GPS Garmin GPSMAP 66S

[+Ramblin_Man]

I am considering buying a new GPS  Garmin GPSMAP66s.   Does anyone have any comments concerning this model.   I have a Montana650 and find the touch screen a pain to deal with.  I have an old Garmin 60 GSMAP 60C and found that the buttons were very useful. I could use the unit with one hand.   Both of my GPS are have issue with the power buttons wearing out.  

 

The promo say the 66s is good for paperless Geocaching.  Does this mean I can download the logs and cache info onto the unit much like the Montana.  Any comments appreciated

[+Atlas Cached]

Yes, you can load geocaches to the GPSMAP 66 just like the Montana 6x0, but you can also load them directly to the GPSMAP 66 via GCLive, from any location, at any time. See more info about the GPSMAP 66 here.

[+Atlas Cached]

You may also want to consider the GPSMAP 66sr while you are looking!

[+Timpat]

I have the 66i (with InReach) and it's the first Garmin I trusted out of the box. I would previously carry my trusted 60c, 62S, 64S along as backup. Not with the 66! It does it all and then some.

[+Atlas Cached]

57 minutes ago, Timpat said:

I have the 66i (with InReach) and it's the first Garmin I trusted out of the box. I would previously carry my trusted 60c, 62S, 64S along as backup. Not with the 66! It does it all and then some.

 

The GPSMAP 66i is essentially a GPSMAP 66s/st with additional inReach capabilities. If the user does not require or desire inReach services that require a subscription, the GPSMAP 66sr is a much more accurate and precise GPS receiver.

[Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide]

On 12/2/2020 at 8:53 AM, Ramblin_Man said:

I am considering buying a new GPS  Garmin GPSMAP66s.   Does anyone have any comments concerning this model. 

 

SAIL (in Canada) had the 66S as a Black Friday door crasher last weekend for $300 Cd. I didn't know I needed a new gps when I started the day, but I knew I had to have one. And when I got home, my wife sent me back to get one for her too.  Bought silicone bumper cases for them from Amazon, red for my wife's and black for me, so we can tell them apart.

 

I like it a lot. 

 

Like you, I also have Montanas though unlike you, I love the touchscreen on that. Happy to go with the 66 buttons though, as the touchscreen on my  eTrex Touch 35 is not great.

[+Atlas Cached]

35 minutes ago, Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide said:

I also have Montanas though unlike you, I love the touchscreen on that. Happy to go with the 66 buttons though, as the touchscreen on my  eTrex Touch 35 is not great.

 

Sounds like you also have a pretty healthy collection of Garmin GPSr.

 

[Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide]

On 12/5/2020 at 10:49 AM, Atlas Cached said:

 

Sounds like you also have a pretty healthy collection of Garmin GPSr.

 

 

We have the following: 

• Nuvi 1450LM
• Nuvi 780
• DriveLuxe 50LMTHD
• Nuvi 2597LMT
• Monterra
• 2X Montana 650
• 2X eTrex Touch 35
• 2X 66S

So yes, a pretty healthy collection indeed. The two Touch 35 units are gone now. Sold one, gave the other to my son.

Edited December 18, 2020 by Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide

[+Atlas Cached]

On 12/5/2020 at 9:18 AM, Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide said:

We have the following: 

 

 

Nice collection!

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by Atlas Cached

[Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide]

Has anyone noticed that the Trip Computer window allows you to reduce or increase the number of visible fields while you're in the screen by pressing the + or -,buttons? The lower text fields, ie the ones not in the Dashboard area, can go from 2 large fields to 8 small ones. This could be handy.

 

Seems like a bit of an Easter Egg.

Edited December 18, 2020 by Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide

[+Cheminer Will]

I had not noticed that. Thanks!

[+Mineral2]

Not only that, but if it's anything like the Oregon 600/700, you can add multiple pages to the trip computer.

[+dprovan]

On 12/18/2020 at 6:18 AM, Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide said:

Has anyone noticed that the Trip Computer window allows you to reduce or increase the number of visible fields while you're in the screen by pressing the + or -,buttons? The lower text fields, ie the ones not in the Dashboard area, can go from 2 large fields to 8 small ones. This could be handy.

 

Seems like a bit of an Easter Egg.

So *that's* why my layout suddenly changed to something I don't want for no apparent reason: I must have put my GPSr in my pocket with the trip computer screen up and "-" got accidentally pushed. I couldn't find any control to change it back, and I've been stuck with it ever since. I couldn't find anything in the user interface that told me how to control that, and I never would have thought of typing "+". Thanks a lot for letting me know. Another 66 mystery solved!

[Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide]

So my 66S stopped syncing my activities in Garmin Connect recently. I tried everything to make it work again including contacting Product.support but after 5 days, I threw in the towel and did a factory reset. Unfortunately the reset does wipe everything out and go back to the new configuration, but at least it did fix the problem.

 

[+2quigs]

I've had the 66s for about 5 months.  I like the new Wifi and Bluetooth features. Also the glove friendly buttons are a plus.  Live tracking is a great feature that I use regularly.  You can go hiking alone and family members or anyone you choose can view your track in real time.  This feature works in conjunction with Garmin Connect through your phone's bluetooth.  Won't work in "expedition mode" though.  I use lithium batteries and find them pretty good but I have noticed that the batteries will show about half power or less after 5 or 6 hours of use.  Then when I turn it on again they're back up to full power.  Anyone else notice that?

[+Atlas Cached]

45 minutes ago, 2quigs said:

I use lithium batteries and find them pretty good but I have noticed that the batteries will show about half power or less after 5 or 6 hours of use.  Then when I turn it on again they're back up to full power.  Anyone else notice that?

 

Are you configuring Setup > System > Battery Type = Lithium?

[+2quigs]

Yes

[Tahoe Skier5000]

On 12/2/2020 at 4:41 PM, Atlas Cached said:

 

The GPSMAP 66i is essentially a GPSMAP 66s/st with additional inReach capabilities. If the user does not require or desire inReach services that require a subscription, the GPSMAP 66sr is a much more accurate and precise GPS receiver.

 

If I remember correctly, the 66i only comes with a built-in lithium battery, whereas the 66s supports AA batteries. IMO, being stuck with a built-in, non replaceable battery is a complete deal breaker.

 

I would strongly lean towards the 66s, and if needed, get a spot communicator separately.

Edited February 24, 2021 by Tahoe Skier5000

[+Atlas Cached]

1 minute ago, Tahoe Skier5000 said:

IMO, being stuck with a built-in, non replaceable battery is a complete deal breaker.

 

I used to think the same thing.

 

Until I started using a GPSMAP 66sr.

 

This subject has been discussed in great detail in this thread, and many other threads.

 

The internal battery in the GPSMAP 66i and GPSMAP 66sr offer a substantially longer run time, and provide a much more stable and reliable power supply for the device.

 

If one can carry additional 'back-up' AA batteries for those longer off-grid trips, once can just as easily carry a small USB power bank (which will be needed less often).

 

You can use the search bar to find those discussions.

[+dprovan]

5 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

I used to think the same thing.

 

Until I started using a GPSMAP 66sr.

 

This subject has been discussed in great detail in this thread, and many other threads.

 

The internal battery in the GPSMAP 66i and GPSMAP 66sr offer a substantially longer run time, and provide a much more stable and reliable power supply for the device.

 

If one can carry additional 'back-up' AA batteries for those longer off-grid trips, once can just as easily carry a small USB power bank (which will be needed less often).

 

You can use the search bar to find those discussions.

I assumed Tahoe Skier5000 was worried about what happens when the battery's lifetime is up, not what happens when the fixed source of power runs out and needs to be recharged. He says the battery is not replaceable, but you say you can carry spare AAs. How does that work? The specs on garmin.com don't talk about AA batteries. My 66st would have been a brick if I couldn't replace the lithium batteries when the first set faded out after a year. Well, I suppose I could use it with a wire running to an external battery in my pocket, but I think I might have given up geocaching if that was my only option.

[Tahoe Skier5000]

23 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

 

I used to think the same thing.

 

Until I started using a GPSMAP 66sr.

 

This subject has been discussed in great detail in this thread, and many other threads.

 

The internal battery in the GPSMAP 66i and GPSMAP 66sr offer a substantially longer run time, and provide a much more stable and reliable power supply for the device.

 

If one can carry additional 'back-up' AA batteries for those longer off-grid trips, once can just as easily carry a small USB power bank (which will be needed less often).

 

You can use the search bar to find those discussions.

 

It's not the battery life, it's the longevity of the GPSr. DPRovan is correct. I am rather passionate in my dislike of non-replaceable battery packs lol. The manufacturers, not the consumers, are the main primary winners with that design decision.

 

In my experience, lithium ion batteries will usually run about 2-3 years at max capacity, and start to degrade quickly after that. At 5 years, the battery will have significantly less capacity than when new, which may become a reliability concern if you plan on using your GPS on long hikes/camping trips. Having to carry around a separate charging pack is not the same as being able to quickly pop in a fresh set of AA batteries. Trying to equate the two options is silly IMO... one is instant and convenient, the other requires either having to juggle an awkward charging pack with your GPS while operating it, or waiting an hour or more to charge the GPS before using. 

 

The biggest problem with non-replaceable batteries though is that they force you to upgrade your product in a relatively short period of time. Case in point, I purchased a Garmin Fenix 5 watch a few years ago (2017) for something like $300-400. The battery is already noticeably degraded... I get about half the runtime I did when new. That's just unacceptable for the price paid, and also incredibly annoying knowing that I will either have to ship it back to garmin to have them replace the battery, or fork over another $400-500 for a new version. No thanks!

[+Atlas Cached]

32 minutes ago, Tahoe Skier5000 said:

Having to carry around a separate charging pack is not the same as being able to quickly pop in a fresh set of AA batteries. Trying to equate the two options is silly IMO... one is instant and convenient, the other requires either having to juggle an awkward charging pack with your GPS while operating it, or waiting an hour or more to charge the GPS before using.

 

I regularly get two to three days of use from my GPSMAP 66sr before it gets low enough to need recharging.

 

But this is never really an issue, as I have to sleep at some point each day, during which time I can connect an external charger of my liking to 'top-off' the battery.

 

In practice, I almost never see my GPSMAP 66sr drop below 50% charge.

 

 

39 minutes ago, Tahoe Skier5000 said:

The biggest problem with non-replaceable batteries though is that they force you to upgrade your product in a relatively short period of time.

 

This is a false argument, and has been covered several times here already. 

 

Six torx screws and 5 minutes of your time is all that is required to replace the battery yourself.

 

Of course, if you are uncomfortable with that, you can pay a premium to allow someone else to do it for you.

 

Those who wish to find difficulty and adversity in life, will.

[+Mineral2]

33 minutes ago, Atlas Cached said:

This is a false argument, and has been covered several times here already. 

 

Six torx screws and 5 minutes of your time is all that is required to replace the battery yourself.

 

Of course, if you are uncomfortable with that, you can pay a premium to allow someone else to do it for you.

 

Those who wish to find difficulty and adversity in life, will.

I still think it's poor design to force someone to open their device and expose the logic board in order to replace the battery. Garmin could have made a more user-friendly swappable battery that doesn't require buying extra tools (most people don't have a torx screwdriver just lying around at home).

[+Atlas Cached]

2 hours ago, Mineral2 said:

I still think it's poor design to force someone to open their device and expose the logic board in order to replace the battery. Garmin could have made a more user-friendly swappable battery that doesn't require buying extra tools (most people don't have a torx screwdriver just lying around at home).

 

Well, you know what they say....

 

"A man convinced against their will is of the same opinion still!"

[+dprovan]

3 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

This is a false argument, and has been covered several times here already. 

 

Six torx screws and 5 minutes of your time is all that is required to replace the battery yourself.

I haven't seen this covered here before once, let along several times, but thanks for clarifying. Assuming the procedure you're describing is supported and documented in the manual, I agree this is a satisfactory solution. Impossible to replace is entirely different than not easily replaced. Being able to replace the battery in the field is a useful feature, but not one I consider critical as long as the battery power lasts for a day. But I also understand that this might be a deal breaker for others that are considering the 66ir precisely because they spend a lot of time away from civilization.

[+Atlas Cached]

4 minutes ago, dprovan said:

I haven't seen this covered here before once,

 

Type "torx" into the search bar at the top of this page....

 

I get 37 results.

[+The Jester]

My question is, would opening the unit negate any warranty?  

[+Mineral2]

Just now, The Jester said:

My question is, would opening the unit negate any warranty?  

Probably. But also by the time you need to replace the battery, the warranty is long expired.

[+Atlas Cached]

Just now, The Jester said:

My question is, would opening the unit negate any warranty?  

 

It won't be in warranty when the battery finally needs to be replaced, and if the battery does fail while in warranty,  you are going to send it to Garmin anyway!

 

So many people here working so hard to find adversity....

[Tahoe Skier5000]

13 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

 

I regularly get two to three days of use from my GPSMAP 66sr before it gets low enough to need recharging.

 

But this is never really an issue, as I have to sleep at some point each day, during which time I can connect an external charger of my liking to 'top-off' the battery.

 

In practice, I almost never see my GPSMAP 66sr drop below 50% charge.

 

Of course, your GPS is still new. Report back with battery life after 2-3 years of use.  

 

My 14 year old PN-40 and 18 year old Garmin Legend still get the same battery life they did when new. You can even remove the batteries, store the GPRs for years, then pop in a fresh set of AAs and you will get the same reliable battery life right away. You simply can't do that with built-in rechargeable batteries. They will degrade over time, and after 5 years of sitting in a closet, battery life will be significantly lower when the unit is fired back up again. In such a scenario it would also be difficult to gauge the level of battery loss right away, so if you had planned to resurrect the GPS for a backpacking trip or whatever, you would have a difficult time guesstimating how long it would last on a charge, and that's just not cool for a device is that supposed to be purpose-built for outdoor adventures.

 

Quote

 

This is a false argument, and has been covered several times here already. 

 

Six torx screws and 5 minutes of your time is all that is required to replace the battery yourself.

 

Of course, if you are uncomfortable with that, you can pay a premium to allow someone else to do it for you.

 

 

However, that is not something Garmin officially supports. By opening the device, you are doing so at your own risk. Also, there's no guarantee there will be a proprietary replacement battery available in 3, 5, 10 years from now.

 

Sealed, non-replaceable batteries are just an all-around no-no for GPSrs in my book. 

[+The Jester]

On 2/25/2021 at 12:02 PM, Atlas Cached said:

 

It won't be in warranty when the battery finally needs to be replaced, and if the battery does fail while in warranty,  you are going to send it to Garmin anyway!

 

So many people here working so hard to find adversity....

Unless it has a quirk like my 66s, every once in a while it will freeze up - turns off and only by disconnecting it from any and all power sources (i.e.. remove a battery) will it restart.  I've yet to track what causes it as I haven't seen it happen, only notice it's blank screen at some point (maybe it's pouting because I'm not paying enough attention to it?? )

[+dprovan]

On 2/25/2021 at 9:51 AM, Atlas Cached said:

 

Type "torx" into the search bar at the top of this page....

 

I get 37 results.

Stop being a jerk. None of those (except the ones in this thread) are about the 66si.

[+Atlas Cached]

32 minutes ago, dprovan said:

Stop being a jerk. None of those (except the ones in this thread) are about the 66si.

 

Most (if not all) of those posts are related to the subject matter, which is replacing internal batteries in mobile devices, some of them from as far back as twenty years ago.

 

This subject matter is not a new or unique discussion, as many of us have been doing it for decades.

 

Not sure how that translates into 'being a jerk'?

[+Atlas Cached]

1 hour ago, The Jester said:

Unless it has a quirk like my 66s, every once in a while it will freeze up - turns off and only by disconnecting it from any and all power sources (i.e.. remove a battery) will it restart.  I've yet to track what causes it as I haven't seen it happen, only notice it's blank screen at some point (maybe it's pouting because I'm not paying enough attention to it?? )

 

If and when that should happen on an internally powered Garmin GPSr, pressing and holding the power button for 10-30 seconds (depending on the model) will have the same affect as removing and reinstalling the AA batteries in your GPSMAP 66s.

[+dprovan]

12 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

Most (if not all) of those posts are related to the subject matter, which is replacing internal batteries in mobile devices, some of them from as far back as twenty years ago.

 

The topic here is the 66s. I said I'd never seen this point raised before, and you "corrected" me by pointing to 37 posts that I never would have read because I don't care and never have cared about any of those devices. I'm guessing the OP is in the same boat. Anyway, thanks again for clarifying even though you felt like we should have been able to work out for ourselves that there was a way to replace the battery. I didn't see anything about that in the specs on the Garmin site, so I thought the OP's conclusion was reasonable.

[+ecanderson]

I can usually smell a fellow beta tester from a mile away (comes with being one myself), and understand that there tends to be a 'home field' issue that arises from time to time.  Not that Garmin's devices often need a real defense, but understand, folks, that there's always likely to be a different point of view and some additional bias from time to time when a person works with a particular product line with a particular company on a regular basis.  It comes with the territory.

 

[+2quigs]

With the Garmin GPSMap66s, there's an option of using different satellite systems ie. GPS, GPS +GLONASS or GALILEO.  Since this is a new feature on newer GPS receivers, I was just wondering what others might think of this...

 

If I hide a geocache and mark it using a combination of satellite systems (which is supposed to be more accurate) would the cache coordinates appear "off" for someone looking for it using only GPS satellites?  I have noticed that caches appear to be "off" when I'm using both GPS and GLONASS together when looking for caches that were most likely placed using only the one system.  Any thoughts... 

[+luvvinbird]

2 hours ago, 2quigs said:

With the Garmin GPSMap66s, there's an option of using different satellite systems ie. GPS, GPS +GLONASS or GALILEO.  Since this is a new feature on newer GPS receivers, I was just wondering what others might think of this...

 

If I hide a geocache and mark it using a combination of satellite systems (which is supposed to be more accurate) would the cache coordinates appear "off" for someone looking for it using only GPS satellites?  I have noticed that caches appear to be "off" when I'm using both GPS and GLONASS together when looking for caches that were most likely placed using only the one system.  Any thoughts... 

I recently changed all of my so-enabled GPS receivers to GPS + GLONASS and they also have WAAS/EGNOS turned on. I did it through a suggestion from these forums by contributors that I think are very knowledgeable. Some cache owners place caches and average their readings and/or test their numbers by walking away and then navigating back to GZ, which generally results in us getting closer to the prize. Others aren't quite as exacting meaning it could be anywhere in a 15 foot radius, lol. In essence, here in Ontario at least, I'm finding that so far, increased accuracy in placing or finding appears negligible. 

[+Atlas Cached]

2 hours ago, 2quigs said:

With the Garmin GPSMap66s, there's an option of using different satellite systems ie. GPS, GPS +GLONASS or GALILEO.  Since this is a new feature on newer GPS receivers, I was just wondering what others might think of this...

 

If I hide a geocache and mark it using a combination of satellite systems (which is supposed to be more accurate) would the cache coordinates appear "off" for someone looking for it using only GPS satellites?  I have noticed that caches appear to be "off" when I'm using both GPS and GLONASS together when looking for caches that were most likely placed using only the one system.  Any thoughts... 

 

Most modern Garmin GPSr allow GPS, GPS + GLONASS, or GPS + Galileo, as well as WAAS/EGNOS operation.

 

You will find that GLONASS is the least accurate of all three, and may actually degrade your accuracy when compared to using GPS only. If you are in clear enough area to receive multiple GPS satellite signals (6 or more), you likely will not benefit from enabling GLONASS, and may actually hamper your efforts by doing so.

 

Galileo is the newest of the three, and the most accurate. In my experience, enabling Galileo with GPS always results in a better fix.

 

Also, I always enable WAAS/EGNOS to further refine my location signal. This should always be enabled, as it will never degrade your accuracy, only improve it.

 

Two new Garmin GPSr, the GPSMAP 65 and 66sr include a new Multi-GNSS receiver that allows all available satellites (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, NavIC, QZSS) to be used for position reporting, and also includes Multi-Band technology that allows the receiver to use multiple signals from each satellite on different frequencies (not supported by GLONASS) for much improved accuracy over traditional receivers. 

 

It will not matter which satellite constellations you are using to hide the geocache or which the finder is using to search for the geocache, as they all work to provide similar results. The only difference will be how accurate each users receiver was during use.

 

Much more detailed information is available at GPSrChive > GNSS.

[+luvvinbird]

19 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

 

Most modern Garmin GPSr allow GPS, GPS + GLONASS, or GPS + Galileo, as well as WAAS/EGNOS operation.

 

You will find that GLONASS is the least accurate of all three, and may actually degrade your accuracy when compared to using GPS only. If you are in clear enough area to receive multiple GPS satellite signals (6 or more), you likely will not benefit from enabling GLONASS, and may actually hamper your efforts by doing so.

 

Galileo is the newest of the three, and the most accurate. In my experience, enabling Galileo with GPS always results in a better fix.

 

Also, I always enable WAAS/EGNOS to further refine my location signal. This should always be enabled, as it will never degrade your accuracy, only improve it.

 

Two new Garmin GPSr, the GPSMAP 65 and 66sr include a new Multi-GNSS receiver that allows all available satellites (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, NavIC, QZSS) to be used for position reporting, and also includes Multi-Band technology that allows the receiver to use multiple signals from each satellite on different frequencies (not supported by GLONASS) for much improved accuracy over traditional receivers. 

 

It will not matter which satellite constellations you are using to hide the geocache or which the finder is using to search for the geocache, as they all work to provide similar results. The only difference will be how accurate each users receiver was during use.

 

Much more detailed information is available at GPSrChive > GNSS.

I've now changed both of my 66's to GPS + Galileo and disabled GLONASS to just GPS on my 64 series receivers. I always trust AC's advise and I'm looking forward to some further testing. Will this eliminate my DNF problem, lol? 

[+Atlas Cached]

LOL, we can not blame the GPSr for our DNF's 

[+Capt. Bob]

22 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

 

Also, I always enable WAAS/EGNOS to further refine my location signal. This should always be enabled, as it will never degrade your accuracy, only improve it.

 

 

I think you are confusing accuracy with precision.  WAAS/EGNOS only provides additional information on ionospheric conditions that affect the precision of your GPSr. This, when combined with the GPSr’s determined DOP (Dilution Of Precision), is displayed as an EPE (Estimated Positional Error) circle on the GPSr.  The worse this combined error is the larger the EPE circle becomes.  However, as long as the waypoint is within this circle you can’t say anything about the waypoint’s accuracy because it falls within the limits of precision. 

If the actual waypoint falls outside of the EPE circle only then the accuracy of the coordinates can be called into question.  The “machine” (precision) has done its job but the “human” (accuracy) didn’t do their job.  So either the hider failed to publish good coordinates or the seeker failed to use their GPSr properly.

[+Atlas Cached]

Maybe, maybe not....

 

From Garmin website:

 

"WAAS/EGNOS - The device will acquire a GPS satellite fix, and is able to provide better accuracy by connecting to WAAS or EGNOS satellites, if available"

 

I'm sure Garmin are also wrong, and have no clue about how GPS things work....

[+Capt. Bob]

Accuracy (a relative term) is a marketing buzzword that helps to sell their product, however the GPSr is not accurate, it is precise.   Accuracy relies on the quality of input data.  In this case it is the signals, WAAS/EGNOS (and AGPS for phones), that improve accuracy by improving the data.  In other words, don’t blame the GPSr for inaccurate solutions it only crunches numbers it receives whether from satellites or humans.

[+Atlas Cached]

59 minutes ago, Capt. Bob said:

Accuracy relies on the quality of input data.  In this case it is the signals, WAAS/EGNOS (and AGPS for phones), that improve accuracy by improving the data. 

 

Yes, I thought that is what I said before you corrected me...

 

On 3/27/2021 at 10:19 AM, Atlas Cached said:

I always enable WAAS/EGNOS to further refine my location signal. This should always be enabled, as it will never degrade your accuracy, only improve it.

 

21 hours ago, Capt. Bob said:

I think you are confusing accuracy with precision.

 

[+2quigs]

Thanks to everyone for the input here.  I still find it hard to understand though how a GPSr using "GPS + Galileo"  for example, and a GPSr using only "GPS" wouldn't show 2 different sets of coordinates.  In my tests, I've noticed a difference of 10 to 15 metres.

[Tahoe Skier5000]

On 3/27/2021 at 7:06 AM, 2quigs said:

With the Garmin GPSMap66s, there's an option of using different satellite systems ie. GPS, GPS +GLONASS or GALILEO.  Since this is a new feature on newer GPS receivers, I was just wondering what others might think of this...

 

It's nothing more than a marketing gimmick IMHO. 

 

I have greater trust in GPS (our US system) from a reliability and overall quality perspective, and reliability is paramount with something like GPS. I've never had a problem in all the years I've been geocaching with it, and the accuracy has always been more than sufficient. Why change if it works just fine? 

 

That's just me though. 

 

 

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by Tahoe Skier5000

[+Atlas Cached]

On 3/27/2021 at 7:06 AM, 2quigs said:

With the Garmin GPSMap66s, there's an option of using different satellite systems ie. GPS, GPS +GLONASS or GALILEO.  Since this is a new feature on newer GPS receivers, I was just wondering what others might think of this...

 

21 minutes ago, Tahoe Skier5000 said:

It's nothing more than a marketing gimmick IMHO. 

 

This is not a 'New Feature'. Garmin introduced the worlds first consumer grade Multi-GNSS receiver in May of 2011, the eTrex x0 series. This means 'Multi-GNSS' capability has been available for about half the total amount of time usable GPS technology has been available to the public.

 

 

15 hours ago, 2quigs said:

I still find it hard to understand though how a GPSr using "GPS + Galileo"  for example, and a GPSr using only "GPS" wouldn't show 2 different sets of coordinates. 

 

All GNSS constellations are working to provide their users with the same product: Location based information. They all use the same universally accepted reference systems to provide that data. Having access to more than one constellation only means the device has a larger 'pool' of satellite signals from which to correlate their location. 

 

 

21 minutes ago, Tahoe Skier5000 said:

I have greater trust in GPS (our US system) from a reliability and overall quality perspective, and reliability is paramount with something like GPS. I've never had a problem in all the years I've been geocaching with it, and the accuracy has always been more than sufficient. Why change if it works just fine? 

 

Reliability is important, sure. But when have any of the other GNSS constellations been unreliable?

 

In an open field with clear view of the sky, any single system can provide sufficient positional accuracy and precision. It is when obstructions like deep canyon walls, tall skyscrapers, heavy tree over, etc. exist that having more than one constellation of satellites becomes a paramount and necessary feature.

 

 

15 hours ago, 2quigs said:

In my tests, I've noticed a difference of 10 to 15 metres.

 

Please share some of your data. I would like to see why you are seeing such anomalies.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 31, 2021 by Atlas Cached