Author Topic: Etrex Vista HCx wrong date...  (Read 36458 times)

Etrex Vista HCx wrong date...
« on: 18 April, 2016, 08:20:51 am »
Yesterday when I started my ride and was down the road a mile or so, I noticed that my etrex was still on GMT (Daylight saving on auto), so I had a look at the TIME screen and the date is showing as 2 Dec 1935 (presumably default).  I can't see what wrong.  For the distance I did before returning home to get another GPS unit, a gpx with correct route was logged (so satellite connection OK) - but the track dates in mapsource are 2035...

Any ideas?

-------------------------------------------------
Update: * Fix available*  Jump to p4 July 23 2019
Garmin webupdater page: https://www8.garmin.com/products/webupdater/howtoinstall.jsp
update with the GPS chipset for date fix
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #1 on: 18 April, 2016, 08:58:22 am »
You were riding your DeLorean?

I'm guessing that the apparent jump of a century between the eTrex and Mapsource was due to the way it reads date. Some programs ignore the first 2 numbers of the year and use the "nearest" year matching the last 2 digits

Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #2 on: 18 April, 2016, 09:22:47 am »
 :)  My back-up HCx (swapped electronic gubbins + stuck down rubber outer) is fine date and year wise; it's the newer 'in good nick' unit where the date and time are outta wack.
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Kim

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Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #3 on: 18 April, 2016, 01:11:46 pm »
Firmware version on the eTrex?

GPS tells the unit GPS time[1].  It doesn't tell it how to convert that to UTC or any other timezone - it needs a database to look that up, which will be part of the unit's firmware.  I could imagine mysterious undefined behaviour if the database didn't contain a fudge factor for the current GPS time.

GPS time's epoch was 1980-01-06-00:00 UTC, so throw in a bit of millennium bug, and I can see how you'd get 1935.

Try upgrading the unit's firmware.


[1] A straight count of weeks and seconds since the epoch - no leap seconds, so it gets further out of sync with UTC as time goes on.

Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #4 on: 18 April, 2016, 01:22:53 pm »
Firmware version on the eTrex?

GPS tells the unit GPS time[1].  It doesn't tell it how to convert that to UTC or any other timezone - it needs a database to look that up, which will be part of the unit's firmware.  I could imagine mysterious undefined behaviour if the database didn't contain a fudge factor for the current GPS time.

GPS time's epoch was 1980-01-06-00:00 UTC, so throw in a bit of millennium bug, and I can see how you'd get 1935.

Try upgrading the unit's firmware.


[1] A straight count of weeks and seconds since the epoch - no leap seconds, so it gets further out of sync with UTC as time goes on.

Thanks Kim, unit in question was fine until Sun - will check software version tonight.  Looks like this page:  https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3709
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

frankly frankie

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Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #5 on: 18 April, 2016, 01:58:09 pm »
That sounds downright weird.  If the gpx tracklog you created whilst riding looks OK (on the map that is) then the GPS knows the right time.  That it's not displaying it correctly (at least to within a day, allowing for the time zone setting to have slipped somehow), or writing it correctly to the tracklog, is just bizzare.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Kim

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Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #6 on: 18 April, 2016, 02:00:44 pm »
That sounds downright weird.  If the gpx tracklog you created whilst riding looks OK (on the map that is) then the GPS knows the right time.  That it's not displaying it correctly (at least to within a day, allowing for the time zone setting to have slipped somehow), or writing it correctly to the tracklog, is just bizzare.

As I say, the GPS knows GPS time, which is what it needs for navigation.  Converting that to UTC for the log and a local timezone for display requires a look-up.

GPS time is primitive precisely because you want the receiver to be able to get a position fix without access to a current UTC offset look-up table.  Otherwise we'd have ships going off course because they didn't know about the latest leap second, and so on.

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
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Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #7 on: 18 April, 2016, 02:28:57 pm »
Yebbut surely that difference is a matter of seconds, not years.  And the look-up data is presumably part of the GPS environment as well, the stuff that gets updated very slowly in the background.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #8 on: 18 April, 2016, 02:43:03 pm »
The garmin units have a 'Time Zone Map' which maps GPS time to local time.
it's called gmaptz.img, IIRC.

Updates for this appear from time to time.

Is it possible this file is corrupt, causing crazy mappings to local time?

Kim

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Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #9 on: 18 April, 2016, 05:54:03 pm »
Yebbut surely that difference is a matter of seconds, not years.  And the look-up data is presumably part of the GPS environment as well, the stuff that gets updated very slowly in the background.

Only the seconds difference from UTC, as far as I understand it.  The Garmin will be doing a local look-up to get the UTC offset for the current location instead/as well.  That'll be the bit that's broken.

Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #10 on: 18 April, 2016, 06:15:04 pm »
Thought I'd try and replace the HCx software, so downloaded the v3.2, off here but get a dialog box...

Quote
Your current software version is newer than the update version.
Do you want to replace your current software version with an older software version? Y/N?

Any ideas?  Why wouldn't the web page offer the newest software..?
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Kim

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Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #11 on: 18 April, 2016, 06:19:08 pm »
What version does it claim to be running?  (I think it's in the System menu somewhere - I've only got an eTrex 30 to hand, which has it under 'About')

Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #12 on: 18 April, 2016, 06:22:45 pm »
What version does it claim to be running?  (I think it's in the System menu somewhere - I've only got an eTrex 30 to hand, which has it under 'About')

Under "system setup" and find button, found this:

"Software Version 3.30   GPS SW Version 2.9"
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Kim

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Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #13 on: 18 April, 2016, 06:25:21 pm »

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #14 on: 18 April, 2016, 06:27:48 pm »
It seems Garmin were shipping devices with 3.3 firmware, which was never made available online:

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=259533

A bit more googling, and there seems to be a 3.4 in the wild too.
Someone's posted it here:
http://www.gpspower.net/garmin-receivers-firmwares/216226-etrex-legend-hcx-vista-hcx-software-version-summary.html


Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #15 on: 18 April, 2016, 06:32:15 pm »
I think the HCx was bought (by prev owner) just before they were discontinued in 2010(?)  I could just go ahead and roll it back to v3.2, probably wouldn't make too much diffs I guess, or, perhaps Garmin technical would email v3.3 to me.

I'm guessing that using a non-Garmin file link is a tad risky...
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #16 on: 18 April, 2016, 06:45:20 pm »
Have you tried a full reset? That often fixes problems with Garmins.
For the Vista, hold down the page button and the click stick while you switch it on. Then it will ask if you want to reset.

It might take a while to find the GPS position after a reset, so leave it outside for 10 minutes or so.

Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #17 on: 18 April, 2016, 08:28:24 pm »
Have you tried a full reset? That often fixes problems with Garmins.
For the Vista, hold down the page button and the click stick while you switch it on. Then it will ask if you want to reset.

It might take a while to find the GPS position after a reset, so leave it outside for 10 minutes or so.

Can try this.  Is anything deleted, apart from user settings?
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #18 on: 18 April, 2016, 08:55:00 pm »
It will delete any waypoints, routes and tracks stored on the Etrex. So backup them up first if you care about them.
It shouldn't affect anything stored on the SD card, ie maps or tracks recorded there.

Samuel D

Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #19 on: 18 April, 2016, 08:59:10 pm »
Have you checked you have the latest Time Zone Map in Garmin Express? There was an update for my Garmins about a week ago. Can’t hurt to have that up to date. Who knows how it interacts with Garmin’s dodgy firmware!

Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #20 on: 18 April, 2016, 10:25:51 pm »
It will delete any waypoints, routes and tracks stored on the Etrex. So backup them up first if you care about them.
It shouldn't affect anything stored on the SD card, ie maps or tracks recorded there.

Thanks, now tried this and date is still Dec 1935. 

Re. GarminExpress - says HCx is not compatible.

Probably leaves reverting to v3.2...
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Samuel D

Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #21 on: 18 April, 2016, 10:34:42 pm »
So how do you update Time Zone Maps on this device? There must be a way, though this 1935 error is so weird I wouldn’t want to bet on an updated Time Zone Map fixing it.

Hmm.

I would be cautious about reverting to an earlier firmware than the one the device was shipped with. Garmin occasionally changes the hardware during production (famously away from SiRFstar III chips on an old model of the GPSMAP) and higher-numbered firmware unavailable for download may not be compatible with any device that was shipped with a lower-numbered firmware. Conversely, your device may conceivably not work with 3.2 if it shipped with 3.3. Did it have 3.3 from new?

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #22 on: 18 April, 2016, 10:48:21 pm »
You could try the Garmin Webupdater software, it should be compatible with the Etrex. http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=999-99999-27
It will check for any firmware updates, or timezone updates etc.

Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #23 on: 18 April, 2016, 10:58:30 pm »
You could try the Garmin Webupdater software, it should be compatible with the Etrex. http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=999-99999-27
It will check for any firmware updates, or timezone updates etc.

Thanks

Interestingly:

New HCx:      v3.30  GPS SW 2.90
backup HCx   v3.20  GPS SW 2.10

webupdater, says they both have the latest software...

Still looking like a revert to v3.20
Cycle and recycle.   SS Wilson

Samuel D

Re: Etrex HCx wrong date...
« Reply #24 on: 18 April, 2016, 11:02:06 pm »
Did you catch my edit (new last paragraph) in my last post? Not that I’m an expert on Garmin firmware, mind you! Just scared you’ll brick your Garmin.