mikeD

I have had a Drive 55 which works well for about 2+ years and use the Drive App I think I have used the Smartphone app in the past but no more Looking at the Apple App Store the latter hasn’t been updated for 3 years, that says it all I think. Drive was updated 2 days ago I am in the Uk and the Drive app has access to a GoogleMap type data base of places which is pretty good. Select your target and it sends it to the 55 when next working to generate a route The IPhone and 55 doesnt always connect automatically. You have to keep an eye on it. I does fire up the BluT but that will not give you traffic etc. There is a Special extra icon but the Smartphone link which has to be seen on the 55’s home page, it is like a simple bow in a ribbon. Having looked at it closely, it is freeway map turning left! ( See attached) Anyway make sure the phone app is active when driving especially if you stop the car for a while and then restart You will not be disappointed with the 55

My experience is that it worth while adding a micro SD card to store your PQ’s , not on the internal memory of the 700 (I have a 750) you can also store Third Party maps on it. use the same Windows folder structure in the main device as a minimum Ie. GARMIN > GPX Keeping the PQ’s on the card allows recovery if you somehow download a corrupt file It has happened to me! My experience of downloading PQ direct from Garmin has been variable, I don’t bother now

I have a 66st and concur with the comments above However my experience is that to log in that manner is a pain The 66 will keep the ID of the find or dnf etc in its calendar I log when I get back usually via Cachly Sadly the Garmin is not reliable when using BT/wifi. Sometimes it does sometimes it doesn’t. I also got duplicate logs, one via the 66 and another via phone/pc So I gave up Fwiw I recall the default setting on the 66 in the “Live log “section is ON, so change that if you go down that route also I have given up on down loading PQ via wifi. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. I have had it all freeze on me doing this requiring a unit reset I follow the experts advice to put PQ on an SD card not on the main unit don’t get me wrong, the 66 is super and these comments should not deter you from getting one. It is just that “ Live “features do not always do “ what is says on the tin”

I share your experience and frustration. Been there, done that, failed!! I have had the whole GPSr lock up on my whilst trying I have 66st and gave up trying. I just load gpx files via Pc or iPhone now Mike

Sadly it is not available in Uk at this time

In the past the Live download in my experience has been very flaky, I have just de/RE Registered my 66st and after two attempts at registration, it locked on and I have downloaded 12 GC in a remoter location. That is perhaps all you get anyway although I do filter for trad GC only Perhaps de/re registering again might do it? I recall multiple attempts in the past being made

You have to go to the GC website, login to your profile and find thesection that has" registered devices" go to that and remove the device

I think I have resolved the issue. In the deep depths of personal settings> Preferences... there is a language choice!. Difficult to find when all the headings are in Polish! The vexed question is" how did it changed in the first place?" ps Just received VP's post. Thanks , No I am not using the short name you quote All is OK now other than the 16 emails I got from HQ earlier which are all in Polish ( sent before my recent update) Thanks Mike

I am in UK using Win10 and iPhone. In the last days all the headings for web pages and emails are in Polish I have checked different browsers and apps in Win10 and IOS and it is all the same How do I revert to English All my location settings are set for UK on pc and iphone . I can see no way to correct it any suggestions please Mike

This in my experience is not uncommon I usually deregister the device at GC.com , shut it all down and start again. That usually does it

This may be a coincidence but I have had trouble connecting my Drivesmart 55 in the last days to Garmin express. I needed to load new maps The 55 was in Mass storage mode and seen in Win10 explorer but it did not connect to GE Switching pc and 55 off and on several times and changing USB ports eventually it got there This is all post a 55 software up date I think May be Garmin issue

My choice would be the 66 I have both. Having had every GPSMAP 6* Series since the start I got a 750T Fits your pocket better than the then 64 and had better screen definition The pain for me was the touch screen The device had a life of its own. It would go where it wanted whilst in your pocket. The number of times I had to reset it..... Even after selecting the low sensitivity mode it was not much better I did find a routine to use the User key to lock the screen at a touch but you had to remember! As soon as the 66 came out I didn't hesitate Like having an old friend back (The 750T sits in a cupboard)

“Edit 1: mikeD - I just tried your suggestion to put the GC dashboard on the compass page. Doesn't that mean you end up with two compass dials on the same page?” Yes it does but it speeds up access to the GC info. Btw I change my compass pointer ( menu>Heading set up>Small) to the. Thin pointer- It makes for a better page view IMHO

I am sorry to read that GreyingJay doesn’t rate the 66s. I have had mine for two years having gone thru the 60,62,64 versions I would not go back Ok the FOUND Key has gone but if you set the Compass screen to have the geocaching dashboard then from an active cache. - Hitting Menu> Geocache> enter takes me to the log screen. The 66 will generally remember your last page to page sequences Once you have done the sequence a few times......It takes me 1-2 seconds The other thing I have done is to remove many of the screens on the opening ribbon I just have 4 . Map (1st opening screen) , Compass with GC dashboard, Geocaching and Trip Computer. ( I have 10 fields set up) With this set up I can page quickly in a loop to anything I need for GCing very quickly , literally in seconds I generally find it quicker to load PQ via a Pc. None of the other devices using “over the Air “downloads are very quick ( I have an Oregon 750 and that is the same)

I am second guessing what has happened because it is not precisely clear what has not happened in response to your actions my understanding of Garmin map down load is, if you downloaded a map to a device it is Not transportable to another device if you bought an sd card with the map that is transportable you cannot copy down loaded maps from a device to an SD card and then hope it will work elsewhere also if you have a Garmin map sd card , which is transportable, you cannot make a backup copy to another sd card. It won’t work i am not sure is this clarifies ( or confuses!) M btw Try a subscription to Talkytoaster maps for Uk , based on OSM. Far better than Ord Surv maps ( disclaimer! No connection)

I was involved with that old thread 2/3 years ago I made a “cassette” which worked fine from shrink tubing with a small pice of wood crafted to fit the arcs of the batteries and create pressure on the switch it worked ok when i first had my 66 I had an issue with the battery charger internally not “ topping out”. It kept on charging. the 66 got changed since then for 18 months i just use Eneloops loose. No cassette why the internal charger takes 6/8 Hours So slow!! With a modern NiMh charger it will do them in an hour Or so I also have a USB charger which does them in 40 mins. They get hot though But work OK so with 4 batteries , 2 on 2 off , I am always ok this is a link to the Latest version of the charger https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B079N8NQGY there is another version slightly cheaper perhaps not as fast which would be OK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CYWC8N4 both by EBL

I have just got a Garmin Drive smart 55 Brilliant piece of kit It replaces the Nuvi I think Real time traffic via yr smartphone etc It has an SD card slot for extra storage. I put 3rd party maps and way points on it Won't do any more than the Nuvi but that is ok to get you to places. Used the nuvi for such in the past

the maps were one osm and the other built in Garmin topo it just got the two mixed up pick one and it showed the other since this started this morning i have been retesting taking on on HHL’s comment on the extra dot / period in the file name i have redone the PQ. No extra dot i saw comment that the spot light wouldnt interfere with indexing unless there was something wrong ( according to ios). Perhaps the xtra dot threw it i transferred raw gpx files again and it seems to work without crashing you have to be careful that the file is not transferred as a folder with the gpx imbedded in it. This happened a couple of times all good so far I transferred 5 gpx files but when i checked on the pc there were 10 files screen shot attached each file has extra characters and and underscore ahead of the file name is this another issue with mac/ios gile management? it works ok though

Thanks for your comments And I have been researching via an IOS FORUM as well Yes the spotlight folder added by ios is not a virus and I think my eyes went another part of the web page which referred to the Spotlight v100.exe virus which I think is real In this case the new folder does appear to interfere with the indexing by the gpsr.. I tried for instance to select a downloaded UK map and it gave a downloaded French one. But I said it was the UK one Thus therefore in the short term this new facility does not sadly work for me Perhaps others may wish to try Back to using File browser and Ravpower Filehub

VERY URGENT DONT DO THIS PROCEDURE This morning firing up my 66ST it reset it self it went back to initial settings. Maps would not load. i called to one map snd got a different one!! started to reset and went back to basics i keep maps, gpx on an SD card so at home I checked the sd card on a pc and there was a hidden file Folder spotlight v100 folder this is a virus https://www.ghacks.net/2009/08/19/spotlight-v100-and-trashes-folders-on-usb-flash-drives/ i deleted it and reloaded via iphone it was there again btw the down load folder from ios will unzip files i then used old method to load gpx file and that was ok going to call Apple now!!

So here is the contents of the SD card newly created subfolder with the Stamford unzipped GPX file I had previously transferred the raw Zip file and another GPX file as

Prompted into action by this post I think I have successfully transferred a PQ to an SD card using the apple sd card attachment so i downloaded the zip to my iPhone 8 IOS13 the file goes into a new “ Download” folder From there transfer To Izip Pro. -My unzip app I unzipped the files selected the gpx file and hit share from there I opened the “USB” folder went down and found the GPX folder and transferred the file job done Things learnt when I started the SD card was blank I could use the access route from Izip pro into the card to create Folders and sub folders. ie Garmin>GPX There is an icon of a folder eith a plus sign the option to create folders does not seem to exist using iOS Files app (I also have an app Filebrowser, this allowed me to create folders as well but if you have a properly set up SD card this is not a problem mike

Just adding to and expanding Atlas Cached's point... Using tips from this and other forums., I NEVER NEVER load caches or third party maps on to the device, always onto an SD card Inter alia it gives you another avenue to recovery if the device fails? It has always worked for me and the 66 runs well ( as did my previous 6x series units)

I would be calling Garmin customer support direct. Talk through the problem with them. I had a problem after 6-8 weeks and the unit was replaced. That was 9 months ago Since then all OK I guess you have a12 month warranty anyway

To be specific in reply to queries I have had a 66st for 9 months now Very pleased with it Getting 8-10 hours with AA Panasonic pro Eneloop batteries which I can recharge in 40 mins via USB The screen has much greater sharpness and is daylight readable. I don't have the backlight on at all. Screen timeout only kicks in if you use the backlight. You won't need it Mirad of other improvements The one to have