Garmin Edge 800

jim453

freezing77 wrote:

jim453 wrote:

Genuinely makes you wonder what people used to do in the 'olden days'.

Maybe they even had to think.

Surely, this type of navigation system is terrifyingly over engineering the simple problem of going from A to B on a push-bike. Perhaps even taking some of the fun with it too.

I think in general it is one of those things that when written down looks terribly complicated but in use is very simple.

The biggest problem is that the garmin documentation is useless and the menus are not particularly intuitive hence the many many web pages like this.

But personally I would still recommend the etrex series over the edge series for navigation purposes and vice versa for bike training.

Not saying it's complicated. I'm saying it's unnecessary.

thegodplato

I downloaded the GPX track from RideWithGPS which is supposed to be true navigation with turn by turn. Yes it is daft that every course needs to be set individually for guidance.
Just a thought, when the RideWithGPS mentions cue sheets, are these the direction statements that appear at the top of the GPS device?
Maybe the TCX file would be better?

jim453

Jesus, where the hell are you trying to get to?

Seriously, don't you know where you live?

Gizmodo

thegodplato wrote:

I downloaded the GPX track from RideWithGPS which is supposed to be true navigation with turn by turn. Yes it is daft that every course needs to be set individually for guidance.
Just a thought, when the RideWithGPS mentions cue sheets, are these the direction statements that appear at the top of the GPS device?
Maybe the TCX file would be better?

Just ignore jim, he isn't funny.

According to the RideWithGPS web site a TCX file is best for the Garmin 800. IIRC a GPX file is a series of GPS points, so cue sheet entries aren't included. The Garmin 800 looks at the GPX file and then plots its own route to follow those points, using the map it has on the memory card. The turn directions you see have been calculated by your Garmin when you click "Go", that's why the first time it says "Calculating Route" and counts the % complete.

A TCX file does seem to include the Cue Sheet entries as well, although the Garmin still works out the route based on its own maps. So if you use a TCX file, you see the Garmin directions as before, but then you also see a smaller box when the Garmin returns to the map display (so after the turn) normally just saying "Straight".

IMHO cue sheet entries aren't that useful on the Garmin 800 because it thinks it knows best.
I have however used them to add cue sheet entries like "Food" and "Sprint" to my route, although if you notice them appear is a matter of luck.

slowbike

jim453 wrote:

Genuinely makes you wonder what people used to do in the 'olden days'.

Maybe they even had to think.

Surely, this type of navigation system is terrifyingly over engineering the simple problem of going from A to B on a push-bike. Perhaps even taking some of the fun with it too.

As a new comer to riding I've found the 800 (or just the mapping bit anyway) invaluable - it's meant I can vary my ride over quiet roads that I don't know and even find "new" ways from A to A ...

eg - we road in Cornwall - around the Bodmin/Padstow area - did a hilly ride to Padstow and wanted something a little easier to come back - a quick check on the map (with contour lines!) showed that a ride down the Camel trail would give us a flat ride for 6 miles before having to head up to the hills once more - but this was a flatter route (can you get flat routes in Cornwall?!) than the previously planned one...

thegodplato

jim453 wrote:

Jesus, where the hell are you trying to get to?

Seriously, don't you know where you live?

Actually aren't you glad I don't know where I live because if I do it means I can use my GPS to find where you live and let your tyres down! Plonker!

Thanks to everyone else for their sensible advice!

Just waiting for the Micro SD card to come in the post so I can improve the map with openstreetmaps.

Still don't know how to alter the map screen to change whats shown - mine has speed and heading which I'd like to change to some other info.

slowbike

thegodplato wrote:

Still don't know how to alter the map screen to change whats shown - mine has speed and heading which I'd like to change to some other info.

You can just press and hold on the element you want to change ...
or you can go into the settings and follow the menus through somewhere ..

freezing77

To change the info on the map page , when on the page and ready to navigate press and hold the field you want to change. It will turn green and then go to the field options menu.
You can also change how many fields are displayed on the map page under tools (spanner icon), bike settings, training pages, map

thegodplato

freezing77 wrote:

To change the info on the map page , when on the page and ready to navigate press and hold the field you want to change. It will turn green and then go to the field options menu.
You can also change how many fields are displayed on the map page under tools (spanner icon), bike settings, training pages, map

cheers.

slowbike

thegodplato wrote:

freezing77 wrote:

To change the info on the map page , when on the page and ready to navigate press and hold the field you want to change. It will turn green and then go to the field options menu.
You can also change how many fields are displayed on the map page under tools (spanner icon), bike settings, training pages, map

cheers.

I'll talk to myself then ! :shock:

freezing77

Slowbike wrote:

thegodplato wrote:

freezing77 wrote:

To change the info on the map page , when on the page and ready to navigate press and hold the field you want to change. It will turn green and then go to the field options menu.
You can also change how many fields are displayed on the map page under tools (spanner icon), bike settings, training pages, map

cheers.

I'll talk to myself then ! :shock:

jim453

thegodplato wrote:

jim453 wrote:

Jesus, where the hell are you trying to get to?

Seriously, don't you know where you live?

Actually aren't you glad I don't know where I live because if I do it means I can use my GPS to find where you live and let your tyres down! Plonker!

Thanks to everyone else for their sensible advice!

Just waiting for the Micro SD card to come in the post so I can improve the map with openstreetmaps.

Still don't know how to alter the map screen to change whats shown - mine has speed and heading which I'd like to change to some other info.

Not sure about this, mate. Have you thought it through properly?

Come round to mine with pleasure (if you can make the necessary calculations on your Garmin - it appears it's a more powerful unit than I was giving it credit for) i'll even make you a cup of tea if you like. I would prefer it if you didn't cause any criminal damage to any of my property though. Do you often make sinister threats like this on the internet?

thegodplato

Still having trouble here with the top section on the map screen. I have uploaded the TCX file and it still says Heading North. I haven't been out on the bike with it yet so maybe it will change once out? I get little arrows at the junction telling me to turn left or right rather than a big arrow like the picture shown on here earlier.
The distance ridden shown on the map screen is in feet and I can't seem to alter it to miles.

deadhead1971

Did you try the gpx track export from ridewithgps.com instead of the tcx?

Try these steps:
1. Course menu - choose the course you want (gpx file from ridewithgps)
2. Spanner icon > Turn Guidance (On)
3. Hit the big green Go button.

It should then say that it's calculating the route, and give you the appropriate heading info, with the big white arrow, and the little arrows you mention won't be there (they only appear when using the TCX files, as far as i can tell)

good luck

iPete

jim453 wrote:

Jesus, where the hell are you trying to get to?

Seriously, don't you know where you live?

oddly enough I don't know every nice to ride route within a 100 mile radius!

thegodplato

So tried the TCX file with Guidance On. I get the small arrows on the map. It doesn't really tell me when to turn until its too late - maybe I'm zoomed in to much but there is no way of knowing how much you are zoomed in? I have just found out that the Directions ( Cue Sheet ) is on the second screen ( press map screen and then press the bottom right arrow to flick to next page ). Maybe I should try the GPX file.
The map screen still didn't tell me at the top what to do. All it said for the entire ride was the fact that my destination would be on the left hand side. Anyone know how to alter that?

thegodplato

Well it looks like I've got to the bottom of it as I've now used BikeRouteToaster to map the ride which by altering afew settings on the website has meant the TCX file displays what I need!

Does the automotive setting drain the battery faster as I have just been informed?