Your Garmin help, please

I don't give a fuck about UI, anyone can learn the most complex pile of shit given enough time. Just don't crash mid-navigation.

Oh, mine is still locking up after charging on the PC. It shows the 100% battery screen and I have to hold power down to boot cycle it so it will work again.

Has anyone tried (or thought of trying) a combination of RideWithGps and RFLKT for navigation?
I believe it's a relatively recent partnership and it might solve some issues with Garmin devices (AFAIK it just provides cues and turn indications, no map view).

http://ridewithgps.com/help/rflkt

I got the email about that and wondered about trying it out. How much is a RFLKT?

Does the RFLKT have mapping? Screenshots seem to just show data pages.

Agreed re: the easiest way being to follow a line on a map. Turn by turn routing always seems to throw up some annoying issues.

On the issue of it crashing and losing tracks, I have one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canmore-GT-730FL-Rechargeable-Waypoints-Compatible/dp/B004BBD1QE

I use it for when I'm out taking pictures and want to geotag them rather than cycling but it works fine for just recording a GPX track (there's no screen, start/stop button or anything, just a flashing light to show the status and an on/off switch). It's about the size of a large USB drive and the 17hour battery life is meant to be accurate (obviously not long enough for all but it can be charged on the go).

I now get everything as a track, split itup into out/back routes if there are any shared roads near the start/finish, or chunks based on days, and then display them on the map page, zoom it in to about 100m or so and then keep an eye on that.

I use TCX tracks, and the policy above is my fallback position for when I'm having a bad enough GPS receiver day that it thinks I'm in the bushes 100m east of the road and constantly "beep beep GO WEST" at me until I give up and Stop Course.

Other than that failure mode, I find that following a TCX track without any routable maps active (you can have a routable map set on the SD card for if you decide to attempt auto routing, just leave it disabled until you want it) works really well. The "off course" audible warnings are helpful, and I have "Course/Dist to Next" as a field on the data page, so I can get constant reassurance that I am not lost without needing to flick to the map screen.

Am I right or wrong in the RideWithGps app isn't able to build a new route if you deviate from the planned? (without touching the phone).

If so: RFLKT (RideWithGPS App) seems to only do the same as the 200/500/510.

I have a GPS tracker that's meant to be stuck on a car or child or something and allows you to track its progress on a website. It uses a cheap data-only sim to update location when it has a signal, storing the track points when it doesn't. It seemed a bit flaky though so I've not really used it since the lejog thing. I might drag it out and see if it has any juice left.

Garmin have said I need to try using basecamp for my routes before putting them into the garmin.

We'll see.

Anything which requires using Garmin Basecamp is not fit for purpose. Horrible, horrible software.

Really?

I thought they were bullshitting a bit.

I did give them my honest opinion of their products and how they release non finished products.

As far as route planning is concerned, if I had the choice between Basecamp on the one hand, and a box of crayons and a napkin on the other, then pass me the crayons.

Most of Garmin's routing problems stem from the fact they use(d) different algorithms in the software (e.g. Basecamp) and the actual GPSes themselves. You'd get something to route vaguely ok in Basecamp, transfer it to the GPS and then it'd send you round the houses again. Having different maps in Basecamp and the GPS won't do you any favours to begin with.

That and the fact that Garmin software/firmware quality is beyond shite.

I do agree with all the posts above, but just for the record, when my 800 crashes on 200mile+ rides (and becomes unusable until I have faffed around on a PC with it for hours - either losing all or some of the data) I haven't been using the navigation features (I practically never use them), just following a line...

Which firmware version?

I'll have to try and work it out - but I think it happened on the latest but 1 version, and the version before that.

I haven't crashed on the very latest version yet - but I haven't ridden more than 160miles in one hit yet on that...

I refused to upgrade mine so it's still on 2.50 I believe. This has been fine through all my 24s

I use a 500. It was amazing for the first 5 weeks then Garmin fucked up the breadcrumb trail nav with an 'upgrade'. I now have to put courses through gpsies and tweak point regularity to use it reliably for nav. All other features work faultlessly.

Wahoo are a bit vague about it's current functionality but I expect something like this to be the future.

I hear @Dammit is gonna buy one soon. He buys everything, you know?

The Edge 200 will do what you want and is reliable. Navigation is a bit basic and is just a case of following a line based on a pre-planned course with basic instructions but it works consistently, unlike on the more expensive Garmins.

Apparently a firmware downgrade to 2.4 sorts out the issues with courses on the 500, but my unit refuses to install (freezes on "loader loading").

#repped

Does the 200 not suffer from the same issues as the 500?

Not that I've experienced. Works exactly as it should. I've plotted routes on singletrack using strava's heat map and manual straight lines and been able to follow the course. If I ever veer slightly off course with the 500 the breadcrumb trail disappears and I'm lost for good. Only slight issue is you can't zoom but I've never really needed it.

Garmin maps are much better than osm for finding uk addresses.

I think I may put my memory card with Europe maps from my 800 into my 1000