Gpsmap60csx Frimware 2.70 -- Batterie Problems - Battery Low

[freeday]

Does anyone have the same problem?:

 

My batterie power indicator is moving from 4 to 1 and back to 4 bars.

 

After 3 hours with fully charged 2500 sanyo nimh (yes, i set nimh in the setup) it shows LOW BATTERY!!!

 

I was biking under heavy tree cover.

When i had a good sky view, the battery indicator changed back to 3 bars.

Watching this feature i have following conclusion.

Battery indicator is depending on sky view or anything else. -- this is very curious.

I had a LOW BATTERY for 6 or 7 times (during the next 3 hours) and then it powerded down.

 

Sitting outside the forest i started the gps again and had 3 bars (clear view of sky).

It was running afterwards for more then 3 hours until sunset.

 

Software Version 2.70

GPS SW Version 2.40

(the same batteries work perfectly with FW 2.62)

 

 

one day later: with the same batteries i still have 3 bars of battery indikator (indoor usage) and no recharging

Edited May 12, 2006 by freeday

[kb9nvh]

Sounds like either loose batteries or defective unit?

You can switch back to 2.62 and see if it goes away.....

 

Are the battery terminals clean both on the battery and gps unit?

 

I remember some other elecronic device (I cant remember which it was) that had a problem with recharables being too loose and causing erratic behavior in the thing...when they switched back to alkalines everything was ok...I think the recharables were slightly too small.

 

Does anyone have the same problem?:

 

My batterie power indicator is moving from 4 to 1 and back to 4 bars.

 

After 3 hours with fully charged 2500 sanyo nimh (yes, i set nimh in the setup) it shows LOW BATTERY!!!

 

I was biking under heavy tree cover.

When i had a good sky view, the battery indicator changed back to 3 bars.

Watching this feature i have following conclusion.

Battery indicator is depending on sky view or anything else. -- this is very curious.

I had a LOW BATTERY for 6 or 7 times (during the next 3 hours) and then it powerded down.

 

Sitting outside the forest i started the gps again and had 3 bars (clear view of sky).

It was running afterwards for more then 3 hours until sunset.

 

Software Version 2.70

GPS SW Version 2.40

(the same batteries work perfectly with FW 2.62)

 

 

one day later: with the same batteries i still have 3 bars of battery indikator (indoor usage) and no recharging

Edited May 12, 2006 by kb9nvh

[freeday]

As i already mentioned: the same batteries work perfectly with FW 2.62

[kb9nvh]

OK then, I'll run mine on battery all day and see if it happens to me. Maybe go back to 2.62 (just for an experiment) and ensure that it still does not occur there?

 

OH, one difference, I have SW version 2.5 now instead of 2.4. (using garmins update utility)

 

I usually double check for the obvious (dirty contact due to the wife or kids messing with my stuff) So I was just suggesting the "easy" reasons for something like this.

 

Was it bright sunlight..maybe heat has something to do with it? I had an LCD watch in my handlebar bag once that when flakey due to the sun shineing on it and getting it real hot.

 

Vibration on a bicycle is pretty bad..are you mounted solidly and with shock absorbtion? Batteries getting loose might not be a problem for the normal hiker but bicycle mount could be another issue. (I know you said it didnt happen before with 2.62 but maybe you werent' on as rough a road then).

 

I'll chime back in later with my experience today....

 

 

As i already mentioned: the same batteries work perfectly with FW 2.62

Edited May 12, 2006 by kb9nvh

[kb9nvh]

OK, already I've seen mine go from 4 bars to 3 and then to 2 and back up so I looks like your not alone.

I have my compass turned off also. I usually run mine plugged in in the car so didnt' notice. I"m set to NiMh setting also.

 

Anyone else see erratic battery levels?

 

UPDATE: I left mine on battery out in the car (with good signal strength) and no battery wandering was seen. I"m not sure if poor signal strength plays into power usage but seems weird it would...I suppose its possible though.

 

 

OK then, I'll run mine on battery all day and see if it happens to me. Maybe go back to 2.62 (just for an experiment) and ensure that it still does not occur there?

 

OH, one difference, I have SW version 2.5 now instead of 2.4. (using garmins update utility)

 

I usually double check for the obvious (dirty contact due to the wife or kids messing with my stuff) So I was just suggesting the "easy" reasons for something like this.

 

Was it bright sunlight..maybe heat has something to do with it? I had an LCD watch in my handlebar bag once that when flakey due to the sun shineing on it and getting it real hot.

 

Vibration on a bicycle is pretty bad..are you mounted solidly and with shock absorbtion? Batteries getting loose might not be a problem for the normal hiker but bicycle mount could be another issue. (I know you said it didnt happen before with 2.62 but maybe you werent' on as rough a road then).

 

I'll chime back in later with my experience today....

 

 

As i already mentioned: the same batteries work perfectly with FW 2.62

Edited May 12, 2006 by kb9nvh

[+Team FUBAR]

Did you accidently have yourback light on, and when the unit turned off, and powered back up the backlight was off?

 

Bill

[freeday]

Did you accidently have yourback light on, and when the unit turned off, and powered back up the backlight was off?

 

Bill

no, definitively not.

I powered it also on and off to be sure. (powering on is without backlight)

my backlight is on for only 15 seconds (if turned on)

 

It is only under heavy tree cover (mountainbiking).

 

Today (walking in the city, i still have 3 bars with the same batteries)

 

I think, that the system need a lot of power on heavy tree cover. (or the batteries do not like vibrations of mountainbiking- original garmin bike mount)

[freeday]

... (I know you said it didnt happen before with 2.62 but maybe you werent' on as rough a road then).

...

 

Maybe it was the rough road and NIMH-Batteries do not like vibrations. Or the comination of rough road and heavy tree cover.

It was my first time with this gps on a really rough road. (i am using Garmin original bike mount without shock-absorbtion. But on a fully MTB - Cannondale SV2000)

With Version 2.62 there was also heavy tree cover but i was running and only biking on "good" roads

[+GOT GPS?]

I had alot of battery troubles on Vers 2.62, but have not been able to try the 60Cx in heavy tree cover yet, with version 2.70.

 

I had a Map76S, that always worked real good, and never remember having signal problems with it, until I hiked one day with it in one hand and the 60Cx in the other hand, and guess what, the 76S kept losing it's signal, and the 60Cx kept it's signal in the deep woods on a 6 mile hike. seemed like the 60Cx pulled in the signal so strongly, that the 76S could not see the satellites in much of the hike.

 

It does seem like my 60Cx is a power hog when in the deep woods, and I wished Garmin had gotten the low power verson of the SiRF III, then it would have been less of a power hog.

Edited May 12, 2006 by GOT GPS?

[+geobc]

I had a Map76S, that always worked real good, and never remember having signal problems with it, until I hiked one day with it in one hand and the 60Cx in the other hand, and guess what, the 76S kept losing it's signal, and the 60Cx kept it's signal in the deep woods on a 6 mile hike. seemed like the 60Cx pulled in the signal so strongly, that the 76S could not see the satellites in much of the hike.

I don't know if you're kidding or not, but I assure you that your 60Cx is not sucking up all the satellite signals to the detriment of your 76S. What might be happening is that the RF radiation from the 60 is causing a problem for the 76. Or maybe the tree cover was so bad that the 76 just couldn't get a signal.

 

GeoBC

[last1in]

Does anyone have the same problem?:

 

My batterie power indicator is moving from 4 to 1 and back to 4 bars.

 

After 3 hours with fully charged 2500 sanyo nimh (yes, i set nimh in the setup) it shows LOW BATTERY!!!

 

I was biking under heavy tree cover.

When i had a good sky view, the battery indicator changed back to 3 bars.

Watching this feature i have following conclusion.

Battery indicator is depending on sky view or anything else. -- this is very curious.

I had a LOW BATTERY for 6 or 7 times (during the next 3 hours) and then it powerded down.

 

Sitting outside the forest i started the gps again and had 3 bars (clear view of sky).

It was running afterwards for more then 3 hours until sunset.

 

Software Version 2.70

GPS SW Version 2.40

(the same batteries work perfectly with FW 2.62)

 

 

one day later: with the same batteries i still have 3 bars of battery indikator (indoor usage) and no recharging

 

I too started experiencing the same problem after my firmware upgrade. Nimh 2500 energizer currently last about 3 hours without backlight and compass off.

Currently firmware

Software Version 2.71beta

GPS SW Version 2.50

Same problem with SV 2.70

 

This is a nice forum, thumbs up to the folks that put it together.

[+Train_Man]

I too seem to be having the same problems. I also have the same batteries (Sanyo 2500 NiMH and the battery level seems very odd. I just turned it on and it went from 4 bars to 2 bars in about 2 minutes, then went back to 3 and settled at 1.

 

I will report this to garmin right now (everyone else should do the same - power in numbers )

[+Red90]

My 60Cx was on for 10 hours today using 2500 mAh NiMH and I had no problems, still showing 2 bars. This is with 2.71

[last1in]

So far it seems that my initial battery problem may have been a fluke. So far my 60Csx with the 2500 NiMH battery has been on and left in a stationary position with the onboard stopwatch on for 12+ hours and still has 2 bars left.

Will take it out to the field with tree cover and see if the problem recurs.

[BHP1]

OK, to add to the mystery, today I used my 60Cx (2.71) while fishing in the N. Ga. mountains. With freshly charged 2700 mAh NiMH batteries under a relatively heavy tree canopy, my batteries died in under 2 hours. I was carrying the GPS in the water bottle pocket of my hip pack, and when I pulled it out after two hours to check it, it was off. I turned it back on, and about 30 seconds later I got a "Low Battery" warning and then the unit shut down again. I've rolled back to 2.60 for the time being.

Edited May 14, 2006 by BHP1

[+rstickle]

I'm using 2500 amp hour Energizers and did a walk through some deep woods today that lasted about 2 hours and noticed nothing unusual. I just turned the unit (60CSx) on in the house with the same batteries and have a full 4 bars with no fluctuation. I also ran a set of batteries last weekend for 13+ hours under changing conditions, but that was with 2.70/2.40. Today was the first use with 2.50.

 

Rick

[freeday]

Yesterday i changed to FW 2.72 and gps FW 2.50 (gpsmap 60 csx)

Starting with new loaded 2500 sanyo NIMH at 07:20. (loaded with an AT3+N Loader)

The unit was laying near the window all the time without moving it.

Today on 04:23 it stopped working because of empty batteries.

 

21 Hours and 3 Minutes of working.

 

@BHP1

@Train_Man

@last1in

 

What was your traveling speed when the batteries hat LOW BAT problem.

 

I think it is a combination of heavy tree cover AND traveling speed.

I had traveling speed from 5-50 km/h (= 3-31 mi/h)

[BHP1]

@BHP1

@Train_Man

@last1in

 

What was your traveling speed when the batteries hat LOW BAT problem.

 

I think it is a combination of heavy tree cover AND traveling speed.

I had traveling speed from 5-50 km/h (= 3-31 mi/h)

 

Since I was fishing, I was moving quite slowly, so my moving average was low. I was running 2.71/2.50 during this excursion.

[+dumketu]

 

I too started experiencing the same problem after my firmware upgrade. Nimh 2500 energizer currently last about 3 hours without backlight and compass off.

Currently firmware

Software Version 2.71beta

GPS SW Version 2.50

Same problem with SV 2.70

 

This is a nice forum, thumbs up to the folks that put it together.

 

I had the same thing happen today, same configuration. Lasted about 5 hours on slightly less than fully charged batts. I'll try agan with fully charged batteries and see what happens. Saw the fluxuations from 2-3 and back.

 

*** UPDATE***

 

Ran my GPS with fully charged batteries while I was at work today. It is going on 9 hours and is fluxuating between 2 and three bars. I'll see how long it will go before finally dying.

 

Brian

Edited May 16, 2006 by dumketu

[freeday]

Meanwhile there are also people on a german GPS-board who had the same batterie problem "LOW BATT"

It is since FW 2.70 and FW 2.71 (happens with both)

With version FW 2.6* there were no problems reported.

http://www.naviboard.de/index.php?showtopi...indpost&p=96999

All people were using NIMH-Batteries.

[NewZealand]

That's strange. I did a 5 hour mountainbike tour yesterday with my NiMHs, partially on heavily wooded singletrails, and had no problems.

Have you guys with the battery problem WAAS turned off or on ? (Just a thought)

[BHP1]

That's strange. I did a 5 hour mountainbike tour yesterday with my NiMHs, partially on heavily wooded singletrails, and had no problems.

Have you guys with the battery problem WAAS turned off or on ? (Just a thought)

 

My unit was set to WAAS Off. I'm wondering if it has to do with the rate of travel-I was fishing and moving at about .3 MPH when I had my battery problems.

[last1in]

So far it seems that my initial battery problem may have been a fluke. So far my 60Csx with the 2500 NiMH battery has been on and left in a stationary position with the onboard stopwatch on for 12+ hours and still has 2 bars left.

Will take it out to the field with tree cover and see if the problem recurs.

Did a field run in a heavily wooded area, WAAS on and back light on and set to the half mark. I was able to get 13+ hours on a full charge.

So at least for me no further issues with the firmware for now. Moving Avg 42m/h.

[peter]

Meanwhile there are also people on a german GPS-board who had the same batterie problem "LOW BATT"

It is since FW 2.70 and FW 2.71 (happens with both)

With version FW 2.6* there were no problems reported.

http://www.naviboard.de/index.php?showtopi...indpost&p=96999

All people were using NIMH-Batteries.

I tend to agree with 'gogosch' at that site. Noting that both in this forum and the German one there are very inconsistent results makes me suspect poor battery contacts as the culprit. That can be the result of vibrations if the cells aren't held tightly (if particularly bad you lose contact entirely, but if just a slight contact is maintained the unit can stay on but show low voltage), or due to corrosion/oxidation/contamination of the battery compartment contacts or cell terminals. The latter is more likely to occur with NiMH cells since these last so long that there can easily be some oxidation or contamination of the contacts. When current flows through the contaminated layer there's a voltage drop across it and therefore a lower voltage is seen by the GPS circuitry. If this happens shortly after an upgrade of the firmware it's easy to blame it on that event, but I've seen similar behavior of other electronic devices where there was no firmware problem.

[freeday]

WAAS is turned off

[freeday]

Meanwhile there are also people on a german GPS-board who had the same batterie problem "LOW BATT"

It is since FW 2.70 and FW 2.71 (happens with both)

With version FW 2.6* there were no problems reported.

http://www.naviboard.de/index.php?showtopi...indpost&p=96999

All people were using NIMH-Batteries.

I tend to agree with 'gogosch' at that site. Noting that both in this forum and the German one there are very inconsistent results makes me suspect poor battery contacts as the culprit. That can be the result of vibrations if the cells aren't held tightly (if particularly bad you lose contact entirely, but if just a slight contact is maintained the unit can stay on but show low voltage), or due to corrosion/oxidation/contamination of the battery compartment contacts or cell terminals. The latter is more likely to occur with NiMH cells since these last so long that there can easily be some oxidation or contamination of the contacts. When current flows through the contaminated layer there's a voltage drop across it and therefore a lower voltage is seen by the GPS circuitry. If this happens shortly after an upgrade of the firmware it's easy to blame it on that event, but I've seen similar behavior of other electronic devices where there was no firmware problem.

Do you mean that

"..but if just a slight contact is maintained the unit can stay on but show low voltage.."

there can be low voltage caused by vibration and after some minutes the contacts are self healing by having clear sky outside the wood.

I did not contact, turn or anything else with the batteries and the batterie bars were changing from LOW BATT to 3 bars (of 4 bars=Full) within 5 minutes.

[+dumketu]

 

I too started experiencing the same problem after my firmware upgrade. Nimh 2500 energizer currently last about 3 hours without backlight and compass off.

Currently firmware

Software Version 2.71beta

GPS SW Version 2.50

Same problem with SV 2.70

 

This is a nice forum, thumbs up to the folks that put it together.

 

I had the same thing happen today, same configuration. Lasted about 5 hours on slightly less than fully charged batts. I'll try agan with fully charged batteries and see what happens. Saw the fluxuations from 2-3 and back.

 

*** UPDATE***

 

Ran my GPS with fully charged batteries while I was at work today. It is going on 9 hours and is fluxuating between 2 and three bars. I'll see how long it will go before finally dying.

 

Brian

 

GPS finally ran out of steam after 14 hrs 47 minutes. I did note that I had 2100 NiMH batteries rather than the 2500 I thought I had. I have read that NiMH batteries can be finicky, but that does not explain why the problem emerged after the 2.70 firmware. We will have to see what heppens.

 

Brian

[sismeiro]

Just want to give some input about these. A few days ago I did a car trip at night with my 60 CSx of about 1 and half hour and had no problem with NIMH rechargable bateries. The firmware version is 2.70 and the GPS SW is 2.50.

 

Some of the times the backlight was on and I didn't notice any abnormal consumption of bateries.

 

Regards,

Luis Sismeiro

Edited May 17, 2006 by sismeiro

[BHP1]

Meanwhile there are also people on a german GPS-board who had the same batterie problem "LOW BATT"

It is since FW 2.70 and FW 2.71 (happens with both)

With version FW 2.6* there were no problems reported.

http://www.naviboard.de/index.php?showtopi...indpost&p=96999

All people were using NIMH-Batteries.

I tend to agree with 'gogosch' at that site. Noting that both in this forum and the German one there are very inconsistent results makes me suspect poor battery contacts as the culprit. That can be the result of vibrations if the cells aren't held tightly (if particularly bad you lose contact entirely, but if just a slight contact is maintained the unit can stay on but show low voltage), or due to corrosion/oxidation/contamination of the battery compartment contacts or cell terminals. The latter is more likely to occur with NiMH cells since these last so long that there can easily be some oxidation or contamination of the contacts. When current flows through the contaminated layer there's a voltage drop across it and therefore a lower voltage is seen by the GPS circuitry. If this happens shortly after an upgrade of the firmware it's easy to blame it on that event, but I've seen similar behavior of other electronic devices where there was no firmware problem.

 

But that doesn't explain why the battery problem seems to only happen in heavy cover or in 2.70/2.71. I've used my unit in identical conditions to the ones I had Saturday and never had a low battery problem. Suddenly, the day after upgrading to 2.71, I'm getting less than 2 hours out of a set of batteries-I don't buy that it's a battery contact problem. It does seem that the conditions are very specific, and if these conditions aren't met, then no problem shows up. I think it has to do with moving quite slowly through heavy cover. Unfortunately, it'll be a few weeks before I can get back out to test this theory.

[peter]

Do you mean that "..but if just a slight contact is maintained the unit can stay on but show low voltage.."

there can be low voltage caused by vibration and after some minutes the contacts are self healing by having clear sky outside the wood.

I did not contact, turn or anything else with the batteries and the batterie bars were changing from LOW BATT to 3 bars (of 4 bars=Full) within 5 minutes.

If there's a relatively poor contact then the voltage can easily fluctuate in the way you describe. The recovery won't be due to the clear sky, but rather random changes due to tiny motions of the cells against the contacts and changes in any corrosion or other contamination layer. But it's very easy for such random changes to appear to have a pattern if you only have a few trials.

[freeday]

Firmware 2.90 - same result:

 

LOW BATT problem still exist if GPS is under vibration (MTB - bad track)

 

Seems that GARMINS gpsmap 60 csx is NOT suitable for MTB-Trails.

 

The vibrations cause power down of the unit when using with original Garmin mounting on a fully MTB.

 

If vibrations are only for 10 Seconds it is no problem.

But if vibrations are for a longer time - power off is Garmins gpsmap-reaction

Hey Garmin - i bought an outdoor unit and not a gps for my livingroom!!!

[+Red90]

It has nothing to do with the firmware. The battery are losing contact. They can be improved. Do a search.

[planewood]

Over the past week my 60 cx won't pick up satellites with two bars showing. This is with 3 different sets of Energizer batteries (2500 nimh). I'm using version 2.7 of software. When it gets down to 2 bars, it says "weak satellite signal". I put in a fresh set of recharged batteries and it works fine. Just started doing this last week while on a trip. Could the xray machine at the airport have caused a problem? This was the first time I've flown with the unit (I carried it on board).

 

It used to pick up the satellites fine when just 1 bar was showing.

[+klossner]

After upgrading the firmware, check the settings and make sure that battery type is still set to rechargeable (or NiCad or NiMh or whatever it's called.) Rechargeable batteries deliver a lower voltage level than akaline, so can be confused with dying alkalines. This lower voltage is why you can't use rechargeables in some cameras with flashes.

[freeday]

It has nothing to do with the firmware. The battery are losing contact. They can be improved. Do a search.

Thank you! i found it here:

http://www.instructables.com/ex/i/47E0A588...7E506/?ALLSTEPS