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BAVC10
United Kingdom
179 Posts |
 Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 01:07:53
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I purchased an additional Nuvi 7XX series today.
When I got home and booted it up there was no Sirf logo, no Sirf comments on the settings screen and the GPS firmware was 2.60m. The GPS firmware on my old Nuvi was 3.00s. The model with 2.60m shipped with firmware 2.70. TTFF was quicker on the non Sirf model but accuracy was worse. Does the 'm' suffix mean a non sirf GPs chipset?
The screen on the newer model was significantly poorer. Even a 100% brightness it was only equal to 50% on my older version. The viewing angle was also significantly worse - so much so that I took the newer model back and asked for a replacement - this one too also had a poor / dull screen. Has anyone else recently purchased a 7XX and compared with an older 7XX model?
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gpspassion
93427 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 01:13:56
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Interesting, could you try to take pictures since you still have your "original" SiRFstarIII 760 ? Can you be more specific than 7xx ?
GPS v2.60m would match the current MTK chipset based Garmin's, eTrex Vista HCx, Colorado, at least the v2.60 part, not sure about the v2.60m now. |
Discounts and Assistance/Réductions et Assistance (Club GpsPasSion) / Où commencer? |
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BAVC10
United Kingdom
179 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 01:27:16
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Model was a 760 purchased in the UK (NT2008 europe maps). On the boot-up screen the newer Nuvi 760 went straight into loading maps whereas the older one cycled through the SiRF 2008 copyright stuff.
The 2.60m GPS firmware seems to be the same reported in the 2X5 and 8XX series.
Any views on whether the MTK chipset is better than SiRFstarIII?
Main issue was the considerably poorer screen - doubt it was a faulty batch as the two were identical, even the display model was much brighter than the two new Nuvis.
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gpspassion
93427 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 01:32:18
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No the 2x5 has 2.31s, the 8xx does have 2.60, again not sure about the m, but I speculated about Garmin using the MTK chipset since the Colorado and Vista HCx use it for sure and they are v2.60.
By and large performance will be similar, the most detailed comparisons you'll find are in the eTrex Vista HCx topic since it was the first MTK based Garmin unit. As far as I know, there is no equivalent to SiRFinstantFixII available for MTK chipsets though, Garmin do claim HotFix for the 8xx...confusing.
As to the screen, any chance of some side by side pictures with your original 760 ? |
Discounts and Assistance/Réductions et Assistance (Club GpsPasSion) / Où commencer? |
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gatorguy
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 02:18:38
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| Love to see these as well. First post I've ever seen regarding a different chip. Interesting that firmware would be 2.6 on a 7x0, as the newer ones are shipping with 2.8 I believe. FW 2.6 was the version with the "ghost" download of sif2, which I understood would only run with a Sirf chip. GPSPassion, I'll see if I can find the press announcement, but I think MTK developed their own "quickfix" version |
Garmin 1695 / 760 / 255 / Navigon for Android / Navigon 8100T / Garmin Dakota 10 / Geomate |
Edited by - gatorguy on 01 juil. 2008 02:20:13 |
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BAVC10
United Kingdom
179 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 02:30:38
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The new 760 shipped with Firmware 2.70 and GPS Firmware 2.60m and Bluetooth firmware 3.10.
Other than the different GPS chip and poor / dim screen the units appear to be identical. Serial no. of the new unit begins 17B37xxx if that helps.
Judging by the cyclops camera data the unit was manufactured from April 2008 onwards.
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gatorguy
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 02:40:08
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| The chipset shouldn't have anything to do with a dimmer screen. White backlighting removed?? Very odd. |
Garmin 1695 / 760 / 255 / Navigon for Android / Navigon 8100T / Garmin Dakota 10 / Geomate |
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Chazz8
USA
131 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 03:33:26
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Here are instructions to look at the unit inventory which will list the Chipset:
The service mode activated via long pressing on the battery icon (about 12 seconds). It brings us to the SW Ver page.
Press Next (right bottom corner),
On the Version Information page press Start Test,
wait. Then press More.
Page down the list to the end.
The last entry will have SIRF or MediaTek in the text to tell you what chip you have in your unit.
So, can anyone use the inventory screens to confirm MediaTek chipset on a 7xx? |
Nuvi 750/ SW 4.80 / GPS SW 3.00s
Nuvi 775t SW 3.8, GPS SW 2.90 |
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dalemccl
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 05:00:11
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>>So, can anyone use the inventory screens to confirm MediaTek chipset on a 7xx?<<
I just bought a 760 (in June) from Amazon and the last inventory screen shows that is has the SIRF chipset. I was suprised because I had read that Garmin only used the SIRF in early 7xx units and then switched to another chip. |
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gatorguy
USA
648 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 05:31:48
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If anyone does, it will be the first yet noted anywhere. Particularly interested in what BAVC10 shows.
@dalemci, so far as I know, every 700 shipped so far has been sirf. |
Garmin 1695 / 760 / 255 / Navigon for Android / Navigon 8100T / Garmin Dakota 10 / Geomate |
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BAVC10
United Kingdom
179 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 13:00:28
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I have run the test system but there is no mention of either SiRF or MTK - the last entries are the GPI files for the European Speed Cameras
I have taken a screenshot of the settings system showing GPS SW 2.60m but can anyone tell me how to upload the image please (*.bmp and *.jpg) |
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BAVC10
United Kingdom
179 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 13:26:02
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SergZak
USA
1767 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 14:18:47
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With 2.60m being displayed as you've stated, that seems to ID the chipset as a MediaTek...strange that it's not even identified at all using the service mode.
With your reported poorer quality screen and the MTK chipset, seems like Garmin is using cheaper components on the newly manufactured units.
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nüvi 3490LMT, nüvi 3790LMT, nüvi 765T, nüvi 855, nüvi 760, nüvi 750 |
Edited by - SergZak on 01 juil. 2008 14:39:26 |
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BAVC10
United Kingdom
179 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 14:45:02
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| The sat loc and TTFF were fairly similar - however the real dealbreaker is the screen which if view less than face on has a purple tint and fades badly. It almost looks like an anti-glare screen or they turned the brightness right down - and I'd say below that on the 3XX series |
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danham
USA
7347 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 15:42:50
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The brightness is potentially very bad news. Do you have a fancy enough camera to take a comparison photo (sort of like what I attempted in my 680 road test/review)?
-dan |
- Nüvi forum moderator -
Nüvi 760 in a '10 Jetta TDI Diesel SportWagen & zumo 660 on a BMW F800 ST
Guide to working with pre-programmed routes: >> details <<
Language Guide / US Topo / 350 & 680 / MacBook & Intel iMac with OS X & Win XP / BaseCamp / Cape Cod, MA
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BAVC10
United Kingdom
179 Posts |
Posted - 01 juil. 2008 : 22:06:39
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Here is a photo of the two Nuvis laid flat. The older Nuvi is the bottom model.
[g]http://www.gpspassion.com/upload/img_1024.jpg[/img]
I ran the system test on both models. The older version has a line showing SiRF GSC3F GPS just before the cyclops speed cameras. The newer nuvi has no mention of any chipset at all - almost as if the line has been deleted.
Moderator's Note: I have disabled the picture as it is to large for the forum and causes other users to have to scroll left and right on the page in order to read the posts. Please repost picture at no more than a size of 640 X 480 as per http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12223
Thanks.
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Edited by - NanaimoRick on 01 juil. 2008 22:58:28 |
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Nuvi 7xx with Non Sirf III chip / poorer screen ?
