Author Topic: Extrex HCX will not load maps.  (Read 1759 times)

Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« on: 30 May, 2019, 03:18:48 pm »
Unit will not load map detail despite identifying maps correctly when installed via Basecamp and will not address/identify Micro SD installed opensource maps at all despite reformatting SD etc. I have followed instructions scrupulously. Any suggestions? Garmin no longer support the kit which makes me a tad suspicious however software seems to be the lastest version. Incidentally the date and time stamp are working fine.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #1 on: 30 May, 2019, 06:11:51 pm »
I think it will only recognise the map name "gmapsupp.img", unlike newer units.  That might be your problem.

Phil W

Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #2 on: 30 May, 2019, 06:15:35 pm »
Is this the latest version of Basecamp 4.70? The bundled map installer is broken and you need Basecamp 4.62 or earlier for it to work.

Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #3 on: 30 May, 2019, 09:13:38 pm »
Reformated the micro sd and installed open source map. I can see this in Basecamp with sd connected via USB to PC but not on the handset itself. The name of the map is not appearing in map set up. Looks as if unit is not reading/displaying the SD but how can this be? Is there something simple I am missing or is the unit borked?
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #4 on: 30 May, 2019, 09:31:10 pm »
Reformated the micro sd and installed open source map. I can see this in Basecamp with handset connected via cable to PC but not on the handset itself. The name of the map is not appearing in map set up. Looks as if unit is not reading/displaying the SD but how can this be? Is there something simple I am missing?

My experience is more with Edge devices, but...

Assuming BaseCamp is not reading maps locally off the PC, and is actually reading them from the device...
If the card is in the Etrex, and the map is visible on the PC when it's connected, then that tells us the etrex is able to read the card, and offer up the contents as a card-reader.

In Windows Explorer, can you see the SD card and view it's contents when the Etrex is plugged in?

If the card is visible in Windows, but map can't be seen on the device itself, then it's a issue with the device not recognizing the specific file, rather than an issue with it not recognizing the card.

Off the top of my head:

Is the file named incorrectly?
Is it in the wrong location?

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #5 on: 30 May, 2019, 09:33:31 pm »
HCx is fussy about all the maps being in a single file with the correct name/path, and there may be size limitations.  Can't remember if it's fussy about FAT32 or anything.

Set the device to log a copy of tracks to the SD card (a much lamented feature), and see if that works?

Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #6 on: 30 May, 2019, 09:44:43 pm »
The sd is formatted as FAT 32 and the map size should be more than ok but I suppose could be breaking the map segment limit of 2025 and is therefore being ignored (There is only the UK on there). Will give it another go tomorrow and will try the breadcrumbs in due course and see what happens. Thanks all.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #7 on: 30 May, 2019, 10:05:58 pm »
HCx is fussy about all the maps being in a single file with the correct name/path, and there may be size limitations.  Can't remember if it's fussy about FAT32 or anything.

Set the device to log a copy of tracks to the SD card (a much lamented feature), and see if that works?

If it was being unhappy about the FAT32 / Volume size, then it would not be able to present the card to Windows as a generic mass storage device.
So I think we need to determine if the thing is working at even a filesystem level.

If it is, then it's down to what's wrong with the file.

Size, location, name, max segments, other, ...

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #8 on: 31 May, 2019, 09:09:59 am »
FAT or FAT32 should both be fine.  2Gb card size limit only applies if it's a very old HCx and the firmware has never been updated - most unlikely.  I have a map with much of western Europe loaded on an HCx (1.8Gb map size, about 1300 segments if I recall) and that works fine.  OSM uses quite large individual segments (AFAIK) so hitting the segment limit (whatever it is) would be most unlikely.

Card would only be visible as a separate drive in Windows file management if you use the Garmin setup menu to set it up (every time you connect)
Setup > Setup > Setup > Interface > USB Mass Storage
but yeh, if you do this and you can see the Garmin in Win file management but not the card - try another card.
If you can see the card, try a small map as [Card]/Garmin/gmapsupp.img
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #9 on: 31 May, 2019, 10:59:14 am »
Loaded a part map via the unit being plugged into base camp and mass storage. Upon disconnection the unit recognizes the map but following set up does not display any detail, merely lines and blocks/triangles of colour at any resolution. I will try another sd card and see what happpens. My impression so far is that the unit cannot read/display the card contents properly for some reason. ( I did another slow format prior to loading the part map.) The next problem will be obtaining a small capacity micro SD.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

frankly frankie

  • I kid you not
    • Fuchsiaphile
Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #10 on: 31 May, 2019, 12:16:42 pm »
Try Setup Map?  With map (such as it is) displayed,  Setup > Setup Map  (Where 'Setup' means 'press LH button').

The various 'zoom levels' may have slipped somehow, to something unusable.

      
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #11 on: 31 May, 2019, 12:31:53 pm »
Tried all of that still to no avail. Chkdsk reports no errors.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #12 on: 31 May, 2019, 03:11:57 pm »
Tried a factory reset and installing portions of maps. They are identified but fine detail is still not being shown on screen. Ho hum. Googling produces people's previous similar experiences of this, relating to a software update issue. Updates are  now unavailable as the unit is no longer supported and Garmin have also removed the ability to reinstall 3.2.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain

Re: Extrex HCX will not load maps.
« Reply #13 on: 01 June, 2019, 01:02:44 pm »
Tried reinstalling software from Garmin web site but tells me that software on unit is more recent. Confusing. Removed base camp 4.7 as advised and installed 4.62 together with 2/3 tiles from an OSM map and voila all is well. Why it is not reading large installs of just over 1gig direct to the card with correct name change etc I do not know, but happy with tiles for now as demonstates unit is working properly. Thx all.
Get a bicycle. You will never regret it, if you live- Mark Twain