Colorado 2.9 Firmware Available – Improved Marine Functions
Updated 12/23: 3D View issue is related to Map Detail setting (and possibly the complexity of the map in the area you are trying to view). If 3D View is not working for you try setting Map Detail to a lower setting.
Updated 12/23: 3D View is broken in Firmware 2.9. For some users 3D View does not work the second time they enter the tool.
It seems like Garmin is trying to get GB Discoverer support into the Colorado and Oregon so that they can release this new mapping product for customers in the UK. Garmin released firmware version 2.9 for the Colorado today which includes these changes:
- Added support for Garmin GB Discoverer maps
- Added ability to view marine chart notes for marine points
- Added ability to change the date for the tide and currents charts
- Added support for marine fishing, nautical, and off modes
- Fixed a potential shutdown that can occur when panning the map that is showing satellite imagery
- Fixed issue with 3d view not showing proper elevation detail
It is nice to see the Colorado pick up the tide charts feature which the Oregon has had for several months, but still no signs of the improved Oregon track manager. To access this new feature go to WhereTo?>Tides and select a tide station. Under Options there is a new option called Show Graph which displays the tide graph. Hitting left or right on the Rock’n'Roller will scroll through different days.
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Like the Oregon I’ll be testing these changes over the next several days to see if the issues above are fixed or if any new issues have been introduced. I have been able to successfully download and install the update via Webupdater.
Related posts:
December 15th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Thinking of going back to 2.8 firmware here. Took this out on Friday, caching in -5C weather and the unit crashed to the faded white screen about 6 times over 11 hours of use. Hasn’t done this to me before 2.9 firmware.
At first I thought it was eating batteries as it would show 1 dot on the battery on the reboot but later found these same batteries would go back up to 3 dots.
Not sure if I have a faulty unit or if it’s this firmware.
December 15th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I’ve run the Colorado a few times with 2.9 so I might have 2 hours of test time on 2.9. This isn’t much but I haven’t seen anything abnormal.
I wonder if it has more to do with power/batteries/cold weather? Have you been able to retry with 2.8 or on a warmer day?
Does your battery setting match your battery type? Are you using NiMH batteries?
December 16th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Scott,
I was running Alkaline batteries for the day, and the battery type was set properly in the settings. I have had the unit out in cold weather before without much problem. The other thing that caused me a red flag is the unit crashed out to the faded white screen a couple times while running off the DC power in the car. I’ll keep an eye on things over the next few caching trips and let you know what happens.
December 16th, 2008 at 10:45 am
I was going to asked if you had tried with DC power in the car, that would sort of eliminate the power/tempurature question.
I ran a test again this morning with 2.9 and still no issues.
Have you tried moving back to 2.8?
December 16th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Scott,
I haven’t tried going back to 2.8 juuuuust yet. Another theory I’m floating is that the unit may be upset over a cache listing – I was operating 100km east of where I normally cache and an ‘iffy’ one might have snuck in. Having said that, the Colorado another cacher was using (on 2.8 firmware) was working just fine on the same caching trip. I’ll give it another go on this Friday’s night caching and then move back to 2.8 if it crashes on that outing (night should be good and cold for it!)
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:58 am
Did anyone experienced an issue with the 3D view? Since my update in 2.9, it works only first time you enter 3D view. If you exit and go back again, it will stay on a blue screen. Only the arrow will move, without map display.
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:15 am
J-F,
Yes, several people have reported that 3D-view does not work the second time they enter the tool. Resetting seems to fix the problem. For some reason I can’t reproduce this problem on my unit — the second time I enter 3D View it takes 10-20 seconds for the map to display but eventually I do see the map. I wonder if it has something to do with the amount of terrain detail or elevation data in your particular area. I’m in a relatively flat, featureless area.
-Scott
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:53 am
Thanks for this reply. I just tried to do a hard reset this morning (both soft keys + power button). Seems to fix this issue only in the default profiles “recreational”. The issue still there if I’m in a custom profile. No other clue on this thing…
December 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 am
With few more testing, I find that you have to stay in “more” or lower in the map setting – detail. Don’t go to the “most” setting. As long as you are in “more” or lower, the 3D view will work fine. Thnks for the hint in your post…
“I wonder if it has something to do with the amount of terrain detail “
December 23rd, 2008 at 10:53 am
Thanks for posting the information about map detail. I’ll add a note to the post so that others can benefit!
-Scott
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Recently I updated the firmware from 2.80 to 2.90 on my Colorado 400t. I have City Navigator and Topo maps on the Colorado. Went out Geocaching the other day and noticed the streets are no longer showing up in the Geocaching profile. I’m able to route to an address but no streets were showing on the display. When I switch to any other profile, i.e, Automotive, Recreational, etc., the streets returned. Only in the Geocaching profile the streets disappear.
Returned home and reloaded version 2.80 on the Colorado. It powered up fine and loaded the firmware. When I selected the Geocaching profile and tried to view the map, the Colorado would shut down immediately. Powered it back on and tried it again with the same problem. Luckily, I had a backup copy of Geocaching.gpf (the profile). Copied the file to the Colorado, and restarted. It worked fine, the Colorado did not power off and the streets returned.
Thinking I had a corrupted profile, I updated the Colorado with 2.90 firmware. Everything looked good. The streets were showing and Colorado did not power off. I selected Automotive then Geocaching profile. The street problem returned in the Geocaching profile. I had to go back to version 2.80 and copy the geocaching.gpf again.
It appears version 2.90 is corrupting the geocaching.gpf file when switching between Automotive and Geocaching, at least on my Colorado.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Staying with the 2.9 firmware after all. I’m putting the instabilities I experienced down as power issues due to the cold weather. The unit is better behaved on warmer days I’m finding and 2.9 isn’t crashing in my car anymore.
January 26th, 2009 at 3:01 am
Hi Ray,
I’ve had the same problem in my 300 after migrating to 2.90. One slight difference is that the streets have disappeared from the Automotive profile. This makes the unit practically useless for navigation. I’ll probably hang around for a short while on 2.90 in case a quick fix comes along, otherwise it’ll be straight back to 2.80
Dave
February 14th, 2009 at 10:20 am
I was navigating from office to home yesterday and I saw that my vertical speed suddenly disapear. I was on the map page with the alt field and vertical speed field. It was working fine for few minutes, then stop showing values. The altitude field seem to continue working well. Going to the altitude/barometer page, the vertical speed field was empty there also, showing no value, but there again, the altitude field was working well.
Strange thing, it seems that the auto-calibration was working better while the data field was not responding. Seem to compensate faster when I open the window or change my speed.
Tried to stop my routing. No change. Selected back a destination. Stays the same with no value in the field.
Power cycling the unit brings back the data showing and working fine. Did anyone experienced this?
- Colorado 300
- Firmware V2.9
- GPS 2.8
- WAAS ON
- Autocalibrate ON
- City Nav NA 2008 on internal mem
- Topo Quebec 2008 on SD.
- Powered by car DC
Thanks
J-F
February 14th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Forgot to tell I was running on garmin’s external antenna, with all 3 maps actives (City Nav NA 2008 + Topo 2008 + Basemap). I deactivate City Nav at some point, but didn’t saw the bug showing up immediatly. It appears at least 5 minutes after I last touch my unit.
Will try to reproduce in the next days.
Here again the “specs” of the bug.
- Colorado 300
- Firmware V2.9
- GPS 2.8
- WAAS ON
- Autocalibrate ON
- Auto-Zoom OFF
- Track recorder OFF
- Map Shading ON
- Gramin’s external antenna
- City Nav NA 2008 on internal mem.
- Topo Quebec 2008 on SD.
- Base Map on internal mem.
- Powered by Garmin’s car DC
When I turn it off, first try to turn it back on, it freezed. Had to unplug the DC, take out the batteries, and on the second try, it powered up well.