CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

Discussion related to the Garmin GPSMAP 66sr GPSr
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GPSrChive
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Re: CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

Unread post by GPSrChive »

ewald.gruen wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 11:51 am No, and I have no plans to ever connect my device to Garmin Express.
While that is certainly your choice, it is also most likely the source of your issues related to Wi-Fi data.

If you do not use Garmin Express, how are you getting all the most current device firmware, GPS chipset software, text and font files, and map updates on your 66sr?
anderw_hsieh
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Re: CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

Unread post by anderw_hsieh »

GPSrChive wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 11:34 am
ewald.gruen wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 8:48 am @anderw_hsieh, I can't confirm that. When I open the 'Active Weather' page, the device downloads about a hundred kilobytes of data from caps.dciwx.com, and that's it. No difference in terms of CPE.BIN.
Was your GPSr Wi-Fi network configured using Garmin Express?
It is my fault. Because I had installed Garmin explore on my smartphone although I don't open it, but maybe it run in background. When set the Wi-Fi on, gpsmap 66sr will download EPO.bin file (locate in /garmin/GPS )that is for Garmin watch, not for 66sr.
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Re: CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

Unread post by GPSrChive »

anderw_hsieh wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 2:43 pm
GPSrChive wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 11:34 am
ewald.gruen wrote: Thu Jul 14, 2022 8:48 am @anderw_hsieh, I can't confirm that. When I open the 'Active Weather' page, the device downloads about a hundred kilobytes of data from caps.dciwx.com, and that's it. No difference in terms of CPE.BIN.
Was your GPSr Wi-Fi network configured using Garmin Express?
It is my fault. Because I had installed Garmin explore on my smartphone although I don't open it, but maybe it run in background. When set the Wi-Fi on, gpsmap 66sr will download EPO.bin file (locate in /garmin/GPS )that is for Garmin watch, not for 66sr.
So you also found an EPO.BIN file on your GPSMAP 66sr?

Was there also the CPE.BIN file?
ljnjtrails
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Re: CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

Unread post by ljnjtrails »

I haven't seen any CPE updates over WiFi, even though I do use WiFi for active weather. I think Andrew is probably right, what he did worked but was probably a coincidence and it might have just updated via Explore.

Regarding WiFi and other updates, I also do not use Express. This device is supposed to be able to update CPE and firmware directly via WiFi, but does not seem able to. I get CPE updates with Explore. For firmware updates I have to rely on GPSrChive! (The direct download links from Garmin no longer seem to work.)

One thing about WiFi setup: Intially, I did the WiFi setup on my GPSMAP 66sr. It worked, but poorly. Most times I turned the GPSMAP on, WiFi would not be on, and it would not allow me to toggle the On/Off to turn it on. It took 2 or 3 reboots of the GPSMAP before it would let me switch WiFi on. But later I used Garmin Explore on my phone to re-do the WiFi setup. Since then it has never once failed. It always comes up on if it was left on when shut down. So there does seem to be something 'special' about setting up WiFi via Explore, versus setting it up on the GPSMAP itself. I assume setup with Connect is similar.
ewald.gruen
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Re: CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

Unread post by ewald.gruen »

I set up Wi-Fi directly on the 66sr (without the help of an external app or program) and it does seem to work reliably. Wi-Fi stays on after a reboot and usually reconnects without requiring manual intervention (although this can take up to several minutes). The only situation where the automatic reconnect seems to fail is when you turn the access point off and on while the 66sr is connected (but in this case, turning the Wi-Fi on the 66sr off and on again is enough to trigger a reconnect).

'Active Weather' also works just fine (aside from the first tab, which apparently requires special set up via Garmin Express):

66sr_active_weather.png
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Re: CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

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Does BirdsEye Direct work also?
ewald.gruen
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Re: CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

Unread post by ewald.gruen »

Yes it does:
66sr_birdseye_direct.png
and apparently it just downloads Maxar Imagery directly from
Exterenal Link
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Re: CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

Unread post by GPSrChive »

Thank you!
ljnjtrails
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Re: CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

Unread post by ljnjtrails »

ewald.gruen wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 8:20 am ...'Active Weather' also works just fine (aside from the first tab, which apparently requires special set up via Garmin Express):
Interesting. That message in your screenshot: "This feature is not available until Wi-Fi is set up using Garmin Express" - I was also seeing that a lot. But it also works if you set up WiFi with Garmin Explore on a cell, as I did. The first tab in Active Weather works fine for me.

I think it is strange and ugly that you can set up WiFi on the device, but it won't fully work, while setting it up from Explore or Express - entering the same info, SSID and password - makes it fully functional. I suspect there is a real explanation why this is so, and I suspect we will never find out what it is.
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Re: CPE updates via WiFi - does it work? [Bug 65]

Unread post by GPSrChive »

ljnjtrails wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 12:52 am
ewald.gruen wrote: Fri Jul 15, 2022 8:20 am ...'Active Weather' also works just fine (aside from the first tab, which apparently requires special set up via Garmin Express):
Interesting. That message in your screenshot: "This feature is not available until Wi-Fi is set up using Garmin Express" - I was also seeing that a lot. But it also works if you set up WiFi with Garmin Explore on a cell, as I did. The first tab in Active Weather works fine for me.
Thank you for sharing this observation!

ljnjtrails wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 12:52 am I think it is strange and ugly that you can set up WiFi on the device, but it won't fully work, while setting it up from Explore or Express - entering the same info, SSID and password - makes it fully functional. I suspect there is a real explanation why this is so, and I suspect we will never find out what it is.
One theory is that since the forecast data is provided via DarkSky, there may be licensing issues that require an initial 'home IP location' to complete, and while Garmin Express/Garmin Explore can see this, the GPSr can not.
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