Garmin, not what What they used to be

[(Nobody You Know)]

It's a lot of fun, let me tell you.

Last weekend I connected and turned on my Garmin 2010 Chartplotter (3 years old). A quick message said something like "...need to update, etc., etc." Then it would not acquire satelites. Really makes navigation a fun challenge if you know what I mean.

Sooo, I take the "cards" home (64 MB and 32 MB) and connect to the USB. Guess what, no new downloads. I call Garmin tech support. The guy has to go through the whole download process until he learns there are no new downloads and that the latest was (I) downloaded like last May. Then he wants to try something else but can't get into the "card". So he recommends software support and connects me to some guy who sounded like "Gandi". The first thing he wants to know is where did get my cards and software. Well s--t, I got them from West Marine and a Garmin store in eastern North Carolina. Now I get impatient. I ask him "what the hell difference does it make where I bought them, they all came from legitimate Garmine retailers, I'm loosing too much time trying to get this thing straightened out". He hangs up on me.

Folks, I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS CRAP WITH GARMIN! What am I supposed to do, call tech support every time I want to navigate a large body of water? I go through this enough already with nearly every single piece of s--t software I try to get something out of in the pc at home, but please, not my chartplotter!

Does anyone else have these kind of problems with Garmin? Any recommendations for a decent system that, regardless of new downloads, can at least acquire satelites and give your your coordinates - for crying out loud!

Sorry for the terse tone of this thread but I'm really frustrated.

[MikeP]

I agree that they are not what they used to be - at least tech support wise. It seems to me that there is just more and more cheap junk being produced that can do 100 different things when you only need it to do one or two. The ability to do those other 98 worthless tasks complicates the the whole business and makes troubleshooting a PITA.

My 3010 suddenly started randomly shutting itself off for no apparent reason during our recent cruising in the CHesapeake. Sometimes it would run for hours, sometimes it would shut off every few minutes. Moral of the story - make sure you have PAPER charts!

I learned another lesson that I already knew and STUPIDLY ignored - DON"T rely on a single instrument. When I installed my 3010 I removed my old depth transducer and installed the 3010 transducer in its place. Cool - I have depth right there on the 3010! Well, that is I had depth info unless the 3010 was turned off...

From Hatt the boat originally had TWO completely separate depth finders/transducers. It was that way when I bought it from the PO but I UPGRADED IT.

[Timm]

I work for West Marine and have direct access to Garmin's product/account manager who works on-site at WM's support center in Watsonville. I ensure you he'll get you the support needed.

Can you send me your contact information? Email and a phone number please.

Tim

[(Nobody You Know)]

I work for West Marine and have direct access to Garmin's product/account manager who works on-site at WM's support center in Watsonville. I ensure you he'll get you the support needed.

Can you send me your contact information? Email and a phone number please.

Tim

I'll send you a PM. Thanks for intervening!

[SKYCHENEY]

From Hatt the boat originally had TWO completely separate depth finders/transducers. It was that way when I bought it from the PO but I UPGRADED IT.

That's why I still have all my original 1985 electronics. I don't need any of that expensive new stuff. Sure it's neat and fun to play around with, but I can get anywhere that I need to go with my paper charts, a depth sound, a radar, and my compass. I will admit that I do have the Maptech software on my laptop and I like to use it, but it's only one tool and I have plenty of backups.

[sgharford]

I read somewhere the other day - think it was the recent Boat U.S. magazine - that a new GPS satellite was launched that may screw up older systems. They specifically called out Northstar systems - said you would get an error like the one you got on your Garmin.

As for Garmin - I have to agree kind of crappy. I installed whole package in spring - 2 x 4012's, radar, sonar, satelllite radio - all brand new. Could not get the Radar to work and f'd with the wires for many hours over many months. Checked Garmin web-site and saw nothing in their knowledgebase or support. Called them twice - told me to check wires - and to check wires. Finally, got a guy who told me to upgrade firmware. That was it - known issue - yet not on their web-site as known issue and their own techs didn't know it either until I got the third one weeks later whom I was trying to get a return authorization number from to send unit in for repair. Also, one of the 4012's sporadically goes dim (almost completely black) as well.

Anyway - hope that extra satellite, which is suppose to increase accuracy another 5%, is your problem and Garmin comes up with fix soon.

[Banshee36]

You get what you pay for next time by Furuno.

[BUSTER]

I was about to say something similar........Use what the Navy uses,either Furuno or Raymarine, I have owned both and never been let down by either. My son in law is retrired Navy electronic tech,and I always used Furuno with good luck,but he talked me into Ray a while back and it has been very reliable as well.

[(Nobody You Know)]

That's why I still have all my original 1985 electronics. I don't need any of that expensive new stuff. Sure it's neat and fun to play around with, but I can get anywhere that I need to go with my paper charts, a depth sound, a radar, and my compass. I will admit that I do have the Maptech software on my laptop and I like to use it, but it's only one tool and I have plenty of backups.

Words of wisdom Sky! It was not too long ago we cruised the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, and the Chesapeak Bay in a 26' cruiser using only a hand held GPS (no chartplotter) and paper charts. We did just fine.

[MikeP]

Too funny - I bought the Garmin in '05 because a few folks here recommended them in almost the same words, saying DON"T waste money on Raymarine or Furuno!

Any of these nav computers can fail. Oddly, my real computer on the boat with nav software has never missed a beat. Seems odd...