Garmin GPSMAP 60 CSx - Compass Confusion

[outdoors4me]

Hello all,

 

I've had this little problem of my North Pointer in Map mode getting stuck in one position while walking. I can change directions and it stays frozen. The solution is to page forward to the compass page and then back. Works every time.

 

So I've done everything that Garmin and you helpful folks on Groundspeak have advised me to do which include....

 

Upgrading the OS from 3.5 to 3.6

Master Reset

Making sure the GPSr is not exposed to metal on my body like belt buckle, knife, etc..

 

So I see one more suggestion somewhere out there on the web - Turn off the electronic compass. Did that and it didn't work.

 

But my real question is this....

 

When I turned off the electronic compass, it (the compass) still seems to be pointing north. Also when I asked to GOTO a waypoint, the red arrow on the compass started navigating me that way. I turned the e-compass on and off several times with the PAGE button, so I know it was off.

 

So if I've turned off the e-compass, how is it still working?

 

Confused.

 

Thanks, Beck

[+JSWilson64]

You still get the "GPS-compass" even if the electronic compass is off. As long as you're moving, it can tell what direction you're facing, and display a pointer that way.

[+StarBrand]

You still get the "GPS-compass" even if the electronic compass is off. As long as you're moving, it can tell what direction you're facing, and display a pointer that way.

yup - doesn't work when standing still but works fine while moving. I can't stand the quirkiness of the electronic compass in my Colorado so I turned it off and went back to caching the same way i was used to with previous units.

[Grasscatcher]

Hello all,

 

I've had this little problem of my North Pointer in Map mode getting stuck in one position while walking. I can change directions and it stays frozen. The solution is to page forward to the compass page and then back. Works every time.

 

So I've done everything that Garmin and you helpful folks on Groundspeak have advised me to do which include....

 

Upgrading the OS from 3.5 to 3.6

Master Reset

Making sure the GPSr is not exposed to metal on my body like belt buckle, knife, etc..

 

hold it level So I see one more suggestion somewhere out there on the web - Turn off the electronic compass. Did that and it didn't work.

 

But my real question is this....

 

When I turned off the electronic compass, it (the compass) still seems to be pointing north. Also when I asked to GOTO a waypoint, the red arrow on the compass started navigating me that way. I turned the e-compass on and off several times with the PAGE button, so I know it was off.

 

So if I've turned off the e-compass, how is it still working?

 

Confused.

 

Thanks, Beck

 

Don't be confused...it's just that you have been given a whole bunch of "half information". There are WAY more people that think they know all about the compass and really don't know squat!

 

If you use the compass as it was intended, calibrated and held flat & level, preferably standing still, you won't have any compass "problems". That described above is really the only correct way to use the compass. Now, before you start walking toward your destination again using the GPS, Turn OFF the compass.

 

If you want to know which direction is what when standing still, then turn the compass on and calibrate it,

hold it level, and it will accurately tell you. You will note that this position is NOT the correct position for the GPS to function most accurately, which is near vertical. Held in THAT position, the Compass quits working.

It's kinda the law of physics, you can't hold the GPS in two different positions at the same time so in reality, the GPS and the compass can't both function accurately at the same time. Who cares anyway, the compass doesn't have a clue where to "go to" point is anyway. It only knows N,S,E,W, anywhere on earth.

 

The GPS determines your present location and you tell it the coordinates of a "go to" point and, when you start moving, the GPS displays a Red Arrow that points to that point. (the arrow will appear earlier while standing still but won't accurately point to the correct destination until you're moving)

 

NOTE: the RED ARROW is NOT the Compass. That is the Bearing or the Course pointer, that appears when you are actively navigating to a "Go To" point. When you do a Go To , the red arrow appears and if set on "Bearing" (SETUP,MAP,MENU, SECOND ICON FROM LEFT, GO TO LINE,BEARING) points to the chosen destination.

 

At least for a while, until you get your "head on straight", keep the compass OFF, use only North Up for map orientation, and set the "go to" pointer on Bearing.

 

Later you can experiment with other settings.

[+julianh]

If you want to know which direction is what when standing still, then turn the compass on and calibrate it,

hold it level, and it will accurately tell you. You will note that this position is NOT the correct position for the GPS to function most accurately, which is near vertical. Held in THAT position, the Compass quits working.

It's kinda the law of physics, you can't hold the GPS in two different positions at the same time so in reality, the GPS and the compass can't both function accurately at the same time. Who cares anyway, the compass doesn't have a clue where to "go to" point is anyway. It only knows N,S,E,W, anywhere on earth.

Technically true, but on the newer units with high sensitivity receivers, they will get a good signal in pretty well any orientation, under tree cover, shoved in a back-pack, etc.

 

If you have a recent Garmin unit with a high-sensitivity receiver and a magnetic compass, my advice would be:

 

1) Set the transition speed and delay time to something sensibly slow so that when walking or standing still, you will be using th magnetic compass; when cycling or driving, you will be using the GPS direction indicator. (5 km/hr & 15 seconds works for me.)

 

2) Get in the habit of always holding it horizontally when using the compass screen at slow walking speed.

 

Follow these rules, and everything should work fine. I don't worry about the extra battery drain from the compass on my Summit HC - I can easily get through a whole day on a single pair of NiMHs with the compass left on all day. When I did some actual current drain tests, turning the compass on and off made no discernible impact on the current drain from the batteries. Use of the back-light was the only thing that seemed to really affect the battery drain.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...=176064&hl=

 

Hope this helps!