GPSMAP65s - Galileo Satellites Flashing [Bug 8]

[GPSrChive]

Multi-Band works very well. Both the GPSMAP 65 series and GPSMAP 66sr are in a class of thier own. Don't let yourself get hung up on this small detail, these devices are the most accurate available today!

[mrfreeze]

Can some else verify the behavior with the CPE-data, please?

I had same impression, but the point is, the unit can also find no Galileo at all. Even after AutoLocate. After a while you realize that all the behaviour is just random even if you thought you found finally some systematic explanation.
I stopped putting more effort in this topic and wait for the bugfix. My conclusion is: unreliable! As of today, not buy for the reason you want dual band Galileo.

Thank you for the feedback. On my device the version 4.00 was preinstalled. I think it's still not released. The bug seems not fixed with that release or it's beta on my device. Maybe Garmin will release a 4.01. I'll try to find out under which circumstances the problem occurs. At this time it's seems to be the CPE-data. But I'll check that some weeks. If I'm sure how to reproduce it I'll report it here.

[mrfreeze]

Last week in the mountains my 65s worked as expected. I´ve guessed, that this had to do with the more difficult situation. But since Sunday I´m back in my hometown and the 65s still works as expected. No flashing satellites and always a bunch of satellites in each system.
I did some further tests. The rootcause seems to be the CPE-data. They were probably outdated when I went to the mountains. And of course also when I got back here. After I did a sync with Garmin Express the CPE-data was up to date and I had the flashing satellites again. When I delete the Garmin/GPS/CPE.BIN than the Galileo satellites stop flashing after 1 or 2 minutes after startup. But with up to date CPE-data the device finds more satellites in less time. But most of the Galileo never stop flashing.
At this time I think that it is a softwarebug. If it would be a feature I would expect that the device would acquire new satellites in diffucult situations. But that seems not to be the case. On 2.5 hours walk in a forrest after a rain. I somtimes had an accuracy of 2m. Not 1.8m. But after more than 2 hours all GLONASS satellites gone and of the Galileo only 2 remained with one flashing.
Can some else verify the behavior with the CPE-data, please?

I was about to buy a gpsmap 65s but after reading your expirement there is something I want to confirm. As you said sometime you had a precision of 2m. But is it the precision you see most of the time even when Galileo Sats are flashing ?? or It sometime it's pretty erratic. When you are in thick cover do you still get a good precision ?? I wanted multi band but it doesnt seem to work really well.

Yes. I had the 2m when the Galileo Stats were flashing and most of the GLONASS disappeared. In that environment were I did the walk It seems to be enough to have GPS with multiband. I was in a forest after a rain. And under thick cover I had sometimes the 2m. Most times I had 1.8m. And 20cm are not really a problem if you go for a walk. If you're going to use OSM than the data is often not that accurate that you'll realize the difference between 1.8m and 2m.
I wrote the information with the 2m because it shows that there is something not the optimum.
Yesterday and today I did 2 tests without CPE-data on the device. Same track as the last times. It took a few moments until the device reached 1.8m accuracy and about 10 minutes until really all Galileo sats stopped flashing. But than the device worked as expected and the accuracy was 1.8m all the time. Even when it rained today.
At the moment I would recommend to delete CPE-data if you're going to do a long hike in a really very difficult terrain. Like mountains with lots of forests after a heavy rain. Under normal situations it has more advantages to have up to date CPE-data. I think.
But I own the 65s only for 3 weeks now. And I'm still doing tests to reproduce the behavior. Maybe in 2 weeks I'll have a different belief .

[mrfreeze]

Multi-Band works very well. Both the GPSMAP 65 series and GPSMAP 66sr are in a class of thier own. Don't let yourself get hung up on this small detail, these devices are the most accurate available today!

You're absolutely right. But I'm a nerd. And it 's like Monkey Island in the good old days ... to solve all the mystery . I really would be happy to reproduce the bug.

[0x01]

Everyone seems to be overlooking the fact that the GPSr still works just as good if not better than any non Multi-Band unit.

Yes, because GPS works well. But not Galileo.
From my understanding Galileo GNSS is designed for more accuracy than GPS. Therefore I am looking for a Galileo unit. I have no interest in GPS. And Galileo dual band is available in Smartphones. The thing one has to have in mind. Anyone can carry a 220g weight powerbank (10.000mAh) to extend smartphone battery instead carrying a GPSMAP. There is just a practical alternative available which works.

[0x01]

I am excited, Firmware 3.80 is out:

gpsmap65s380.png

[mrfreeze]

Everyone seems to be overlooking the fact that the GPSr still works just as good if not better than any non Multi-Band unit.

Yes, because GPS works well. But not Galileo.
From my understanding Galileo GNSS is designed for more accuracy than GPS. Therefore I am looking for a Galileo unit. I have no interest in GPS. And Galileo dual band is available in Smartphones. The thing one has to have in mind. Anyone can carry a 220g weight powerbank (10.000mAh) to extend smartphone battery instead carrying a GPSMAP. There is just a practical alternative available which works.

I'm not sure if to open service of Galileo is much more accurate than GPS. There will be a GALILEO High Accuracy Service in 2024 which is going to have an horizontal accuracy of <20cm and a vertical accuracy of <40cm.
But of course there are situations which are better solved with a smartphone with powerbank. I thought about a outdoor-smartphone and screen gloves for the winter. But the 65s and normal gloves are better for my needs.

[pokyyy]

... And Galileo dual band is available in Smartphones. The thing one has to have in mind. Anyone can carry a 220g weight powerbank (10.000mAh) to extend smartphone battery instead carrying a GPSMAP. There is just a practical alternative available which works.

It all depends on which environment you need it for. If you are going to use your GPS device in a cold challenging environment where your life depends on it (e.g. winter mountaineering in the Scottish Highlands or Alps), you will need a dedicated unit like Garmin. Garmin is the only device that can pretty much take it all. Mobile phones, powerbanks and some other GPs units (e.g. Satmap) will not operate in temperatures below -5 C.

[0x01]

I am excited, Firmware 3.80 is out:

I can't observe any changes after update. Galileo satellites still keep flashing.

[0x01]

Garmin released Firmware 4.00.
Looks like they found lots of bugs with GPS fix.

gpsmap65s400.png