GPSMAP66st

**Oswald Bold** · 7th January 2020, 06:36 PM

Just got a new GPSMAP66st (my old 60CSx died). On paper, it is an impressive improvement over the 60: 16G memory vs 8g; 20,000 track points vs 10,000; 12,000 map tiles vs 4000; GPS Elevation vs barometric altimeter. It seemed like a good idea at the time...

What the user manual doesn't tell you is what it no longer will do:
You cannot display multiple waypoints on the map.Will only display one waypoint at a time on the map. If you select a new waypoint to show on the map, the previous one disappears.
Will not display the current track you are recording while you are recording it. So, you can't see where you've been until you stop recording and save the track. If you are traveling backcountry off trail, this is a real problem.
You cannot reset the Odometer field in the Trip Computer, and you cannot choose individual fields to reset/clear. The only way to reset the Odometer field is to do a global reset that clears all the settings you have entered. Why have a data field that accumulates data and cannot be reset?

I have contacted Garmin Product Support, and they have confirmed that this is the way the 66 is designed, it was not operator error. I don't know what Garmin was thinking when they designed the software for the 66, but they have eliminated a lot of the previous models' functionalities. This is not product evolution, it is product devolution.

I have returned my 66st. I am very disappointed with Garmin.

**asprin624** · 9th January 2020, 06:40 PM

@Oswald Bold,

I have the Garmin GPSMAP 66S and it works just great.

I set it up with the help of GPSrChive forum and navigation-professionell forum.

Both sites were very helpful.

Spoiler: GPSChive setup for the 66

Spoiler: navigation-professionell setup for the 66

**Swall** · 10th January 2020, 10:51 PM

For me, both the opinions seems strong. Old habits die hard but sometimes we have to exercise our adaptation skills for good. GPSrChive is a great site, there are a lots of very detailed information for many Garmin devices.

But GPSMAP 66 is a relatively new series and many related intimates remains to be discovered by the community. For instance, the hardware. It's still hard to find any information so I've looked into the images on the FCC site and have found some interesting things. First, it seems the 66 series uses the platform SoC (STA2065 aka Cartesto+) which is exactly similar to that for the 64 series and recent Oregon and Montana series. So all that units has exactly similar computing power. Not more, not less. As for the external GPS chip, the image is not clear enough to identify the part. But it's certainly not MT3332 (as in the 64). It's something different (perhaps it's MT3333 as in the new 64sc(x) units). So if you'll be going to take your unit apart for some reason, please don't forget to identify this chip and let us know. Second, there is the Garmin satellite modem module inside the GPSMAP 66i and some other units of such capability. According to the modem module specification, it can radiate up to 2W power in the micro-wave RF (L band). So when the modem is transmitting, it is advised by the spec to maintain at least 24 cm. clearance between the antenna and any living thing. Not a single word about than in the user's manual or safety data sheet for related units

**asprin624** · 30th April 2020, 11:10 AM

User's go right away to pull the batteries on the GPSMAP 66

GPSMAP 66 freezes while zooming in on a map firmware Update 4.10 but I do not think it has anything to do with the firmware.

Once in awhile when I zoom in on the map and take it to the max. It seems to freeze and can not zoom back out.
Then the screen saver kick in and the next time I view the map all is working and I can zoom out again. Have never had to remove the batteries. Waiting seems to correct the freezing. This does not happen all the time. I think it has happen 3 times since I have been using the 66. It sounds like all the memory is used up for a minute or so and then clears the cache.

My 66 has 40 plus Geocaches on and 4GB SD card with full Benelux map. It does take some time to startup with all my 40 plus Geocaches on the SD card.

As for pulling the batteries on the 66 I would just wait and let it just reset itself before I would pull the batteries out.
In most cases this does work......
User's who seem to have this happen a lot might try a different map as a test to see if it is the maps fault.
This also holds true for use's who scrolling on map.
This has not happened to me and have tested scrolling 90 KM South on my map and everything is working with no lockup.
Then scrolled back up to my location and again no lockup. Then went East 10KM and back and West 10 KM and back. Not one lockup the whole time. But like I said I have my Benelux map on a 4GB SD card. Do not know if using an SD card is better then having everything on internal memory. While doing the test scrolling you do not see much of the map till you pause for a second and the map reappears on the screen then I go back to scrolling again. The KM does not move also till you pause for a second scrolling and it corrects itself also.

**babj615** · 30th April 2020, 10:55 PM