60CSx and compass issues..or more than that?

[+Prof_Fate]

I've been caching for a couple of years now and moved from an eTrex Legend to a Vista with a compass on board.

Today I got a 60CSx and when working, the compass is accurate...but 3 times it just shut off...I turn it off and on (the magnetic compass) and the pointer comes back. Not sure why this happened.

 

First time was at home and I was just playing around a bit and payed little attention to it. The second time was when I handed it to my wife shortly after we got out of the car...was it in changeover mode? I don't know.

 

Third time my son was carrying it and then just no compass needle. The Pointer (one of the data boxes) was there and working, I had signal, just no compass pointer. I turned the mag compass off and on and then was careful to hold it level for the next 1/2 mile and I had no more issues.

 

Is this just an issue with 60CSx units, or something peculiar (aka broken-ish) on my unit? I bought it new from Amazon and have no idea if had been returned or not...

 

Another question while I got a braintrust here. I have a Maps CD (Garmin) that I got for my Vista a few years back (city streets type). Can it be loaded into the 60CSx or does it need some new format of a map??

 

One more thing...I got used to entering cache coords manually on the old vista (new computer had no serial port...). Anyway, for today's cache I entered it manually - how can I tell the GPS it's a cache, and how can I tell it i've "found" the cache? (yes, I'll be reading more of the manual tonite and tomorrow)

 

Any other advice is welcome!

 

Thanks!

[+julianh]

The red arrow is NOT the same thing as the pointer on a conventional compass. It is only active when you are navigating to a "Go To" or are on a "Route" or similar. If you are not navigating, then you don't get the red arrow. The outer "ring" bezel is the part that moves around like the pointer on a conventional compass.

 

Your old Garmin maps should work fine - as long as you have spare unlock codes for any that need them. Just load them up into Map Source.

 

To turn any waypoint into a Geocache, just edit the waypoint, and change the icon into the closed treasure chest (for an un-found cache), or an open treasure chest (for a found cache). When in geocaching mode, when you press the "Found" button, the icon switches from a closed chest to an open chest.

 

Hope this helps!

[+Prof_Fate]

I know how the pointer works - I was navigating to a waypoint and the pointer went away, but the GPS was still 'going' there on the map page and in one of the detail info boxes at the top of teh screen it can be set to display an arrow that points toward the waypoint and it was there, on the compass screen.

 

I finished reading the manual - apparently one can put more than one map on the card in the GPS. Cool!

 

I figured I had to change the icon...of teh 100+ on there, where is the treasure box hiding?

[+julianh]

I know how the pointer works - I was navigating to a waypoint and the pointer went away, but the GPS was still 'going' there on the map page and in one of the detail info boxes at the top of teh screen it can be set to display an arrow that points toward the waypoint and it was there, on the compass screen.

 

I finished reading the manual - apparently one can put more than one map on the card in the GPS. Cool!

 

I figured I had to change the icon...of teh 100+ on there, where is the treasure box hiding?

OK - I have no idea why the red pointer would come and go when you are navigating - sounds like a defect? (I don't get the red arrow if I lose satellite reception, and the unit loses its fix, but this never happens in the outdoors - only when I go indoors or similar.)

 

On my Summit HC, the geocache icons are in the "Outdoors" group. I would guess this is similar on a 60CSx.

[+pigpen4x4]

My first 60CSx did the same thing.

Usually on a hunt I would look down and the pointer would be gone.

Cycling it usually did the trick, but I finally had enough of it and did a warrenty exchange. When I called Garmin, I got of course "never heard of that". You might even get Amazon to exchange it for you.

If you exchange it, be sure it is perfect right away. I am on my 4th, but all for different reasons. This one does seem to work just fine.

Again, maps should work fine, just get a huge micro SD card.

PP4x4

[+geokitebuggy]

I've seen the compass needle disappear on my 76CSx occasionally and have correlated it to getting close to magnetic things like key containers. I haven't tried to do anything scientific, but my experience is that if the GPSr comes within 6-8 inches of a reasonably strong magnet, the compass loses calibration. All I do is recalibrate and things are ok again.

 

You may ask, why get the GPSr close to the magnet? Well, you find the container and open it. Set it down to sign the log and guess what, you need two hands free to sign. The GPSr get placed nearby, sometimes close enough to be affected. Yes, I know I could be more careful about the distance, but sometimes I'm not... Flames not necessary -

[Forkeye]

When you loose your compass needle ,be sure to check to see if you still have adequate sattilite reception.If you do not have a 2D or 3D fix you will not have a compass needle.There is a delay from when you loose a position fix untill you get an audible warning.If its drifting in and out of reception it could be your problem.Even though these units have very good receivers ,in a thick forrested area with the unit pointed toward the ground by your side ,you can still sometimes loose reception.

[Archangel_UK]

Dont depend solely on your GPS compass , carry a proper compass with you, they`re cheap and no weight,dont run batteries down and (short of destruction)will work 24/7

[+hogrod]

I thought this compass pointer disappearing issue was fixed with one of the more recent unit software updates, I would make sure you are running the latest.

 

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/downloads...145&pID=310

Edited March 27, 2008 by hogrod

[O-Mega]

I thought this compass pointer disappearing issue was fixed with one of the more recent unit software updates, I would make sure you are running the latest.

 

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/downloads...145&pID=310

 

The 60csx update fixed the problem for me for the most part. It still happens every once in awhile but few and far between. I have found that it is best (for me) to turn off the compass anyway. That way the arrow points to the cache and it is not bouncing around trying to decide in which direction I am walking. If I need to know a compass direction because of a cache clue then I will turn it back on, but that is very rare too.