alandb

The GPSMAP 66i apparently has a non replaceable battery (rechargeable lithium ion). Considering what the intended use would be for a device like this, that seems to me like a serious shortcoming.

I suspect it will be difficult to find someone to repair this device. I have tried to get my Lowrance Endura Sierra repaired (needs power switch replaced or re-soldered) and can't find anyone who will touch it. A better option for you might be to buy a working Meridian Gold on eBay. There are currently a couple of them listed there for under $50 with shipping.

A user in a different forum had reported several weeks ago that his nuvi 550 had the date issue where the date was stuck at 1999 which sounded like the week rollover issue. He contacted Garmin support and they said his nuvi would require a software fix and they did not commit to a fix but offered to "buy back" his 550 for replacement with a newer device. However, Garmin has not issued any firmware updates on the nuvi 5x0 series, so I am wondering if this issue was something else or if this user was just incorrect in his understanding of the problem. Are there any nuvi 5x0 users here, and if so are the devices still working with a correct date now that the date rollover has passed?.

Many people report that they get better support from Garmin by calling rather than email. It might be worth a try.

One thing you might try is to load them as Custom POI's (with Garmin's POILoader program). You can specify a .BMP file as the shown icon on the map. Pay careful attention to the requirements for the file naming of the .BMP file. If you are a GSAK user, there is a good GSAK macro that will generate a GPX file for import into POI Loader that includes the custom geocaching icons. One nice thing about using the GSAK macro is that it gives you complete information about each cache (description, difficulty, terrain, hint, recent logs, etc.) that is viewable on the Nuvi or Drive unit. I have done this on my nuvi 3597, and the icons show on the map. I don't have a Drive unit to test, but it would be worth a try.

If you use GSAK, there is a great macro that will load caches as custom POI's on the Garmin road navigation devices. Using the macro, you get complete cache information (difficulty, terrain, description, hints, recent logs, etc.)

In Garmin's current (diminishing) lineup for road navigation devices, the DriveSmart 51/61 is a good choice IMO. If you want to save a few dollars, look for a factory refurbished DriveSmart 50/60 (previous model).

Do you have your Garmin device containing the map plugged in when using Basecamp?

I am thinking along the same line as Mineral2 ... broken power button. That happened to my Oregon 550 a couple of years ago and I had to repair it using the "pencil eraser/electrical tape" method. There are several youtube videos that demonstrate this repair.

Good to know ... I didn't realize Garmin had fixed this on the new devices. I thought I had read reports of this on some newer devices, but I am probably remembering it from reports on older units. I know my Oregon 550 definitely has the issue.

I am sure you will get various opinions on this, but my opinion is that you will not significantly improve waypoint accuracy. So if your 450 is still working well and does what you need, it is probably not worth investing in a new device. The newer units do have Glonass as well as GPS, so under difficult signal conditions (heavy canopy, urban canyons, next to a cliff, etc) you may get improved accuracy on the newer units because you will be able to get signal from more satellites. In open areas, it probably won't make much difference.

As long and as often as the indexing problem has been identified on so many Garmin devices (going back years), why has Garmin never fixed it? It seems to me they could add a function to the setup menu to re-index GPX files. The indexing program logic has to already be there, since you can initiate it by removing and reinserting the SD card. So why can't they include a setup menu item to access the indexing function on demand?

Nope ... missed that. Thanks for the link!

Garmin does have a precedent in the automotive series for changing a paid subscription service to free ... Smartphone Link Traffic. And in that case, they did extend the free subscription to older devices that previously had to pay. But I doubt that will happen with BirdsEye. The thing I can't figure out is why it no longer seems possible to get a paid Birdseye subscription for my old Oregon 550. Whether I try through BaseCamp or My Maps on my.garmin.com, I get a "link not found" error.

What makes you think this? When I try to access my Birdseye subscription for my Oregon 550 it shows as expired (in 2015). I can find no way to reactivate it ... paid or free. Edit: It just occurred to me that I am still running Basecamp 4.6.2. Maybe the free Birdseye requires 4.7?

Ha Ha! I had to Google LMGTFY!

Is it important to record elevations as well as coordinates? If so, you might want to consider a Garmin handheld with a barometric altimeter ... like the Oregon series.

Well, I am neither a developer nor a lawyer, so you may be right. I was simply pointing out a source for where this "rumor" about why Garmin dropped GE from Basecamp may have originated. That said, it sounds like the there may be a common developers API platform for Maps and Earth: https://maps.google.com/help/terms_maps.html. I am not disagreeing with you, but considering Googles greed and aggressive marketing, I would not be surprised if this change in Google's pricing and usage policy has something to do with Garmin's decision to eliminate the GE feature from BaseCamp. An interesting question to me is will the GE interface continue to work in the future for the Garmin BaseCamp customers who have decided to keep the older version of BaseCamp and not upgrade?

https://developers.google.com/maps/billing/important-updates

I don't have a Montana, so I don't know the answer either. But if the Montana uses the same "auto zoom" feature that the nuvi does when navigating in automotive mode, that is probably what the cause is. When the speed increases, the device automatically zooms out to show a larger area and that reduces the detail shown on the screen. In some nuvi models you can turn the auto-zoom feature off, so you might go through the Montana settings to see if something similar exists.

Based on my Oregon 550, I have found the worst conditions for screen visibility are bright overcast days.

I am not a Mac user, but based on what others have reported, try this: Hook up your eTrex to the Mac, then "Empty the trash" on the mounted mass storage drive.

I don't have the Drive, but I do have the higher-end Driveluxe 50 (2016 model).

I see there is one used nuvi 54LM on eBay for $49. I suspect it will cost you at least as much to fix your device by the time you pay for the repair and shipping both ways. But check with Sharcnet to be sure ... they have had good reviews on several GPS forums I participate in. Of course buying used on eBay has the risk that it will have the same problem (or worse problems) than your current device, so if the repair cost is equal or even somewhat more, you are probably better off doing the repair. If you have any acquaintances that have other model nuvi's see if they will let you test for the functionality you are trying to reproduce in your nuvi 54. That may give you some other models to look at. Sometimes you can get some good deals on older factory refurbished models that have full Garmin warranty.