Pocket queries don't download properly

September 23, 2021

I have recently acquired the Garmin GPSMAP 64sx and have had much success with it. I previously owned a Garmin Oregon and a Dakota, as well. I also own a Magellan eXplorist 510 and am still getting use to it, but don't find it as user-friendly as the Garmins.

Randomly, I have had difficulty downloading my pocket queries to the Garmin 64. It downloads no problem to the Magellan and actually it "appears" to be downloaded to the Garmin according to my computer. I can see the caches downloaded but when I disconnect and take it to the field, I find that the file is empty.

Tonight, I have tried several times to download using both a desktop and a laptop, and while the directory shows that the pocket queries have downloaded, when I turn on the GPS they do not show up or have vanished. I even tried downloading individual GPX from the website - but to no avail.

Does anyone have any suggestions, please?

11.6k · September 23, 2021

Do the files on the device contain cache info? You can check with a word processor. Are you saying you place the same files on other devices and the caches show up just fine?

Give the PC a little extra time to close the file, or try the computer’s Eject drive function, before unplugging the USB cable. If your problem happens at random, files not closing properly could explain it.

Caches beyond about 60 miles from where the GPS thinks it is, will not automatically display. You must scroll the map or get closer.

It’s possible to have filters set that you didn’t know became set. Geocaches can be just about completely hidden from view.

Sometimes cache files become all waypoints on some devices. At least I’ve seen threads about that. I guess it’s a database thing.

Edited September 23, 2021 by kunarion

2.7k · September 23, 2021

37 minutes ago, jrwallnuts said:

Randomly, I have had difficulty downloading my pocket queries to the Garmin 64.

What process, step-by-step, are you using to get your PQs onto the GPSMAP 64?

37 minutes ago, jrwallnuts said:

I can see the caches downloaded but when I disconnect and take it to the field, I find that the file is empty.

Where are you looking on the GPSMAP 64 to find geocaches?

What filters do you have enabled?

38 minutes ago, jrwallnuts said:

Tonight, I have tried several times to download using both a desktop and a laptop, and while the directory shows that the pocket queries have downloaded, when I turn on the GPS they do not show up or have vanished. I even tried downloading individual GPX from the website - but to no avail.

What is "The Directory"?

Geocache GPX files must be placed into either the [GPSr:]/Garmin/GPX or [microSD:]/Garmin/GPX/ directories.

Geocache GGZ files must be placed into either the [GPSr:]/Garmin/GGZ or [microSD:]/Garmin/GGZ/ directories.

Are you first unzipping the downloaded PQs, then moving the unzipped GPX files to the device?

6.8k · September 23, 2021

3 hours ago, kunarion said:

or try the computer’s Eject drive function, before unplugging the USB cable.

This. Computers often use lazy writes, where data is written to a holding buffer in memory rather than going directly to the device. This has quite a few advantages, as writes to physical drives, particularly the old mechanical ones, are quite slow, so the buffer's contents could be slowly written out to the device in the background while the user got on with other things. It also allows multiple writes to be consolidated into one. The problem is with removable drives, if the device is unplugged before the buffer is flushed out, you end up with empty files on the device. I've heard that, in Windows 10, lazy writes are disabled on removable drives, but I can't vouch for the accuracy of that, and in any case it's still good practice to always eject the device from the operating system before unplugging it, just to be sure everything that was meant to be written actually got written.

September 23, 2021

8 hours ago, kunarion said:

Do the files on the device contain cache info? You can check with a word processor. Are you saying you place the same files on other devices and the caches show up just fine?

Give the PC a little extra time to close the file, or try the computer’s Eject drive function, before unplugging the USB cable. If your problem happens at random, files not closing properly could explain it.

Caches beyond about 60 miles from where the GPS thinks it is, will not automatically display. You must scroll the map or get closer.

It’s possible to have filters set that you didn’t know became set. Geocaches can be just about completely hidden from view.

Sometimes cache files become all waypoints on some devices. At least I’ve seen threads about that. I guess it’s a database thing.

Thanks for your questions -

Yes - when I run new queries, I load them to a Garmin and a Magellan. They are working fine in the Magellan...

8 hours ago, kunarion said:

Do the files on the device contain cache info? You can check with a word processor. Are you saying you place the same files on other devices and the caches show up just fine?

Give the PC a little extra time to close the file, or try the computer’s Eject drive function, before unplugging the USB cable. If your problem happens at random, files not closing properly could explain it.

Caches beyond about 60 miles from where the GPS thinks it is, will not automatically display. You must scroll the map or get closer.

It’s possible to have filters set that you didn’t know became set. Geocaches can be just about completely hidden from view.

Sometimes cache files become all waypoints on some devices. At least I’ve seen threads about that. I guess it’s a database thing.

September 23, 2021

8 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

What process, step-by-step, are you using to get your PQs onto the GPSMAP 64?

Where are you looking on the GPSMAP 64 to find geocaches?

What filters do you have enabled?

What is "The Directory"?

Geocache GPX files must be placed into either the [GPSr:]/Garmin/GPX or [microSD:]/Garmin/GPX/ directories.

Geocache GGZ files must be placed into either the [GPSr:]/Garmin/GGZ or [microSD:]/Garmin/GGZ/ directories.

Are you first unzipping the downloaded PQs, then moving the unzipped GPX files to the device?

I believe, I am correctly moving my PQs onto the GSMAP 64. I have been a cacher for 3 years and have not had this much grief. I have downloaded the same PQ to a Magellan and it is working just fine. I feel like their is some kind of glich with the Garmin. The directory I am referring to is the file that opens in my File explorer when I connect my GPS to my computer. Whether I am trying to download to the Garmin or the Magellan, one shows up in USB Drive (F:) or (G:). - sorry maybe I used the wrong terminology.

2.7k · September 23, 2021

These may sound basic and stupid, but just to cover all of our bases:

1. Are you unzipping the PQ first? Garmin devices can't read the Zip file.

2. Are you putting the .gpx files in the GPX folder?

11.6k · September 23, 2021

9 minutes ago, jrwallnuts said:

I believe, I am correctly moving my PQs onto the GSMAP 64. I have been a cacher for 3 years and have not had this much grief. I have downloaded the same PQ to a Magellan and it is working just fine. I feel like their is some kind of glich with the Garmin. The directory I am referring to is the file that opens in my File explorer when I connect my GPS to my computer. Whether I am trying to download to the Garmin or the Magellan, one shows up in USB Drive (F:) or (G:). - sorry maybe I used the wrong terminology.

Place GPX files into the Garmin drive here:

[Drive]:Garmin/GPX

September 23, 2021

Yes - that is where I always put them...

2.7k · September 23, 2021

15 minutes ago, jrwallnuts said:

I believe, I am correctly moving my PQs onto the GSMAP 64. The directory I am referring to is the file that opens in my File explorer when I connect my GPS to my computer. Whether I am trying to download to the Garmin or the Magellan, one shows up in USB Drive (F:) or (G:).

That is not the correct directory.

Please review my prior post.

Geocache GPX files must be placed into either the [GPSr:]/Garmin/GPX or [microSD:]/Garmin/GPX/ directories.

Geocache GGZ files must be placed into either the [GPSr:]/Garmin/GGZ or [microSD:]/Garmin/GGZ/ directories.

September 23, 2021

10 minutes ago, Mineral2 said:

These may sound basic and stupid, but just to cover all of our bases:

1. Are you unzipping the PQ first? Garmin devices can't read the Zip file.

2. Are you putting the .gpx files in the GPX folder?

Yes - and on my computer screen I can see that they are there, but when I disconnect and open the Garmin and navigate to the Geocache icon there is nothing there.

September 23, 2021

Just now, Atlas Cached said:

That is not the correct directory.

Please review my prior post.

Geocache GPX files must be placed into either the [GPSr:]/Garmin/GPX or [microSD:]/Garmin/GPX/ directories.

Geocache GGZ files must be placed into either the [GPSr:]/Garmin/GGZ or [microSD:]/Garmin/GGZ/ directories.

This is where I put them: F:\Garmin\GPX

September 23, 2021

2 minutes ago, jrwallnuts said:

Yes - and on my computer screen I can see that they are there, but when I disconnect and open the Garmin and navigate to the Geocache icon there is nothing there.

This is where I put them: F:\Garmin\GPX

2.7k · September 23, 2021

Ok.

The next thing to try:

1. Are the geocaches close to your location (within 100 miles)? (IE, get a location fix on your GPS and then check the geocache list)

2. Check that there are no filter conflicts that are hiding all of the geocaches. Go to the Geocaching filters and select the one called "Show All" or something along that line. Or manually enable all types, all sizes, all difficulties and terrains, and all found statuses.

September 23, 2021

6 minutes ago, Mineral2 said:

Ok.

The next thing to try:

1. Are the geocaches close to your location (within 100 miles)? (IE, get a location fix on your GPS and then check the geocache list)

2. Check that there are no filter conflicts that are hiding all of the geocaches. Go to the Geocaching filters and select the one called "Show All" or something along that line. Or manually enable all types, all sizes, all difficulties and terrains, and all found statuses.

Thank you for patience as I try to solve this.

No the geocaches are not close to my location they are about 200 miles away or more.

4 minutes ago, jrwallnuts said:

Yes - and on my computer screen I can see that they are there, but when I disconnect and open the Garmin and navigate to the Geocache icon there is nothing there.

This is where I put them: F:\Garmin\GPX

September 23, 2021

Just now, jrwallnuts said:

Thank you for patience as I try to solve this.

No the geocaches are not close to my location they are about 200 miles away or more.

This is where I put them: F:\Garmin\GPX

The GPS shows a message: No Results Found; Try Adjusting Search Parameters

September 23, 2021

4 minutes ago, jrwallnuts said:

The GPS shows a message: No Results Found; Try Adjusting Search Parameters

Do you think they will appear as I get closer to them?

2.7k · September 23, 2021

Yes. Garmin puts a maximum search radius of around 100 miles. However, you can always scroll the map over to where the geocaches are located and if they are installed properly, they will show up on the map. You may have to check the map settings to see what zoom level they are set to appear, but as you zoom in on that location, you will see the geocaches.

However if you want to test whether everything is working, run a PQ in your current location and load the file to the device. The 64 series doesn't have a limit on geocaches, so there's no harm to loading more.

September 23, 2021

I set my PQ parameters to within 300 miles - maybe that will work!

2.7k · September 23, 2021

Please see GPSrChive

GPSMAP 64 > Pages > Geocaches

And

How To... > Geocaching

For detailed instructions.

11.6k · September 23, 2021

1 hour ago, jrwallnuts said:

I set my PQ parameters to within 300 miles - maybe that will work!

Nope. That 100km/60 mile (roughly) radius is built into the GPS software. Far away caches won't automatically show up beyond that distance.

When using that Garmin, you'll just have to get closer than 60 miles to find a cache. :anicute:

Edited September 23, 2021 by kunarion
I was stuck in a cove with very high, slippery rock walls.

September 23, 2021

10 minutes ago, kunarion said:

Nope. That 100km/60 mile (roughly) radius is built into the GPS software. Far away caches won't automatically show up beyond that distance.

When using that Garmin, you'll just have to get closer than 60 miles to find a cache.

Thanks for the info! For whatever reason, I can see them on my Magellan, so will bring that along as backup. And will see if if the pocket query has downloaded as i get closer to my vacation spot!

11.6k · September 23, 2021

23 minutes ago, jrwallnuts said:

Thanks for the info! For whatever reason, I can see them on my Magellan, so will bring that along as backup. And will see if if the pocket query has downloaded as i get closer to my vacation spot!

Older devices, and Magellans, have no distance limit. But they can't hold cache descriptions of every cache in the world with room to spare. I'm guessing the new devices could bog down if a buhzillion caches were on screen at once.

As others mentioned, you can scroll the map to a distant area, to see those cache icons. Then you can read the info and navigate as usual. Caches that are very far away from my GPS have never been much of an issue for me. I have the habit of getting close to a Geocache before looking for it, within 20 miles at most.

Edited September 23, 2021 by kunarion

2.7k · September 23, 2021

Be advised, the geocache list page on any Garmin GPSr will only display the first 1000 geocaches within 100 miles nearest the current receiver position.

2.7k · September 23, 2021

Again, you can create and run a local query to your home (or current) location and load that. Right now. Today. To test it out. Better to get the hang of your unit before going on vacation.

September 28, 2021

Thanks for all the comments/input! It worked! Even tho I could not see the caches at my home location, once I arrived in the area of my query the caches did show up on my Garmin.

Pocket queries don't download properly

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