Expedition mode 9.0

so the second unit is in test since abt 10h

This time exp mode is prompted, meaning when interupted, it has to be set back to exp mode manually.

Also here I noticed that 66i did wake up by itself, switched on display and also backlight for a moment. However the time counter did not appear then obviously, but it went back to sleep by itself starting flash green led.

However, when I attended the unit after having some sleep, found it not flashing green. However when pressing power button, it did display Resuming for less then 5sec and it was fully operational then. Not sure now if it is in exp mode or normal mode.

Otherwise no crash in those 10h so far.

started one unit with fw 8.50 and exp mode on auto, just to compare

The unit with 9.0 and exp mode in prompted, does indeed also switch on display and even backlight for a moment sometimes. I can see it in the dark through the window. The display is then on for some time, but it switches off after some time, but there is not this count down displayed as with the automatic mode.

Update:

Unit2

updated yesterday from 8.80 to 9.0 and fully charged. No substantial changes to settings done, no factory reset done after or prior update. Own created profile in use, 'secondary' radios operational, wifi and BT (no use of ANT+)

Test outside, initially exp mode prompted, no special observations during the test. Sometimes unit switches display on at not predicatable times, but goes alone back to exp mode.

When waken up by power button, Resuming takes abt 5sec, when finished with work, manually set back to exp mode, green led flashes then.

After 21h rest 83% battery (17%used)

No crash or other extraordinary behaviour

Now intern error logging enabled

Mode changed to exp mode *auto* with the aim to observe again a difference, as majority of crashes observed in that mode.

Unit1

runs now for abt 9hrs with 8.50 FW in exp mode auto. Swithes display on sometimes, but otherwise all OK initially. After abt 4h green led stopped flashing. Pressing power button Resuming, but it takes some 30sec. Thereafter unit goes to exp mode automatically. Attempted to log some errors, but no luck so far. Power consumption in abt 9hrs 10%

after days of testing with two 66i, still not clear what is crashing the device. It looks like that once it did crash, it will crash more less frequently in future unless full reset was done, then it calms down until next crash.

Supplied some debug files to support, answer is that serious issue is known and it was escalated to high priority due to many reports like that.

So it looks like the 66i is still not ready for regular use.

We have to wait, hope that some 9.20 or something will come soon.

Ok sounds good. Thanks for the report.  

I tested expedition auto Sunday Monday and today (Tuesday).  I didn’t have any problems.  On one occasion, it did take about 10 seconds to resume, but that’s not a big deal.   I even tried testing indoors today hoping I could get it to reboot. But nope. Working fine. 

Unfortunately I don’t have any more time for testing.  I’m 100% confident in the ability to use SOS and 100% confident in the battery life. And maybe 95% confident it will continuously track me without me having to babysit the device.  

I’ll post again in mid March after I get back from my trip and post about any problems or lack thereof. 

I did other test where I reoved SD cards from both 66i, so no interference with maps etc

Test was in exp mode auto

After abt 10hrs, one of the units started to repeat wake up and attempted do something, few times and it finally crashed and switched it self off.  Tthe other unit did also wake up, did what ever needed and went back to sleep.

The result was, that the crashed unit did use much more power then the correct running one.

I checked the debug files and yes, the crashes one tried to get gps few times ending this with en error msg in the log, but finally crashed completely.

The correct running unit did also make some error loging, but did recover and could continue in exp mode.

In fact, all the crashes happen up on  error msg in the debug file: gps_recover_prj.c 333, position buffer fail

I have tested both units also in normal mode, meaning not exp mode. There this error never exists, it exists only in expedition mode

So you might simply be lucky that your 66i recovers from those errors by it self mostly.

Thanks for the heads-up and thanks for giving Garmin a heads-up. Hopefully it won’t glitch on trip. 

I should probably clarify a couple things I wrote in this thread just in case someone else is reading. 

When I wrote that I had 100% confidence in battery life in expedition mode, I should have mentioned that I will still be carrying extra USB battery banks just in case.  But I already have those anyway for phone and different camera and shtf. 

Also, when I said I estimated 0.38% per hour battery consumption in expedition mode in one of my tests, that was from a stationary position and leaving the device completely undisturbed.  There’s no way it would get that good of battery life if you’re moving all day and have tracking at 30 minutes moving.  The only way to estimate for battery life is to simulate using the device exactly like you plan on using it.  If you’re a texting machine, then you’ll have to send/receive lots of messages in your simulation etc.  So please don’t use my posts as a guide for battery life for expedition mode. I was mainly testing to see if they fixed 8.80 battery consumption in expedition mode. 

The point about stationary testing is a good one. The device senses that you are stationary. It automatically increases the sending interval to four hours. It does wake up at the original sending interval to check the position to see if you are moving again. But that is just the GPS radio - no Iridium activity as there would be with a sent point.

As you say, battery life testing while stationary is useless. It will be waaaaay optimistic.

Yes exactly. 

Garmin put together a really nice battery guide, but still, it’s best to try and simulate an anticipated real world usage for the individual user. If I were to loan this 66i to my neighbor’s teenage daughters, they’d be trying to install Snapchat and the battery would be dead before sunrise. ;)  It would be the same result if he had teenage sons. 

I’m pretty impressed with the battery life..all things considered.

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