Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By stevelup
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1690142
In a very brief nutshell, you probably need to hook your unit up to your computer and run the TomTom updater. This is worth doing periodically anyway to keep the software up to date.

Also, if you have lifetime maps, it will update your maps at the same time. If you don't have lifetime maps, it will offer a chargeable map update. You can decline this and still update the software though.
By MikeW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1691738
I've just tried my Pilot III and it has the correct time but the date is showing as 19/09/1999.
Its software version is 2.07 which is the latest available for my hardware. (The Garmin download page that was linked to earlier in this thread confirms my recollection that ver 2.12 can only be used to update 2.10 or 2.11. There's no ref to 2.08 or 2.09 so I presume that there was a hardware change after which they left the factory with 2.10. If you look at what the updates covered, 2.06 to 2.07 and 2.11 to 2.12 both say the same thing, as do 2.05 to 2.06 and 2.10 to 2.11).

I imagine that nothing can be done to rectify the date - but does it matter? I would only be using it to show SOG, COG, BTW and DTW.

What is actually affected by what it thinks the date is? I don't want it to tell me sunrise and sunset!
By Colonel Panic
#1691740
@MikeW - I am in a similar position to you; time is correct, but date is 1999; I'm running 2.06 so could update to 2.07; where does it say that units running 2.07 can't get the rollover fix applied?

I still have John's data cable but struggling to find a Windows computer to play with trying to install the software.
By MikeW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1691743
Colonel Panic wrote:@MikeW - I am in a similar position to you; time is correct, but date is 1999; I'm running 2.06 so could update to 2.07; where does it say that units running 2.07 can't get the rollover fix applied?

I still have John's data cable but struggling to find a Windows computer to play with trying to install the software.


It's not a rollover fix - nothing to do with it. I imagine that units with the later hardware and running 2.12 will have the same problem.

See https://www8.garmin.com/support/downloa ... sp?id=3481
and https://www8.garmin.com/support/downloa ... sp?id=3483

I'm going to try this http://www.gawisp.com/perry/garmin/gpseow.exe - when I can sort a cable out! The program did originally come from Garmin at the last rollover, it's not hookey.

(Drat! I thought my ancient laptop had a 9 pin COM port but it doesn't.)
By Colonel Panic
#1691746
MikeW wrote:(Drat! I thought my ancient laptop had a 9 pin COM port but it doesn't.)


:D Feel your pain - I had an issue with my Serial to USB lead only came with a mini CD and none of my machines could cope with. But the manufacturer sent me the drivers via email. (If you want to borrow the lead you are very welcome to it).
By MikeW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1691840
@Colonel Panic have you tried it yet, have you got the COM/USB converter to work? You could install 2.07 first although I don't think that matters and then try gpseow.exe
You can download that and run it with nothing connected to your PC, you will see that it is a genuine Garmin program and instructions are on it. It's not specifically for Pilot III but is the right vintage and seems worth a go.
I'm going to check with my son next, he may have something with a COM port or a converter.
By MikeW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1692185
@Colonel Panic
I tried the Pilot III on a flight yesterday. It acquired satellites quickly despite having been moved some miles since switching off a day earlier and it navigated OK using the HSI presentation towards a waypoint selected from the database and also accepted a newly created waypoint for my home base.
The data screen was correct other than the date. UTC time is correct.
I've found the information below on the Garmin website.
On this basis, I'm going to carry on using it as a handy little backup as is. The displayed date, sunrise and sunset don't matter.
If yours is misbehaving there must be something else afoot and I can't believe it's the 2.06 to 2.07 update.
My unit's memory battery seems to have recovered some capacity after a few days on charge too which is handy.

"What is the Effect of a GPS Week Number Rollover Issue?

For GPS devices that are affected, after the rollover occurs, an incorrect date and time will be displayed. This incorrect time will also be used to timestamp track logs, compute sunrise and sunset, and other functions that rely upon the correct date and time. However, the positioning accuracy will not be affected. The device will continue to deliver the same positioning performance as before the rollover."
By Colonel Panic
#1692189
Thanks @MikeW - if I can't find a PC within a couple of days I will revert to Plan A and just keep it as-is, and return the Garmin lead to johnm. (Mine does work OK, it is just the date that is wrong).
By hatzflyer
#1692204
Well having no success with everything I did I decided it wasn't going to wake up. A tap with a 2lb hammer didn't wake it , throwing it against the hangar door didn't wake it , running it over with the car had no effect and chucking it out off the car window at 50 MPH didn't do any good at all so I guess I will have to buy a new one. :(
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1692238
Why is this so entirely random?

Ive got an old Garmin 196 and having read this thread just booted it up and it appears fine. Todays date and GMT displayed OK, picked up satellites after a few minutes searching.

I keep it as a backup-backup to SD, and on longer trips spend the time to roughly program the route just in case.

Regards, SD..
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By T67M
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1692259
Interestingly my old, resurrected 196 also seems to be working almost normally - the only oddity is that the clock seems to be a few seconds out.

Why are people getting different results? My guess is that some devices have internal Real Time Clocks which helped them through the rollover, whilst others either don't have an RTC or the RTC battery is dead and have had more difficulty.
By MikeW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1692310
@Colonel Panic
I asked Garmin about the fix program and quickly got the answer below.
I'm not hopeful about their suggestion as I would have thought starting after ages off with a flat internal battery would do the same, but worth a try. I can't until next week - you have a go!

"Thank you for contacting Garmin International.

We have not supported that program since the last rollover 20 years ago; therefore it will likely not work to fix your device. You can try the auto-locate function to see if this resolves the issue. With the unit off, press and hold PAGE and ON until the unit powers up fully. Then allow the unit to acquire a full GPS lock, then verify if the date has changed.

Given your device is over 20 years old, we are unable to provide a software fix to remedy this problem. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you need any further assistance, feel free to contact us via the means below."
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