60csx Pointer Disappeared

[crazycoyote]

Have any of you had the pointer from the compass disappear? It is not there in either the "bearing" or "course" mode.

 

Also, the "distance to destination" data fields do not work on the map or compass page.

 

Any ideas? Thanks in advance for you help!

[Curious George]

A few questions come to mind:

 

- do you have an active Go To selected?

- so you have sat lock?

- compass off or on?

[crazycoyote]

yes, yes, and on.

Edited April 6, 2006 by crazycoyote

[+briansnat]

Did you re-calibrate the compass?

[+GlobalRat]

Anyone traced a solution for this. Only way I can get my pointer back is to recalibrate. Did that over 10 times today

[+Prime Suspect]

I assume you know that if you're in Follow Road mode, once you get "close" to the destination, navigation stops, the arrow disappears, and the distance data field blanks out.

 

Did you accidentally change the default to always Follow Road?

[+Great Scott!]

I've been having the same problem with my 76CSx. The compass arrow just disappears sometimes when in Off-Road mode. If I turn the compass off and back on again the arrow reappears. But sometimes only for a few minutes. Could low batteries be the cause?

[Dirtnapper]

I have been having the same issue on my new 76csx which is a replacement from Garmin that came in last week. I sent tech a note, and got one reply just asking to clarify the issue. Heard nothing since.

[+apersson850]

I've not seen it on my 60 CSx, but I've heard of others having the same problem. Probably a firmware issue.

[John E Cache]

I've been having the same problem with my 76CSx. The compass arrow just disappears sometimes when in Off-Road mode. If I turn the compass off and back on again the arrow reappears. But sometimes only for a few minutes. Could low batteries be the cause?

Just to be sure we are talking about the same thing. It is not an off-road vs. snap-to-road problem. It is a turn by turn navigation setting, sometimes called "follow the road" that causes the problem.

[+paarker]

I had the same thing happen several times. Once I thought it was low batteries but it has happen even on a fresh set and any time in between.

 

I did find that if you are still going in the general direction the unit still works just no arrow to follow. I just kept moving the same way and watched the feet count down. Each time it did it I was always walking toward the cache location and it has never happen while navigating in the car

 

I usually just had to turn it off and then back on to correct the problem. I never tried to recalibrate it to see if that will fix it.

[+Gob-ler]

[i have the same thing that happens occasionally with my 60 CSx and rather than turning it off and on I hold the page key down to turn the compass off and then do it again to turn the compass back on and the pointer is back.

[+mtncachers]

I see I'm not the only one with GPS60csx problems. My compass arrow disappears and I have to recalibrate several times a usage. Fresh batteries and recalibrating usually works for a while. I got an email from a member who suggested pulling out the battery contacts a tad helped them. It's very frustrating when you are bushwacking and your gps has you going the wrong way but a minute earlier it took you right to the cache! Anybody heard back from Garmin on these issues?

[+mikielikesit]

I was told to spread the battery contacts, as a slight break in the circuit due to vibration could cause the pointer to disappear. Then I was told to redownload the software as there may have been a problem with the upgrade download. Then I was not given another explanation of what could cause the problem. VERY FRUSTRATING.

Edited May 17, 2007 by mikielikesit

[+pcunningham]

My fix for the problem is slightly lower tech. I turned off the compass and use a magnetic handheld compass.

[+GlobalRat]

My fix for the problem is slightly lower tech. I turned off the compass and use a magnetic handheld compass.

 

And your compass knows where the cache is

 

Road lock is off: another of my gripes with garmin but that's another story

 

Not only does the pointer disappear, but the cardinal points too. The compass essentially goes blank. Caching in London in the last two days, I lost count on 30 the number of times I either had to recalibrate or turn the GPSr on and off to get the compass back. Not to mention the number of times the GPSr pointed me in totally the opposite direction. Going to try today with the compass off and see how that goes.

 

I love this unit, but I feel more and more that there are too many bugs and funnies that Garmin seem unwilling to address. And yes, I have all the latest firmwares/softwares/chipwares/whateverwares installed.

[+GlobalRat]

I got an email from a member who suggested pulling out the battery contacts a tad helped them.

 

Seems to be a common response on just about any issue with GPSr's, if this were true (and I'm sure it is in some scenarios) then I'd suggest Garmin spend a couple of million researching better contacts and then sending us all a DIY kit to fit upgraded contacts.

 

My GPSv was certainly bug free

Edited May 19, 2007 by GlobalRat

[+mtncachers]

I went caching yesterday and the compass page went blank several times. Turning it off and then on worked, but who has time to do this every cache. Then I never relied on the arrow because it was always pointing in the wrong direction. I recalibrated several times to no avail! Sometimes it went in circles!

[+mtncachers]

Does anyone's garmin beep constantly while connected to the usb port? Even after pushing buttons it still beeps. It is so annoying. My cat actually comes over and bites me while I'm downloading.

[+pcunningham]

And your compass knows where the cache is

 

Evidently, you misunderstand how the electronic compass works on a 60CSX. Turning off the compass has no effect on the bearing pointer pointing to the cache while you are moving. This is why people who use GPSrs without electronic compasses, such as yellow eTrex, Legend, etc., have no trouble finding caches.

Edited May 19, 2007 by pcunningham

[+Miragee]

Does anyone's garmin beep constantly while connected to the usb port? Even after pushing buttons it still beeps. It is so annoying. My cat actually comes over and bites me while I'm downloading.

Mine doesn't. It only beeps when I put the computer on Standby, or turn the computer off, before turning off the GPSr. The beep I hear is related to the external power being interrupted.

 

Garmin's Customer Service is excellent, so you could call them.

[John E Cache]

And your compass knows where the cache is

I agree. The GPS pointing to the cache whether you are moving or not is a major upgrade that is great and worth the extra money.

Road lock is off: another of my gripes with garmin but that's another story

You and others missed my point. Road lock in the map settings does nothing for this problem. Go to menu->setup->routing->guidance method. The routing menu is also called "Follow Road Options" The guidance method best for geocacheing is "prompted" so when you use find->go to or recalculate it asks for "Follow Road" or "Off Road".

 

Follow Road => turn by turn directions

Road Lock => put you location on the map as close to a road as possible

[+GlobalRat]

And your compass knows where the cache is

I agree. The GPS pointing to the cache whether you are moving or not is a major upgrade that is great and worth the extra money.

Road lock is off: another of my gripes with garmin but that's another story

You and others missed my point. Road lock in the map settings does nothing for this problem. Go to menu->setup->routing->guidance method. The routing menu is also called "Follow Road Options" The guidance method best for geocacheing is "prompted" so when you use find->go to or recalculate it asks for "Follow Road" or "Off Road".

 

Follow Road => turn by turn directions

Road Lock => put you location on the map as close to a road as possible

 

No I understand your point and agree it has nothing to do with the issue. I have a totally separate issue regarding the road lock which has nothing to do with the subject of this thread.

 

I agree. The GPS pointing to the cache whether you are moving or not is a major upgrade that is great and worth the extra money.

 

if it works, which it doesn't, so in effect a waste of money.

 

Anyway, I went caching today and switched the compass on the GPSr off, worked perfectly. So IMO, the calibrated compass on the GPSr is a total waste of space. In fact I have yet to see an electronic compass that works properly. It would be great if it did, as this means one could stand still and know which way to take one's first step, rather than the old GPS method of having to move in order to determine direction. I reckon the 58km I walked in London the last two days, at least 2km of that was due to the compass on the GPSr taking me in the wrong direction.

 

I don't think I'll ever switch mine on again, a single step in the wrong direction is better than 100m.

Edited May 19, 2007 by GlobalRat

[+GlobalRat]

And your compass knows where the cache is

 

Evidently, you misunderstand how the electronic compass works on a 60CSX. Turning off the compass has no effect on the bearing pointer pointing to the cache while you are moving. This is why people who use GPSrs without electronic compasses, such as yellow eTrex, Legend, etc., have no trouble finding caches.

 

I have yet to see a low tech magnetic compass which will tell me where the cache is, I think you missed my point. tongue cheek all that

[+pcunningham]

I have yet to see a low tech magnetic compass which will tell me where the cache is, I think you missed my point. tongue cheek all that

 

I see, I neglected to specify in my first post that I use the magnetic compass in concert with the GPSr.

[+apersson850]

I use the magnetic compass all the time, when coming near a cache. It has worked on my eTrex Vista for several years, and it works on my 60 CSx now. It's something else that's different with your's, if they don't work. Have you tried the master reset thing, to clear all user data, just to make sure nothing has gone haywire due to some data corruption or something?

Do you have custom POI's installed? If so, get rid of them, just to check.

Which maps are you using? Something else than Garmin's standard maps?

[+scotte]

I have no problems with the magnetic compass on my 76CSx. I have it configured to turn on only when speed drops below 1MPH for 5 seconds. That way it's only on when I need it - i.e. standing still (or nearly so).

[+Capt.Picard]

I had heard there was a fix for that at there web site, i've never had a problem but i got the 60cs

[+Hynr]

I a long time ago I had some similar problems are described here, but since I started regularly upgrading my firmware, I have only seen this problem with my 60CSx when I route to a cache and select "Follow Road" on the dialog that comes up; the navigation is done when you get "close" whatever that means. If this dialog does not come up, then you are using the default setting for this choice and that may well be "Follow Road" rather than "Off Road". For a while I used my 60CSx with that dialog turned off. I can see that some persons may have this dialog set so it does not display.

 

If you are doing a Goto with "Follow Road" instead of "Off road", then this is probably responsible for pointing in a direction other than where you know the cache is, because it is directing you to where it thinks you should be making a turn on a nearby road instead. Similarly if no further turns remain and you are within procimity of the cache, then the pointer turns off.

 

If this dialog does not show up on your GPSr (some of you may have turned it off a long time ago and not remember doing that), then on the Setup page select "Routing" and for guidance method select "Prompted". Then you should see the dialog for "Follow Road" or "Off Road" and when walking towards a cache, you should generally choose the later.

[+pigpen4x4]

Happend to me for the first time yesterday going after the third stage on a multi.

I did the Garmin dance and all was good.

I wasn't using follow road either.

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[+mtncachers]

I'm not an expert but I have a Garmin 60CSx that the arrow disappears. How it happened to me. I was on a trail ("off road" is selected) and I stopped and paged over to see the map page and when I paged back the arrow and info were gone. I started walking and holding it level and it never came back. Tried paging through no luck. Ended up turning it off and starting over. Sometimes this works sometimes not.

 

I haven't figured out if this is related to the problem of the arrow pointing in the wrong direction or not. That is a whole other issue that drives me up the wall. I have recalibrated so many times!!!!!! I'm caching with a friend with a 60cs and it's always right on so I just follow along even though mine is pointed in another direction. The feet are working so I use that. Just prefer the arrow.

[+pcunningham]

Exactly my experience as well. That's why I now leave it off and use a separate handheld compass for those relatively rare occasions I need a compass at all.

[+mtncachers]

Does anyone's garmin beep constantly while connected to the usb port? Even after pushing buttons it still beeps. It is so annoying. My cat actually comes over and bites me while I'm downloading.

Mine doesn't. It only beeps when I put the computer on Standby, or turn the computer off, before turning off the GPSr. The beep I hear is related to the external power being interrupted.

 

Garmin's Customer Service is excellent, so you could call them.

 

 

Thanks for the advice. I did call Garmin and they said the connection from the cable to my unit was loose and it needed to be sent in for repair or replacement. I connected it while talking to Garmin and my cat bit me again!!! I have other issues with the compass that they are going to look at as well. I'll be out of caching for 2 weeks! I better call my caching friends for backup.

[+mtncachers]

I'm not an expert but I have a Garmin 60CSx that the arrow disappears. How it happened to me. I was on a trail ("off road" is selected) and I stopped and paged over to see the map page and when I paged back the arrow and info were gone. I started walking and holding it level and it never came back. Tried paging through no luck. Ended up turning it off and starting over. Sometimes this works sometimes not.

 

I haven't figured out if this is related to the problem of the arrow pointing in the wrong direction or not. That is a whole other issue that drives me up the wall. I have recalibrated so many times!!!!!! I'm caching with a friend with a 60cs and it's always right on so I just follow along even though mine is pointed in another direction. The feet are working so I use that. Just prefer the arrow.

 

Called Garmin and they are having me send in my unit for repair/replacement. I'm glad I didn't get the run around.

[+pcunningham]

They've already replaced mine once so I'm living with it.

[+mtncachers]

They've already replaced mine once so I'm living with it.

 

So you are saying it's likely I'll have the same problem?

[+pcunningham]

I don't know. I did.

 

edited to clarify: I sent my original unit in for an inoperative backlight, not a compass problem. I noticed that it had an unreliable compass before I sent it in and that the replacement unit exhibited the same behavior. I thought they all worked that way, decided an unreliable compass was not a good thing, turned it off, and started using a standard handheld compass.

Edited May 21, 2007 by pcunningham

[+mtncachers]

I don't know. I did.

 

edited to clarify: I sent my original unit in for an inoperative backlight, not a compass problem. I noticed that it had an unreliable compass before I sent it in and that the replacement unit exhibited the same behavior. I thought they all worked that way, decided an unreliable compass was not a good thing, turned it off, and started using a standard handheld compass.

 

Well I'll say it knowing how dumb it is, but I don't even know how to use a regular compass to find a cache. So you can see why I rely on it. I guess I need to go back to Map101. Any quick tutorial to pass along my way. I wish I could withhold my name but it's out there now.

[+pcunningham]

There's a good tutorial here, and Garmin has a pdf on using a GPSr with a map here.

Edited May 21, 2007 by pcunningham

[+mtncachers]

There's a good tutorial here, and Garmin has a pdf on using a GPSr with a map here.

 

Thanks. I will educate myself.

[+GlobalRat]

Just some feedback since switching my compass off a week ago. Pure BLISS , caching without hassle and no disappearing pointers or GPSr sending me on a runaround.

[+kohldad]

After months of use, this past week my first issue with the dissapperaring pointer occurred. At first, turning compass on/off would work, then had to go to turning unit on/off would work, then nothing worked til I hooked it up to the computer again for navigating.

 

We started having more problems with it until finally it started working again. This would be in aligment with a loose connection.

 

One thing we did start doing was turn the unit off before plugging or unplugging the USB cable. This has seemed to solve the pointer problem but it may just be a coincendence with a sharp jolt that temporary fixed a loose connection.