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GPSMAP 66st bugs
I can't believe that Garmin are not providing a mechanism for users to report bugs with their products?? - oh well, I can only hope that someone from Garmin reads this forum.
There have been a few issues in my 1st week, but the ones I have nailed down so far are:
1. Delete All waypoints causes my GPS to crash - every time.
2. I use the cursor keys to point to something on the map (eg a street) to get its name to be displayed at the top of the screen. I then hit Quit to centre the map on my current position again. Then, as soon as I use an arrow key to move the cursor again, the name of the previous object appears at the top of the screen again - even if the cursor is being moved in a different direction this time.
3. I set up a test route around my neighbourhood and followed it. After passing through one particular waypoint, the Guidance Text retained that waypoint name, yet the Distance to Next was counting-down correctly to the next waypoint. After passing the next waypoint, the Guidance text updated correctly. I repeated this test for the same result.
There have been a few issues in my 1st week, but the ones I have nailed down so far are:
1. Delete All waypoints causes my GPS to crash - every time.
2. I use the cursor keys to point to something on the map (eg a street) to get its name to be displayed at the top of the screen. I then hit Quit to centre the map on my current position again. Then, as soon as I use an arrow key to move the cursor again, the name of the previous object appears at the top of the screen again - even if the cursor is being moved in a different direction this time.
3. I set up a test route around my neighbourhood and followed it. After passing through one particular waypoint, the Guidance Text retained that waypoint name, yet the Distance to Next was counting-down correctly to the next waypoint. After passing the next waypoint, the Guidance text updated correctly. I repeated this test for the same result.
Comments
www.gpsrchive.com/GPSMAP/GPSMAP%2066/index.htm
But if you look at the link I posted, you will see there is, in fact, a way to report bugs: product.support@Garmin.com
So...I decided it was time to upgrade to a newer device...larger screen, better response, connectivity...and bought a 66st. One of the first things I did was to go for a ride and see how it tracked. I plugged it into a late model car, just like I do w my PN-60, and it died. Never restarted. I contacted Garmin, and they said that they wanted to look at it, and swapped me for a new one. I still tried to use the new one on the road, but with a USB condom.
Now, there are a lot of good tech things about the 66st, but it's gotta actually do what I do.
I used BaseCamp. Garmin says that it is deprecated. Soon to be retired. Not under current dev. But should still work...sorta, it seems.
I loaded an OSM street map.
I exported my DeLorme waypoints (hundreds), and imported into BC.
I made custom waypoint symbols, because I am used to using them in the PN-60.
I put them in the correct place for BC and on the 66st.
I used BC to block-assign custom symbols to my waypoints. So far, so good.
I synced. No waypoints????? I contacted Garmin Tech Support. They didn't know what was up. I investigated (hacked) and found that BC was calling them 'Custom 3', for example, and the 66st wanted '003'. Hmmm...no way around that...I tried.
I tried using Garmin symbols in BC...I didn't want them...but figured that I'd see if that worked...well, it does...but not always...seems that BC calls a symbol Fred, and the 66st calls the same symbol Sally. What's a girl to do?
I tried to config it to my uses...you know, move the map, route, waypoint, etc. menu icons around so that the stuff I am most likely to use is at the top. It kept Quitting and rebooting. Not good. Eventually, it died to the point that it no longer really would do anything, except reboot back to the 'choose a language' prompt, so I returned it for a new one.
#3: The saga continued. I really thought I'd eventually get it to work. I can't send way points from BC, where it is convenient to assign all my custom symbols. I /can/ import them into Explore, and send them from there...BUT Explore won't let me use custom symbols, and I REALLY don't like the stock Garmin symbols. And even at that, Explore does not have a block assign of symbols, so I need to change hundreds of them one at a time. Not.
BC won't send routes to the 66st (at least not for me). Maybe it would if I renamed my custom symbols to 'Custom x'. Explore will. But I find annoying the constant complaining of Connect that my Bluetooth is turned off. BT is there for my convenience, not Garmin's.
For 2019, it is really not ready for prime time. Internally, very nice. But as a tool, not up to 2006 standards. The tools to manage it, and the way reconfiguring works on the 66st, are simply inadequate.
The internal stuff seems to work OK. I gave it a place to nav to, and it did. But that's not how I use it, and I really don't want to give up all my waypoints, custom symbols, tracks, and routes. So I sent #3 back, too. To me, it is just an expensive toy. I'll revisit it an a year or so, but in the meanwhile, I still have the PN-60, with its outdated maps, and GaiaGPS, which I find worth exploring. And paper and mental maps and compasses, which never let me down ;-)