P1.) How long does it take the Colorado to startup after it is powered on? What variables affect this?
The startup time is 12 and 18 seconds for a 300 and 400t, respectively, from power button press to the first screen without any gpx files to parse in [drive]:\Garmin\GPX. The startup time breaks down like this:
- 12 sec initial boot (for 300 and 400t)
-
6 sec to load Topo 2008 (for 400t only)
Obviously the amount of map data installed affects the last segment of startup. For example, renaming gmapprom.img (which eliminates all maps on a 400t) eliminates the 6 sec "load map" time which gives the 400t about the same startup time as the 300.
Adding gpx files to [drive]:\Garmin\GPX also affects startup time (see below).
P2.) What is the performance of the paperless Geocaching function? Does it affect startup time?
The size of gpx file(s) containing geocaches in [drive]:\Garmin\GPX only significantly affects the duration of the first startup of the Colorado after the gpx file is loaded (or changed). Other parameters are affected but only minimally. Presumably the Colorado has to index the gpx file the first time it is loaded.
This test used five different gpx files generated from GSAK including 1, 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 caches with 5 logs/cache (like a PQ) and no child waypoints. In addition a gpx file was generated for the 1000 and 2000 geocache cases which included child waypoints. Data shows the size of the gpx file, startup time, time to select a cache from the Geocache list, time to show description/logs of geocache and time to show the hint for geocache. The test was run on a 400t where the baseline start time with no caches was 18s.
Note that the first startup time is affected almost linearly as caches are added to the gpx file. For every 500 caches added the first startup will take about 10-12 seconds longer. However, after the initial startup the startup time remains constant. Select times and show times don't change significantly as geocaches are added.
Also note that adding waypoints increases the first startup time. In the example below ~500 waypoints added about 7 seconds of startup time, again, only for the first startup after the file is loaded.
caches (5 logs each)
|
gpx file size
|
startup #1 (s)
|
startup #2 (s)
|
select time (s)
|
desc show (s)
|
hint show (s)
|
2000+491WP
|
11.8MB
|
70
|
18
|
1
|
1.5
|
2
|
2000
|
11.4MB
|
63
|
18
|
1
|
1.5
|
2
|
1000+266WP
|
6.0MB
|
44
|
18
|
1
|
1
|
1.5
|
1000
|
5.8MB
|
40
|
18
|
1
|
1
|
1.5
|
500
|
2.9MB
|
28
|
18
|
<1
|
<1
|
<1
|
100
|
617kB
|
20
|
18
|
<1
|
<1
|
<1
|
1
|
7.3kB
|
18
|
18
|
<1
|
<1
|
<1
|
0
|
n/a
|
18
|
18
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
