GPSrChive Discussion Forum

Thank you!

Any chance of getting another one while in Day Mode (black text on white)?

gpsrchive wrote: ↑Sun Feb 20, 2022 2:57 pm Any chance of getting another one while in Day Mode (black text on white)?

Thank you for the additional images!

The GPSrChive > GPSMAP 66sr > Setup > About page has been updated.

So, do you not have a CPE.BIN file on your 66sr?

gpsrchive wrote: ↑Mon Feb 21, 2022 12:59 am So, do you not have a CPE.BIN file on your 66sr?

No, I have never seen a CPE.BIN file on my GPSMAP 66sr.

What is puzzling to me is that Garmin says "with updated CPE or EPO files, instead of 2-3 minutes to find GPS signals, it will usually take 5-10 seconds". My GPSMAP 66sr is doing much better than 2-3 minutes, even though it says CPE: Missing or CPE: Expired. When outdoors, it is not far above that 5-10 second range.

Here is my theory on CPE updates over WiFi, and possibly also firmware updates over WiFi. They only work after the GPSMAP has synced at least once with Garmin Express. Garmin Express must store some kind of token, cookie, or certificate on the GPSMAP that then allows it to authenticate to the Garmin servers that provide CPE and Firmware updates. Without ever using Express, the GPSMAP may contact the servers over WiFi, but the servers will reject the attempt. This is purely random speculation - I have no evidence any of it is true.

After conducting some testing with ljnjtrails, we have discovered that if your device does not have a CPE.BIN file present, copying the CPE.BIN file from another 66sr to your device will work.

It does appear the CPE.BIN update via Wi-Fi is not functioning correctly at this time, however.

Garmin software engineers have been notified.

Followup: I tried yet again with Garmin Express on my Android phone, to see if it would get a CPE update. I installed Express - now up to version 3.3.1, paired phone and GPSMAP, and let them sync, a few times. It did copy waypoints, tracks onto my phone and up to my Garmin account, but no CPE file. As always, CPE:Missing and then CPE:Expired in Setup > About.

Then I disabled WiFi on my phone and let it sync up using 4G LTE data. This worked: I now have CPE:Current on the GPSMAP.

To be clear: the GPSMAP has WiFi OFF, Bluetooth ON. The cell phone has Bluetooth ON, and at first had WiFi ON, which didn't get CPE data, then WiFi OFF so it falls back to using 4G LTE data, and this did get a CPE file.

So the problem seems to be specific to my WiFi. It could be firewall, but it's pretty standard, just blocks incoming. It could be the speed, which is awful. But I don't really know. I use my phone with this WiFi all the time, no problems.

When the CPE expires, I might try using something like a public WiFi and see what happens.

The update of the CPE.BIN file is done by connecting your smartphone to the 66sr with Garmin Connect and it works, sometimes the synchronization is a bit long but it works.

But maybe it works with WiFi alone, I haven't tried. The 66sr would connect on its own if WiFi is enabled ?

Garmin writes this:

"How Is EPO or CPE Data Downloaded ?
Satellite location information is refreshed periodically when your Garmin product syncs data with your Garmin Connect account or Garmin Express. This data needs to be refreshed if the product has not been used in over 30 days, or when it has traveled more than 200 miles from its last satellite connection, so sync your product often.

Syncing your device either through the Garmin Connect app, Garmin Express, or when a compatible Garmin product connects to a previously configured Wi-Fi network, will ensure that it has the latest available satellite location information."

Yes, that's correct. Garmin seems to be saying there are 4 ways for the GPSMAP 66sr to get CPE updates:

1. Sync with the Garmin Connect app on your phone
2. Sync with the Garmin Explore app on your phone
3. Using Garmin Express app on your PC
4. Via direct WiFi connection from the GPSMAP 66sr to the Garmin servers

In my experience, (4) does not work, and this seems to be confirmed by others. I was now able to get (2), Garmin Explore to work, but only via 4G LTE mobile data from by phone, not via WiFi from my phone. I have not tried the other 2 ways.

I just read my post from the other day and sorry for the confusion. The names are similar and I keep getting them messed up.

I DID get CPE updates using Garmin Explore (not Garmin Express).