66st losing backlight

Discussion related to the Garmin GPSMAP 66s/st GPSr
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showbear
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2019 11:34 pm
Location: Toronto

66st losing backlight

Unread post by showbear »

New user/member, first post. I've read about problems with the 66st, bought one anyway 'cause I thought I could live with the problems I read about, but I'm having a problem I haven't seen.

The backlight on my days-old 66st has failed several times. Shutting down and removing batteries doesn't fix it, I have to do a full reset to get the backlight back. Done it three times now, getting old restoring my settings and preferences.

No pattern that I can detect. I'm using alkaline batteries, and the device is properly set for them. Happened the first time after an hour-long download of a Birdseye map, and even though battery still showed 3 bars out of four I thought maybe that was it. However fresh batteries didn't prevent it from happening twice more during simple uses like changing pages or looking at the menu.

Upgraded to the 3.1 firmware before using the device for the first time. Can't update the chipset software (if I need to) because instructions here say to put the .GCD file in [GPSMAP 66]\Garmin\RemoteSW\006B331300.gcd, but I don't have a RemoteSW directory on my 66st.

Is there anything else I can check / do before turning to Garmin?

Thanks in advance.
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GPSrChive
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Re: 66st losing backlight

Unread post by GPSrChive »

When the backlight fails, what steps have you taken to get the backlight back on before the resets?

Do the button backlights also stop working when the screen backlight stops working?

What are your settings in Setup > Display ?

What happens if you connect external power (USB) after the backlight stops working?
showbear
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2019 11:34 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: 66st losing backlight

Unread post by showbear »

Thanks for your response!
gpsrchive wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2019 1:46 amWhen the backlight fails, what steps have you taken to get the backlight back on before the resets?
Changed pages, entered Menu > Setup > Display to confirm 15-second setting, changed to other settings and changed back, turned Battery Save on and then back to off, turned off and back on, turned off and removed batteries then restarted.
gpsrchive wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2019 1:46 amDo the button backlights also stop working when the screen backlight stops working?
Haven't noticed - only been using in well-lit conditions. I just had to go into a near-black room to confirm that I HAD backlighted buttons... they're pretty subtle, but I do and they are currently going on/off with the display backlight. Don't know their state during my three failures.
gpsrchive wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2019 1:46 amWhat are your settings in Setup > Display ?
Timeout 15 seconds, Battery Save off, Appearance Mode auto, Screen Capture off, Review Text Size normal. I've tried other settings for the first two while the backlight was not working, didn't help.
gpsrchive wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2019 1:46 amWhat happens if you connect external power (USB) after the backlight stops working?
I'll try that the next time this failure occurs... I haven't done that.

Thanks again for any further suggestions / ideas.
showbear
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2019 11:34 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: 66st losing backlight

Unread post by showbear »

P.S. Do you have any suggestion about updating the chipset software? My copy of the 66st does not have the directory [GPSMAP 66]\Garmin\RemoteSW that is specified here on GPSrChive as the location for the GCD file to be replaced.

Thanks again.
showbear
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2019 11:34 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: 66st losing backlight

Unread post by showbear »

Really sorry to pepper you with questions.

Per the GCD file question, I just searched the device and found only one reference to GCD, in the GarminDevice.xml file.

That file shows the path to the GCD files as you've noted it under FAQ on your site, as follows:

<UpdateFile><PartNumber>006-B3313-00</PartNumber><Version><Major>2</Major><Minor>50</Minor></Version><Path>Garmin/RemoteSW</Path><FileName>006B331300.GCD</FileName></UpdateFile><UpdateFile><PartNumber>006-D0952-05</PartNumber><Version><Major>2</Major><Minor>30</Minor></Version>

I don't have that 'RemoteSW' directory on my device!
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GPSrChive
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Re: 66st losing backlight

Unread post by GPSrChive »

You can always create the directory yourself....
showbear
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2019 11:34 pm
Location: Toronto

Re: 66st losing backlight

Unread post by showbear »

gpsrchive wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:27 pm You can always create the directory yourself....
Done, chipset software 2.60 installed, thanks.

I'll post again when the display backlight issue recurs. It didn't during a couple of hours of use today. Thanks again.
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