New Garmin Update

[Stanstonefishing]

8 AWG flat duplex wire direct from battery to Blue Sea 12 circuit fuse block to run dedicated electronics. That fuse block is providing power to Solix 12 MEGA SI+ G2, Garmin GPSMAP 1242xsv Touch, Garmin Panoptix LiveScope System, Humminbird 360.

[aero320]

Installed the latest update. I was running this on an 8616. At first, subjectively I thought it was a disaster. However my lake has just changed dramatically. Water level rose 7ft due to heavy rain. Water was quiet dirty. Normally I run Gain on Auto Medium. That made the screen a mess. Also it was very windy. I had trouble keeping fish on the screen. Again, I first thought this had something to do with the update. So I went to my spark plug test. I suspended two spark plugs under a floating bottle. One was at 12 ft and the other at 20 ft. That gives me targets at a known depth that I can get back from and approach and then judge how the unit picks them up as I approach them. I set the Range to 80ft. The depth was 26-30 ft over that range. So I tried different settings as I approached the targets and recorded the results. It was tough with the wind and the LVS32 is on the TM shaft so the targets were not on screen full time. I don't consider these results totally reliable. I could have done better with cleaner and calm water. Also the pickup number is unreliable with the boat movement, and TM movement, it could just be a zig when a zag would be better. I saw no ghost trees on any of the settings listed here. Still, I think my results are worth posting. Take with a grain of salt. Here they are:

i think your numbers are accurate. I was out after the latest update and was able to get rid of the ghost tree without losing everything else.

[Stanstonefishing]

I noticed the voltage was 11.7 on the picture I sent Garmin but they never mentioned voltage being a problem. I made a trip to ionic in Mooresville today and picked up a lithium starting battery. I got the X2 Power out and installed the new lithium, voltage issue resolved. I pulled the black box and transducer and going to wire direct to battery, run Ethernet across my deck to the unit and hang the transducer off the side of the boat to see I that clears up. That will eliminate the possibility of electrical interference and prove its software. I hope to get on the water tomorrow and test.

[Hooked247]

I listed to the webinar tonight and the guy mentioned that were getting fuzzy images/interference from guys cranking down zip ties on the cords. Not saying thats whats going on here but cable routing and bending could certainly be a factor to check.

I have been guilty of this and witnessed it first hand on a different brand top of the line unit, and proved it after I installed a brand new transducer. I use to be Mr. Zip Tie EVERYTHING! Now on the trolling motor I use 3M 33+ electrical tape, very high elasticity and doesn't harden up and crack in the elements. On the inside of the boat I route wires and tie wires up with Velcro 8" ties. The Velcro ties form to the cables vise zip ties cutting into them, their soft on the inside, they hold as good if not better than a zip tie, and the best part their reusable. If you need to add a new cable, move wires, no more cutting zip ties - we all know how fun that is in tight places.

Many of us that have been around a few years will say "ah I've used zip ties for years." The reality is, these new electronics have so many fine wires in the cables that it does't take much to crush them.

[Hooked247]

I know there's several posts on the "Update Issue," I'm pretty sure in the mix of reading as many posts as I could that the issue was in the Active Captain download. A bad or missing file, something of that nature. Me personally, I'm not a fan of EVER updating any of my units via WiFi. My reasoning is this, on a PC or Laptop if a new update download doesn't install correctly it will not render your PC or Laptop unusable and you can redo it. On our marine electronics depending on the brand it tells you in some form to "ensure you have good power, wifi connectivity (if using wifi), do not interrupt the installation or your unit can become unusable" etc. Well we all know the thousands of dollars we spend these things, I'm not taking a chance. Not to mention if the power or internet goes out, depending on brand you may be sending your unit off.

Anywho, the main reason for this post was on the "Update Issue." On Friday my son installed livescope and a 1042xsv on his buddies boat, both ordered direct from Garmin through the College Angler program. They both have the most current updates. He said they worked beautifully and the only adjustment he made was on the gain. This leads me to wonder on those having issues if it's the new files overwriting the old ones and something is happening. I'm no software engineer, but it's enough to wonder. I think that is good feedback to report to Garmin for sure.

[RangerRic]

I know you get it from the website but what is the difference between downloading direct from website to SD card or AC downloading it to your SD card in your phone?????

I'm not a computer guru but everyone is saying the same file is better direct from the website......just trying to understand why......

Murphy's Law, take a trillion - anytime anything at all is different, whether or not that difference is readily apparent, some fan, somewhere, will get hit.

[pfisher]

I know there's several posts on the "Update Issue," I'm pretty sure in the mix of reading as many posts as I could that the issue was in the Active Captain download. A bad or missing file, something of that nature. Me personally, I'm not a fan of EVER updating any of my units via WiFi. My reasoning is this, on a PC or Laptop if a new update download doesn't install correctly it will not render your PC or Laptop unusable and you can redo it. On our marine electronics depending on the brand it tells you in some form to "ensure you have good power, wifi connectivity (if using wifi), do not interrupt the installation or your unit can become unusable" etc. Well we all know the thousands of dollars we spend these things, I'm not taking a chance. Not to mention if the power or internet goes out, depending on brand you may be sending your unit off.

Anywho, the main reason for this post was on the "Update Issue." On Friday my son installed livescope and a 1042xsv on his buddies boat, both ordered direct from Garmin through the College Angler program. They both have the most current updates. He said they worked beautifully and the only adjustment he made was on the gain. This leads me to wonder on those having issues if it's the new files overwriting the old ones and something is happening. I'm no software engineer, but it's enough to wonder. I think that is good feedback to report to Garmin for sure.

I do have a software engineer working for me and you are spot on. The best scenario during an update is a total wipe of the memory, which is what we do. The problem with this comes when folks don't follow directions before the update and lose all their settings and, in this case, waypoints. Folks would be so mad and not see it's their failure and not the manufacturers.

If I had their volume in no way would I wipe the memory.

[SparkAnnie]

I just did forced update on 126sv/106sv/Livescope/Steadycast... everything on the Garmin and NMEA network. By SD card in one unit, it went perfectly. I was surprised that it did retain some of my previous settings, such as keel offset and such. I was very surprised it not do a total wipe of the memory. I'm planning to take it out today to see the results...

[DonnieG]

Was this the “FIX” software update? If so, please post results when you get in.

[opaleski]

To update or not to update --That is the Question???

[Royt]

To update or not to update --That is the Question???

Easy, NO!
As long as you've not updated to include the perspective mode then I would wait to update!

[MDBASSNPRO]

I know there's several posts on the "Update Issue," I'm pretty sure in the mix of reading as many posts as I could that the issue was in the Active Captain download. A bad or missing file, something of that nature. Me personally, I'm not a fan of EVER updating any of my units via WiFi. My reasoning is this, on a PC or Laptop if a new update download doesn't install correctly it will not render your PC or Laptop unusable and you can redo it. On our marine electronics depending on the brand it tells you in some form to "ensure you have good power, wifi connectivity (if using wifi), do not interrupt the installation or your unit can become unusable" etc. Well we all know the thousands of dollars we spend these things, I'm not taking a chance. Not to mention if the power or internet goes out, depending on brand you may be sending your unit off.

Anywho, the main reason for this post was on the "Update Issue." On Friday my son installed livescope and a 1042xsv on his buddies boat, both ordered direct from Garmin through the College Angler program. They both have the most current updates. He said they worked beautifully and the only adjustment he made was on the gain. This leads me to wonder on those having issues if it's the new files overwriting the old ones and something is happening. I'm no software engineer, but it's enough to wonder. I think that is good feedback to report to Garmin for sure.

by update, which version are you referring?

[jawjatek]

Apparently there is possible packet loss when transferring via active captain due to the size of the updates. I'd honestly recommend only using SD cards for updates and not wifi.

Sorry, that is not an issue whatsoever, and will never happen. The download includes headers, checksums, and digital signatures to verify the integrity of the entire image data block before loading it. All modern software development uses such safeguards against corrupted and/or counterfeit images. There is NO DIFFERENCE in the end result when using either method properly. I prefer using the SD card for convenience, and having a stash of older releases in case I need to downgrade.

You will never get a corrupted file to load no matter which method you use - it just doesn't happen.

[Hooked247]

by update, which version are you referring?

He said the Livescope came with version 2.30

[jawjatek]

That was the "issue" version. The latest is 2.33.

BTW AC transfers the downloads and verifies the entire sw image onto the SD card before programming the chartplotter. Wifi is perfectly fine for loading, and it is nigh impossible to lose part of an image. I am a longtime SW engineer. Now, if you kill the power just as the unit is erasing the old image in flash, you will have a problem, but the bootloader - which is never erased - will still be able to recover the unit using forced load. This all happens long after the image has been downloaded, transferred and verified.

[fishin couillon]

Thanks jawjatek.....I'm not a PC guru but was just trying to understand how it could happen and in my opinion just couldn't see it happening.....but you never know....

[Cbprov]

so is this a new update to correct update from a few weeks ago with blind spots ,sorry been away

[oldgoat188]

Yep

[MDBASSNPRO]

Downloaded SD Card Software version 2020.0319.0 with GLS 100 version 2.33 and echomarp chirp plus 93sv 11.20.
Took it out on the river today with an adjustable mount.
Attached are a couple of better screenshots I thought. I did restore factory default and loaded files. Installation very easy.

On the Water Live it looked a little better.
Water depth 6'-8' with 11' as deep and the beds 2'-4'
2' clarity (with lots of pollen ?)

Settings were
Copper
Radial overlay (angle, distance)
TVG off
Noise Reduction low, Medium High * (best)
Color Gain 29-38 (33 best)
Gain 53-72 (58=63 best)
Fresh and Salt no difference
Range 30-70'

I did not use Forward Vu which was my preferred use last year and need to see how the latest update works. When I downloaded the original perspective mode, forward vu really deteriorated.
I used Perspective vu for 6 hours today and the adjustment bracket identified just how sensitive the angle is. I have 52" Fortrex TM and LVS32 mounted on shaft so I am guessing its mounted 2.5' deep.

Most of the water was 2'-11' with most I searched was 6'-8' and the closest I could see my bait was 5' per the math http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread.php?t=1038407
You would think this depth water and xdcr 2-3' deep horizontal should have been able to catch most of the activity with a horizontal setting.

Using multiple adjustments, it was challenging to pick up a 3" swimbait or DT6 without having the angle "just so" in the water column and setting at 30'.
I actually adjusted the sonar such that I could see a buzzbait at surface from 30' out which was the best I could pick up a lure.

With a 3/4 oz spinner bait, I could see the bait in 8' of water from 20' out.

In the end, I could see plenty of fish, some bedding which was the only way I could tell where they were in water column.
Others must have been suspended as I could only get them interested with a sinking crank bait.


Also I found that when I had the angle down on the fish it was easy to see their shadows as they swam and this was the indicator how deep in the water column they were knowing the water depth and distance out on Livescope.

Take away-
As it is with current update, the blurriness needs work but it is easy enough to see trees, grass, rocks, ledges, points with pretty good results...and fish, both hiding and moving, were readable.

Setting on 50-60' actually gives more usable information than 30' as far as structure and fish activity. So I would rate perspective vu a very good search tool for structure and fish in water less than 10'. That said I was not able to target fish like forward vu. (As it is, a forward vu and perspective mode xdcr - yes 2 units- would be a treat!)

Maybe Leonard or Ring Fry can comment on how using two xdcrs at one time works
Or maybe the next software update will allow the presentation of both views from a single transducer. :)

[DR. DROP]

Beds look good