Garmin GPS: Year 2010 bug - possible pitfall for APRS Ops

Hi.
This might be interesting to all GPS users - especially APRS operators.
There seem to be a year 2010 bug with some Garmin devices.

When switching on date and time are calculated wrong. But making it
even worse almanac data is also lost. So it needs to search for all
satellites whenever it is turned on (cold boot). Indeed the whole celestial
mechanics is wrong: trying to display sunset results in a hung up Geko 201 - I needed to remove the batteries to switch it off.

But what's worst for APRS operators: the wrong date/time is send via the serial NMEA output.


So if you are using a Garmin GPS for APRS operation please check if you are transmitting the correct date and time.

On the Garmin web-page there's nothing about this - no FAQ entry, no
Firmware update. Several ops were able to reproduce this problem. But Garmin's support admits this error may only affect few devices. Therefore there's no bug-fix available. So Garmin just wants to take the customers money but doesn't recognize responsibility for their products. They simply shift issues onto customers. The lesson should be clear: buy some cheap far east GPS instead of a Garmin one.

Ref:
Groundspeak Forum

alt.satellite.gps.garmin Newsgroup

GPS Passion Forum


Regards,
Andreas Weller

 

Garmin Model Numbers?

A list of model numbers that this supposedly affects would be useful.

 

GPSMap162 and etrex Vista not affected

Neither my GPSMap162 nor my etrex Vista (the old version with the greyscale display) are affected.

Andreas I can understand your anger about this bug and Garmin. But to my opinion Garmin is far away from the sell and forget policy you describe. I know about people getting their etrex exchanged at no charge because of a common defect and the large number of firmware updates available show support is an issue at Garmin.

By the way: Have you checked, you have the newest firmware version installed on your Geko? Have you done a hard reset of your device? I remember problems like the week 1023-rollover were fixed this way.

73 de DO7MM, Michael

 

Garmin Issues Emergency Software Fix

Garmin Issues Emergency Software Fix For Nasty Bug That Can Brick Your nuvi 7x5


http://gpsmagazine.com/2009/06/garmin_issues_emergency_softwa.php

 

It would be nice if the front page was kept to new stories instead of news / Editorial items...

Just IHMO

Mike
N3VQH

 

??

My GPSmap 60CSx seems to be working fine...


-Andrew
Puyallup, WA

 

I have had a GPS-12 for over 12 years now and when the internal battery went out on it after only 7 years (supposed to last 10) they had no problem exchanging it for another one. I didn't have to provide proof of purchase or anything like that. Garmin had awesome customer support and they make great products. Just because you found one bug doesn't mean that everyone of their products are trash. My GPS-12 is still kicking strong and I use it everyday in my truck for APRS. It sits on the dash in the hot Arizona sun and still charges on. Fact is Garmin makes good products and has great customer support.

 

With the wide selection of relatively inexpensive GPS receivers on the market today just buy a new one... Not something i normally say, but if your having that much trouble with it toss it out or put it on ebay and go buy a new one. $50-$60 will get you a serial gps receiver based on the SiRF III chipset, i have one for APRS, FAST LOCK and super sensitive. It can receive 8 satellites in my basement shack.

My TomTom 130 cost me $50 after a mail in rebate, and has the same chipset and the same capabilities, never thought one of these devices would get a lock in my basement but they do, and NO windows so the signal is going through a lot of structure.

Why fight an old gps when new ones are so cheap now??

 

Value??

This is one of those articles whos total value is to the author who needed something to write an article about... de k2lck ed

 

You are right - but it has some unique features:

• Serial DGPS input (I feed NTRIP Data into it)
• Serial Output (for APRS usage)
• Compatible to ASYNC & GAR2RNX -> raw data can be obtained for postprocessing

You can do this with your TomTom?


Regards,
Andreas, DF1PAW

 

Fixed

Hi.
Forthe sake of completeness:

Since March 25th there's a firmware update for this issue. You can download it from Garmin's website


vy 73 de
Andreas Weller, DF1PAW