GPS Turn by Turn Directions

blueski

Hi all,

I've recently bought a Garmin Vista HCx with City Navigator Mapping, which in the main I'm happy with.

I can use the device to generate directions through the 'Find' menu, and in this case it gives me turn by turn directions (e.g. 'Turn right on Church Road in 20m').

I'm now looking to replicate this behaviour when I generate my own custom routes and load them to the device. I've tried several methods of doing this, but the best I can do is get it to give me "East to GRTP-002" - and only when I'm right in the middle of the road (i.e. on top of the waypoint!). I can't find any way to make it give me street directions, or warning of an upcoming junction.

I could live without street names, but would at least like an arrow and some notification prior to the junction.

I'm generating a route using Google Maps, then using GMapToGpx and loading the resulting route to the device through MapSource. Then I'm selecting it from the Routes menu, and clicking the 'Follow Roads' option.

I'd be HUGELY grateful if someone could help me resolve this, since I've been banging my head against a brick wall all week.

Here's an example route from GMapToGpx, in case anyone can spot an error in the coding:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<gpx version="1.1"
creator="GMapToGPX 6.4b - http://www.elsewhere.org/GMapToGPX/"
xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1&quot;
xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance&quot;
xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd">
<rte>
<name>Home to Notting Hill Gate</name>
<cmt>Kensington, London W2 4ET to Notting Hill Gate</cmt>
<desc>Kensington, London W2 4ET to Notting Hill Gate</desc>
<rtept lat="51.51053" lon="-0.19452">
<name>GRTP-001</name>
<cmt>Head south on Linden Gardens toward A40/Notting Hill Gate</cmt>
<desc>Head south on Linden Gardens toward A40/Notting Hill Gate</desc>
</rtept>
<rtept lat="51.50951" lon="-0.19413">
<name>GRTP-002</name>
<cmt>Turn left at A40/Notting Hill Gate</cmt>
<desc>Turn left at A40/Notting Hill Gate</desc>
</rtept>
<rtept lat="51.50988" lon="-0.19213">
<name>GRTP-003</name>
<cmt>Turn left at Ossington St</cmt>
<desc>Turn left at Ossington St</desc>
</rtept>
</rte>
</gpx>

Thanks a lot for any help.

GavH

How are you generating the routes? I use BikeRouteToaster for my 705 and can set warning points x number of metres ahead of an upcoming junction, ie 200m before the turn it will beep an show me a direction indicator. Not so sure if the HCx uses the .tcx files though?

blueski

GavH wrote:

How are you generating the routes? I use BikeRouteToaster for my 705 and can set warning points x number of metres ahead of an upcoming junction, ie 200m before the turn it will beep an show me a direction indicator. Not so sure if the HCx uses the .tcx files though?

I'm generating the routes with Google Maps then exporting to a GPX route file through GMaptoGpx. Then loading into MapSource to transfer to the device.

Just tried BikeRouteToaster. It exports the course as a track, rather than a route. If I use the "Trakback" feature on the device, I can click the end of the track and follow a line on the map - but still it doesn't give me any street directions or advance warning of junctions (even with 'Add Course Point Warnings' enabled in BikeRouteToaster).

Starting to wonder if what I want (street directions and advance warning of junctions) is even possible?!

GavH

Have you tried saving it as a .tcx file (course) rather than .gpx and seeing what it does?

craker

when i plot cross country routes (Memory Map) I tend to put waypoints 10s of metres in front of the junction. So you'll get to your waypoint (or pretty close) and then it will point you in the direction of your next waypoint, eg 90 degrees to the left.

Obviously you can't cycle through the buildings / hedge to your left so turn left at the next opportunuity (junction...)

My experience with navigating via garmin (etrex without mapping) is that when you miss a waypoint it just moves on to the next one, quite how it works this out I'm unsure. And if your waypoint is right on a junction then you'll have passed your turning by th time it works out which waypoint to send you to.

The Mechanic

I have the Vista HCX also. If you create a route in City Navigation, down load it to the HCX. Set up the HCX in "follow road mode. It will then give you turn by turn instruction. Also, you can set the advanced warning of junctionsto whatever you like in hte setup menus. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

blueski

The Mechanic wrote:

I have the Vista HCX also. If you create a route in City Navigation, down load it to the HCX. Set up the HCX in "follow road mode. It will then give you turn by turn instruction. Also, you can set the advanced warning of junctionsto whatever you like in hte setup menus. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.

Thanks. I've done all that, but still no turn by turn directions - even if I just use the Find menu to navigate to an address, it won't tell me where to go until I'm on top of a junction.

Where can you set the advance warning of junctions to whatever you like? I've switched on Setup > Routing > Next Turn Pop-up, but can't see anywhere to tweak the distances (and I've never seen a next turn pop-up at all!).

blueski

GavH wrote:

Have you tried saving it as a .tcx file (course) rather than .gpx and seeing what it does?

Yep - unfortunately the Vista HCx seems not to accept tcx files, only gpx.

dodgy

If you want turn by turn, use www.bikehike.co.uk and download the route in 'gpxx' format, it works very well on the Garmin Edge 705 anyway.

blueski

dodgy wrote:

If you want turn by turn, use www.bikehike.co.uk and download the route in 'gpxx' format, it works very well on the Garmin Edge 705 anyway.

Thanks - tried this but no joy. It won't even give turn by turn directions when following its own route to a point.