Geocaching Australia

Has anyone else with an Oregon had an issue with boot time since the last update? Every time I boot my Oregon it now seems to take forever to load the .gpx file. Hopefully it isn't just me, but equally hopefully someone knows a solution!

It's not just you.......................

I'm running ver 4.2 software on my Oregon 300 and I have the same problem with it taking a long time to load, but not always.
Sometimes it gets to the point of having to take the batteries out as it just freezes up but other times it loads quickly.

When I loaded it for our Tasmania trip the other week it froze, batteries out and back in for it to work, and just a few minutes ago did a reload from GSAK of 1500 nearest caches with the last 5 logs and it booted with only a short load delay of about 20 sec and reloaded again with 2000 with 5 logs and it took about 45 seconds to load.

Not sure what the issue is but if anyone knows it would be helpful.

The way to get around it is to plug your Oregon in to the computer, delete the GPX file, un plug and boot up the Oregon. Once fully loaded plug back in to the computer and transfer the new GPX file.

It is a problem that Garmin have acknowledged, but never really fixed!

If you check the GSAK forum you will see many people complaining about it on there.

Hoojar wrote:Has anyone else with an Oregon had an issue with boot time since the last update? Every time I boot my Oregon it now seems to take forever to load the .gpx file. Hopefully it isn't just me, but equally hopefully someone knows a solution!

I find the first time it starts up after replacing the geocaches.gpx file with a new one it take a long time - I think it's indexing all the entries within. After that, the startup is much quicker (15 seconds vs. a minute or was it two?) - until the next update... Some days it seems to take longer than others. The more geocaches in the GPS the slower the startup will be too I'm sure - mine sits around the 2000 mark (mainly because I mistakenly thought that was the limit - but I think its actually 5000)

Also, it states its loading waypoints, tracks and routes - if you haven't cleared out your tracks that might be the problem - and it will be eating your storage memory too. I have mine set to auto archive daily and I copy the track files off the GPS and onto my GPS fairly regularly.

More annoyingly my unit has started freezing up when opening the description of a cache (and one day, the file must have been corrupt because every cache froze the unit - but luckily it would allow me to go to a cache, just as long as I didn't look at the description or hint...) I have to remove the batteries to get it to start again...

quiet1_au wrote:

Hoojar wrote:Has anyone else with an Oregon had an issue with boot time since the last update? Every time I boot my Oregon it now seems to take forever to load the .gpx file. Hopefully it isn't just me, but equally hopefully someone knows a solution!

I find the first time it starts up after replacing the geocaches.gpx file with a new one it take a long time - I think it's indexing all the entries within. After that, the startup is much quicker (15 seconds vs. a minute or was it two?) - until the next update... Some days it seems to take longer than others. The more geocaches in the GPS the slower the startup will be too I'm sure - mine sits around the 2000 mark (mainly because I mistakenly thought that was the limit - but I think its actually 5000)

Also, it states its loading waypoints, tracks and routes - if you haven't cleared out your tracks that might be the problem - and it will be eating your storage memory too. I have mine set to auto archive daily and I copy the track files off the GPS and onto my GPS fairly regularly.

More annoyingly my unit has started freezing up when opening the description of a cache (and one day, the file must have been corrupt because every cache froze the unit - but luckily it would allow me to go to a cache, just as long as I didn't look at the description or hint...) I have to remove the batteries to get it to start again...

My Montana does exactly these things as well. I climbed a hill out at Tidbinbilla and spent an extra 20mins looking for the cache because I couldn't access the description (which told me the GZ was for the view and then described exactly where the cache was close by) without the GPS freezing on a blank page. I had just updated the software before that trip but when I deleted and replaced the gpx file is fixed it.

At the same time I had a problem sending and receiving wireless WP's between my Montana and an Oregon. The units would go through the motions as normal but the transferred files could not be found. That seemed to stop by itself although I originally updated the software through Basecamp, after that trip I did it again directly from the Garmin site and it all seems to be fine now.

Thanks for the replies, at least I know that I am not alone... Although mine is slow it has never hung (touch wood), so I have never had to take out the batteries.

Let's hope that the next update resolves the issue.

I just upgraded the software to 5.40 (although I could have sworn I did that a day or two ago...) - hoping it helps too!

You're definately not alone Hoojar. This has happended a few time with me, and before checking with Garmin or forums, I just removed all gpx files and started the unit up 'empty'. It then started up ok. Then I copied the gpx files on again and it was fine. I've noticed when I try and copy more than 2-3 update gpx files, then sometimes it really hangs on startup. Like it can't handle too many gpx files at once. So now I just copy over 1-2 when I update them and all ok. The latest firmware update seems steady as well.

jusojara wrote:

quiet1_au wrote:

Hoojar wrote:Has anyone else with an Oregon had an issue with boot time since the last update? Every time I boot my Oregon it now seems to take forever to load the .gpx file. Hopefully it isn't just me, but equally hopefully someone knows a solution!

I find the first time it starts up after replacing the geocaches.gpx file with a new one it take a long time - I think it's indexing all the entries within. After that, the startup is much quicker (15 seconds vs. a minute or was it two?) - until the next update......

..... At the same time I had a problem sending and receiving wireless WP's between my Montana and an Oregon. The units would go through the motions as normal but the transferred files could not be found. That seemed to stop by itself although I originally updated the software through Basecamp, after that trip I did it again directly from the Garmin site and it all seems to be fine now.

Our Oregon has the same start-up delay with a new GPX file, but subsequent starts are much quicker. We've also had problems trying to transfer cache details wirelessly with a friend's Montana. The transfer would proceed to about 35% then stop. The two Garmins would not talk together at all for the rest of the day after that. This has happened twice now. No such problems with other Oregons or Colorados.

On 14/2 Ver 5.5 was released. It works well for me so far.
http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Versions+x50

gmj3191 wrote:On 14/2 Ver 5.5 was released. It works well for me so far.
http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Versions+x50

So there is - hoping they fix the lock-up issue - it seemed to have become worse with the 5.4 release for me somehow. I'd started going to the trouble of firing up the GPS after a GSAK transfer to check it works rather than find out in the field.

Another glitch while I remember it was an occasional listing of an unfound cache as a found one, even though no log exists in the geocache_visits.txt file.

quiet1_au wrote:

gmj3191 wrote:On 14/2 Ver 5.5 was released. It works well for me so far.
http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Versions+x50

I'd started going to the trouble of firing up the GPS after a GSAK transfer to check it works rather than find out in the field.

+1
A tip given to me by Earthbound Chief was always to use fresh batteries after a big GSAK transfer. That seems to help.

I concur with gmj3191. Fresh batteries makes all the difference when copying files across and also when placing and searching for caches. Still waiting on a rechargeable battery pack for the Oregon I currently use rechargeable AA batteries and can't recommend these more Much better than your average batteries and they seem to last alot longer between charges.

ok.... so 2 dumb questions ..... We have a Garmin Oregon 450

1 - How do you know what version of the software you currently have on your GPSr ?

2 - Do you then have to do all updates since current version or just the latest one and it will include all previous ones since your version?

hey GJMMelb, nah never dumb questions, just learning information, right

1. The 450 should be the same as the 550, so from the main screen, goto Setup - and scroll down to About. On mine it's the last one. It will give you the Software Version and some other info.

2. No. just download and update the latest firmware, it contains all previous updates.

Alf