Garmin Edge 500 Firmware / Courses Issue

dw300

Guys .. has anyone rolled their Edge 500 firmware to version 2.4? Is it stable enough to bother doing if it makes the courses feature work better?

Tried it for the first time today and had the disappearing course line issue. Current Firmware is v3.0.

junglist_matty

I get course line dissapearing on firmware 3.0, but I've found if you set zoom level to auto and leave it, the line will come back, just don't press anything on the device, it's really annoying if you're entering new territory, but I've never had it crash like a lot of people have. I think it helps to make sure there is no trees blocking the GPS view.

As for 2.4, I don't really think it's any better.... I hope Garmin sort this out soon, it's the most annoying thing ever!

dw300

junglist_matty wrote:

I get course line dissapearing on firmware 3.0, but I've found if you set zoom level to auto and leave it, the line will come back, just don't press anything on the device, it's really annoying if you're entering new territory, but I've never had it crash like a lot of people have. I think it helps to make sure there is no trees blocking the GPS view.

As for 2.4, I don't really think it's any better.... I hope Garmin sort this out soon, it's the most annoying thing ever!

I've been doing a lot of reading and 2.4 works fine with that feature. There wasn't a problem with GPS reception, it couldn't have been better. Consensus is that it's either loading different parts of the map, or that the file format just has too few data points requiring more processing that the Edge can do with all the other features added.

I'm thinking of rolling back and trying it, I just don't want to risk 'bricking' the device, as I think the term goes ..

dw300

Updated (downdated?) to 2.4. Will give it a whirl tomorrow and report back. There are only 3 data screens, but tbh, that'll probably do me for now, as long as its stable.

junglist_matty

dw300 wrote:

Updated (downdated?) to 2.4. Will give it a whirl tomorrow and report back. There are only 3 data screens, but tbh, that'll probably do me for now, as long as its stable.

I only ever use 3 data screens, in fact, I hardly ever leave screen one unless I'm doing heart rate training and hide the speed, my setup:

Screen one:
1. Ride distance
2. Current Speed
3. Calories
4. Heading (will replace with cadence when I buy the cadence sensor)
5. Heart Rate
6. Heart Rate Zone
7. Temperature
8. Time of Day

Screen two (heart):
1. Heart Rate (BIG)
2. Heart Rate Zone
3. Heart Rate % of max

Screen three (speed):
1. Speed
2. Average speed
3. Max speed


Screen two for heart rate training so I can't see the speed. Hardly ever look at screen three because it's a bit pointless but if I'm on a long ride, sometimes is nice to know the current average speed and even max speed after going down a steep hill!


Anyway, back to point, how can I downgrade to 2.4? I did look because I like the course follow feature as I like to plan routes along quiet roads I've never been on, plus its super easy to follow a line. One thing that does annoy me about course follow is the two data fields are distance and time remaining... I would love to have heart rate and distance remaining.

daniel_b

Thread resurrection time......

I bought a 500 earlier this year, and used it for the first time yesterday evening - it came with Firmware 3.00 already installed.

I plotted a course on bikehike, saved it to the NewFolder (I think it is called) on the Garmin - went to select the course, clicked Do course, which then converted the file to a .fit file, and moved it out of NewFolder.

I did the course last night, and as feared the map line dissapeared very frequently and with no discernible pattern.

It looks like I may need to downgrade it to 2.4, but looking on the Garmin forum there seems to be mention of some workaround involving gpsies and Firmware 2.8, but 10 minutes of searching the forum has yet to turn up anything.

Just wondered if either of you chaps had found a workaround or any other methods?

I did see someone on the Garmin forum ask about this fabled gpsies/2.8 method, but they were just told to search the forum......

Cheers

Dan

daniel_b

Just to update this, I have downgraded my 500 to 2.8, and have converted a bikehike course using gpsies, using the 'set trackpoints evenly' setting.

I will try it tomorrow evening and reply to this post with the results.

jmccabe

Daniel B,

you said you'd post the results... :-)

I got an Edge 500 at Christmas 2013 and only recently tried the do course feature with the usual disappearing line trick... did yours work?

John

duckson

Are you trying to navigate with the 500?

You can set it up to not even need to look at the course trail and it will prompt you when you need to turn left or right.

EDIT
To navigate with it i create a route on ridewithgps, save it as TCX and then import it into bikeroutetoaster which then enables me to add a turn warning in prior to the turn (i set 300ft) otherwise if you use the TCX direct from ridewithgps it will prompt you to turn when you are on top of the turn which is useless!
Note just save it as a TCX in bikeroutetoaster and save it to the Newfiles folder on the 500.

You can have advance turn warnings with ridewithgps but you have to pay for it.

fishyweb

You could, of course, create the route in buikeroutetoaster in the first place ;-) One stop shop!

duckson

Yes but it's not as easy to use imo or saves your routes in a list like ridewithgps.

jordan_217

fishyweb wrote:

You could, of course, create the route in buikeroutetoaster in the first place ;-) One stop shop!

Which is now 5hi7 since it's come back on-line. Turn by turn directions are consistently wrong an/or not existent. Stopped using it now.

duckson

My bad, use bikehike instead of bikeroutetoaster.

paulc33

Can someone explain to me how you make the 500 give route guidance on the screen. I have one and didn't think this was possible.
I'm not great with tech so please try and keep it simple.

Thanks paul

duckson

As explained above, when the file is loaded onto the Garmin go to Courses and pick the 'Course' and Do Course.