Garmin 60cs - Wild Direction Swings

[pitchblende]

When in the outer banks of North Carolina, in track up mode, the display started swinging direction very erratically. This was cured when I changed the display to North up. The compass was off.

 

any ideas?

[capt caper]

How was your accuracy factor doing? Maybe the way you were holding it something was blocking the signal at times. That would make it that way.

[+Quoddy]

I found this situation to be caused mainly by arm and hand motion. The unit is very sensitive to both, particularly in the track up mode (which I use). I attribute this to the fact that arm/hand, and even body changes alter the track; North doesn't move. I now hold and move slightly differently when near the target which almost totally alleviates the "jumping". As a note: I switched from a Mericolor to the 60cs. The Mericolor averaged SO much that it appered to disregard the hand/arm motion. I switched to the 60cs BECAUSE of the Meridian's averaging and slowness at the cache.

[+Keykeeper]

When in the outer banks of North Carolina, in track up mode, the display started swinging direction very erratically. This was cured when I changed the display to North up. The compass was off.

 

any ideas?

New update software came out today. Ver 3.40, supposed to take care of compass issues. Garmin site under support.

[pitchblende]

Thanks, we will see. Never had that happen before when walking. Was holding it like I usually do. Maybe there was an unusal satellite geometry or anomaly that was creating signal issues.

 

Also, with the compass off, I thought all direction info was garnered just from GPS positions. Thanks

[MacBandit]

I was getting this problem with my Vista a couple weeks ago and I tied it to slow screen response due to having WAAS on.

[pitchblende]

still having the problem and about to cal Garmin tech support. If anyone else has had the problem, I will be happy to pass it on

[pitchblende]

 

Garmin tech support no help -

 

suggested it was random accuracy problem (nothing wrong)

 

suggested I use my magnetic compass all the time.

 

asked if I was holding it horizontally

 

suggested I keep it in North up mode.

 

asked if I used WAAS, suggested I turn it off

 

I will try a reset and see what happens.

 

*** Anyone know the reset procedure for the 60CS? ***

 

I will document results next time and demand service/exchange.

 

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My feeling it is some kind of accuracy problem that is not visible in the accuracy circle or EOP reading. Either that or there is some problem in the computational chain that handles coordinate calculations.

 

Also I notice on bike trips where I take a couple of breaks their is no 'stopped time' recorded. That leads me to believe that all the time it is sensing movement because the recorded coordinates are jumping around all over the place.

 

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Any thoughts, advice?

[pitchblende]

 

GPS is back performing well - just did a "page enter' reset (after backing up) and all is well!

 

I think maybe you should do these resets every once in a while, just like an oil change.

[+Centex Trekker]

Don't all of your preferences go back to default? Data fields for example.

[pitchblende]

Yes. It's like how the unit came out of the box (no waypoints (other than the Garmin locations; no tracks; no routes)). Just back it up before you do it. It did retain the MapSource maps I had loaded in.

 

Let is sit outside for a little while to collect all the data, and do an autolocate or 'map pointer' relocate.

[+Centex Trekker]

Is there a way to save preferences (backup)?