Garmin 1242xsv touch goes dark

[Portage_Bay]

Garmin 1242xsv touch goes dark when I'm near it. If I stand about 3 ft off to the side the screen brightens again. Tried turning off auto backlight sync. No change in behaviors. Any ideas?

 

[DWJensen]

Garmin 1242xsv touch goes dark when I'm near it. If I stand about 3 ft off to the side the screen brightens again. Tried turning off auto backlight sync. No change in behaviors. Any ideas?

Is this new behavior with an existing unit or new unit?

I ask because sometimes things are simple but unexpected. Case in point, when I bought my 12" tablet I decided to bring it to the bridge and run AquaMaps on it. I usually use it it portrait mode (when reading and like now, when browsing) and in landscape mode when running nav apps. One time that I had it in portrait mode up top, it was dark and I couldn't see a thing. When I took my sunglasses off it was perfect. Yup, polarized...

 

[Portage_Bay]

This is new behavior in an older unit. Guessing 2018 vintage. On a new to me boat. So far about 30 days operation without issued until today. Another 14 days before I can do anything other than fiddle with settings and menu choices.

 

[twistedtree]

Are you wearing sunglasses? I have poked at a display for an embarrasingly long time trying to figure out why it's not working - until I take off my sun glasses or tilt my head.

 

[Portage_Bay]

Are you wearing sunglasses? I have poked at a display for an embarrasingly long time trying to figure out why it's not working - until I take off my sun glasses or tilt my head.

No, it's not the polarized sunglasses problem. I don't have polarized lenses aboard for that reason. It's something very odd. Stand right in front of the Garmin and I can watch it go from daylight bright to full black over about 3 seconds. Step 3 ft to the side and in slightly more time it goes back to daylight bright. Repeat several times to be sure I'm not imagining it. Take the sunglasses off just to be sure. Same behavior. I'll be spending the remaining days of this cruise at the lower station.

 

[NSM]

No, it's not the polarized sunglasses problem. I don't have polarized lenses aboard for that reason. It's something very odd. Stand right in front of the Garmin and I can watch it go from daylight bright to full black over about 3 seconds. Step 3 ft to the side and in slightly more time it goes back to daylight bright. Repeat several times to be sure I'm not imagining it. Take the sunglasses off just to be sure. Same behavior. I'll be spending the remaining days of this cruise at the lower station.

Maybe an autodimming feature that is affected by reflections when you are in front of the screen? If so turning off autodimming might fix it.

Edit: Oops, saw you tried that already…

 

[Portage_Bay]

Maybe an autodimming feature that is affected by reflections when you are in front of the screen? If so turning off autodimming might fix it.

Edit: Oops, saw you tried that already…

My thoughts as well. I couldn't find an auto dimming setting. The closest I could find is auto backlight. It made no difference. I don't have a manual. Try to download one today. The benefit of having Starlink.

 

[Portage_Bay]

Found the manual online with instructions on how to manually set brightness and hopefully turn off auto brightness. How I long for the days of knobs and buttons for important functions as opposed to digging through a manual to find a "shortcut".

 

[NSM]

I found that method the hard way. Pushed the wrong spot at the wrong time and screen when dark while underway. Oops...

 

[Greg QS]

Call Garmin. They have wonderful tech department. They have spent hours with me over the last few years getting my system kinks out.

 

[Portage_Bay]

Call Garmin. They have wonderful tech department. They have spent hours with me over the last few years getting my system kinks out.

Thank you, I found the manual setting see post #8. I too have had good support from Garmin for other issues.