Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Discussion related to the Garmin GPSMAP 66s/st GPSr
CheminerWill
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Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Unread post by CheminerWill »

Sorry this is a bit long, but want the whole history here to help others try to duplicate. My GPSMAP 66 is running firmware 6.0 and GPS chipset 2.8. I had noticed that the new proximity alerts feature was spotty for me from the start. I did not post anything earlier because I wanted to give a good effort to nailing down what was happening so others can try to reproduce it. I knew I was getting some alerts because whenever I turn on the 66 at home if I have the distance set to over about 200' it alerts me to the one right close by. I had also received alerts in the field at times. Hiking, driving, biking, speed did not seem to matter, I got an alert. But then I noticed a couple times that I had hiked right by a geocache and not received an alert. The first two times that happened, they were found caches so I thought maybe that was the common thing. But then I realized I have found the one near my house that always alerts so that was not it. And, last week, I hiked by two that did not alert and both were unfound by me.

So I decided to go at it methodically and after a couple outings paying close attention have figured out this is what is happening with my 66st:

When I power it on, it will find the first cache that triggers within the set proximity distance. So today, for example, I turned on the unit and drove to a hiking trail. The first cache I passed in the car, I got an alert. Then I drove right by a few more that did not alert. I turned the unit off until I reached the trailhead. Then powered on, started the tracking and headed out. The first cache, (which is found my me), alerted when I broke the 300' distance I had set today. Then next cache I approached did not alert. AH HA! I turned the 66 off and backtracked well more than 300'. Powered it back up and this time as I approached the same cache the alert triggered. Seeing that there was another cache about 1/2 mile up the trail, I kept going and did not get an alert for that one either. I have now done this about 10 more times for different caches with the same result.

100% of the time I get the alert for the first cache I approach. 100% of the time I will not get any more alerts unless I power cycle the unit. Then I will get the next alert and agaion, no more until I power off and on. So each time I am getting the first proximity alert as expected after power on, but only that one, no more.

Thinking it might be something other than just power off and on, I also tried leaving the 66 on after the 1st alert but turning off and back on satellites. That did not work. So for me, I need to power cycle the 66 after each proximity alert in order to get the next alert.

If other can't reproduce, Monday I will load some geocaches on to my wife's 66 and check it on that unit also.
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GPSrChive
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Re: Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Unread post by GPSrChive »

One quick question for clarity.

Once your GPSMAP 66 alerts you to a nearby geocache, was action do you take, if any?
CheminerWill
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Re: Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Unread post by CheminerWill »

I believe the wording of the on screen prompt is "Enter to Dismiss"?

I thought about that because maybe it could be interpreted as turning off the alerts rather than just dismissing the message, but then thought no it is just dismissing the pop up message.
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GPSrChive
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Re: Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Unread post by GPSrChive »

Congratulations, Will!

You have discovered another GPSMAP 66 bug!

Posted as GPSrChive > GPSMAP 66 > Common Issues > Bug 108.

Thank You.
CheminerWill
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Re: Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Unread post by CheminerWill »

Great, just what I wanted..... or not. I would just like the proximity to work finally and was hoping it was something unique to my setup or unit that could be fixed easily. Oh well.

Now with everything I have done to the 66 the past couple of days, I must have messed up some setting somewhere. Now my unit will not display any of the personal waypoints in my .ggz file as it always has. I even tried exporting one personal waypoint from GSAK as a .gpx file and then copying that to the device in Garmin>GPX folder with the daily created waypoints. Still does not show on the map or in lists. I suspect maybe yesterday when messing with filters and such, I created the problem but I sure can not solve it now. Very frustrating! :?

I may just have to reset the device and reconfigure everything but I always hate doing that.
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GPSrChive
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Re: Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Unread post by GPSrChive »

No reset... Just have to find the setting that has prevented you from seeing your waypoints......

On the map only? Or also in the waypoint manager list?

Probably should start a new thread....
CheminerWill
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Re: Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Unread post by CheminerWill »

OK, will do that.
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GPSrChive
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Re: Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Unread post by GPSrChive »

CheminerWill wrote: Sun Dec 13, 2020 10:03 pm Great, just what I wanted..... or not. I would just like the proximity to work finally and was hoping it was something unique to my setup or unit that could be fixed easily. Oh well.
FYI, and this may help you feel a little better: I also tested the geocache proximity alert function on a Montana 750i, Oregon 700, and Rino 755t, all of which behaved as expected and alerted when approaching each geocache, which means it is likely a simple tiny little fix Garmin needs to make to resolve the issue on the GPSMAP 66 units. I also tested a GPSMAP 66sr, and experienced the same behavior as the 66s/st, so I suspect this is just limited to the code shared among GPSMAP 66 series devices.
CheminerWill
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Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2018 4:42 am

Re: Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Unread post by CheminerWill »

Thanks, that is a positive sign as it is working on all those other units. Hopefully Garmin will be quick with it!
JPatton
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Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2018 11:16 pm

Re: Proximity Alerts - Bug? [Bug 108]

Unread post by JPatton »

I was out with my 66sr today and played around with this feature. After being notified of the first cache, you can turn the alarm off and turn it back on once you are outside the distance to the first cache. That's a little easier than turning the gps off and back on.
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