Garmin 66st won't load geocaches

[+MoBart]

Although I have used my gpsmap 66st for some time now, the most recent software update has upset my geocaching. After downloading and installing an update on Nov 27th I have been unable to download caches via geocaching live. But not completely...

 

3 nearby caches have downloaded.

If I adjust my filter, found geocaches will download.

But I can't seem to retrieve more than the 3 new ones via the geocaching live feature, even if I try downloading near another point on the map.

 

Is there a setting I've overlooked, or a process that I could use fix this problem?

[+Atlas Cached]

Re register the device with Groundspeak, sounds like you are being limited to three caches a day like basic members are.

[+MoBart]

No luck. I unregistered the device from the gpsr menu. When I registered it again it I noticed that it acknowledged that I was a premium member (can't say for certain that was there before, but I think it was). Yet the same issue remains.

[+mikeD]

In the past the Live download in my experience has been very flaky,

I have just de/RE Registered  my  66st and after two attempts at registration, it locked on and I have downloaded 12 GC in a remoter location. That is perhaps all you get anyway although I do filter for trad GC only

 

Perhaps de/re registering again might do it?  I recall multiple attempts in the past being made

 

[+Atlas Cached]

12 hours ago, MoBart said:

No luck. I unregistered the device from the gpsr menu. When I registered it again it I noticed that it acknowledged that I was a premium member (can't say for certain that was there before, but I think it was). Yet the same issue remains.

 

Can you make a waypoint near where you are seeing this issue and share it so others can test the exact same location?

[+MoBart]

Update: It has been hard to reproduce any results a 2nd or 3rd time. Yesterday I was able to download caches if I chose the "near a city" option, but not a point on a map or from the map itself. When those caches downloaded they did not contain descriptions or hints so I figured I would go through the registration process again later. This morning I was able to download caches, again without info, so I tried to re-register several times and have not been able to download anything on any of my attempts since losing that functionality.

 

I am currently trying to download caches near The Woodlands, Tx (N 30° 12.030' W 095° 32.591') 

[+Atlas Cached]

2 hours ago, MoBart said:

This morning I was able to download caches, again without info,

 

GCLive downloads do not include any descriptions hints etc on the first pass, just basic info like name, type, D/T, and coordinates- enough to display properly on the map. Once this first pass is completed, a second pass is made to load cache details silently in the background. Opening or attempting to view a cache that has not completed the second pass triggers an immediate request for that caches details, and the device displays a message indicating the cache details are being loaded. 

[+Atlas Cached]

On 12/10/2021 at 4:53 AM, MoBart said:

I am currently trying to download caches near The Woodlands, Tx (N 30° 12.030' W 095° 32.591') 

 

Easy Peasy!

 

 

 

[+MoBart]

Definitely the steps I would normally follow. My most recent iteration of re-registering seems to allow me to download the caches from the map like you showed. I think I will leave well enough alone for the time being. Thanks for the feedback.

[+RomeinV]

Same issue here as well.

I have hard reset the device; removed sql, ggz and gpx files without luck. 

Have unregistered and registered a few time. Did single list download and multiple without any positive result. The download stops when a list is downloaded 36% and nothing happens any further. Given this mailthread, I am not the only one.

 

 

[+Atlas Cached]

1 hour ago, RomeinV said:

Same issue here as well.

 

Not the same issue. The OP was having trouble waiting for cache details to load fully when downloading from the Geocache Map page.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, RomeinV said:

The download stops when a list is downloaded 36% and nothing happens any further.

 

Same list always give you trouble, or all lists?

 

How many caches in each list?

 

Were the lists created manually or from PQ's?

 

Can you share one or more of the offending list links so others can try them for testing?

[+Team_ReKrAn]

Had the same issue on my GPSMAP 66SR. LiveDownload was not working anymore.
My solution was to connect the GPS to a pc and delete all *.gpx files on it.
One of them was filled with some Geocaches.

[+drake72]

I started using live download and gradually I'm noticing some caches that have gotten updated since the original hang the gpsr (gps66st) and I have to remove the battery to get it working again. 

[+feringa08]

I do have exactly the same problem, ever and ever again. Currently I try do download caches from a very small area:
https://www.geocaching.com/map/#?ll=48.23293,11.57488&z=16

My 66s just downloaded five caches out of about 20 caches available around the cursor position, that's it. How often I try, no more caches are added.

After rebooting the first time the 66s I was just able to download ONE more geocaches around that area!!!

Rebooting next time, I'm not able to download even a single cache from that location, so I got stuck with not even having downloaded a quarter of the caches around the selected area.
Unregister and register again, did not improve anything.

For me, my 66s became absolutely useless for geocaching, and this is not the only bug of its annoying firmware.

 

Has anyone an idea, at which file the downloaded informations are stored? Searching by date, I found numberous files updatet this morning, but do not have a clue which one is related to geocaching.

[+Atlas Cached]

Enable the 'Show All' filter in the Geocaching Setup Menu.

[+feringa08]

3 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

Enable the 'Show All' filter in the Geocaching Setup Menu.

If this is a response on my contribution: I have no idea, where this filter can be switched on and of in general. The only possibility I found, is to edit the filter itself. However, everything possible is enabled in this filter. No restrictions do apply.

BTW: It also does not work the other way round. From 6 Geocaches found, and 2 DNF, only 2 in total were updadet back at GC.

[+Atlas Cached]

11 minutes ago, feringa08 said:

If this is a response on my contribution: I have no idea, where this filter can be switched on and of in general.

 

Please see GPSrChive for detailed explanations of how to use the Geocaching and other features of your Garmin GPSr.

[+feringa08]

Thank you very much for pointing me onto this website. That looks very helpful and promissing! Even files and folders are explained, which are one of the "big mysteries" when connecting to a PC.

Edited May 26, 2022 by feringa08

[+feringa08]

On 12/10/2021 at 3:15 PM, Atlas Cached said:

 

Opening or attempting to view a cache that has not completed the second pass triggers an immediate request for that caches details, and the device displays a message indicating the cache details are being loaded. 

Unfortunately, this also seems not to work anymore. Having openend a cach's description, my 66s shows me "Abfrage nach GC-Info" (fetching information) for at least half an hour now! It's connected with my nearby WiFi.

I have just deleted all of my GC-live informations on my 66s to provide a clean state, and managed to download a few caches via WiFi. Unfortonatley no further information can be fetched. No way! No idea anymore ....

Edited May 26, 2022 by feringa08

[+Atlas Cached]

This may be a server side issue with Groundspeak....

[+Atlas Cached]

OK, I can get geocaches near me to load just fine, but when I pan the map to that location just north if Munich, I can not get anything to load.... So some sort of server issue, Garmin or Groundspeak, or Both!

[+feringa08]

On 5/27/2022 at 2:08 AM, Atlas Cached said:

OK, I can get geocaches near me to load just fine, but when I pan the map to that location just north if Munich, I can not get anything to load.... So some sort of server issue, Garmin or Groundspeak, or Both!

 

Thanks for trying out and confirmation of that problem.

 

Today, I did experience another really frustrating GC-trip in a rural area. Not a single descripion or hint available, for all of the caches downloaded on my 66s. At the other hand, no mobile network, to get more informations on a mobile phone.

Using Android app c:geo on my mobile phone, I have never seen any problems, in immediately having available all informations available -- provided there is a mobile network / WiFi accessable. The only reason to stay with my 66s is the extremely poor GPS accuracy of my mobile phone.

Is Garmin using a different API than such 3rd-party apps? Why are downloads with my Garmin 66s such a mess, compared to that Android app???

On 12/10/2021 at 3:15 PM, Atlas Cached said:

GCLive downloads do not include any descriptions hints etc on the first pass, just basic info like name, type, D/T, and coordinates- enough to display properly on the map. Once this first pass is completed, a second pass is made to load cache details silently in the background. Opening or attempting to view a cache that has not completed the second pass triggers an immediate request for that caches details, and the device displays a message indicating the cache details are being loaded. 

The problem is, that the 66s shows no information at all (or I'm just not aware), about the progress of that background process. How do I know, if this information is available, without opening dozends of cach descriptions? How long do I  have to keep WiFi connection?

[+Atlas Cached]

1 hour ago, feringa08 said:

Why are downloads with my Garmin 66s such a mess, compared to that Android app???

 

Likely you are not keeping the network link open long enough to load all the data. The 66s/st is running as efficiently as possible using 2 'AA' batteries, unlike your smartphone.

 

 

1 hour ago, feringa08 said:

The problem is, that the 66s shows no information at all (or I'm just not aware), about the progress of that background process. How do I know, if this information is available, without opening dozends of cach descriptions?

 

Please see GPSrChive > GPSMAP 66 > Common Issues > Feature Request 9

 

 

1 hour ago, feringa08 said:

How long do I  have to keep WiFi connection?

 

I keep my Bluetooth network connection active for the majority of the time I am geocaching so that any and all data can be loaded.

 

 

[+bg00069]

I guess the GC live download issue is still not solved.

It worked great in the past.

I had yesterday a chat with Garmin.

Garmin told me that all the Geocaching function is not y them it is for them a 3rd party "app" and the App owner needs to solve it.

This sound like Groundspeak seems to be responsible.

No clue how to get this addressed then.

 

[+chrispt]

I was having issues with lists showing synced but not actually loading all the caches in that list. I let Garmin know, they were able to reproduce, and they escalated it to the engineering team. I haven't gotten an update in a few weeks, but here's hoping they can track this issue down.

[+bg00069]

@chrisptdid you got any feedback from Garmin?