Garmin GPSMap 64s Price Drop

[+BikeBill]

Pacific NW: Have you had any trouble with the compass on the 64s going out of calibration? I've heard this can be a problem but the 600 does that too, but only occasionally.

[Pacific NW]

Short answer: No.

 

Longer answer: With the latest firmware, the "stuck" compass issue seems to happen far, far less. I noticed it a lot more several firmware versions ago -- it would constantly need to be re-calibrated, otherwise it would lag and hang on a particular heading. For example: no matter how much you turned around when standing in one spot, the compass wouldn't budge more than 60-90 degrees. Another issue was the compass might briefly snap to another heading, etc. I think this was due to the GPS thinking you were moving, thanks to multipath, signal filtering, etc. Perhaps Garmin has tweaked that a bit, too.

Edited December 18, 2014 by Pacific NW

[+GrayHawk613]

What "kinks"?

[Pacific NW]

It would be nice to see improved filtering of data when sitting still. For example, the odometer still racks up quite a bit of distance when stationary. I know some of that is due to multipath, but I've seen other units (eTrex 10) seemingly handle it better. Also, caches with a size of "not chosen" / "unknown" will not initially show on the map until you go into the geocache filter options (despite all options already being turned on). And when viewing GPS 'accuracy' on the satellite screen, you might see 9 ft., but on the trip computer it shows 10 ft.; guessing that's due to rounding a number somewhere, as it's never off by more than a foot.

 

So overall, nothing that is really a deal-breaker, just things to be finessed and tweaked.

[+BikeBill]

<<...the odometer still racks up quite a bit of distance when stationary.>>

 

For the record, that's also a major complaint about the Oregon 6xx.

 

I took the new 64s out today to locate and repair a couple of my own caches. Both were back in the woods and the 64s took me right to them. The Oregon tends to make me walk past the cache and then narrow things down and have make me walk back.

Edited December 19, 2014 by BikeBill

[+GrayHawk613]

I think someone should contact Garmin about it.

[DavisonDave]

<<...the odometer still racks up quite a bit of distance when stationary.>>

 

For the record, that's also a major complaint about the Oregon 6xx.

 

I took the new 64s out today to locate and repair a couple of my own caches. Both were back in the woods and the 64s took me right to them. The Oregon tends to make me walk past the cache and then narrow things down and have make me walk back.

I have only seen the odometer racking up mileage after a reset but before starting to walk one or maybe twice. It was counting up not an all at ounce error like you would get if you reset before getting a lock. I watched it for a while to see if it would stop and it didn't. I then reset it again and it was OK. I think the problem is better with the new software but not fixed. I have only seen this on my 64s.

 

Don't trust the odometer. It can be off by a small or large amount. Reset your track log when you start and again when you are done. When you get home load it in BaseCamp and delete a point. Any point will work, or you can click on the first point hold shift and click on the next to last point. Or you can use the second to last points. Basecamp will then recalculate the mileage, average speed etc. The new number will be correct. It night only be off by .1 mile but other times it will be off by several miles.It could be higher or lower then the mileage shown before the recalculation. My 64s and etrex 20 both do this I don't know if it affects other Garmin GPSs. My 64s is new this year but looking back at the track logs I saved from the etrex 20 this is a new problem this year the tracks from last year and before are good.

[Pacific NW]

I think someone should contact Garmin about it.

 

OK, I nominate you. (just kidding)

 

I know lots of folks here, myself included, have been feeding Garmin info on the 64-series bugs over this past year. Hopefully, behind the scenes, they are taking them seriously and passing them to their software/firmware team.

[Pacific NW]

<<...the odometer still racks up quite a bit of distance when stationary.>>

 

For the record, that's also a major complaint about the Oregon 6xx.

 

I took the new 64s out today to locate and repair a couple of my own caches. Both were back in the woods and the 64s took me right to them. The Oregon tends to make me walk past the cache and then narrow things down and have make me walk back.

 

This is good to know, thanks! You just saved me (and my wallet) from trying out an Oregon 600-series.

 

Glad your 64S is performing well while caching. I think the recent price drop will put them in the hands of a lot more cachers.

[+JohnCNA]

The 64s is rocket ship fast on panning and zooming the map compared to the 60CSx.

 

 

That's the main reason I upgraded from an eTrex 30 to the 64s this year! With Garmin's 24K shaded topo maps, plus custom maps, trail and track overlays, the '30 was sometimes taking 10 seconds to redraw the screen if I panned the map. I loved the '30 otherwise. I was in the store after the 64's came out and saw that the screen redraws were practically instant, and I could pan across a large area without any screen lag. Went back with the SD card from my '30 the next day and tested the 64 with my exact maps and overlays. Zowie! Bought it on the spot. Have fun with yours.

[+JohnCNA]

The Oregon tends to make me walk past the cache and then narrow things down and have make me walk back.

 

You know, both my eTrex 30 and my new 64s tend to do this. It almost seems to be lagging 10 seconds behind where I am. I got in the habit of when it says I am 30 feet away, I stop and just start looking for possible locations. Very often, it may count down to 10-15 feet within another 10-30 seconds. If I would walk until it said I was 5 or 10 feet away and stop, within 10-30 seconds, it would say it was 20 feet behind me. I just thought it was the nature of the technology.

 

I usually have WAAS on. Could the averaging and correcting account for this? Takes a few seconds for the corrections to catch up or something?

[+GrayHawk613]

Have you changed the map speed?

[+GrayHawk613]

I think someone should contact Garmin about it.

 

OK, I nominate you. (just kidding)

 

I know lots of folks here, myself included, have been feeding Garmin info on the 64-series bugs over this past year. Hopefully, behind the scenes, they are taking them seriously and passing them to their software/firmware team.

 

OK I did.

[+GrayHawk613]

Bike Bill: Which screen is brighter? GPSMAP or Oregon?

[+BikeBill]

Its really somewhat close as far as brightness outside. Below are two pictures of both GPSr's. It's a cloudy day but I had to get under the shade of the porch to cut down on glare. The light is coming from the left. The first picture is with the backlights off, the second with the backlights all the way up.

 

 

 

The difference is even less when looking at the units in person as I couldn't get optimum viewing angle of both units at one time with the camera. But inside in low light, the 600 is definitely a bit brighter display with the backlight cranked up. Another difference is in the superior color of the Oregon 600.

 

If you can zoom in, you may be able to see jaggies on the map lines of the 64s BUT it turns out I had different maps in the two units. I put the Garmin 24K Topo map in the 64s and the jaggies went away.

 

On the other hand, the 64s pans and zooms faster than the 600. It also and seem to be more accurate and picks up more satellites (and hasn't crashed yet - but I haven't used it much).

Edited December 20, 2014 by BikeBill

[+GrayHawk613]

I really like the orange on the 64s.I wonder why Garmin would put orange on the 64s but just put gray on the 64st?

[+BikeBill]

<<I wonder why Garmin would put orange on the 64s but just put gray on the 64st?>>

 

Just a styling thing, I guess. The 62s sports the same (or similar) color.

[+GrayHawk613]

Can you use the 64s one-handed?

[+GrayHawk613]

And also:How hard do you have to press on a button to get a response?

[+BikeBill]

Yes, you can use the 64s one-handed and the button pushes are easy and responsive. I got one of these cases (mostly for protection when the unit's banging around in the car) and the buttons even work well through the plastic cover.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-11526-00-Slip-Case-GPSMAP/dp/B003TZBE94/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419181371&sr=8-1&keywords=garmin+62+case

 

The case description says it's for the 62 series but the exterior of the 64x seems to be identical and it works fine.

 

The only problem I had with the buttons on my similar 60CSx is that the letters/numbers wear off of them over time.

Edited December 21, 2014 by BikeBill

[+GrayHawk613]

Bike Bill and Pacific NW: What does the 64s do when you're driving? Does it beep or speak or what?

[+BikeBill]

I don't use it for driving and probably never will, but I think it's a beeper.

[+GrayHawk613]

Does the 64s show geocache attributes?

Edited December 22, 2014 by GrayHawk613

[+BikeBill]

Does the 64s show geocache attributes?

 

Ye, it's a paperless caching unit. It gives the recent logs, description, hint, etc. I think it gives all the same information that the 600 does.

[+Red90]

Does the 64s show geocache attributes?

 

None of the Garmin units have attribute display built in. You can get it to work with an appropriate GSAK macro though.

[+BikeBill]

Red90 is correct. When Grayhawk asked about 'attributes' I was just thinking of cache details. If you mean attributes like poison plants, night caching allowed, etc., then the answer is no.

[+GrayHawk613]

Yeah I meant Poison Plants,Night Caches,Park and Grab, etc.

[+GrayHawk613]

Have you found any geocaches with it yet? When outside do you turn the backlight on or just use the reflective screen?

[+GrayHawk613]

I think someone should contact Garmin about it.

 

OK, I nominate you. (just kidding)

 

I know lots of folks here, myself included, have been feeding Garmin info on the 64-series bugs over this past year. Hopefully, behind the scenes, they are taking them seriously and passing them to their software/firmware team.

I sure hope they are. This looks like the best 300-400$ range GPSr I've seen so far.

Edited December 23, 2014 by GrayHawk613

[+BikeBill]

I found three on Sunday. At the first I wandered around a bit (trees) but then the 64s found it within 5 feet (that particular CO generally has good coords). The next one was a LPC and the 64s took me right to it while still in the car. The last one had the hide off by about a 15 feet, but who knows whether that was me or the hider.

 

Unlike my 600, no freeze-ups!

[+GrayHawk613]

I bet it was the hider.

[+GrayHawk613]

Does the 64s show geocache attributes?

 

None of the Garmin units have attribute display built in. You can get it to work with an appropriate GSAK macro though.

Which macro?

[+Red90]

Which macro?

 

I use this one http://gsak.net/board/index.php?showtopic=7745&st=40entry211890

[+GrayHawk613]

Ok. Thanks.

[+ecanderson]

And if you don't need all of that, you can use CacheAttributes.gsk to front load a dummy first log with all of the attributes, too.

[+Mikkyp]

BikeBill, I see you have taken the big leap and purchased a GPSMAP64s. How is it going. I have had a problem with mine recently. A few times when I turn it on, the map screen dashboard instead of showing the GEOCACHING DETAILS shows 4 small data fields.

[+gpsblake]

I really like the orange on the 64s.I wonder why Garmin would put orange on the 64s but just put gray on the 64st?

 

To make it easier for you to lose and have to buy a replacement????

 

I have noticed with Garmins, the cheaper the mode, the more "bright" the color and harder to lose... The Etrex 10, Etrex H, Garmin GPSMAP 52 for example, bright yellow.. The Etrex 30 and Etrex Vista, 62sc, darker color, blends in making it harder to find.

 

edit: Magellan too, the Meridian and old Explorist series... cheaper models = bright colors

[+GrayHawk613]

Wierd.

[+BikeBill]

<<To make it easier for you to lose and have to buy a replacement????

 

I have noticed with Garmins, the cheaper the mode, the more "bright" the color and harder to lose... The Etrex 10, Etrex H, Garmin GPSMAP 52 for example, bright yellow.. The Etrex 30 and Etrex Vista, 62sc, darker color, blends in making it harder to find.

 

edit: Magellan too, the Meridian and old Explorist series... cheaper models = bright colors >>

 

Neon spray paint is cheap!

 

Mikkyp: I haven't had a problem like you described. I know there are options as to how the Geocaching screen comes up.

 

I'm just getting things dialed in myself. My latest discovery was digging into some onscure menus to get the 'found' caches to show up on the map. Why that wasn't the default, I don't know.

 

I've noticed that the 64s seems to have profiles that are simpler to work with than the 600. With the 600, I couldn't navigate to a waypoint (not a geocache) without changing to a different profile.

[+JohnCNA]

BikeBill, I see you have taken the big leap and purchased a GPSMAP64s. How is it going. I have had a problem with mine recently. A few times when I turn it on, the map screen dashboard instead of showing the GEOCACHING DETAILS shows 4 small data fields.

 

I have never had this problem with my 64s. The display is linked to the Profile, I think. So if you changed to a different profile, that might be responsible for the dashboard change.

 

Be advised that the Geocaching Dashboard only works as expected for Geocaches; it does not work as expected if you are navigating to a Waypoint such as multiple stages of a multicache, puzzle solutions, trailheads, parking, etc if they were saved as separate Waypoints. The compass on the Geocaching Dashboard will continue to point to the nearest geocache, not the Waypoint you have selected. This is not a bug, it's by design. Before the 64s, my eTrex 30 was the same way, so I suspect it is this way in any of the newer models.

 

[+GrayHawk613]

BikeBill, I see you have taken the big leap and purchased a GPSMAP64s. How is it going. I have had a problem with mine recently. A few times when I turn it on, the map screen dashboard instead of showing the GEOCACHING DETAILS shows 4 small data fields.

Have you checked the Manual?

[+gunnerb]

Good to hear you are liking the 64 so far.

 

There are still a few kinks to be worked out here and there with the firmware, but overall, it's a great unit. Yeah, the "basemap" (if you want to call it that) is nothing to write home about. Heck, the old eTrex Legend had a better basemap!

 

I keep getting drawn to the Oregon 600 for the higher-resolution screen, but honestly, the firmware lockups would probably drive me nuts. Have not had a single crash or lockup with the 64S.

[+gunnerb]

Couldn't help but read and reply to this thread. I used an Etrex legend, then a Garmin GPSMap 60Csx and loved it. The 60Csx went bad and the factory couldn't replace it even with a loaner. I opted to get a GPSmap 64s. I consider this the biggest mistake I've ever made with a GPS receiver. I've used a variety of receivers in both the Army, with another government agency and for personal use and find the 64s really needs a complete rework of the software/firmware. I find the my position Icon way too big for the screen, and the ability to view all the cache icons without being anywhere near them a hindrance. I like being able to see my loaded caches from a long way off not wait until I'm within a few hundred yards from it. I'm quite disappointed with the 64s. Used it about 3 times and just doesn't spin my wheels. It may have lots of new bells and whistles, but the 60Csx fit the bill much better for me.

Just my opinion

gunnerb

[+BikeBill]

<<I find the my position Icon way too big for the screen, and the ability to view all the cache icons without being anywhere near them a hindrance. I like being able to see my loaded caches from a long way off not wait until I'm within a few hundred yards from it.>>

 

I agree that the position icon is a bit big, but I'd rather have it that size than too small. I looked into changing it and that's apparently not easily possible.

 

Can you explain about the cache icons again? I'm not sure what you are describing. Maybe you need to adjust the zoom setting for the icons.

 

I started with a 60CSx too, and am happy with the 64s. It's definitely a more complex unit than the 60CSx, but is also more customizable. It's way faster and can hold lots more caches. You'd be even less pleased with an Oregon 600, from my experience.

Edited December 31, 2014 by BikeBill

[+GrayHawk613]

Bike Bill:What is the screen when you first turn on the GPSR after it's completed it's turning on process? In other words,what's the main screen?

[+BikeBill]

Bike Bill:What is the screen when you first turn on the GPSR after it's completed it's turning on process? In other words,what's the main screen?

 

Grayhawk: Under setup, you can set which pages are cycled through with the 'Page' button. You can also change the order. Whichever page you have at the top of the list is the one that appears after the unit boots up. For example, I have mine set to bring up the Map screen after boot-up. On the top of my map screen I have the compass dashboard. That's my favorite combination for Geocaching.

 

Currently, I have the following screens cycling through in this order: Map, Geocaches, Main Menu, Satellite, Compass and then it starts over. IIRC, I took Elevation out of the cycle and replaced it with Satellite.

Edited January 4, 2015 by BikeBill