GPSrChive Discussion Forum

Does anybody else have this problem. I keep finding that the unit has Auto Started track recording even though Auto Start is turned off. I can't pin it down to what is kicking this off yet. Expedition Mode is set to Auto on my unit.

Update, this seems to happen when you manually enter Expedition mode on a power off. It may also occur on an auto entry. So even though recording is stopped it starts when you enter Expedition mode.

If recording is stopped it should continue to be stopped when you enter/leave Expedition mode in my opinion?

Just tested this. No matter how you enter Expedition mode the trip log starts to run.

Expedition Mode has its own set of rules to maximize battery life, which includes a tracklog recording at a rate of 1 trackpoint per minute. There is no way to disable tracklog recording while Expedition Mode is active.

gpsrchive wrote: Tue Oct 01, 2019 11:54 pm Expedition Mode has its own set of rules to maximize battery life, which includes a tracklog recording at a rate of 1 trackpoint per minute. There is no way to disable tracklog recording while Expedition Mode is active.

I really appreciate Garmin adding Expedition mode to increase the battery life, but it feels it isn't really completely thought through. When on a long distance hike my overriding goal from the GPS is being able to relocate myself on a map and especially with regard to planned route/track. I want to do this for as long as possible without needing to replace the batteries. Continually recording my track is of secondary concern.

So it feels to me there should be a Low Power mode with track recording and a Low Power mode which can quickly turn on and display your current position only.

robert wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:40 am So it feels to me there should be a Low Power mode with track recording and a Low Power mode which can quickly turn on and display your current position only.

I think that low power mode is called the Power Button 8^)

gpsrchive wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2019 1:33 pm

robert wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:40 am So it feels to me there should be a Low Power mode with track recording and a Low Power mode which can quickly turn on and display your current position only.

I think that low power mode is called the Power Button 8^)

I think I am coming to that conclusion. It is just I am used to a Satmap device which has a hibernation mode. This has a virtually instant on method of operation. This makes it very quick and easy to come out of hibernation get a GPS fix confirm what correction or direction I need to take and then put back into hibernation. Although it is is only 20s to power on the 66 it just doesn't feel as slick.

Which SAT-MAP device are you used to having a Hibernation Feature?

gpsrchive wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2019 7:10 pm Which SAT-MAP device are you used to having a Hibernation Feature?

Satmap Active 10 and 12 both have the hibernation feature. Active 20 may have this but I have not used this. You can select this when you power off the unit. You can also select hibernation as the default action after an inactivity timeout of 1-120mins. Useful for when you forgot to power down.

The unit powers down into a very low power mode which you can set a timeout of 1hr to 4hrs. After this time if you have not accessed the unit it powers down completely.

If you power on before the timeout above the units comes to life in 1s and usually has an instant satellite lock. Sometimes you need to wait a few seconds for a lock.

They quote up to 120hrs of operation in Hibernate mode. No tracking or trip log updates are performed when in hibernation.

Another point there is no inactivity power off timer on the 66. This really needs to be rolled into the Expedition mode so that if you forget to turn the unit off it will power off itself after a user defined time.

robert wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2019 10:20 pm

gpsrchive wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2019 7:10 pm Which SAT-MAP device are you used to having a Hibernation Feature?

Satmap Active 10 and 12 both have the hibernation feature. Active 20 may have this but I have not used this. You can select this when you power off the unit. You can also select hibernation as the default action after an inactivity timeout of 1-120mins. Useful for when you forgot to power down.

The unit powers down into a very low power mode which you can set a timeout of 1hr to 4hrs. After this time if you have not accessed the unit it powers down completely.

If you power on before the timeout above the units comes to life in 1s and usually has an instant satellite lock. Sometimes you need to wait a few seconds for a lock.

Thank you, I am not familiar with those units and am currently researching them!

I have to point out the obvious conflict in the following statement:

robert wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2019 10:20 pm They quote up to 120hrs of operation in Hibernate mode. No tracking or trip log updates are performed when in hibernation.

If the device is not tracking or performing any updates or other operations of any kind during hibernation, can it really be considered 'operational'?

I can get thousands of hours out of any Garmin while accomplishing the exact same result, which is nothing.

8^)

robert wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2019 10:20 pm Another point there is no inactivity power off timer on the 66. This really needs to be rolled into the Expedition mode so that if you forget to turn the unit off it will power off itself after a user defined time.

That is not the purpose of Expedition Mode.

However, one may ask Garmin to add timers to power the device down and back on at specific times.