Garmin GPS 12xl current software
Dana Dickson
Tom Born's GPS 12XL homepage lists the current version as 3.02. I could
not find a reference to the new software in Garmin's specifications or
through DejaNews. Also, the local stores have 2.0x. Is Tom's page
correct? If so what are the added features between 2.02 and 3.02?
Thanks for the help
Dana Dickson
Joe Mehaffey
Hi Dana,
I got a msg that only the ICONS (a la G-II+) seem to have been added to
ver 3.02 G-12xl firmware.
Joe
Joe Mehaffey
Hi Dana,
Tom's page is correct about 3.02 being the current 12xl version. Garmin
has not told us what the differences are and users have not reported
either.
Joe
David Louton
I have been corresponding with Garmin over the past month about
upgrading my 12XL to add the extra features that are included in the GPS
II+ along with some other features that I suggested. The following is
the latest e-mail from Garmin:
Thank you for your inquiry.
We are still producing units with ver. 2.02 software. We have shipped a
couple of test units in Europe with newer software.
Based upon results of this testing, we might release the newer software.
If and when we release this newer software for production, we will also
offer an upgrade to current GPS 12XL owners for an amount around $35.00.
Thank you and best Regards,
Bill Stone
Product Support Manager
GARMIN International
1200 E. 151st Street
Olathe, KS 66062 USA
http://www.garmin.com/
tel. 800/800.1020
913/397.8200
fax. 913/397.0836
______________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re[4]: 12XL Feature Request
Author: <dlo...@smtpgate.sm.tsc.com> at INTERNET_MAIL Date: 7/1/97
9:53 AM
Bill Stone
Product Support Manager
According to Brent Hildebrand (developer of the Waypoint+ program) a
user in England has a 12XL with Icons and version 3.02 firmware. Is
there an upgrade available? I am very interested in upgrading my 12XL to
include the features that we discussed in our e-mail messages from 3-4
weeks ago.
David Louton
dlo...@tsc.com
HAMIII
Still looking for the answer to what the newer software does. Anybody
know?
Thanks
Thomas C. Chapman
I believe that Tom's page is correct on what the v3.02 firmware
includes. http://www.bridge.de/~tom/garquery.htm
I think what garmin has done is the firmware in the GPS 12(not XL) is
version 3.01 and they have just a slight modification to handle the
external antenna and audible alarms of the 12XL and bumped the version
to 3.02 for the 12XL.
It has been confirmed with Garmin that the GPS 12 v3.01 firmware is very
similar to what is in the GPS II+ v2.04. So the new version of the 12XL
is also similar to the GPS II+.
The only difference between the GPS II+, 12XL, and 12 now is the
external options available, and the form factors. If you still have
questions on what the units offer see Toms page!
http://www.bridge.de/~tom/compare.htm
Thomas Chapman
Lorna Lee
David Louton (dlouton...@tsc.com) wrote:
: I have been corresponding with Garmin over the past month about
: upgrading my 12XL to add the extra features that are included in the GPS
: II+ along with some other features that I suggested. The following is
One software change I would really like Garmin to implement on their 12XL
etc, is an improvement to the way they handle the choosing of waypoints
for insertion into routes and proximity wpts.
Their current user interface for this task becomes very cumbersome when
you have multiple waypoints with similar root names, e.g.
alkimo
avonbb
avonrp
avontk
carraw
To select avonrp, you have to first scroll to the 'a', which is ok. But
then you will only see alkimo, if you scroll again, you will go to the 'b'
(even if you have no waypoints beginning with 'b'). To get to avon, you
have to move the cursor to the 2nd character position and then scroll
through the remaining alphabet till you reach 'v', then move the cursor to
the 5th character position and again scroll through the remaining alphabet
till you reach 'r' - PAINFUL!
On my Magellan, when you scroll through the waypoints you ONLY see
waypoints that exist.
The Garmin interface compounds the problem in the case you have the
following waypoints:
avonbb
avonbd
When you finally move the cursor to the 6th character position, as you
scroll from the 'b' to 'd' you will be shown 'c', i.e. avonbc - even
though it doesn't exist, if you don't 'remember' that you don't have an
'avonbc' you have no way of knowing that it doesn't exist, until you hit
ENTER. Then you will be put into the waypoint creation menu.
It appears that Garmin created this interface to enable a waypoint to be
created on the fly as you create your route, but what a pain for general
use, especially if you can't readily remember a waypoint name exactly.
I would rather only be presented with the waypoints that EXIST, if I want
to create a new waypoint I'll do it from the waypoint menu etc. Or if some
people really like the current interface, put a 'user option' that selects
the present scheme or the EXIST only scheme.
The EXIST only scheme is really simple, leave the scrolling part of the
interface as it is now, except when you scroll from a character position,
ONLY show the next EXISTING waypoint. So to perform the task of locating
avonrp from the waypoint list you would do the following.
alkimo
avonbb
avonrp
avontk
carraw
Scroll to 'a' - you will see alkimo. Next move the cursor to character
position 2, scroll and you will see avonbb, if you now move the cursor to
character position 3 or 4 and scroll you will still only see avonbb. So,
now move the cursor to position 5, scroll and you will see avonrp. If you
scrolled again, you would see avontk and another scroll would take you
back to avonbb. A lot simpler in my mind.
Or another scheme, which would require more of a change would be to
allow the user to enter in the first 'few' letters of a waypoint, e.g.
'avo' and then scroll from there. In this case the scroll would continue
alphabetically to the next available waypoint, in this case to 'avonbb',
then to 'avonrp', then to 'avontk' then to 'carraw'. This scheme would be
similar to the Magellan 5000 interface (which I personally like).
Also, it would be REALLY nice if from the WAYPOINT menu you could choose
to add any highlighted waypoint to a user specified route. That would
provide a quick way to scroll through your waypoint list (to refresh your
memory) and then append the waypoint(s) to a specified route.
If anyone has an even simpler scheme, that's fine - anything that improves
on the current route interface would be a blessing!
Finally, in general I really like the Garmin interface - it just has a few
quirks that I personally find frustrating.
george (using my wife's account).
Bert H. Holmer
Dana Dickson wrote:
>
> Tom Born's GPS 12XL homepage lists the current version as 3.02. I could
> not find a reference to the new software in Garmin's specifications or
> through DejaNews. Also, the local stores have 2.0x. Is Tom's page
> correct? If so what are the added features between 2.02 and 3.02?
>
> Thanks for the help
>
> Dana Dickson
I think I read that they have 3.02 with choosable icons for waypoints on
betatest release in the 12XL and they will decide if that version will
be offered as upgrade.
German dealers still sold 2.01 software in June 97.
Bert
Mathew Vangel
Hi Bert,
You are correct in that this is the version 2.02 shipping and whenever
an individual gets non-disclosure information or pre-release information
they trigger a non-authoritative view on what the consumer should buy.
Sometimes if your not in the business or the software developer involved
in coding the product don't be authoritative and spread
rumors, untill it's general deployment.
The option would be to mention it is not released untill........ or
will have these features but it is still beta.
It serves no purpose except to waste everyone's time. I am in the
business directly and am see this everyday.
<<< Mathew Vangel >>>
Mathew Vangel and Associates
Since 1979
Network Engineer/Protocol Analyst ATM-FDDI-Ethernet-LocalTalk
Founder-Comp.Dcom.Net-Analysis Newsgroup
Amateur Radio Callsign-KA1THM
HTTP:/www.mvangel.com