Garmin Venture HC - No Proximity Alarm?

[TankCommander]

I received a Venture HC for Christmas and finally got around to playing with it this weekend and I cannot get the proximity alarm to sound off or display the message.

 

I must have tried 20 different times at different locations and still nothing.

 

I would create a waypoint (for example a point 1/2 mile from my house) and then navigate to menu/proximity/click on the dashed line and add the waypoint/ set the distance to 1/4 mile/check the proximity alarm box and then return to the map and I could see the circle around the waypoint. I would then walk to the waypoint and when I entered or left the proximity circle I would get no sound or message as listed in the manual.

 

The Venture HC does not have the option to set tones for the proximity alarm (according to the manual the alarm sound is preset for the Venture HC). I did go to tones to make sure the mute box was not selected.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edited February 25, 2008 by TankCommander

[+julianh]

I received a Venture HC for Christmas and finally got around to playing with it this weekend and I cannot get the proximity alarm to sound off or display the message.

 

I must have tried 20 different times at different locations and still nothing.

 

I would create a waypoint (for example a point 1/2 mile from my house) and then navigate to menu/proximity/click on the dashed line and add the waypoint/ set the distance to 1/4 mile/check the proximity alarm box and then return to the map and I could see the circle around the waypoint. I would then walk to the waypoint and when I entered or left the proximity circle I would get no sound or message as listed in the manual.

 

The Venture HC does not have the option to set tones for the proximity alarm (according to the manual the alarm sound is preset for the Venture HC). I did go to tones to make sure the mute box was not selected.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My Summit HC (latest software version 2.70) is exactly the same - you can set proximity distance for a waypoint, but there is no audible tone or on-screen announcement that you have entered a proximity ring. You will see a ring at the appropriate radius on the map page, but that is about it.

 

The Owner's Manual says you SHOULD get an audible alarm (tone being preset on HC units, according to page 10), as well as announcements for "Near Proximity Point" and "Leaving Proximity Point", but on page 37 it says "Proximity Alarms - turn Proximity Alarms on and off (eTrex HCx units only)". [My emphasis]

 

Maybe it is only actually implemented on HCx models? I can't get it to work either.

 

Edited February 25, 2008 by julianh

[+WVRadar]

I also have a Venture HC and the proximity alarm works on it. When you navigate to the waypoint, are you using the Find feature on the Main Menu, then selecting the place you want to go to?

[TankCommander]

No I did not set it up to navigate to the waypoint...I will try the find feature from the main menu.

[+julianh]

I also have a Venture HC and the proximity alarm works on it. When you navigate to the waypoint, are you using the Find feature on the Main Menu, then selecting the place you want to go to?

I get a beep and a screen announcement when I am navigating to any "Go To" point. However, the radius at which the beep sounds doesn't seem to be related to the proximity distance that I set - and I don't need to set a proximity distance at all to get this behaviour - this is what I get as I approach ANY "Go To", whether a Proximity Radius has been set or not.

 

The problem is that I thought that a Proximity Alert was supposed to sound whenever you get within the proximity distance of ANY waypoint - not just the current "Go To". If this is the normal and expected behaviour of Proximity Alerts, I can't get it to work on my Summit HC.

Edited February 25, 2008 by julianh

[+Klatch]

... I thought that a Proximity Alert was supposed to sound whenever you get within the proximity distance of ANY waypoint - not just the current "Go To". If this is the normal and expected behaviour of Proximity Alerts, I can't get it to work on my Summit HC.

Yep, that's how it works on my 76CS.

Edited February 25, 2008 by Klatch

[TankCommander]

I just tried using the go to to see if I could get it to work and I walked inside the circle to the point and back out without a sound or a message.

 

I was under the impression that it would sound for any that you had set a proximity for but I guess mine doesn't work at all

[+Lennyzx11]

No, my Venture HC will do the prox beep alarm when on goto and get close to the goto site. I don't think it will when passing nearby waypoints.

I'll try it tonight and see what it does.

Edited February 25, 2008 by Lennyzx11

[TankCommander]

I'd be interested to see how yours works out.

 

It doesn't make much sense to me for it to have the proximity on the menu with the check box for proximity alarm, etc...and then it doesn't work?

[QuigleyJones]

Tried out a Venture HC and couldn't get it to work. updated versions 2.1->2.7 & 2.2->2.6 and still not working.

 

For those who its working for, next to the S/N number does it say CAN 210 or CAN 310?

Or are you mistaking the "nearing location" beep for the proximity beep?

[TankCommander]

Next to my SN it says CAN 310...I am going to call Garmin today if I get a chance.

[+Lennyzx11]

Tried out a Venture HC and couldn't get it to work. updated versions 2.1->2.7 & 2.2->2.6 and still not working.

 

For those who its working for, next to the S/N number does it say CAN 210 or CAN 310?

Or are you mistaking the "nearing location" beep for the proximity beep?

 

That could very well be. I thought they were one and the same. I'll look closer.

[+julianh]

Tried out a Venture HC and couldn't get it to work. updated versions 2.1->2.7 & 2.2->2.6 and still not working.

 

For those who its working for, next to the S/N number does it say CAN 210 or CAN 310?

Or are you mistaking the "nearing location" beep for the proximity beep?

Summit HC

CAN 310 (I had never noticed this label before - what does it mean, by the way - is it some sort of "build sequence"?)

Proximity Alarms NOT working as described in the manual, but alarms for arriving at destination etc all work as expected.

[QuigleyJones]

CAN 210/310 is a Canadian regulation put on certain electronic devices.

310 is the recent regulation and Its been noticed on other units that the change from 210->310 coincides with other hardware changes.

[TankCommander]

UPDATE - I exchanged the Venture HC unit I had for a new one and it still has the same problem...proximity alarms will not work!

 

I am soo frustrated...Garmin has not been much help.

[+Haasebert]

UPDATE - I exchanged the Venture HC unit I had for a new one and it still has the same problem...proximity alarms will not work!

 

I am soo frustrated...Garmin has not been much help.

 

Hi all,

 

I have been having the same problem with my eTrex Venture HC unit... proximity alarms don't work as described in the manual. I contacted Garmin both by phone and e-mail. The third person I talked to finally understood what I was talking about. He investigated on his own model and found the same problem. His reply told me that he was informing the software team and they would fix it in a future firmware update, and he asked me to check this site periodically:

http://www8.garmin.com/whatsNew/

 

It's been a couple of months now, and I haven't seen any update. Like you, I'm really frustrated. Maybe if we all alert Garmin that this is a real problem with a useful feature, they'll respond quicker. I'd suggest e-mailing "Damon A." at techsupp@garmin.com with the subject line "Proximity Waypoint". Feel free to reference my name in your e-mail... my thinking is that if enough people ping the same tech support person with the same problem (very specifically) it will get on Garmin's radar faster.

 

I just sent him another e-mail tonight, and I'll post again here with any response I get.

 

Grrrr!

 

-Charles Haase

[inomad]

UPDATE - I exchanged the Venture HC unit I had for a new one and it still has the same problem...proximity alarms will not work!

 

I am soo frustrated...Garmin has not been much help.

 

Hi all,

 

I have been having the same problem with my eTrex Venture HC unit... proximity alarms don't work as described in the manual. I contacted Garmin both by phone and e-mail. The third person I talked to finally understood what I was talking about. He investigated on his own model and found the same problem. His reply told me that he was informing the software team and they would fix it in a future firmware update, and he asked me to check this site periodically:

http://www8.garmin.com/whatsNew/

 

It's been a couple of months now, and I haven't seen any update. Like you, I'm really frustrated. Maybe if we all alert Garmin that this is a real problem with a useful feature, they'll respond quicker. I'd suggest e-mailing "Damon A." at techsupp@garmin.com with the subject line "Proximity Waypoint". Feel free to reference my name in your e-mail... my thinking is that if enough people ping the same tech support person with the same problem (very specifically) it will get on Garmin's radar faster.

 

I just sent him another e-mail tonight, and I'll post again here with any response I get.

 

Grrrr!

 

-Charles Haase

well i got the legend hc and mine only gives me the alert beep and display notice only if i use the goto button when i am geocaching. i am going to try more tommorow.

[+busternfruss]

UPDATE - I exchanged the Venture HC unit I had for a new one and it still has the same problem...proximity alarms will not work!

 

I am soo frustrated...Garmin has not been much help.

 

Hi all,

 

I have been having the same problem with my eTrex Venture HC unit... proximity alarms don't work as described in the manual. I contacted Garmin both by phone and e-mail. The third person I talked to finally understood what I was talking about. He investigated on his own model and found the same problem. His reply told me that he was informing the software team and they would fix it in a future firmware update, and he asked me to check this site periodically:

http://www8.garmin.com/whatsNew/

 

It's been a couple of months now, and I haven't seen any update. Like you, I'm really frustrated. Maybe if we all alert Garmin that this is a real problem with a useful feature, they'll respond quicker. I'd suggest e-mailing "Damon A." at techsupp@garmin.com with the subject line "Proximity Waypoint". Feel free to reference my name in your e-mail... my thinking is that if enough people ping the same tech support person with the same problem (very specifically) it will get on Garmin's radar faster.

 

I just sent him another e-mail tonight, and I'll post again here with any response I get.

 

Grrrr!

 

-Charles Haase

 

I haven't received mine yet, but I skimmed the manual at Garmin. I don't think the Venture HC is supposed to have the proximity alarm, just the higher-end model(s)? You may want to check your manual, which is for all the H eTrex's, I believe. Not all models have all the features.

[+Haasebert]

UPDATE - I exchanged the Venture HC unit I had for a new one and it still has the same problem...proximity alarms will not work!

 

I am soo frustrated...Garmin has not been much help.

 

Hi all,

 

I have been having the same problem with my eTrex Venture HC unit... proximity alarms don't work as described in the manual. I contacted Garmin both by phone and e-mail. The third person I talked to finally understood what I was talking about. He investigated on his own model and found the same problem. His reply told me that he was informing the software team and they would fix it in a future firmware update, and he asked me to check this site periodically:

http://www8.garmin.com/whatsNew/

 

It's been a couple of months now, and I haven't seen any update. Like you, I'm really frustrated. Maybe if we all alert Garmin that this is a real problem with a useful feature, they'll respond quicker. I'd suggest e-mailing "Damon A." at techsupp@garmin.com with the subject line "Proximity Waypoint". Feel free to reference my name in your e-mail... my thinking is that if enough people ping the same tech support person with the same problem (very specifically) it will get on Garmin's radar faster.

 

I just sent him another e-mail tonight, and I'll post again here with any response I get.

 

Grrrr!

 

-Charles Haase

 

I haven't received mine yet, but I skimmed the manual at Garmin. I don't think the Venture HC is supposed to have the proximity alarm, just the higher-end model(s)? You may want to check your manual, which is for all the H eTrex's, I believe. Not all models have all the features.

 

Hi all,

 

I did get another reply from Damon A., but unfortunately it was only to say that he has not heard of when an update will happen. So the problem persists.

 

Just to clarify a few points...

- The manual says you can select a special sound for proximity alarms *on higher levels only*. But proximity alarms as a feature are supposed to be supported on the eTrex Venture HC (I confirmed this on one of my calls to Garmin Tech Support).

- I do get a beep if I set a GoTo point when I arrive at the destination, but this is different from the proximity alarms. The proximity distance is an adjustable parameter, but the "destination arrival" distance is not.

- I get a circle showing the size of the proximity zone, but again, not audible or text notification that I have crossed the circle in either direction.

 

As I said, if I find out anything more, I'll post here. But based on Garmin's response so far, I wouldn't expect anything anytime soon.

 

-CH

[+Haasebert]

UPDATE - I exchanged the Venture HC unit I had for a new one and it still has the same problem...proximity alarms will not work!

 

I am soo frustrated...Garmin has not been much help.

 

Hi all,

 

I have been having the same problem with my eTrex Venture HC unit... proximity alarms don't work as described in the manual. I contacted Garmin both by phone and e-mail. The third person I talked to finally understood what I was talking about. He investigated on his own model and found the same problem. His reply told me that he was informing the software team and they would fix it in a future firmware update, and he asked me to check this site periodically:

http://www8.garmin.com/whatsNew/

 

It's been a couple of months now, and I haven't seen any update. Like you, I'm really frustrated. Maybe if we all alert Garmin that this is a real problem with a useful feature, they'll respond quicker. I'd suggest e-mailing "Damon A." at techsupp@garmin.com with the subject line "Proximity Waypoint". Feel free to reference my name in your e-mail... my thinking is that if enough people ping the same tech support person with the same problem (very specifically) it will get on Garmin's radar faster.

 

I just sent him another e-mail tonight, and I'll post again here with any response I get.

 

Grrrr!

 

-Charles Haase

 

I haven't received mine yet, but I skimmed the manual at Garmin. I don't think the Venture HC is supposed to have the proximity alarm, just the higher-end model(s)? You may want to check your manual, which is for all the H eTrex's, I believe. Not all models have all the features.

 

Hi all,

 

I did get another reply from Damon A., but unfortunately it was only to say that he has not heard of when an update will happen. So the problem persists.

 

Just to clarify a few points...

- The manual says you can select a special sound for proximity alarms *on higher levels only*. But proximity alarms as a feature are supposed to be supported on the eTrex Venture HC (I confirmed this on one of my calls to Garmin Tech Support).

- I do get a beep if I set a GoTo point when I arrive at the destination, but this is different from the proximity alarms. The proximity distance is an adjustable parameter, but the "destination arrival" distance is not.

- I get a circle showing the size of the proximity zone, but again, not audible or text notification that I have crossed the circle in either direction.

 

As I said, if I find out anything more, I'll post here. But based on Garmin's response so far, I wouldn't expect anything anytime soon.

 

-CH