60cs Shuts Off?

[+GOT GPS?]

My 60C's Bean bag mount keeps sliding off my dash, but I never had any problems till an hour ago, I had bought the GPS back in March too. I went out with my 60C on the road this morning when the bean bag slid off the dash and it shut off, then I notice that with smaller and smaller hits to the bottom tip of the GPS, that it will easily shut off now. Never ever been a problem for me untill the past hour.

[mgabel]

QUOTE (GeoCyclist @ Aug 8 2004, 09:19 PM)

I assume there is a round knob for the belt clip to attach to. Can anyone tell me where there are pictures of the back side of a 60c/cs? I was wondering how this worked? Is the knob still there when you don't use the belt clip?

 

When I'm wearing my 60CS on my belt, using the belt clip, I also loop the wrist stap around my belt, as a teather (with a girth hitch, if that helps). When (and it does, like if you sit down, sometimes, say) fall off the clip, it's held by the strap. The strap is long enough that I can unsnap it and read it while still teathered to my belt

[+GOT GPS?]

I just did an experiment with my 60C, I turned it face up like an eTrex, and tapped the unit gently, then heard the batteries fall against the battery door. I then carefully turned it over and removed the battery door, to find the Batteries up away from their seated position. If they are seated down properly, they are in there much tighter.

 

So what I need to do is find a small sheet of foam to stick between the battery door and the batteries, to keep them snug in their place.

 

Why in the first place was there no soft rubber gasket, or foam on the inside of the battery door to hold down the batteries?

 

It is a very good GPS, but I think they went too far with the trimming the weight of the units DOWN.

Edited August 18, 2004 by GOT GPS?

[+GOT GPS?]

Deleted

Edited August 18, 2004 by GOT GPS?

[+Brian - Team A.I.]

The only problems I've had with my 60C are that the knob fell off on an 11-mile hike (found .2 miles from where the brush began to thicken to ugly proportions, which I cured with the use of some Lock-Tite (blue) on the threading.

 

The other is that occasionally I find coordinates 'alter' themselves in the unit when downloaded from MapSource.  On 3 occasions over the last month, I've been out caching, only to be 200-300' off wandering in a place where there is little likelihood of a cache being hidden.  Once I verify the PDA download (using the same file to download to the GPS), I find the discrepancy, correct it and go on about my business.

 

Anyone else had that problem?

I might have had that problem with the waypoints being off. I'm not sure what exactly is the situation. I believe no all of the waypoints are off just some.

 

So what do you think is happening? And how to fix? I didn't clearly understand what you meant.

 

Capt.

Ok. I use PQs that open into MapSource to decide where I'm going to go caching. Those waypoints are then downloaded straight from MapSource into the GPS.

 

When I convert the PQ to a useable Cachemate format, the same information on the cache page is then downloaded to my PDA.

 

In other words, I use the same file for both PDA/GPS, but occasionally the coordinates in the GPS 'skew' a bit when mmm values are somehow altered. I'm not sure what would be causing it, except maybe some firmware coding problems. I haven't seen the same problem since updating to the newest firmware on Garmin's site though.

[4x5shooter]

Also having the same shut down problem with my 60CS.  Interesting in that it didn't start happening till I installed the firmware update 3.5.  I suppose it simply could be the battery clip pressure... I do not have the pads mentioned in these threads.  I can't really tell from the pix... are there pads actually added INSIDE or behind the clips?  Will need to try this, but am interested if after this modification if people are still having the problem.  Never happened before, and now I'm seeing all these threads... suspicious if firmware related.

Seemed that way with me also. I never had problems since April. It happened to me on Aug. 1st. 3.50 didn't come out til the 8th. Alhough I had the beta version.

 

But also it could be the clips are losing some of there spring.

For those who haven't had their 60c/cs shut off until installing the beta software or v3.50, please try to determine if it is firmware-related.

 

I can confirm that mine shuts off in exactly the same location every time, provided I'm traveling on a particular road, have the map page up and "guidance text" turned on. It is a 100% repeatable crash, and didn't start happening until I upgraded to the beta software (and now, v3.5). v3.4 works fine.

 

For a while now, I've known about one spot where the crash is triggered. I recently found a second spot in my area where the unit crashes and shuts off. The only thing the spots have in common are that they are where I am on one road and crossing over or under a major highway. However, this is outside a major metropolitan area, and there are tons of locations like that where the unit does just fine. I can't figure it out and I still have not heard anything from Garmin after I submitted a bug report.

 

To illustrate (again) what happens with me: driving along Route 7 in Virginia, right before you go on the bridge to pass over the Beltway (I-495), the unit will shut off to a blank screen, requiring two presses of the power button to turn back on. Occasionally, it resets on its own to the start-up screen, but usually it just looks like it shuts off.

 

The weird thing is you can be on 495 and pass under Rte 7 without triggering the glitch, so it's not the location per se, but the road you're on that matters. Since it works when you turn off guidance text, I thought it must be that displaying the ramp/exit #s as upcoming streets must trigger it, but when you're on 495 crossing under 7, those ramps are displayed as guidance text with no problems.

 

The second spot in Northern VA (haven't tested this one much, I just noticed it the other day): driving on Rte 123 and crossing under Rte 276E (the Dulles toll road).

 

Anyone who lives in the Northern Virginia area, please give these spots a try. As I said, the first spot (Rte 7 and I-495) crashes my 60cs every time, but I just noticed the second spot recently and I'll have to drive out there again to see if it happens again.

 

[capt caper]

Well I was on a back trail when it happened and at two different locations not related.

 

Also I tapped the unit in my hand and it shut off though I had to tap it hard. And in hiking it wouldn't get tapped that hard. So I"m open to firmware problems with 3.5.

 

But i'll try to turn it upside down and tap like GotGpS did also to see what happens.

 

I sent it in so I'll keep us posted to see what they do in for the batteries and will post back if any more shut downs.

 

Garmin takes a while to digest the info. Give them time.

Edited August 18, 2004 by capt caper

[+Greenjeens]

Mine shuts off very easily with a just little shock. Forgot how annoying this has been, especially since the bean bag slides off the dash regularly.

Played around with some sorbathane sheet at different locations inside the battery compartment. Finally just bending the battery terminals helped quite a bit, but not a complete cure since the contacts will compress again. Time to send it back and let Garmin fix it. This is just a poor design for a rugged use product. Reminds me of cheap Radio Shack equipment battery compartments...

 

If the belt clip is anything like the bunch similar looking one's I've broken on cell phones...you were warned. Those clips have a habit of coming apart during use.

Also make sure the knob has some Locktite on the threads, so it won't unscrew. Hope the knob is better material than it looks to be made of.

 

After breaking so many cell phone clips, knobs and swivels of various sorts and nearly losing my phone a few times, I went with a "Rugged" brand all stainless swivel. With a slightly different machined metal knob on the 60cs, it would fit in the rugged clip. Will try to get one machined on a lathe. Losing an expensive piece f electronic equipment, because of a fifty cent clip failure, is pretty dumb.

Come to think of it, a safety line lanyard might provide some piece of mind. I regularly find myself feeling to make sure the GPS is "still there" while hiking. Perhaps a coiled key chain type of wire, to keep the tangle down and so the GPS can be removed for viewing (clipped high on back pack shoulder strap). The 60cs already has a mounting hole for a lanyard.

 

-

Greenjeens

Edited August 19, 2004 by Greenjeens

[+Greenjeens]

Post Deleted

Edited August 19, 2004 by Greenjeens

[capt caper]

Got the unit back see new post HERE