Erratic file recording

Discussion related to the Garmin GPSMAP 66s/st GPSr
Hiker
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:28 pm

Erratic file recording

Unread post by Hiker »

My device is set to save both FIT and GPX data automatically on a daily schedule. Paired GPX and FIT files don't show the same date. GPX files at times are truncated. The date of a GPX file occasionally relates to the day prior to when it actually has been recorded. I would not have expected to acquire a fortune telling device.

I use GPX files to geotag DNG files from my camera. It is frustrating that the current FW still exhibits quirks.

I would have expected GARMIN to have to perform better. My device runs FW V10.20 and chipset FW2.90.

Regards
Hiker
asprin624
Posts: 143
Joined: Sun Dec 29, 2019 11:34 am
Location: Belgium

Re: Erratic file recording

Unread post by asprin624 »

I just check my last GPX and Fit files.
The start times and end times are the same.
The date is correct on both Fit and GPX files.
Maybe attached the files you are talking about for the forum to look at.

Never had a problem with date or times being off or wrong.
Hiker
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:28 pm

Re: Erratic file recording

Unread post by Hiker »

I'd rather not at this point make my files public on a forum.

To be more specific:

The hike was recorded on 2022-06- 28. The device tells 2022-06-27 19:54:50.
Time: 09:30:23 (time of power up).
Elapsed Time: 21:00:11 (The track that I made on the 28th took about 4 hours, points taken every 5 s.
points: 6850 , should be about 3.000
Track Dist.: 20.6km it should be about 14,5km The missing distance of abt. 6km was a minor hike on the 27th, which has not been filed, other than in the numerics.

The above gives evidence, that the filing system gives contradicting figures.

However the graphical representation of the file is identical with the hike of June 28th.

In my humble opinion the figures are inconsistent. I reported this on the GARMIN hotline. They did not seem taken by surprise and advisedme to manually start-stop and store activities.

Regards

Hiker
asprin624
Posts: 143
Joined: Sun Dec 29, 2019 11:34 am
Location: Belgium

Re: Erratic file recording

Unread post by asprin624 »

What I do every time I finish a hike I save it.
Turn off the 66 and when I am ready to do another hike or bike ride I wait till I get to where I want to start the hike or bike ride.
To insure I start clean I always clear the file on startup.
Now I am ready to start a clean hike or bike ride with no other data.
That way I always have a Fit and GPX file that show the start and end time that are the same along with the date.
Never any info from the day before.
I do not save a file from my house to where I final stop.
Unless I need that info.
There has been a couple of time I forgot to clear the file when I added a GPS track.
What happens is you turn on the 66 and it has this long track from your house to where you start your hike.
Sometime 50 KM away.
I then have to edit that file when I get back home and remove the data I do not need.
Hiker
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:28 pm

Re: Erratic file recording

Unread post by Hiker »

First of all many thanks for your helpful response.
Well, you are right with respect to your approach, which is similar to the workaround that that was suggested by GARMIN hotline.

However the instruction manual suggests that an automated file handling is possible.

My GPSMAP 62s performed reliably in that respect and stored files automatically without ever causing a problem. It seems that the 66 is oversophisticated and overwhelms its own software engineers.
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GPSrChive
Site Admin
Posts: 3881
Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:29 pm

Re: Erratic file recording

Unread post by GPSrChive »

It is perhaps not so well known that Garmin devices like to use the track START date/time for the GPX file name, while FIT files use the activity STOP date/time for the file name.

It has been requested more times than I can count that they (Garmin) choose one option, and make it the standard across all platforms, but to date they have shown little to no interest in so doing.

Also, the 'Auto Archive' options for Day, Week, Month, etc. simply dump all currently recorded track and/or activity data into a single 'archive' file at the requested time interval. This does not mean at 12:01am every morning the device wakes itself to check if there is data to save. This only happens each time the device is powered on. If the time criteria is met, the current track/activity data is saved and cleared.

If you want clean tracks that start and stop when and where you want them to, YOU must clear the current data at the Start, then save the file at the STOP.

For additional information, please see:

GPSrChive > GPSMAP 66 > Pages > Recording Controls

GPSrChive > GPSMAP 66 > Pages > Saved Tracks

GPSrChive > GPSMAP 66 > Pages > Recorded Activities

GPSrChive > GPSMAP 66 > Operation > Files & Folders

GPSrChive > How To... > Activities

GPSrChive > How To... > Tracks

GPSrChive > How To... > Data Management
Hiker
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:28 pm

Re: Erratic file recording

Unread post by Hiker »

I remain claiming, that the recording of datas is sketchy and patchy.

With automated daily saving I stop-discard-clear started a new activity. After powering up the morning after, there was no "daily" file stored covering yesterdays activity. Later on the number of recorded points of the activity exceeded 20.000. The recording rate was set to 5 points per second which yields less than 20.000 per day. Earlier points were erased/overwritten. "Time" "Eiap.Act.Time" and "Activity Dist" are coherent with the untruncated activity. It so seems, that the figures don't match the points retained.

There are too many pitfalls with automated recording and storing. Things are getting worse, as there are no plausibility checks made with respect to the settings. An overflow of points for instance should result in the points stored, independent of the settings, so data would not be discarded.
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GPSrChive
Site Admin
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Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2017 11:29 pm

Re: Erratic file recording

Unread post by GPSrChive »

Hiker wrote: Fri Jul 01, 2022 11:18 am The recording rate was set to 5 points per second which yields less than 20.000 per day.
I suspect you intended to write 1 point every 5 seconds here...

Share the files privately, with us.

Webmaster at GPSrChive dot com.
Hiker
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2019 3:28 pm

Re: Erratic file recording

Unread post by Hiker »

Well, I've finished my forensic activities and the files concerned have been deleted.

You're right, coordinates and timestamp were recorded every 5 seconds.

However, I think I've clearly described what I did and what the result was.

One would have to look into the source code of the FW to get to the bottom of the problem.
In a nutshell three items are crucial and should be looked into:

a) data overflow (more than 20.000 points) for the time period set, that each file is supposed to cover

b) time for recording exceeds 100 hours to fill memory/"store when full" (time overflow)

c) activity starting on a given day without a file saved automatically next day of the previous day (set to save daily, batteries ok and of course powered on of course)

Item "b" has not been has not yet been looked into.
asprin624
Posts: 143
Joined: Sun Dec 29, 2019 11:34 am
Location: Belgium

Re: Erratic file recording

Unread post by asprin624 »

Without passing on your data on to the forum admin it is very hard for them to help you out.

There is no breach of personal info being passed on. Letting the admin look into your Fit and GPX files could point out a mistake you are making or a problem with the 66 you have. Then this info can be passed back to Garmin or pointed out to you how to work around it.

There is no big brother here at this forum to spy on you.......

I have sent data to this admin back it Sat Aug 29, 2020 and was able help me out with a problem I had with some Geocaches that were not showing up.

It turned out it was something I was doing wrong.
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