Firmware Instinct Tactical

Bingo!

But I hate bugs which appeared in 6.51 and still are in 6.54 (do you see? Seconds are away, while I was holding the watch in my hands!) so I am going to downgrade back to 6.10 . Are there any other new features in 6.54?

BTW, I see in the firmware update file some icons, which I have never seen on display. So I really trust that Tactical has the same firmware.

We should hack it and use it as a tactical firmware!

6619804 said:

But I hate bugs which appeared in 6.51 and still are in 6.54 (do you see? Seconds are away, while I was holding the watch in my hands!)

That's not a bug. It is an improvement for saving power by reducing the frequent display refreshing. The seconds disappear after 30s, if you do not move the hand. Personally, I appreciate the change. 

6619804 said:

Are there any other new features in 6.54?

Yes, plenty, see the changelog: https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=14527

I do not see in the changelog any mention about the features we are discussing here. So how do you know that disappearing of seconds is not a bug? Sometimes it is 14 seconds, even when I slightly move by hand. I hate it. I hope that the second bug (the watch switch on immediately after I switch it off) is not intentional.

6619804 said:

I do not see in the changelog any mention about the features we are discussing here.

You asked whether there are other new features in the beta, so I just answered that they are listed in the changelog. It does not mean there are not any additional changes than what's writen there, but at least you can see the new features officially known.

6619804 said:

So how do you know that disappearing of seconds is not a bug?

Because it was always like that, just the delay was perhaps a bit longer. Even the owner's manual on the page Maximizing the Battery Life tells "Use a watch face that is not updated every second.". I do not understand why someone would want to drain the battery by refreshing the display every second, when he does not look at the watch. Personally, I appreciate the feature.

Also read the FAQ Why Does the Second Hand Disappear From My Watch Face? Although it reffers to analogue watch faces, the same is true for Instinct with a digital face having the seconds field. I just did not find the right page, but I think I already saw it in the past too:

"Pre-installed analogue watch faces found on Garmin watches have a 30 second timeout function for the second hand. The timeout function is designed to save watch battery, since refreshing the display is one of the most battery intensive features. Switching to a different screen and returning to the watch face will restore the second hand for another 30 seconds. Additionally, some watches will restore the second hand when movement is detected by the accelerometer."

6619804 said:

Sometimes it is 14 seconds

I tested it around 20 times, and it was never less than 30s. The algorithm is as follows (T stands for the current time):

time to hide seconds = 10*ceil(T/10) + 30

In words - the current time is rounded to the next full 10s and 30s are added to it. It gives the time when the display goes into the power saving mode. It means the delay is always in the range of 30 - 39s.

Edit: I do not exclude that the delay might be reduced even further under low battery conditions, which would indeed make sense. I did not test it with low battery, but will do, once it drains  The 14s could be then possible and very much needed, in such situation.

trux said:

at least you can see the new features officially known

I thought you have better information than mere mortals :-). Who could discover such hidden feature like the sunset/sunrise, when there is no official mention about it?

trux said:

I appreciate the feature.

I don't. The timeout is too short to me, that's why I noticed it, often it disappears when I am looking at the display. Maybe if those digits would disappear in the 59-00 step or so. This way looks erratic, like failure. And I strongly doubt that it has substantial effect to battery life.

But I found that the second bug is also time dependent. When I look for instance at compass (holding ABC), then I return to main page and quickly switch the watch off, it switches on immediately. When I wait for a few seconds, after switching off the watch stay off. Can you confirm that, or is it only my problem? Version 6.51 was still O.K., this problem started in 6.52 .

6619804 said:

The timeout is too short to me, that's why I noticed it, often it disappears when I am looking at the display.

Perhaps you should start doing something more useful with your life than staring at the watch all the time for periods longer than 30s.  Why would someone need to look at the watch longer than couple of seconds to check the time? When I need to recheck it, I just slightly move the wrist, and the seconds are back. And when I need the time with running seconds for measuiring some event, I use the stop watch, or a timer.

6619804 said:

This way looks erratic, like failure.

Yet, it is not. It is completely intentional and a well designed feature.

6619804 said:

And I strongly doubt that it has substantial effect to battery life.

Garmin Instinct uses a monochrome transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP), which is similar to e-ink (or e-paper) type of displays. The MIP structure of these LCDs allows them to display a static image indefinitely without the need for additional power. In other words, the display, unlike standard displays, consumes power only when you need to change the content. It means if you let the display changing each second, you increase the consumption 60 times in comparison to the mode when it is changing only once per minute.

6619804 said:

When I wait for a few seconds, after switching off the watch stay off. Can you confirm that, or is it only my problem

Sorry, I have no idea. I own my Instinct almost a year, but I did not switch it off yet. I use it non-stop round the clock, and have no need switching it off, so this problem, even if it existed, does not concern me.