Hi

I’ve got a Garmin eTrex H which I use in conjunction with Memory Map for navigation purposes when cycling. I plot a route in MM, convert it to a track, then send it to my GPS using a USB/serial cable. (The reason I convert it to a “track” is to get around the fact that the eTrex can only store a maximum of 100 waypoints, which restricts the length of any “route” that you create). I then follow the track (straw man marching down a breadcrumb trail on screen) while cycling.

Sometimes I also do a similar thing in reverse, i.e. upload a tracklog from the GPS back into MM.

Can anyone tell me whether or not you can do all this with one of the Edge series, e.g. the 305? The reason I ask is that I would quite like to be able to have the “training functionality” that you get with the Edge series but definitely still want to be able to navigate as I can do at the moment with my eTrex H. I have heard conflicting reports about this.

Thanks in advance…

Yes you can. But its called a Course on a Edge instead of a Track i think.

As with your eTrex (i think) there’s no mapping. Its just a line on the screen, but I’ve used mine for 100 milers quite easily before.

I’ve got an Edge 705 and a eTrex Vista, when I first started using the Edge I found the best thing to do was forget everything I ever knew from the Vista. I found the Edge much simpler to use once you get used to it, it does everything the Vista does plus a fair bit more.

Convert your Memory Map track/route or whatever file format your route is in to a *.TCX course file, then copy that file to your “Courses” folder in your Garmin Edge unit. When you want to follow the route, open up the *.tcx course file and you should have the pink loop to follow, press START and away you go.

I use TCX Converter for all my route file converting.

The Edge 305 doesn’t have an onboard map but the 705 does. You can use the standard maps that you can buy for the Garmin Edge but you can also use customised maps from Open Source. I’ve managed to create a customised map showing the main topographical features, roads etc and overlain 10m contour lines onto that map. Useful for navigating, but nowhere near as detailed as an Ordnance Survey 50k for example, but much better than the Topo GB map that you can buy for it.

Various Open Source maps including the contour maps and instructions for the 705 are available HERE

The Edge 800 is much the same but there’s no need to convert the tracks. Just drag TCX or GPX files into the New Files folder and it’ll convert them to the FIT files that the 800 uses.

You can follow a breadcrumb alone or, if you install OS maps, follow the track on the map.

Tracks (courses) are IMHO the best for cycling, especially off road.

Having bought the 800, as far as navigation goes, the 205/305 is just as good if you don’t need maps too.

I’ve found navigating on a 605 to be hopeless. You can’t follow a ‘breadcrumb trail’ track in the same way that you can on the older eTrexs.

You can ‘display on map’ but then it’s very faint and difficult to see. With, say, a figure 8 route that crosses over itself it will then give you no indication of where to go at a junction.

Happy to be educated but I’ve found mine a big disappointment for navigation.

I’ve got an edge 705 using the garmin city navigator europe road map is excellent for navigation on road and excellent for training when using hr or power hub. OK for recording a ridden route and then uploading to MM or garmin portal.

What I wanted to do also was use it for navigating when i haven’t a planned route just using as a map instead of paper OS. Though this would be easy but not so far as I have found. Heard that Garmin off road map was less than any use for tracks, bridleways etc so bought MM northern England as told I’d just be able to load up maps to Garmin.

I’ve installed maps onto PC. Copied across to micro SD card 1GB and then installed on Garmin as I would if using the Garmin road card. Trouble is the map is not showing and no map is showing in the list on screen.

Is there any way of actually doing this to give OS quality maps on screen on Garmin 705edge ?

G>P>S systems all very good ,but when they fail you should be able to use a map n compass for basic safety especialy if off the beaten track.

May sound old saying it ,but didn’t have GPS n all that jazz ,so learnt how to read maps n compass.
Those who know will understand the old MUGS N GUMR acronims.

A skill for life.