Grrrr Garmin!!!

[antman]

I've just completed a London to Cornwall trip in the gruelling rain and wind last week.
After talking with lots of people about which Garmin to buy, I settled for the Etrex 2.
Spending a week learning how to use and plan routes and testing, I set off... immediately it was drifting from the route even to the point of sending me onto motorways... and yes, I had changed all the global settings for cycling.
It's no fun trying to battle with a device that seems to have no logic to it in freezing rain and wind!
Through towns it was helpful, I finally gave up on it after ending up at the bottom of a flooded valley somewhere outside of Exeter where it told me to take the trail... nothing of which I had planned in my 'route'.
I used Garmin Base Camp to plan the route and fine tuned them, as they appear to jump as you draw them.
Thank god I took maps!

OK the question is... am I being completely stupid... should I smash the unit or sell it... am I missing something obvious... is the Etrex2 not fit for purpose?

[meic]

The Garmin autorouting function is not fit for purpose. Especially for any decent length journey.

I almost exclusively use my GPS following tracks (made by me) rather than it acting as a Sat Nav and directing me where to go on its routes.
For following tracks made by yourself, the GPS is a very good way of cutting out any map reading whilst riding the bike.

As for autorouting, I abandoned that years and years ago, except for emergency routes back to my track when I have been forced off it.

[antman]

HI Meic,

That's interesting, so you would create a track and not a route.
What do you use to create your routes?

[meic]

I take it that you meant what would I use to create my tracks?

I use this website to draw them out

http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php

Then when I save the file I do so as a .gpx track which is one of the options offered to you.

Note with my GPS you have to keep the number of trackpoints below 500, either by chopping your tracks up or putting them through the filter provided in the "options" section.

[boblo]

Yep, it's a known Garmin, emrrrrm, feature that auto routing is the work of the devil.

I save my files as Garmin Tracks (.TCX files, .GPX are Route files), copy these into the /Garmin/courses directory on the machine (true for the Edge series, might need to check this if yours isn't an Edge) and set the machine to follow a Course.

On no account let the thing auto route unless you want a bit of variety/disappointment in your life....

[byegad]

The Garmin autorouting function is not fit for purpose. Especially for any decent length journey.

I almost exclusively use my GPS following tracks (made by me) rather than it acting as a Sat Nav and directing me where to go on its routes.
For following tracks made by yourself, the GPS is a very good way of cutting out any map reading whilst riding the bike.

As for autorouting, I abandoned that years and years ago, except for emergency routes back to my track when I have been forced off it.

Yes I create Routes in Memory Map and export them to my Legend. On its own it assumes I want to take Motorways and non-existent
cycle tracks

[antman]

The look on the faces of some tree surgeons who I'de asked for directions said it all, especially after I told them where I was supposed to be going... I should have dropped the Garmin straight into their wood chipper!!! Garrrrrrmin!

Thanks for your advice guys.

[NUKe]

I assume the Etrex 2 is the etrex 20?
The routing is dependent upon the map you are using, and the device sets the parameters for the routing function of the map For example one of Talky toasters map I think it the newer OS version will route even cars down Foot paths, but he has noted this and his other version works fine. If you plan using way points, you can use routing, or you can as everyone else pointed out load tracks and just follow those. Either method has its advantages and disadvantages. personally I prefer routing for roads and tracks for off road

[Mick F]

On no account let the thing auto route unless you want a bit of variety/disappointment in your life....

I'd put an "absolutely" in there.

Forget GPX. Little more than useless. Garmins take the GPX and re-do it they way they want it and often it's just plain wrong/stupid/pointless/rubbish.

Get on BikeHike UK or BikeRouteToaster, create your route to EXACTLY what you want, then transfer it as a TCX file into your courses folder.

I appreciate that Etrex devices may not have a courses folder, but they should have!

[Vantage]

The etrex 20 indeed does not have a courses folder. You could make one, but it wouldn't do any good as it cannot read TCX files.
GPX tracks are shown in a pinky/purply kinda colour and as long as you watch it closely (easier said than done admittedly) are perfectly ok to guide you around.

[Tigerbiten]

I've got a Garmin eTrex Legend HCx.
It's ok to use routes with it, as long as you have auto-routing turned OFF.

If it's turned on then it tries to take you down every main road, if it's set to quickest route.
And it takes you around three sides of a square so you stay off main roads, if set to the shortest route ......

[Sweep]

[quote="Tigerbiten"
And it takes you around three sides of a square so you stay off main roads, if set to the shortest route ...... [/quote]

I use it with auto routing a bit - on longer more important trips I get it to autoroute between points I've pre-chosen.

1: It does often try to take me the wrong way round roundabouts on OSM.

2: It once took me over a very steep hill where I had to manhaul the bike and I almost broke a leg on the way down.

1 - I'm clever enough to ignore.

2 - I wasn't - got my mind locked into a "march or die" frame of mind.

I generally find the Etrex20 excellent - you just have to keep your mind's traditional horse-sense routing switched on.

[Therealsouthstander]

What about routes planned on Garmin connect ? Is it advisable to do this and how does the Auto correct work on the 810 Edge


Thanks

[martin blain]

I've renamed my Garmin 800 the GREMLIN!

I find Garmin to be a very customer unfriendly organisation and not at all easy to use in respect of their maps and online services.

The device itself has had many mad moments when it's wanted to send me off on pointless detours, it even displayed a figure of eight directional arrow once, the route just went round and around.

Gremlins are for the guidance of wisemen and the obedience of fools.

[binsted]

On no account let the thing auto route unless you want a bit of variety/disappointment in your life....

I'd put an "absolutely" in there.

Forget GPX. Little more than useless. Garmins take the GPX and re-do it they way they want it and often it's just plain wrong/stupid/pointless/rubbish.

Get on BikeHike UK or BikeRouteToaster, create your route to EXACTLY what you want, then transfer it as a TCX file into your courses folder.

I appreciate that Etrex devices may not have a courses folder, but they should have!

Spot on Mick.

I know its a bit of stable door and bolted but I would not rely on any navigation aid for a ride like that before I had thoroughly tested it and was happy I new 100% how it worked.

Remember the 7P,s