UKC

Anyone got any suggestions for an alternative to garmin connect for route planning and uploading onto a garmin edge 500?
Garmin connect seems to constantly crash and the routes never seem to match up with what I'm actually riding, especially for things like roundabouts, one way streets and blocked ends.

Also, while I'm at it, Am I missing a software update or something? Garmin express updater is telling me everything is up to date but the tracking performance of the device is terrible and it seems to be constantly telling me I'm off course then a second later I'm back on course, despite the fact I'm riding down a straight road with no other roads anywhere near me, either that or the navigation line to follow just disappears at a crucial moment sending me off in the wrong direction.

Any help appreciated.

Gethin.

In reply to gethin_allen:

try www.bikehike.co.uk

allows you to do on and off road mapping (play with the options on the route creator) you can use OS, Google maps, Open street maps for your routing (main window), and gives all the usual profiling info.

You can save routes to your pc, and you can export straight to garmin (with the communicator plug-in) in either TCX (includes turn instrucitons) gpx or a range of other file types.

In reply to gethin_allen:
check how often it set to update position. I need to have it quite high for cycling with my etrex 30 to avoid the problems you mention.

In regards to route planning see: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=620223&v=1#x8090180

For route planning to be spot on IME experience you need the same "routable" maps on BaseCamp (or other software) as you have on the gps. edit: You may also want to check that any transfer is also taking any and all "shaping" points from the planning software as this is often an option and I could see how it might get confused with roundabouts and so on without them.

In reply to gethin_allen:

The tracking performance is most likely to do with the GPS signal and the map you created the course on not properly lining up.

On the Garmin in settings under satellites it'll show you how many and where the sats are. ideally you want >7 sats to get a good signal. remember the signals can bounce around a bit in trees, near cliffs, buildings etc.

It can also be affected by localised magnetic declination variances you might get near large areas of Granite/igneous/metallic rock beds etc.

Normally, it's just a case of the maps not being 100% accurate!

In reply to balmybaldwin:

Scouring a few other forums and it seems I may have bought a lemon. Loads of people complaining about the same issues and getting nowhere. Garmin at first saying that it was a garmin connect problem with it placing markers too far apart, then later after they apparently fixed connect saying that it was an issue with too many data points used close together.
Many people getting to the point of dumping the thing and buying something else, some people getting upgrades to more recent devices.

I've only had it a month so if this persists I'm going to kick up a fuss.

In reply to gethin_allen:
I cycle with guys that use 500s; none of them seem to have the problems that you do.

We all use Strava for club routes

In reply to gethin_allen:

GC doesn't crash for me and I've had no issues with routes sent to any devices authored on GC.

If your 500 isn't getting a good signal then it's going get confused. Have you checked the accuracy? on most Garmin's I've seen theres a way to see its currrent accuracy.

Had a nightmare time with an Edge810 but the current Edge1000 is a top notch peice of kit.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Do a factory reset and upload the latest firmware.

In reply to Indy:



You can view the GPS accuracy but some of the places I've been having problems have been high up on table flat moorland in clear sunny weather with nothing anywhere near me so if it can't get a good signal there it's not going to work anywhere.
It just stops working, the line to follow disappears and then 30 seconds later (20 seconds after I've started cycling in the wrong direction) it reappears.
When I put these routes on strava or back on to garmin connect they show the routes plotted perfecty, so no issue with the GPS signal shown there.

Irritatingly, I was going to get the 200 which a few of my friends use and have found faultless but I chose the 500 because I wanted the cadence sensor to try and encourage me to keep a knee friendly cadence, and I've yet to even fit the sensor on the bike.

In reply to gethin_allen:

I'd suggest dumping it and getting one of the (not quite available yet) Edge 25s. Neater size than a 200, and it talks to cadence sensors too.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Would have gone for the 800 if you use it for mapping. Obviously the 500 just the breadcrumb trail and you can get it to give you turn by turn heads up.
When I had the 500 I used just used it as a bike computer but did have to reset it a couple of times.
I got the 800 for a song on a Black Friday deal. With all the new garmins coming out now I would have thought you could pick one up for a reasonable price.

In reply to gethin_allen:

Open view maps are worse than Google in that respect. If you don't keep a close eye on them all auto route planners seem to throw in the odd silly in my experience so you just have to look in detail at anything you plan if you want it 100%

In reply to gethin_allen:
I really like my 500, but the one time I tried to programme a route into it from a map it wasn't very successful, ie it wasn't very good at knowing where to turn. I think this is a limitation of the 500 rather than Garmin Connect. If I was bothered about route planning and navigation I would upgrade to the 800 or similar. The 500 seems perfect of actually tracking my rides, times and HRM data etc.