mikeD

I have made up two pairs of eneloop batteries using shrink tubing and small triangular wooden inserts to press on the switch. I bought some garmin precharged Barts but their capacity is not as good as the bats I have now I have contacted garmin to say their metering of the precharged is not accurate This has worked ok for over a year I have accepted the naff metering, I get well over 8 hrs The bonus is the usb charging and not having to take it all apart every time, especially as I use a soft outer case

I have heard the same word on the street, so don't buy I have an iPhone and use this app https://www.looking4cache.com/ It is brilliant. Cost,gb£8. Say $10-11. Used Geosphere which a lot of people in USA swear by. That hasn't had an update for a while although the developer says he is getting back to it L4c, this is the mnemonic is as good and flexible although a bit quirky to learn. Produced in Germany the translations are a bit odd in places The killer feature for me is the ability to download offline maps I use OSM cycle maps Brilliant for GCing. Just been all over Sri Lanka. Downloaded all of the island 1,gb and every thing was there even used it to guide our driver who tried to use Google maps. And it had loads of paths on it as well. I have all of UK permanently on the phone YOU CAN LOG DIRECTLY FROM THE APP I think the official apps are and still will be a disappoint ment There is a LITE version but with limited functionality Go for it Mike

I too have Geosphere. I had a steep learning curve with that dealing with all the filters etc. L4c is a bit like that as well I must say that the UI is bright and clean as per IOS 9. going back to Geosphere seemed warm and chunky!. Personal preference I suppose. I use L4C for everything, one can log finds off line then edit later and bulk send. You don't have to put in "comments" at. "Find" time like you do on the official app. I find that annoying when one wants just to get on. I think BTW that with the lite L4C you cannot download off line maps

Should have said I have an iPhone 6 with 64gb

I used geosphere and the ground speak app However I now use Looking4cache pro. From the app store. ALSO KNOWN AS L4C About the the same price as geosphere was but it is as good if not better. An update came today It comes from Germany and takes a little work too understand it and it's flexibility. Just like geosphere Have used it for six months now You can log a find at the same time as logging a TB at the same gz and upload a photo. The killer feature is the ability to have offline maps downloaded to the app. Just been to Japan, china and Belgium. Loaded my PQ and the regional maps. Even used the downloaded OSM maps for getting about and sightseeing I am in the UK and have all of UK OSM permanently loaded. 1.2gb Check it out

I have a 64s upgraded from a 62s and a 60csx before. The 62a was dropped in a lock on the river Thames last year. 5 meters down for 10 mins. Fished it out with a magnet as I had a steel karabiner on it. Taken apart,dried and it worked. Have given it to my boat owning friend. Good excuse to upgrade !! The 64s has much better screen resolution than the 60csx. I can use .uk ordnance survey maps on it. Sadly the 64s died on me 14 months after purchase. Garmin sent me a new one FOC whilst waiting in for the new 64s to arrive I got out the 60csx with OSM MAPS. didn't bother to use.it. A retrograde step!. Loading GPX files was a pain. As well as the poor screen resolution. The accuracy of the 64s is superior as is the warm up time. You won't regret the change

UPDATE Phoned Garmin, device confirmed dead Pleased to say they are going to replace it . Just out of warranty but prevailed on them to .......... Cost otherwise is now GBP74 First up, They asked me to run a software update on the device, not possible then a hard reset , again not possible They did send me this link which others may find useful It is a PDF defining hard rest instructions for every device they do .- 60+ pages http://static.garmincdn.com/shared/uk/customer-care/Master_reset_instructions.pdf Thanks to all for your advices Mike

thanks for the two replies yes I have taken out the card plugging in the USB just gives the start screen for a second then nothing. Looks like a dead GPSr I had a 62s go on me like this 2/3 years ago. Had to buy a factory recon job GBP140! as it happened I was 10 miles from Garmin Europe in Southampton ,UK Called them up Paid over t'internet, went down there Handed over old unit in reception Someone came down and said " do you mind waiting? could be 45-60 mins while we swing over you licenses etc.! What could one say? Was back caching in the New Forest 2 hours later Mike

My 64s is only 14 months old and will not start In advance of calling Garmin tomorrow I wonder if anyone has had similar problems Pressing the power button, one sees "Garmin" logo Then welcome screen appears just long enough to see my welcome text and the usually copyright words, then it dies. Same with various batteries and powered usb cable Tried hard reset procedure, it does the same as above It has latest software update and has worked ok after that Any suggestions gratefully..... Mike Ps I was going to post this on the real Garmin forum but that seems to have disappeared, I mean the ' on the trail handheld forum'

I have started to use " Looking4cache" on IOS. it is also on android Since the latest software update it is very flexible and works as well if not better than Geosphere. The latter seems to be unsupported now, no recent updates and the owner seems to have gone AWOL I also use the official GC app but L4C is much more flexible. I recently, in one hit, logged a find,picked up and dropped two TB and posted a photo, all with attendant logs. The killer bonus for me is that you can download and save OSM maps for anywhere in the world. I have UK map permanently loaded, just been to France and loaded those. You can use the maps as a walking aid without caching. I have other apps where you Need to download tiles being part of OSM. with L4C maps are realised, UK one region, france 7 or so and Japan,6 or 7 Am off to china and Japan soon and have already loaded maps. You don't need to have a data connection to access the maps. Also the official app loads maps one by one when loading PQ. This takes for ever and you cannot easily use maps other than when GCing. I have a 64s and use the iPhone in conjunction especially for logging. IPhone is ok for open areas where the GZ is obvious, the 64s comes in in more complex and difficult area This app is worth a try

My understanding is that these eneloop ,aka as low self discharge NiMh batteries Have a lower capacity. I recall that my old regular batteries had a capacity of c2500 milliamp hours. The Garmin's have just 2000 . They just call them " rechargeable NiMh " but they do in their info say they will stay charged for long periods, which is not the case with regular NiMh If Garmin are baseing their meter on the old type for their new ones then I guess the linear discharge scale will be and is all wrong Do they understand that? No Have the been told ? Yes Have they done anything........

This is true to an extent First up I used MiNh individual batteries. Yes accurate and you select the batt type. But you have to take out batts every time I then bought the ganged pair of Garmin batteries also'NiMh' . When inserted the little black switch in the batt compartment is pushed and the battery choice disappears. The meter is not so accurate, see above, but you can charge via usb. With bats in. The Garmin batteries have obviously different characteristics Told Garmin about the problem. Tech dept came back with the standard " do a reset"!

No decision to make 64s The better Compass will aid accuracy especially when geocaching

You can also show the battery meter by using the user defined field facility on most pages I have the meter on the trip screen. Hit menu> change data fields then scroll to the battery meter press enter then the quit button. Job done BTW the battery meter is not that accurate. I use the rechargeable Garmin eneloop/ long shelf life battery pack . The batteries stay in and I charge via USB. Charge lasts about 12 hours but the meter goes from full to half in less that an hour. I have two sets of batteries as others suggest

Also try calibrating the compass Go to compass page then press menu Select compass calibration and follow instructions As a general rule I always recalibrate if I have moved 50+ miles from my last GZ this generally sorts problems I have had like this My 64s generally gets within 8 feet depending on the sky available I am in the UK

This is a post I put on yesterday to the iPhone section. No reply though The problem was Also evident on my 64s Ran a PQ to include an earthcache which should have shown questions Also downloaded GPX TO A Garmin 64s At GZ there were no questions on App description or on Garmin Back at home base looked at web page and there is a whole lot more data including questions to answer It seems that the App and Garmin via th ePQ HAS truncated the section The GC was GC2PDQA Jurassic Lyme Regis Was the App faulty? Downloaded the same PQ to Geosphere app and all was shown Any ideas? Have had this before where GC OWNER PUTS IN TOO MUCH DATA IN THE DESCRIPTION

It is fully charged when the four ' blobs ' stop rippling that is all shown at once. FWIW. I find the Garmin charge meter is not accurate and have told them so. After less than one hour the full charge indicator drops from full to half full. Garmin have ignored me but the unit will still run on for at least 10 hours

I think you have the quick start manual. The full manual can be found here, they are usually download only https://support.garmin.com/support/manuals/searchManuals.faces This will take you to the Garmin manual search page. Just select from the combo box choices , there are 4 -,5 screens to go through The manual has 18 packed pages If that link does not work go directly to it then google Garmin 64s manual

I use the Garmin batteries. It takes about 6 hours to fully charge and the rippling battery icon will go solid It matters not what power of charger you use,beit 1amp or 3amp, the time is the same I have found that after 2-3 hours there is a good solid charge there. Good to know if one had forgotten to give it a full charge Mike

I am interested to see what Garmin's threatened new product offerings are for 2015. I've had Garmin's for 15 years or so both handheld and auto. Briefly, my current auto device is a NUVI 3500 series. This is infinitely better than my Range Rover built-in unit. I always use the Garmin as it is more flexible accurate and predictable On handhelds I have worked my way latterly through the 60 series to my present 64S. I find this accurate, flexible and does a good job to get me to GC's. That said, I think that Garmin are falling behind the times both in the extent and pace of their innovation. The 60 series is over four years old. My main bone of contention is the difficulty of getting data in and out of the devices. PQ's have to be downloaded ,absorbed into third-party software converted etc and then 'usb'd' onto the device. It is similar in my experience to get data off.. Looking at other non-specialist devices on the market, I cite my iPhone 6 which does almost as good a job as the Garmin,but not quite so accurately. look also at the Apple and android market in terms of speed of development and innovation. In four years my iPhone has gone from version 3, four, five and now six. Technological change and innovation and improve customer experiences come with that. Imo Garmin has progressed but not as fast and as well as it could them. I use the GC App for most of my downloading and logging, as well as geosphere. (In many respects this is better than the GC app but less flexible.. Garmin has got base camp to talk to the 64s but that only transfers limited data from the PQ "wirelessly". Only limited waypoint information is transferred I think the quality of screen display on the 64s is dire. I have UK ordnance survey and Garmin French topo maps on my PC and phone. The images are clear and accurate, not so on the 64s a comparison is almost the difference between 405 and 625 lines on a TV screen of olden times I'm experimenting with Birds Eye. I recently went to St Kitts and Nevis and downloaded the Birds Eye images, akin to Google earth. I had loaded OSM maps but whilst there are all the roads and some tracks I was going into real off-road territory. The Birdseye images helped but they were a bit fuzzy I also copied the same images to my phone via Google Earth, for off-line use. Much better clarity and of course with the GPS function on nearly as accurate. Although my experience is Apple, I'm sure that android developments and improvements are just as pacey. I'm not sure whether Garmin are still at odds with geocaching.com. If so it can do neither sector any good and I would think that Garmin, handheld division would surely see the geocaching fraternity as one of their big customers and lobby groups. If they haven't made up, then time to do so! I have to confess not to be a fan of the Montana/Oregon devices. I feel that in the open air touchscreen devices are second-best. I also find them a bit bricky! That said my iPhone 6 works okay as long as it is not damaged, a real risk down a rocky ravine. My requests to Garmin for the future for their products therefore include 1 decent high definition screens 2. the ability to get data much more easily in and out of their devices including the ability to work across operating systems such as android, Apple and Windows 3. the need to bring to the customer more quickly their own innovations on device working as well as offering improvements seen elsewhere on competitor devices and applications. I'm not sure if anybody agrees with me but that is how I see it Mike

Tempe works a treat now. Immediate connection on start up every time!

Hi The 64s will transfer GC from Basecamp via Bluetooth BUT not all the file. Only coordinates, no hint previous logs etc Not a lot us use This is why I went down the RAV FILEHUB route. That works well even though I have to take the memory card out see above I don't need a pc out in the field or away from home The iPhone app I use is file browser I just download the GPX file to the phone, hard wire the gps to the hub and have little Wi-Fi network for the transfer job done You don't need bluetooth for that but I recommend you go for the 64s anyway. Do a comparison on the Garmin site Hope this helps Mike

I have been using the Garmin Battery cassette for some time now. My experience in terms of Battery meter accuracy and Garmin response are elsewhere in this forum Recently I found that the batteries were not charging. What had happened was that despite the tightness of the fit of the batteries they had lifted off the little switch thus stopping the charge. Pressing them down firmly again did the job