Garmin Edge 520

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  • bluemoon17
    bluemoon17 Posts: 718
    So, looking at getting one of these as my first GPS unit.

    Currently use a cheap Polar watch and heart rate monitor for turbo training, so looking at getting the HRM and Cadence bundle. With my Gold Discount from Wiggle, that comes in at £255. The unit on its own is £204- Is it worth the extra £50 for the HRM and Cadence? Or can you source cheaper, third party products from elsewhere?
  • rumbataz
    rumbataz Posts: 796
    [url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19715121#p19715121]Bluemoon17[/url] wrote:
    So, looking at getting one of these as my first GPS unit.

    Currently use a cheap Polar watch and heart rate monitor for turbo training, so looking at getting the HRM and Cadence bundle. With my Gold Discount from Wiggle, that comes in at £255. The unit on its own is £204- Is it worth the extra £50 for the HRM and Cadence? Or can you source cheaper, third party products from elsewhere?

    I've just ordered a different Garmin unit and spent many long evenings looking at bundles versus unit only + HRM + cadence + speed sensor (I know you didn't specify a speed sensor in your post) and in every case the bundle worked out to be better value. I went for Garmin because of the bundled Garmin accelerometer-based cadence and speed sensor - a neater fit in the bike in my opinion. I'd be surprised if you could source the HRM + cadence for less than £50 in your case.

    Wiggle do a price match (against some retailers) so it's worth having a quick look at other online retailers to see the price of the same in-stock bundle and asking Wiggle to price match it. If they agree to, they'll email you a discount voucher code which you apply at checkout to get the price of the competitive retailer. Helped me out to the tune of nearly £60 for my Garmin unit!
  • K.E.Johnson
    K.E.Johnson Posts: 1
    Just got my device few days ago. Totally happy with it - got what I expected.
    And, btw, it is possible to pair it with the old pre-BT-4.0 smartphone (although it is likely you need custom rom which is 4+)
    Just paired it with my old Moto Defy and works fine except for displaying missed calls and texts.

    A question for you guys.
    Can anyone share their feeling after upgrade to 3.0?

    Used my brand new 520 for one day with the stock version of software (it was 2.3 version I think).
    Was quite satisfied with startup time and satellite lock time

    Then (obviusly for no reason, just could not stand temptation to get newer software) updated to 3.0.

    I have a strong feeling the device startup time increased.
    Also it looks for satellites for a much longer period (I have time to leave the backyard and get to the nearest traffic light - around 200m. I would say mobile phone with GPS-only got the position faster sometimes)

    When on 2.3 version Garmin was almost perfect - satellite lock in seconds.

    I understand I used 2.3 just not enough to make sure that there is a real time increase and not my imagination, so can someone share their experience? If there is a fix - please let me know.

    Thanks in advance!
    PS: GPS+Glonass on, so no changes in settings here
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Sometimes it just takes longer. I do not think its necessarily software related.
    Newer Glonass Garmins are certainly a lot quicker than older ones IME.

    Edge 25 is always super fast though, so maybe it does have something to do with complicated software?
  • bomster
    bomster Posts: 202
    Mine locks before I'm even out of my front door...
  • bomster
    bomster Posts: 202
    Hi guys, need some help with routes.

    I've loaded the OSM base maps as per DC Rainmakers post: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/05/download-garmin-705800810.html

    I've also created 4 routes on Strava for my trip to Mallorca next week. However, when I export the GPX file onto the Garmin it doesn't have any elevation info.

    What's the best way of creating routes for the 520?
  • fastmonkey
    fastmonkey Posts: 67
    I'm on the new software and mine boots up and locks on, pretty much by the time I've got my bike out and got on it and clipped in !

    I think it's a great device compared to my old 500, I need to try the routes options a bit more from reading this.
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    I have found that with every sat nav/gps I have had they lock quite quickly if used recently but if unused for a week or so take a little longer. I think the first thing they have to do is to find one satellite, download the location data of all the satellites, then it finds some and then triangulates where you are. Phones with a data connection do this quicker using assisted GPS because they get the location data that way, which is quicker, and they also know roughly where you are from the cell/wifi data.

    My guess is that when you turn on, if the previous cached satellite location data is still valid then it locks quickly but if its been off too long and this data is no good it has to do those steps before it can get a lock. Updating the firmware probably removed this cached data.

    This could be totally wrong but as I say over a dozen devices over the last decade or two this is what I observed - use them every day and they lock fast, turn them off for a week and they need a little longer.
  • bomster
    bomster Posts: 202
    Does anyone get turn notifications from courses made on Strava?
  • feisty
    feisty Posts: 161
    If you want turn by tun I'd go to www.ridewithgps.com and create your route and then download as a .tcx file rather than .gpx track. You will then get lots of instructions from the tcx file

    The alternative is to get turn by turn from the garmin itself but the 520 calculates it in quite a basic way and it is not great. So I turn off turn by turn on the garmin and just use the tcx file.
  • Dozzina
    Dozzina Posts: 44
    http://gniza.org/segments/ for Strava Live Segments without paying for 'Strava Premium'.
  • carnaige
    carnaige Posts: 3
    Apologies if this is covered already (i couldn't find this answered.. ) but can anybody explain how to keep the map view on whilst following a route on the 520?

    Currently I can only seem to set it up as part of a 3 screen scrolling view as follows:

    1) Data screen
    2) Turn list screen
    3) Map screen

    Is there a setting that you can change within the profiles so that you only ever have the map screen on display?

    Thanks
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680
    carnaige wrote:
    Apologies if this is covered already (i couldn't find this answered.. ) but can anybody explain how to keep the map view on whilst following a route on the 520?

    Currently I can only seem to set it up as part of a 3 screen scrolling view as follows:

    1) Data screen
    2) Turn list screen
    3) Map screen

    Is there a setting that you can change within the profiles so that you only ever have the map screen on display?

    Thanks

    It always follows the normal data screens on mine.

    I've got 3 pages of data screens, and then the fourth is always the map and the fifth is the elevation. assume that's standard? never changed any settings about that. i also don't use the auto-scroll option.
  • pmannion9
    pmannion9 Posts: 287
    carnaige wrote:
    Apologies if this is covered already (i couldn't find this answered.. ) but can anybody explain how to keep the map view on whilst following a route on the 520?

    Currently I can only seem to set it up as part of a 3 screen scrolling view as follows:

    1) Data screen
    2) Turn list screen
    3) Map screen

    Is there a setting that you can change within the profiles so that you only ever have the map screen on display?

    Thanks

    +1 As mention above - Turn off auto Scroll.
    Map is then one of you standard screens. use done arrow to get it...
    Ps Having the map on all the time uses up more battery...but obviously unavoidable if you don't know where you are going !!
  • carnaige
    carnaige Posts: 3
    cgfw201 wrote:

    It always follows the normal data screens on mine.

    I've got 3 pages of data screens, and then the fourth is always the map and the fifth is the elevation. assume that's standard? never changed any settings about that. i also don't use the auto-scroll option.

    If you go into settings / profiles / [select your profile] / then you can turn off the data pages you don't want and modify the fields as you wish on the data page(s) that you want to keep. I just like to have one data screen with about 7/8 key fields normally. I'm not bothered about the elevation screen or virtual partner etc.

    With regard to the static map that I queried above... I've just realised.... I guess if I simply turn off auto scroll and then just keep it on the map screen then that would do it... I can't believe i didn't think of that. I'll get my coat!!! :roll:
  • carnaige
    carnaige Posts: 3
    pmannion9 wrote:

    +1 As mention above - Turn off auto Scroll.
    Map is then one of you standard screens. use done arrow to get it...
    Ps Having the map on all the time uses up more battery...but obviously unavoidable if you don't know where you are going !!

    Thanks :)
  • john1967
    john1967 Posts: 366
    Looking for a bit of advice on my 520 for the live segments.
    The live segment function starts up as I approach a segment.Then I get the GO ,then the little map appears for a few seconds and then the screen returns to my normal ride screen.

    Am I doing something wrong or is it broke.

    Cheers.

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