In 2023, I bought a brand new Montana 700i and AMPS to install on my JEEP, and over the next six months, it performed consistently on both road trips and off-road crossings. I am very satisfied with it, except that the screen is not bright enough in the sunlight.
In early 2024, during a road trip, I upgraded the firmware. From then on, it began to shut down or crash without warning. Sometimes every 30 minutes, and sometimes every 1-2 hours. Based on some experience here, after nearly a year of trying, I feel that I have successfully solved this problem. At least in the past 2 months, it has not shut down or crashed again.
I have recorded the trial methods and results in chronological order for everyone's reference:
1. Upgrade firmware and restore factory settings. All are invalid.
2. Close TOPO and DEM maps. invalid
3. Reduce the firmware to 18.90. There has been improvement, but not significant: the number of crashes within a 30 minute interval has significantly decreased. When I was downgraded this time, I lost all WPs and Tracks in my 700i, but fortunately there were some backups on my PC.
4. Connect an EMI filter (muRata BNX025H01L) to the power line of AMPS. Effective, but cannot completely solve the problem. The phenomenon of 'shutdown/crash' takes 1-2 days to occur.
5. Use an external GPS antenna. If the external GPS antenna feeder is too long and coiled together, it will worsen the "shutdown/crash"; If the feeder is straightened, there is no significant improvement in "shutdown/collapse";
6. On the premise of retaining the above measures 3 and 4, after turning off "Recording" or setting "Record Method" to "Distance", the "shutdown/crash" problem no longer occurs. If "Record Method" is set to "Auto", "shutdown/crash" will occur.
Keep the three measures of 3+4+6 and enable TOPO+DEM map. I have been using the 700i for 2 months and have not experienced any "shutdown/crash" during this period
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2024-11-17
corrections:
6B: The description of "6" above is incorrect. The correct one is that after turning off "Recording" or setting "Auto Pause" to "Off", "Shutdown/Crash" no longer appears.
PS：I am using the 700i in scenarios such as Topo+DEM maps, Record Tracks, occasional use of inReach, and almost no navigation function
