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Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 3 Aug 2019, 5:42pm
by Binkyboy
I have had a Garmin eTrex 30 for a few years and have always been happy with it. I have created routes on "ridewithgps" many times and successfully downloaded them onto the main unit and the unit has recognised them OK and I have happily followed the purple line all the way along the route. If I make up a route as I cycle along and then decide I want to save it for later, I tell the unit to save the route, and it creates a route that I can use again in future. I have been so happy that I bought a second unit for when the eTrex 30 is no longer made, and that also performs excellently.
I also have an Edge Touring, that does all of the above, but is not so easy to use, or adaptable.
BUT for a week or so now, The two eTrex 30 units have both had difficulty in recognising (showing) some new tracks that are in its memory (I know they're in there, because they show up in Windows File Explorer on my PC when I look into the eTrex 30 "GPX" folder.
Today, and yesterday I used the "Save ride" facility to save the ride, which it told me it had done. But it then fails to show it in the Tracks list (again, it's actually stored in the unit, because I can see it in Windows file explorer on my main PC). So, it can't even see the track it has created itself!
The Edge Touring does not exhibit this fault.

My older tracks and waypoints etc are still working and being shown OK, it's just those created or downloaded for about a week now.

I have ensured the eTrex 30 has the latest software from Garmin's Express site (it's 4.90).

Edited - I have also reformatted the memory in the unit and reloaded all files from an earlier back up, to no avail. The problem persists.

This is driving me potty. Any ideas anyone?

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 3 Aug 2019, 6:23pm
by Jdsk
These devices are notoriously fussy about USB connections and cables. But it doesn't sound as if that's the problem.

Have you done a factory reset?

Garmin UK support is pretty good: https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/.

Jonathan

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 3 Aug 2019, 6:23pm
by RickH
Try removing some files - history, etc.

I had a similar problem one time with an edge 605. I loaded some routes to follow but they didn't show up in the list on the edge. I double checked they were there & I wasn't running out of space. They only showed up after I had deleted some files (having saved a copy o the computer). My guess is there is a limit (unannounced) in an index somewhere that imposes a limit to the number of files that can be displayed. After I had the problem I kept the number of files retained to a minimum & never encountered the problem again.

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 3 Aug 2019, 7:04pm
by geomannie
I have had a similar intermittent problem on my eTrex30. My Gpx files were on my SD card and I found reseating the card fixed the problem. IMHO the mount for the SD card is poor and I think my problem may be poor connection.

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 3 Aug 2019, 7:35pm
by Binkyboy
Jdsk wrote:These devices are notoriously fussy about USB connections and cables. But it doesn't sound as if that's the problem.

Have you done a factory reset?

Garmin UK support is pretty good: https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/.

Jonathan


Thanks, but yes, I have done a factory reset, and also a full format of the unit.
I have used a different USB cable.

The Garmin support page might be good if I could get past the "I am not a robot" box !

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 4 Aug 2019, 7:39am
by tim-b
Hi
Transfer the new routes to your PC, upload them to somewhere like http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php and save them in your favourite format (I use gpx track), and then save them back to the unit/microSD
Garmin's software updates have caused me problems in the past; my current (replacement) E30 is still on 4.40 and has never been updated
Regards
tim-b

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 4 Aug 2019, 6:04pm
by Binkyboy
Many thanks, fellas.
I saved everything to my PC, then deleted some of the (over 300!) tracks on the unit and all seems to be working OK again.
I can't work out which Waypoints relate to what (is there an easy way to do this and then add a name rather than just a date to them?), so have left them all. They are only tiny files anyway.

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 4 Aug 2019, 7:53pm
by RickH
Binkyboy wrote:Many thanks, fellas.
I saved everything to my PC, then deleted some of the (over 300!) tracks on the unit and all seems to be working OK again.
I can't work out which Waypoints relate to what (is there an easy way to do this and then add a name rather than just a date to them?), so have left them all. They are only tiny files anyway.

Glad you got it working.

With my Edge 605 it didn't seem to the amount of space - I was nowhere near running out of storage space - but the number of entries hitting a limit. I never figured out if it was simply the number of routes (courses in my case) or whether there was an overall limit to the index of all files but deleting some routes got everything working again. There doesn't seem to be any publicly available info on the internals that I've found.

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 7 Aug 2019, 9:34am
by Sweep
Binkyboy wrote:Many thanks, fellas.
I saved everything to my PC, then deleted some of the (over 300!) tracks on the unit and all seems to be working OK again.
I can't work out which Waypoints relate to what (is there an easy way to do this and then add a name rather than just a date to them?), so have left them all. They are only tiny files anyway.


Hi blinkboy - glad you have sorted it but you may be able to sort it in future without actually taking stuff off the unit permanently.

I have an Etrex 20 and now and again (very very rarely) have issues with routes and waypoints disappearing.

This is my solution - it has always worked so far:

@@@@@

Just connect the Garmin to the laptop.

Find waypoints files on garmin internal memory.

Move them off temporarily.

Reboot and then switch off the garmin (this stage may not be necessary but belt and braces and it is reassuring to see that it still boots at this stage)

Reconnect Garmin to laptop and move the self same waypoint files to where they were before.

Unplug Garmin from laptop and boot it up.

@@@

That's it - I use a chromebook by the way so no special software needed - just a simple file manager.

I have never found that the waypoints and routes have disappeared from the Etrex at all - it's just that it doesn't seem to be able to see them.

I assume sort of index file has got screwed up.

This may possibly be caused by bad shutdowns or startups possibly caused by battery depletion.

The above process just forces it to reindex all of its data I think.

Will post this and then try and answer, at least partly, your second point.

edit - though you very probably know this - since the Etrex is functioning as a remote drive on the PC, it is important to "eject" using the command on the PC rather than just unplug it as you may otherwise screw up file copying.

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 7 Aug 2019, 11:45am
by Sweep
Bunkyboy,
with regard to your second question, this thread may be of use.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=129663&p=1352015&hilit=selectively#p1352015

If you skip me and mick wittering on about pubs :) you will find backnotes' posts useful I think.

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 10 Aug 2019, 11:48am
by Binkyboy
Thanks for the detailed response, Sweep, but I had already tried this (temporary removal and rebooting before re-instating), without success.

I will try your suggested link about waypoints.
Sorry for the delay in replying, but I was away at the Birthday Rides. But for me, they were a non event due to a nasty bladder infection starting on the day before and taking all my energy away, never mind the painful peeing!

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 10 Aug 2019, 11:53am
by Sweep
Binkyboy wrote:Thanks for the detailed response, Sweep, but I had already tried this (temporary removal and rebooting before re-instating), without success.

I will try your suggested link about waypoints.
Sorry for the delay in replying, but I was away at the Birthday Rides. But for me, they were a non event due to a nasty bladder infection starting on the day before and taking all my energy away, never mind the painful peeing!


Thanks for the reply binkyboy.

Surprised it didn't work.

Could you maybe have left something behind when you were taking stuff off?

I usually find that there are a few route files which aren't really routes.

Maybe I'm blessed.

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 14 Aug 2019, 11:01pm
by Binkyboy
I thought I had replied to this thread and closed it off.

I deleted some of the 300 plus(!) tracks I had on the unit and the problem just disappeared.
This I did by copying all onto my pc and deleting them on there, then relaoding the ones I want back onto the unit.
As has been pointed out, there seems to be an undisclosed limit to the number of tracks etc it will hold.

As an extra, I find the wireless connection now works more than once before I have to reboot the units.

Problem solved. Thanks for your help

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 15 Aug 2019, 7:14am
by NetworkMan
There are limits. Garmin say 200 tracks, not even 300! Also 2000 waypoints, 10,000 points etc.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/p/87774#specs
My etrex20x is the same IIRC

Re: Garmin eTrex30 doesn't recognise new GPX files anymore

Posted: 15 Aug 2019, 11:17am
by Audax67
In any case, when you boot up an eTrex - well, my 30x anyway - it loads the profiles of all the tracks it has stored. I used to keep interesting tracks on the device until I realized what "loading profiles" referred to: getting rid of them made start-up much faster.