Garmin 800 settings

Peddle Up!
Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
edited March 2013 in Road beginners
For such a supremely useful bit of kit, the Garmin 800 must have some of the worst instructions of any appliance. I’ve had electronic stuff with instructions written in “Chinglish” that were more comprehensive and made more sense. :?

I’ve looked at the various “foolproof” guides to setting up your Garmin on the ‘net but they don’t quite work for me (so clearly they aren’t foolproof :) ).

All I want to do is have the screen showing speed, time, cadence, average speed etc., up most of the time, with the map popping up in advance of a turn on a planned route, then disappearing afterwards. I’ve come close to achieving this but the Garmin failed to notify me that I’d gone off route. Having “off course” turned on can result in constant nagging that you’re off course when you aren’t. Something to do with gpx files not tracking completely on roads perhaps?

Has anyone got a setup they’d care to share that will do this?

Thanks.
Purveyor of "up" :)

Comments

  • djm501
    djm501 Posts: 378
    Good luck with all that. As far as I can tell wishes are as good as it gets for the last bit at least.

    Go to Menu - hit the 'spanner' tab, then 'bike settings' and 'training pages' then 'timer pages'. Click on 'user defined' then just have page 1 on. Turn all the rest off. Going to page 1 make sure the number is the same as the number of things you want showing then click on the tick and it will take you to what the screen will look like. Each one can be turned into whatever you want by holding your finger down on it until a menu appears that will allow you to change it to whatever you want when you release your finger.
    For example if I want total elapsed time as the main figure on display (as I do) I have it on seven things showing, the big display at the top I have as 'timer' from the select a Field Category, then 'Time - elapsed'. That returns me to the main screen and I can then repeat with each figure until I'm happy. YMMV

    With the 'etc.' you give above it's a little hard to be more precise than that.

    If there's any way to get it to stop harrassing you about being off course then I'd like to hear it too.
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    Thanks for the quick reply. I'm OK setting up the basic data pages, it's getting navigation to work the way I want that stumps me. Glad to hear I'm not the only one fed up with useless "off course" warnings. :)
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    Set the "lock on road " to no and you won't get the off course warnings unless you go off course.
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • djm501
    djm501 Posts: 378
    Where do you find 'lock on road'? in the depths of the menu settings?
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    System, routing.
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • djm501
    djm501 Posts: 378
    Hmmm, it's already on no... :roll:

    Thanks anyway.
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    I very rarely get an off course warning, maybe it's to do with signal strength.
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • djm501
    djm501 Posts: 378
    Possibly. Usually I know where I am anyway so I just ignore it, but occasionally it does have a tendency to try and take me across a valley bottom where there is no road and it buzzes like a bee when I insist on using the road. I always make sure I carry back up mapping (smartphone *and* hardcopy) though as I've found it is risky to rely on its direction finding. I do go on very long rides out into the back of beyond though.
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    What maps do you use ?
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • djm501
    djm501 Posts: 378
    It's got the full OS map of the UK bundle.
  • For each course you put on the unit you need to set the route /course settings.
    Menu courses, select course, select spanner icon
    Turn guidance - On
    Virtual partner - I choose off
    Off course warnings -On
    Map display - I choose Always display, Off

    8507055895_40f95b30d8_m.jpg
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    edited March 2013
    Got it! The guide here does exactly what I want. Normal training display most of the time showing speed, av speed, heart rate etc., then before a turn switches to a map showing the turn and gives you two warnings. Excellent.
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • DaveL
    DaveL Posts: 188
    Turn Guidance, should have been a default setting, as its a pain in the arse setting it to "on" (or actually forgetting) for every ride.

    Dave
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    DaveL wrote:
    Turn Guidance, should have been a default setting, as its a pain in the ars* setting it to "on" (or actually forgetting) for every ride.

    Dave

    Quite! Is there any way to fix this? Firmware hack???
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Peddle Up! wrote:
    Quite! Is there any way to fix this? Firmware hack???

    Having updated my firmware to 2.50 it looks as though the 800 remembers your preferences for a course.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • Peddle Up!
    Peddle Up! Posts: 2,040
    redvee wrote:
    Peddle Up! wrote:
    Quite! Is there any way to fix this? Firmware hack???

    Having updated my firmware to 2.50 it looks as though the 800 remembers your preferences for a course.

    Praise be!
    Purveyor of "up" :)
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    It always did remember your preferences for a course, once you had set them on the unit. But it doesnt apply those preferences to new courses - you have to do it manually each time - unless 2.50 has changed that...