Garmin GPS - StreetPilot 2620 (?2610) bugs

Author

StreetPilot 2620 (?2610) bugs

Roy Hann

2007-02-26, 4:33 am

The recent notice in my email alerting me to the availability of v9 of the
City Navigator Europe maps prompts me to ask if anyone else has noticed
problems with the StreetPilot 2620 software.

When I first got it the only noticable problem was the frequent loss of
satellite reception which was entirely explained by the heating elements in
the heated windscreen. So last year before setting off on a grand tour of
most of the countries of the EU I upgraded from the v7 maps to the v8 maps,
installed an external high-gain antenna and also upgraded the software to
v4.6.

The result has been extremely disappointing. Even on short local trips the
2620 lapses into prolonged silence utterly ignoring four or five consecutive
junctions/roundabouts, then piping up briefly before going silent again.
When it's in this mood the display doesn't announce any turns either. It
also frequently wrongly announces that I've gone off route, sometimes when
I'm on a known motorway with no opportunity to take a wrong turn.

Then last week my son noticed something that really irritates me. I was
watching the road and listening to the turn instructions, but my son was
watching the display; the display correctly showed a right turn immediately
followed by a left turn, but the voice announced them the opposite way
round! We were stationary in traffic so it's no like we'd overrun it.
Goodness knows how many previous off-route "errors" have been caused by that
bug.

As things stand it is pretty much unusable. I've just upgraded the software
to v4.80 but haven't yet had a chance to try it out. The v4.80 release
notes make no mention of any fixes remotely like what I've been
experiencing. I will let you know how I get on. The 4.80 software had
better fix it, because otherwise I shall regard the cost of the v9 mapping
upgrade as an effective discount off the price of a Tomtom Go 910...

Roy

Greybeard

2007-02-26, 7:33 am

"Roy Hann" <specially@processed.almost.meat> wrote in message
news:yv- dnSrVWfAgKX_YRVnyuAA
@pipex.net...
> The recent notice in my email alerting me to the availability of v9 of the
> City Navigator Europe maps prompts me to ask if anyone else has noticed
> problems with the StreetPilot 2620 software.
>
> When I first got it the only noticable problem was the frequent loss of
> satellite reception which was entirely explained by the heating elements
> in the heated windscreen. So last year before setting off on a grand tour
> of most of the countries of the EU I upgraded from the v7 maps to the v8
> maps, installed an external high-gain antenna and also upgraded the
> software to v4.6.
>
> The result has been extremely disappointing. Even on short local trips
> the 2620 lapses into prolonged silence utterly ignoring four or five
> consecutive junctions/roundabouts, then piping up briefly before going
> silent again. When it's in this mood the display doesn't announce any
> turns either. It also frequently wrongly announces that I've gone off
> route, sometimes when I'm on a known motorway with no opportunity to take
> a wrong turn.
>
> Then last week my son noticed something that really irritates me. I was
> watching the road and listening to the turn instructions, but my son was
> watching the display; the display correctly showed a right turn
> immediately followed by a left turn, but the voice announced them the
> opposite way round! We were stationary in traffic so it's no like we'd
> overrun it. Goodness knows how many previous off-route "errors" have been
> caused by that bug.
>
> As things stand it is pretty much unusable. I've just upgraded the
> software to v4.80 but haven't yet had a chance to try it out. The v4.80
> release notes make no mention of any fixes remotely like what I've been
> experiencing. I will let you know how I get on. The 4.80 software had
> better fix it, because otherwise I shall regard the cost of the v9 mapping
> upgrade as an effective discount off the price of a Tomtom Go 910...
>

That sounds more like a fault that a bug.
I encountered something similar to what you are describing on another
similar unit that I had fitted to a friends bike.
It was sent back to garmin and repaired. No problems after that.
Might be worth a call to Garmin, as it sounds like a faulty receiver.

--
Greybeard

FLHTCUI UK-07 96 cu-in (Written off after 3 days & 182 miles!) Courtesy of a
myopic female driver.
FLHTCUI UK-07 Mk II (On the road March 1/07)
Trumpet Trophy 1200 -96, (The Barge) for rainy days.
Garmin Zumo 550, To get me home!

ukrm@foxtails[dot]co[dot]uk

Roy Hann

2007-02-26, 7:33 am

"Greybeard" <daz@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:erumg4$5d3$1@re
gistered.motzarella.org...

& #91;snip]
> That sounds more like a fault that a bug.

Groan. Getting repairs for hardware of any kind makes my heart sink. It is
always such a titanic struggle. And if my 2620 is faulty it is an
intermittent fault.

> I encountered something similar to what you are describing on another
> similar unit that I had fitted to a friends bike.
> It was sent back to garmin and repaired. No problems after that.
> Might be worth a call to Garmin, as it sounds like a faulty receiver.

I am off to Ireland this afternoon so I will try out the upgraded software.
I may have something to report on Friday.

Roy

Routemeister

2007-02-26, 10:33 pm

The problem you describe is common in motorcycle applications with the 2620,
especially when trying to follow a prepared route. What happens is this:
The route instructions are in RAM memory, but the maps, which the GPS
software must reference when tracking the satellites to establish position,
are located on the mini-hard drive. Frequently, the hard drive is unable to
be read, owing to vibration, acceleration spikes from bumps etc. When that
happens, A) the satellite position info can't be referenced to the map, so
there's no output. or B) the map data is corrupted so the map info is "out
of synch" with the calculated position satellite position. Since route
instructions are referenced to map position, they are: A) missing, or B)
incorrect.
There is no effective fix, short of some sort of vibration isolation cradle
when mounted on a motorcycle. You best bet is to sell it to a car owner and
purchase a unit with solid state map memory (2610 + later variants)
Regards, David "Routemeister" Thompson
http://home.rochester.rr.com/backroads/

"Roy Hann" <specially@processed.almost.meat> wrote in message
news:yv- dnSrVWfAgKX_YRVnyuAA
@pipex.net...
> The recent notice in my email alerting me to the availability of v9 of the
> City Navigator Europe maps prompts me to ask if anyone else has noticed
> problems with the StreetPilot 2620 software.
>
> When I first got it the only noticable problem was the frequent loss of
> satellite reception which was entirely explained by the heating elements
> in the heated windscreen. So last year before setting off on a grand tour
> of most of the countries of the EU I upgraded from the v7 maps to the v8
> maps, installed an external high-gain antenna and also upgraded the
> software to v4.6.
>
> The result has been extremely disappointing. Even on short local trips
> the 2620 lapses into prolonged silence utterly ignoring four or five
> consecutive junctions/roundabouts, then piping up briefly before going
> silent again. When it's in this mood the display doesn't announce any
> turns either. It also frequently wrongly announces that I've gone off
> route, sometimes when I'm on a known motorway with no opportunity to take
> a wrong turn.
>
> Then last week my son noticed something that really irritates me. I was
> watching the road and listening to the turn instructions, but my son was
> watching the display; the display correctly showed a right turn
> immediately followed by a left turn, but the voice announced them the
> opposite way round! We were stationary in traffic so it's no like we'd
> overrun it. Goodness knows how many previous off-route "errors" have been
> caused by that bug.
>
> As things stand it is pretty much unusable. I've just upgraded the
> software to v4.80 but haven't yet had a chance to try it out. The v4.80
> release notes make no mention of any fixes remotely like what I've been
> experiencing. I will let you know how I get on. The 4.80 software had
> better fix it, because otherwise I shall regard the cost of the v9 mapping
> upgrade as an effective discount off the price of a Tomtom Go 910...
>
> Roy
>
>

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Greybeard

2007-02-27, 4:33 am

"Routemeister" <Routemeister.VFR@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:45e37b3c$0$1421
$4c368faf@roadrunner
.com...
> The problem you describe is common in motorcycle applications with the
> 2620, especially when trying to follow a prepared route. What happens is
> this: The route instructions are in RAM memory, but the maps, which the
> GPS software must reference when tracking the satellites to establish
> position, are located on the mini-hard drive. Frequently, the hard drive
> is unable to be read, owing to vibration, acceleration spikes from bumps
> etc. When that happens, A) the satellite position info can't be
> referenced to the map, so there's no output. or B) the map data is
> corrupted so the map info is "out of synch" with the calculated position
> satellite position. Since route instructions are referenced to map
> position, they are: A) missing, or B) incorrect.
> There is no effective fix, short of some sort of vibration isolation
> cradle when mounted on a motorcycle. You best bet is to sell it to a car
> owner and purchase a unit with solid state map memory (2610 + later
> variants)
> Regards, David "Routemeister" Thompson
> http://home.rochester.rr.com/backroads/
>

The 2620 is not recommended for motorbikes.!
I looked at one as I thought it might be a better option than the 2610. But
the nice mr Garmin Salesguy said no.
Couldn't argue with him, so waited and bought the Zumo.
--
Greybeard

FLHTCUI UK-07 96 cu-in (Written off after 3 days & 182 miles!) Courtesy of a
myopic female driver.
FLHTCUI UK-07 Mk II (On the road March 1/07)
Trumpet Trophy 1200 -96, (The Barge) for rainy days.
Garmin Zumo 550, To get me home!

ukrm@foxtails[dot]co[dot]uk

Jack Erbes

2007-02-27, 10:33 am

Greybeard wrote:

<snip>
> The 2620 is not recommended for motorbikes.!
> I looked at one as I thought it might be a better option than the 2610. But
> the nice mr Garmin Salesguy said no.
> Couldn't argue with him, so waited and bought the Zumo.

He didn't mention the 2610? Maybe didn't have one. I notice Garmin
recently announced a zumo 450:

http://www.garmin.com/products/zumo450/

It is about $200 cheaper than a 550 and is slightly dumbed down on the
"brain candy" kind of features. But the bad news to me is that they did
not put the SiRF III chip set in it.

I've not studied it at all but I wonder what else they might have left
off. Like the important navigation features. They are the dumbest
bastards in the world when it comes to designing their product lines.

The zumo 550 is selling around $700 now at street prices, the retail on
the 450 is $850 or so. It won't start making any sense until the street
prices get it down to around $500 or less. And maybe never if they left
too much off of it.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at adelphia dot net)
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

Roy Hann

2007-02-28, 4:33 am

"Routemeister" <Routemeister.VFR@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:45e37b3c$0$1421
$4c368faf@roadrunner
.com...
> The problem you describe is common in motorcycle applications with the
> 2620, especially when trying to follow a prepared route. What happens is
> this: The route instructions are in RAM memory, but the maps, which the
> GPS software must reference when tracking the satellites to establish
> position, are located on the mini-hard drive. Frequently, the hard drive
> is unable to be read, owing to vibration, acceleration spikes from bumps
> etc. When that happens, A) the satellite position info can't be
> referenced to the map, so there's no output. or B) the map data is
> corrupted so the map info is "out of synch" with the calculated position
> satellite position. Since route instructions are referenced to map
> position, they are: A) missing, or B) incorrect.
> There is no effective fix, short of some sort of vibration isolation
> cradle when mounted on a motorcycle. You best bet is to sell it to a car
> owner and purchase a unit with solid state map memory (2610 + later
> variants)

Thanks for that potentially relevant response; it is possible that some kind
of disk or disk controller problem is to blame, although I should point out
that I am using the 2620 in a (long wheelbase) car, not a motorcycle.

I should also mention that I upgraded to the v4.80 software two days ago,
replacing the 4.6 upgrade that I suspected might be the problem, and
yesterday it behaved flawlessly for the first time in a long time. It's too
early to declare victory; I might just have got lucky. I will use it again
later in the week and post an update.

Roy

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