Garmin GPSMAP 60/76C[S]x ugrade

[DougPaul]

Garmin GPSMAP 60/76C[S]x upgrade

There is a new update to the software for the Garmin GPSMAP 60/76Cx GPSes. Ver 3.50 for 60CSx.

http://www8.garmin.com/support/blosp.jsp


psmart:
Sorry, no changes in the user datum listed in the changelog.

Doug

 

[psmart]

psmart: Sorry, no changes in the user datum listed in the changelog.

Thanks for posting anyway! I'll be interested to see how significant the changes are. From my notes, the previous release was 3.30.

I did find a possible bug in the 60CSx. At least it's an annomoly that needs to be documented. (non-GPS freaks can skip this!) Try this:

1) Goto Setup/Units and select
Position = ddd mm.mmm
Datum = NAD27 CONUS

2) Goto the Trip Computer screen. Selected Menu/Change Data fields. Cursor down to the default elevation field, press enter and change the field to "Location (selected)"

3) Next, cursor down to the odometer field, press enter and change the field to "Location (lat/long)"

4) Press quit. The last two fields should display the same location - but they don't!! Location(selected) seems to use NAD27 as specified, but Location(lat/long) ALWAYS seems to use NAD83, regardless of the selected datum. You can confirm this by changing the current datum to NAD83.

You wouldn't notice this difference in normal usage, but if you want to use a datum other than NAD83 with two different projections, there would be discrepancy in the numbers.

 

[Paradox]

Thanks, Doug, on top of things as usual.
I did notice that lithium batteries are no longer a choice.

 

[DougPaul]

I did notice that lithium batteries are no longer a choice.

That change is essentially meaningless.

The battery type setting only affects the battery capacity meter. It has nothing to do with operation of the GPS. (I always leave mine set at alkaline and just remember what type of battery is in the device--usually NiMH for me.)

The old label was "lithium ion" which was incorrect (lithium ion is a 3.6V rechargable), (photo) "lithium"* was what they meant. I haven't upgraded yet, so I don't know if the label was changed to "lithium" or simply eliminated.

* The 1.5V photo lithium cell is actually a lithium-iron disulfide cell. There is also a 3V lithium primary cell using a different cathode.


There is a problem in the 60/76Cx that the slightly higher voltage of a pair of fresh lithium cells will cause it to shut down. (Not a problem with earlier models.) Garmin's "fix" is to use the cells in something else until the initial high voltage is bled off. IMO, it is a hardware design error on Garmin's part.

If Garmin eliminated the label, it is probably to reduce the number of calls to customer support on this issue...

Doug

 

[psmart]

I found that you need to use the web updater to get version 3.50.

The manual download page claims to offer 3.50, but the file it finally offers is GPSMap60CSx_330.exe

 

[DougPaul]

I found that you need to use the web updater to get version 3.50.

The manual download page claims to offer 3.50, but the file it finally offers is GPSMap60CSx_330.exe

I just unziped GPSMAP60CSx_350.exe--it produces 029201000350.rgn which appears to be v3.50. It differs from 029201000330.rgn produced by unzipping GPSMAP60CSx_330.exe. If I search 029201000350.rgn, I find the string "3.50", but not "3.30" and if I search 029201000330.rgn, I find the string "3.30", but not "3.50". I haven't loaded 3.50 into my GPS yet, but I'll bet it really is v3.50.

When you execute the update program, it prints out the version of the software already in the GPS, not that of the new software being loaded. This confuses many users. It would be far less confusing if it would print out the version numbers of both the old and new versions with clear labels.

In other words, it was probably loading 3.50.

Web updater is a lot less reliable than local execution of the exe. Many have had trouble with it and have succeeded with the exe. I have always used the exe without difficulty.

Doug

 

[psmart]

Some of the Garmin links still point to version 3.30, while others offer 3.50.

If you go to the following Product page and click on "Updates and Downloads" you will eventually get to the older 3.30 file:
http://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=310

This page has the latest version 3.50:
http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=010-00422-00

 

[DougPaul]

Some of the Garmin links still point to version 3.30, while others offer 3.50.

If you go to the following Product page and click on "Updates and Downloads" you will eventually get to the older 3.30 file:
http://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=310

I can't speak for the entire website.

This page has the latest version 3.50:
http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=010-00422-00

The link that I posted, http://www8.garmin.com/support/blosp.jsp, leads to that page in one click.

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

Just did the upgrade to v3.50 on my 60CSx using the exe file.

Had no problems.

It looks like Garmin did delete the lithium battery option rather than fix the label.

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

I did find a possible bug in the 60CSx. At least it's an annomoly that needs to be documented. (non-GPS freaks can skip this!)
<details snipped>

I missed this on my earlier reading...

Sounds like a bug to me. You might try reporting it to Garmin.

Doug

 

[MichaelJ]

Sigh. When are they going to put out MapSource for the Mac so I can stop having to drag out an old x86 laptop just for this stuff...

 

[DougPaul]

Sigh. When are they going to put out MapSource for the Mac so I can stop having to drag out an old x86 laptop just for this stuff...

Sigh, when are they going to put out a Linux product so I don't have to reboot to M$ to upgrade my GPS software.

Welcome to the modern computer software market...

I seem to recall that Garmin is working on a Mac version. I haven't paid enough attention to see if there are any projected delivery dates. You might search sci.geo.satellite-nav for reports. http://groups.google.com/group/sci.geo.satellite-nav/topics?lnk=gschg

Doug

 

[MichaelJ]

They have the POI loader and some training tool for the Mac, and they do actually have a beta of the WebUpdater (which I don't know if I have the nerve to try, it being a beta), but they're still quiet on MapSource.

 

[DougPaul]

They have the POI loader and some training tool for the Mac, and they do actually have a beta of the WebUpdater (which I don't know if I have the nerve to try, it being a beta), but they're still quiet on MapSource.

OK--looks like you have been following it more closely than I. I would also be very careful about upgrading the software--a failure can leave the GPS inoperable and non-updatable.

Fortunately, I don't need to load maps or upgrade the software very often and can transfer waypoints, routes, and tracks directly from Linux utilities.

BTW, I do have NG TOPO! and an old version of Mapsource running under an old version of Wine (windows emulator) so I can at least look at the maps and execute some of the functions under Linux. Similar partial operation might also be possible on the *NIX based Mac using one of the emulators. However, updating the software in a GPS is dangerous enough that I wouldn't really want to try it from an emulator.

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

Garmin has just announced another software upgrade to the GPSMAP 60/76Cx family of GPSes. The latest version is 3.70 (as of Jul 02, 2008).

For the 60CSx: http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection.jsp?product=010-00422-00
for the others: http://www8.garmin.com/support/blosp.jsp

Changes made from version 3.60 to 3.70:
* Fix issue where bathymetric (underwater depth) lines would not show up in non-marine night color mode.
* Fix issue where tide page can show the wrong date.
* Fix shutdown when the day view calendar page has more than 9 waypoints and a point at index greater than 9 is deleted.
* Fix issue where tracklog setting was changed when unit was put into mass storage mode.

I haven't yet tested it myself.

Note: in the past, WebUpdater has claimed the latest was 3.70 while the latest available for direct download was 3.60. I have no reports at this point if this point of confusion continues.

Doug