Bad news:
While trying to dump region 16 (0x10) with gpsdaemon, I've tried all other means, including "manual" modes forcing it to try to dump, though I've never wrote anything into it.
One for the "low-level" packets turned the gPS into replying its internal temperature... and after reboot... the logo was gone.
After some search, those low-level tries might have triggered some internal protection of some kind on some memory region (the one I was trying to read!), and now it skips the Splash.
One possible solution suggested would be to DOWNGRADE the firmware version, for the GPSMAP 296, to "reset" those internal locks and bypasses triggered by some service-command.

But I cannot find version 6.00 or version 5.70 anywhere on the net.

Resume: 2x 296 without Splash Screen, or without the 0x10 dump to back it up.
Any ideas ?
Any good soul out there with some backup for any firmware for GPSMAP 296 other than the newest 6.10 available from Garmin?
Regards,