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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

My GPS is lost

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Steve
1st Mate

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USA
87 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/14/2002 : 14:12:20

I went down at lunch today to check on my boat and turned on the GPS. It powered up, went through the initialization phase, and seemed to be working okay - except all my waypoints are gone! Four years worth of waypoints down the tubes. Any ideas what could have caused this? It's a Garmin GPS II. A few months ago, I bought the power adaptor to run it from the boat's batteries. It was left plugged in, but both the power panel switch and the battery switch was turned off. Maybe a power surge from a close lightning strike? Do these things have small internal batteries to store the data? I can't find one on this one ..

Steve
87 TR WK
"Island Time"

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 06/14/2002 : 15:00:40

Steve,

You may want to contact Garmin technical support(See below info). I called a week or two ago and they were very helpful.

GARMIN's Technical support department is also available M-F, 8:00-5:00 CT (except holidays) at the following numbers: 913-397-8200 or 1-800-800-1020

This FAQ was at the Garmin website:

"Q. What do I do when my unit displays a "Low Memory Battery" message?"

A. If you have a cigarette lighter adapter cable or a power data cable, plug the unit into a power source for 3 days (car, boat, etc.) to recharge the internal memory battery. If you do not have a cable, place a fresh set of AA batteries in the unit and leave the unit powered off for approximately 5 days to recharge the internal memory battery. Once the internal memory battery is recharged, the "Low Memory Battery" message should no longer be displayed.

If the message persists, it will be necessary to return the GPS unit to GARMIN so the internal memory battery can be replaced. If this is the case, please send us a Technical Support email . A Return Material Authorization (RMA) will be set up and returned to you via e-mail with shipping instructions. The RMA number will ensure accurate tracking and prompt return of the unit to you.

If you own an 8-channel GPS receiver unit, a marine GPS unit or chartplotter, or an aviation handheld, your unit has a non-rechargeable memory battery. You will also need to send your unit to GARMIN for replacement under our flat-rate repair program. In this case, please email GARMIN using the above link or call GARMIN Product Support at 1-800-800-1020 to arrange for an RMA number to be issued for the return of your unit.

As memory technology has advanced, many GARMIN GPS units (from 1999 on) no longer require a memory battery to support user data.

Don Lucier, North Star
C25 SR/FK

Edited by - on

Steve
1st Mate

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USA
87 Posts

Response Posted - 06/14/2002 : 15:46:21

Dave,

Thanks for the info. This is a pre-1999 model, so it sounds like it's got an internal memory battery. I used to keep batteries in it all the time, but after I got the power adaptor I took them out. So, for several months it's had no power whatsoever except for the few times I used it. I'll bet the internal battery is run down.

Man, I wish I'd known this was going to happen. I lost about 50 waypoints.

Steve.

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 06/14/2002 : 15:57:23

Steve,

Must be that time of year-- my Garmin 48 has been leaving me Oh Oh messages--the webpage that Don mentioned advised that I replace the AA batteries and leave the unit off for five days to recharge the internal batteries -- after day one the unit is responding and things are as they were. It wouldn't hurt to try the same technique. Evidently the AA batteries were on their way out and though the unit was connected to the boats main battery and used daily it wasn't enough.
Good luck
Val

Val Bisagni

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 06/14/2002 : 16:21:16

Internal battery is either TU or went dead due to being left pluged in. Just think now you will have all the fun of doing all the way points over again. BTW I found out the same thing the hard way too.

Doug&Ruth
Wind Lass
Tacoma Wa.

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 06/14/2002 : 16:55:24

The older Garmin 48's have a fault with the internal battery. Garmin fixed mine over the winter for no cost. It works fine now. There is no other fix for this, the wait five days thing did not work on mine. Actually I think they gave me a new unit but downloaded my waypoints. Search the Garmin website then call them.

[url="http://www.peregrinefund.org/"]<img src="http://www.peregrinefund.org/images/intro_mid_image.GIF" border=0>[/url]
 John G- "PEREGRINE" C25-#4762 FK

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 06/15/2002 : 11:30:40

Hi John,

Your mention of the older 48's begs the question, how does one determine the age of the beast? I don't keep notes on thing like this(can't read them on a heaving boat anyway) but soon after I bought mine they disappeared from the market, which suggests that I have the later model. Perhaps that's why the five day/new battery technique seems to be working on my 48. I'd hate to have a problem with this unit like I did on the Magellan that preceeded it. In addition to all the navigational waypoints stored I also have set several crabtraps addressable by gps. The thought of having to find them in chop boggles the mind. What was the birthday of your garmin? How long was the repair process? Did they reprogram all of your stored waypoints?

Questions...questions...questions...Mea culpa...mea culpa...mea maxima culpa. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your column in Mainsheet, GOOD JOB.......

Val on "CALISTA" #3936

Val Bisagni

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 06/15/2002 : 11:32:31

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 06/15/2002 : 13:21:22

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 06/15/2002 : 20:34:21

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Hi John,

Your mention of the older 48's begs the question, how does one determine the age of the beast? I don't keep notes on thing like this(can't read them on a heaving boat anyway) but soon after I bought mine they disappeared from the market, which suggests that I have the later model. Perhaps that's why the five day/new battery technique seems to be working on my 48. I'd hate to have a problem with this unit like I did on the Magellan that preceeded it. In addition to all the navigational waypoints stored I also have set several crabtraps addressable by gps. The thought of having to find them in chop boggles the mind. What was the birthday of your garmin? How long was the repair process? Did they reprogram all of your stored waypoints?

Questions...questions...questions...Mea culpa...mea culpa...mea maxima culpa. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your column in Mainsheet, GOOD JOB.......

Val on "CALISTA" #3936

Val Bisagni
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
Val - The only thing I think you could do is call Garmin with your serial number.
"Perhaps that's why the five day/new battery technique seems to be working on my 48." If it works you seem to have a good internal battery and no worries. Just keep checking that your replaceable batteries are always good.
When they fixed mine they restored all my waypoints.
I'm glad ypu liked the Mainsheet and thanks for lending me "On the hard Dagnabit" It's my favorite winter line.

[url="http://www.peregrinefund.org/"]<img src="http://www.peregrinefund.org/images/intro_mid_image.GIF" border=0>[/url]
 John G- "PEREGRINE" C25-#4762 FK 

Edited by - john g- on 06/15/2002 20:36:33

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 06/16/2002 : 13:54:09

Waypoints stored in a gps like any electronic device...should be considered vulnerable.... and backed up. Its easy to do with a seriel cable and a shareware program. And, its very easy to put them back in if something happens. If a friend has many of the waypoints that you valued...its also easy to transfer from their gps.

Hopefully inserting the batteries will restore your memory

Arlyn C-250 W/B #224

Edited by - on

RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2002 : 13:21:41

"Waypoints stored in a gps like any electronic device...should be considered vulnerable.... and backed up. Its easy to do with a seriel cable and a shareware program"

Alternate low-tech solution: write on a piece of paper the lat/long coordinates of your important waypoints.

RichardG 81 C25 SR/FK "Sanity"

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

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793 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2002 : 22:30:39

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
Waypoints stored in a gps like any electronic device...should be considered vulnerable.... and backed up. Its easy to do with a seriel cable and a shareware program.
Arlyn C-250 W/B #224
<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>
Arlyn,
What shareware program do you recommend? Also are you using OziExplorer and would you tell us how to go about building a system to use it?
Thanks

[url="http://www.peregrinefund.org/"]<img src="http://www.peregrinefund.org/images/intro_mid_image.GIF" border=0>[/url]
 John G- "PEREGRINE" C25-#4762 FK

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 06/20/2002 : 00:32:42

Yes, I use OziExplorer. But it cost a few buck to register and use it... there are some freeware programs that will handle just the dowloading and uploading of waypoints to files.

OziExplorer is a semi full blown navigation program. It doesn't do 3d ariel etc... but it will handle importation of your charts or even maps and let you callibrate them to work.

For example, I took the basic fishing map for my corp of engineers lake, and I ran around the borders of the lake with my gps tracking. I downloaded the track to OziExplorer and calibrated the map to fit the track. So, now to set some waypoints to the gps...its just a matter of clicking on the chart... nameing the waypoints and uploading it to the gps.

I cruise...so my system will be more involved than the day sailor. I have a base mounted Garmin 126/sounder and an older Garmin 48. The base mount is integrated to the autohelm and has a data connection via a db9 seriel connector for import and export of data.

This connector can be plugged into the lap top for transfer of waypoints / tracks. Or they can be transferred from the handheld Garmin 48.

I can even feed the handheld to the autopilot with this connector by use of a null adapter.

This setup allows me to create waypoints and routes on the pc in the house, export those to the handheld via the seriel cable, then hook the handheld up on the boat and transfer to base gps or the other direction. Or I can do so with the lap top...

Arlyn C-250 W/B #224

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