Navigate"ing" with your Garmin Edge 605 or 705
Lane Parker
You should try this on your next ride with your Edge 605 or 705 if you have a GPX file or even a CRS/TCX file.
Do this first and only once:
Start your GPS and press Menu when it's ready
Select Settings
Select Routing
Make these settings:
Calculate Routes for "Bicycle"
Guidance Method "Prompted"
Recalculate "Off" (you don't want the GPS to try to put you back on course. It may take you straight to the end of the route)
Then each time you want to use any GPX file, follow these steps:
Put the GPX file in the GPX folder
Press Menu
Select Where to?
Select Saved courses
Select the course you want to follow
Select Navigate and wait a bit for it to plot the course
Press Start when you're ready to roll
You will be thrilled with the results BUT only if you have purchased the Garmin City Navigator North America NT map (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=1456) Without the map this won't work too well for you.
A few helpful notes:
You can download a GPX file from MotionBased, Garmin Connect, RideWithGPS, MapMyRide, and many other sites. If you have a CRS or TCX file you can upload it to http://www.gpsies.com and convert it to GPX then download it to your computer or to the GPS. It needs to be in the GPX folder.
Franz Kelsch did a great analysis of the sites available for creating courses and analyzing the results:
http://www.blog.ultracycle.net/2010/05/training-log-online
Occasionally, riders will correct wrong turns while on the road or if plotting at a Website you may plot a point beyond the turn. When that happens, the GPS will think a U-Turn is required so make sure you question U-Turns when the GPS says one is needed. If you do make a wrong turn it's good about telling you to make a U-Turn to get back on course but it should be obvious if you're watching the route on your GPS.
This is the only way I use my Edge 705 now if I have the course before the ride. I used to plot waypoints using Garmin Training Center but that's not necessary if you have the North America map on your GPS.
Let me know what you think after you try Navigate on your Edge 605 or 705.
Lane
Gintautas Budvytis
For Garmin 500 users.
Option 1:
Pay $10/month fee for Premium account, upload your route directly to your Garmin device.
Option 2:
- Download and save a .tcx file to your computer from RideWithGPS.com or other web site/application.
- Plug your Garmin 500 into your computer using the USB cable that came with the unit. The Garmin will show up as a "drive" or "disk" on your computer, similar to the way a thumb drive, flash drive, or camera might show up after you've connected it. You'll note that the Garmin has a folder structure just like any other storage device. One of the folders to make note of is the "NewFiles" folder.
- Copy and paste, or move the .tcx file you saved in the first step into the Garmin's "NewFiles" folder in the Garmin directory
- After the file has finished copying, "eject" the Garmin (required on Mac), or simply remove it (Windows). The Garmin will automatically turn off.
- Power up your Garmin 500 and it should "process" the .tcx file and convert it into a .fit file (or go to Training\Courses on your device and select a newly copied course). The device will also automatically transfer the converted file and place it into the Courses directory on your 500.
GB