssig mailing list
> > aprssig at lists.tapr.org
> > https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>