sattelites

It took quite a while on my 750. Actually long enough I thought there might be a problem. OK now though.

I have a 750 also...Hopefully it will get better...thanks for the info.

Updating may have wiped out all the old satellite data and then it take a while for the data to be updated for faster acquisition.

I forget just what the data is called but it is called something. And if you loose it the acquisition time increases until it's all replaced and updated.

The same thing seems to happen when you put your NUVI in the Diagnostic mode. after you exit the acquisition time increases.

I will fix itself.!!!!

Thanks for the info...

I think you're right about having to re-acquire the satellites the first time it's run post-firmware-update. I also noticed that Karen changed back to Jill and I had to reacquaint my nuvi to Karen post v3 update.

Ephemeris data.

The data used to lock on satellites is called:

Almanac & Ephemeris Data

Your GPS device locks onto transmissions from a dedicated network of Satellites in order to determine its position. Until the device gets a "lock" on three satellites, it can't effectively navigate, so decreasing the time it takes for your device to get "satellite lock" is always a goal of GPS manufacturers. With Garmin's new HotFix technology, your Garmin GPS remembers the position of all satellites it is tracking when you turn it off, and calculates their movements in order to predict where they should be the next time you turn it on. This gives the device an idea of where it should look for satellites, and dramatically decreases the time it takes for your Garmin to get its position and start navigating. HotFix can predict satellite positions for up to 3 days after the device was last turned off.

Yes I remember that now! But I will have to write it in the palm oh my hand so I will remember it the next time. It's those senior moments...... And sometimes I don't even remember the senior moments....

That data is referred to as the 'almanac'

It took me awhle to acquire satellites when I arrived in Denver from Detroit.

The almanac tells the device where to look for the satellites. If you travel far between uses and/or don't turn on the devices for ten days or so, the almanac is lost and satellite acquisition takes longer.

i just got new icons and have not even downloaded the new maps yet. i thought i could check the icons out online individually, and delete unwanted ones to save battery...which does not last very long at all. well, i accidentally hit open file with adobe, and i saw icons change. so i deleted some icons, and left the rest. now even after adding new ones and deleting all the old bad ones it wont' work anymore. it keeps saying "?" over the new icon and saying poor sattelite reception...aquiring sattelites and i can only go into some strange indoor simuator mode. help!!!!!

It's not broke. Don't worry too much about it. It should recover as soon as it is able to lock onto some satellites. However, this does start your 60 day clock for downloading the map update. If Garmin keeps to the current schedule, the next map update will be around the end of October.

If nothing else, connecting it back to your computer and running the Web Updater program will restore the missing vehicle or voice files.

hi!

i hope you are right...oh i feel dumb!

i have my garmin nuvi 265w hook up again to the pc.

on the garmin site, what exactily do i need to do now? i am a newbie.(duh)

last time i logged in there it said i needed no more updates....just the map update.

i wrote to them, and no reply for 2 days now.

voice files are fine...the new icons appear that i chose to put in. but something tells me the originals i accidentally erased had something special in them.

how should i proceed to fix this mess?

thanks for any help!

When you connect it to Garmin through the web updater it does 3 things. 1. checks to see if a new version of webupdater is available. 2. checks to see if there is a new version of the unit operating system. 3. allows you to check for additional software updates. It is this portion that will allow you to reinstall any voices or vehicles missing from what was sent from the factory.

When you are ready to start playing with loading custom poi, here is a procedure that will load them to the unit memory.

I suggest you print out this procedure and read through it completely before starting.

Basic POI Loading Procedure Using WINDOWS

Following these instructions will allow you to load custom POI into your Garmin unit. These are VERY BASIC instructions and are intended as a process on how to load POI to the memory in your unit.

1. Download and install the latest version of POILoader from http://www8.garmin.com/products/poiloader/.

2. Create a Folder to hold all your Custom POI. NOTE: I put my folder on my Desktop.

3. Download the desired POI files from POI Factory and put them into the folder created in Step 2.

4. Visit the Icon library and download the desired icons for your POI files and put them into the folder created in Step 2.

5. Visit the Sounds Library and download the desired sound files for your POI. NUVI 2XX units require WAV sound files. WAV files require you to install a sound conversion program called SOX. SOX.EXE can be downloaded from http://rapidshare.com:80/files/139638423/sox.zip. Unzip the folder containing the program SOX.EXE. Select the SOX.EXE file, right click and select COPY. NOTE: You only need to load SOX once.

6. Using Windows Explorer, go to C:\Program Files\Garmin. This must be the same folder that has the program POILoader.exe. Right click on any BLANK space in this folder. Select PASTE. SOX.EXE should now be copied to the folder. Check and be certain the folder contains BOTH POILoader.EXE and SOX.EXE. If SOX.EXE is not copied to this folder, WAV sounds will not play.

7. Using Windows Explorer or another program, open the folder containing the files to be loaded into your NUVI.

8. Match the file name to the ICON file. Rename the ICON file so it has the same name as the POI file. POI files can be either CSV or GPX – it doesn’t matter. These file names must match exactly with the exception of the file extension. NOTE: there can only be one period in a file name. A period in a file name marks the beginning of the file extension. Icon file names can only end in BMP.

9. Match the file name to the SOUND file. Rename the SOUND file so it has the same name as the POI file. POI files can be either CSV or GPX – it doesn’t matter. These file names must match exactly with the exception of the file extension. NOTE: there can only be one period in a file name. A period in a file name marks the beginning of the file extension. Sound file names can only end in MP3 or WAV. Using WAV files requires another program not found on POI-Factory.

10. Connect your NUVI to your computer using the USB cable. Wait for the NUVI to show it is connected and ready to receive files (Black screen with an ICON at the bottom showing it is connected to the computer.)

11. Run POILoader.

12. Select Garmin Device as Where to save your Points of Interest.

13. Press Next and wait for the program to find your NUVI. The NUVI will be shown in the box labeled Device:.

14. Press Next. The program will ask the location of the files to be loaded. Use the BROWSE button and select the FOLDER containing the POI, ICON, and SOUND (Alert) files.

15. Select the measurement units used for your NUVI. Feet and Miles per hour or Meters and Kilometers.

16. The NUVI suggests running the program in Automatic. For BASIC file loading, this is sufficient. NOTE: The only two alert sounds that will play automatically are for Red light and Speed cameras. For other alert sounds to play, you must select MANUAL and set either a distance or speed alert trigger. NOTE: If a file name contains ANY number, POILoader will assume it is a speed alert and play the sound file for that POI automatically. Press Next.

17. POILoader will begin to convert the POI files, ICONs and ALERT sounds and load them to your NUVI. If POILoader encounters an error with a source file, it will tell you the name of the file POI file containing an error. When finished, POILoader will tell you the number of POI successfully loaded to your NUVI.

NOTE: Every time you run POILoader, it will overwrite the previous output file and you will loose any POI not contained in your source folder.

18. Disconnect your NUVI using the Stop or Eject USB device.

19. Power up the NUVI and select WHERE TO -> EXTRAS and see if CUSTOM POI is displayed. Press CUSTOM POI and you should see a list of all the POI loaded.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

20. If you do not see a custom icon or hear the custom alert sound for a Custom POI that successfully loaded, it is most likely because you have a double file extension (two periods in one or more of the file names.)

21. Open Windows Explorer. Select TOOLS. Select Folder Options. Select VIEW. Under FILES AND FOLDERS uncheck the box that states: Hide extensions for known file types.

22. Using Windows Explorer, open the FOLDER containing the custom POI files, icons, and alert files. Verify each file name has only ONE period just before the 3 character file extension. Rename any files containing more than one period so the file contains only ONE period.

23. Restart this procedure at Step 8.

Repeat as necessary.

well...i could not find the sound library, just the icon one. i didn't understand the step 5-9.

i did the rest and now have no voices either.

however, it still has not repaired.

now it just has all the blue lines around the icon with a big question mark and reads aquiring sattelites without sound.

i tried upgrade/updates and it said there were voice and blue vehicle updates. i ran them twice too.

nope. i got the blue vehicles again with that, in an upgraded look, but they don't run.

any other ideas?

Are you outside with a clear view of the sky? If so, just leave it at the "acquiring satellites" screen for a few minutes (don't turn it off or try to change anytbing) and you should get a lock and be good to go.

hi!

i was in the city bus after the first fall...
and am near a window now.

however, since i have downloaded everything i am supposed to, i do hope when i go outside and stand directly under the sattelites the sound comes back too.

the first time i turned it on it did have sound though.

i will let you know...just ONE message, not 5...likely tomorrow.

i also read that if nothing i have done did the trick, and nobody here or at garmin comes up with any other remedies, there is always the reboot.

last resort last.

thanks!

For the sound problem, make sure you have a voice selected (tools/settings/language/voice) and on the volume settings that you have volume turned all the way up and don't have "Mute" checked.

Edit: Also, if your model has FM transmitter, check the "Audio Output" on the volume screen and make sure it is set to Internal speaker.

Someone earlier was talking about numbers in file names.

You CAN have numbers in file names [>124 (>200 metric)] without it having a 'speed alert' effect. In fact, you can use numbers you place in file names to your advantage.

See my article

THE SECRET (?) SPEED NUMBERS THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT
-----Surprise Settings and How To Take Advantage of Them

its on Custom POI Page 4 on the

Garmin Nuvi Tricks, Tips, Work Arounds ....
web site.

http://bit.ly/garmin_gps_tricks

See where

'School Alert Zone.D4300.csv'

can be a file name and not have a speed effect, but, with POI Loader using Manual mode can be a distance alert.

Gary Hayman

it worked!

my GPS is now functional again, thanks to everything i was told to do, ending in just simply going outside for 4 minutes in the direct sun.

yea!

i appreciate all the effort.

i will read more on what good advise you have for new nuvi owners here with contentment.

This should be broken out of this thread into one of its own. "Tampering with icons broke my unit":)

There is some great basic info in this thread that everyone should have at their disposal. I have been there and done that!
Chuck