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eTrex 30 compass calibration


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Forgive me if this has already been asked an answered. I can't seem to get the compass on my eTrex 30 calibrated properly. I go through the prompted directions, the first 2 work just fine, but I get to the third prompt and it says "compass calibration failed." Has anyone else had this problem? Am I doing something wrong or is this a common issue with this device?

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Forgive me if this has already been asked an answered. I can't seem to get the compass on my eTrex 30 calibrated properly. I go through the prompted directions, the first 2 work just fine, but I get to the third prompt and it says "compass calibration failed." Has anyone else had this problem? Am I doing something wrong or is this a common issue with this device?

I've had that problem. Go slow,3-4 seconds per axis and it will work fine.

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I had this issue the first time I re-calibrated my compass after upgrading to v3.00. All I can suggest is to take it slow and persevere. It is worth it - the calibration of my compass has been rock-solid since then, and very accurate when compared with my Silva sighting compass.

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I bought a new etrex 30, because I lost my previous one. FW version 3.70. I had major troubles with calibrating the compass. "take it slow and persevere" I read. Well, the latter was needed indeed. About the former, I am not so sure. It took me more than 50 tries. I sat there at least half an hour on the deck.

 

I tried taking 10 secs about the third step, it didn't help. I took out the batteries, I was hopeless that I even tried to rotate the opposite direction. I suspect, when I finally succeeded I might have been more stable with no sudden movements, but the fact is that I don't know why I succeeded in the end. I think it is a shame. Garmin should really fix this. This is absolutely not user friendly. I am still not sure whether to send back my Garmin again. What a disappointment!

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I don't have a 30 but I thought Garmin fixed this. Sometimes the latest firmware is not the best, I know that was the case with the 450 and 62S....I like new bells and whistles but always save the last firmware where everything worked fine.

Re the 30 maybe someone can post the first firmware upgrade that fixed the compass calibration....I would revert the that version and give it a try.

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FWIW I have never had a problem with compass calibration on my Etrex30. I've been on 3.90 for several months, during which time I have recalibrated it dozens of times, before that I think I was on 3.60 (not %100 sure but it was somewhere around there) for a long time and didn't have any problems then either.

 

So my experience is that there are no compass calibration problems with v3.90, and I've had no problems since updating to it, so I would say update to 3.90.

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I bought a new etrex 30, because I lost my previous one. FW version 3.70. I had major troubles with calibrating the compass. "take it slow and persevere" I read. Well, the latter was needed indeed. About the former, I am not so sure. It took me more than 50 tries. I sat there at least half an hour on the deck.

 

I tried taking 10 secs about the third step, it didn't help. I took out the batteries, I was hopeless that I even tried to rotate the opposite direction. I suspect, when I finally succeeded I might have been more stable with no sudden movements, but the fact is that I don't know why I succeeded in the end. I think it is a shame. Garmin should really fix this. This is absolutely not user friendly. I am still not sure whether to send back my Garmin again. What a disappointment!

I have found if I wobble from side to side during step 3 I fail. Slow and perfectly vertical as you can get it normally completes step 3 without smashing the thing against a rock.

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I have been having trouble as well calibrating the compass on my eTrex 30. I would very slowly progress through the rotations only to get the "failed to calibrate" message on the third (pitch) rotation. I tried many times and even upgraded to the latest firmware but no success. After reading this chain I had an idea and went outside to try it. Instead of moving very slowly, I rotated the device fairly quickly, about 3 seconds per axis. Calibrated the first time I tried it.

Edited by AZ_Scout
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I have been having trouble as well calibrating the compass on my eTrex 30. I would very slowly progress through the rotations only to get the "failed to calibrate" message on the third (pitch) rotation. I tried many times and even upgraded to the latest firmware but no success. After reading this chain I had an idea and went outside to try it. Instead of moving very slowly, I rotated the device fairly quickly, about 3 seconds per axis. Calibrated the first time I tried it.

 

Thanks. I shall have to try that. I've been having that problem for quite a while, since I last updated the software.

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