Basecamp 4.4.6 and Edge Touring Plus Problems

I've only had my Edge Touring Plus for a week and I'm facing some problems interfacing with Basecamp 4.4.6 as follows. This is my first Garmin experience, so I may just be thick, but I can't find the answers I need....

1. I would like to plan routes without connecting the Edge to my computer, but I have found no way to copy the latest Garmin map from the Edge to my computer and make it available to Basecamp from the PC hard drive. Copying the map(s) is simple enough, but making Basecamp access them is beyond me. I have no problem installing alternative maps, like Openfietsmap, but it seems to make sense to plan with the same map I shall be using for routing. How do I install Garmin's own maps to my PC in such a way that Basecamp can use them just as easily as any other installed map?

2. When I have the Edge connected and create a route using the primary Garmin cycle map (EU2014.30) there is no elevation data shown for the route, even though the DEM map is also available on the device. I can get the elevation data if I swap to the DEM map, but then I have no useful view of the route. Why does Basecamp not integrate the data sources at the time of route creation - or why is elevation data not integrated within the "street view" map to begin with?

3. When I create a route and/or waypoints in Basecamp and send them to the memory card of the Edge the files are stored in the GPX folder. When I disconnect the Edge and boot it the items do not show up. I have to reconnect the Edge and manually drag and drop the files from the GPX folder to the NewFiles folder, disconnect and boot once more. Then the new items appear and are selectable. Help text within Basecamp makes no mention of jumping through these additional hoops. In fact it does not mention the external card at all when it comes to sending files to the Edge. Is there a way to streamline this process?

Thanks for any assistance anyone can offer.

0 SUSSAMB over 10 years ago

1. You can't simply transfer the map to your PC. What you can do is move them into a Garmin folder on a usb stick or card, Basecamp will then read the map from there.

2. Basecamp can only read one map at a time. Reading multiple maps has been asked for in the past, where it is on the 'to do' list I don't know.

3. That's the way Basecamp works as the devices it is mainly intended for work that way. If you want to avoid that step you could use Connect instead, which is designed more for fitness devices like the Edge.

0 eezytiger over 10 years ago

Thanks for the swift and helpful reply. However it seems that Garmin has some work to do as some of the solutions are, IMHO, rather silly.

What can be gained by forcing users to purchase and leave installed another flash drive when there is ample hard drive capacity and other map providers are able to have maps permanently installed?

To my mind the Edge Touring is first and foremost a mapping/navigation device. Fitness capabilities are secondary. Even so, is it beyond the wit of Garmin to streamline their device architecture or refine the software to cope with differing hardware features? How stupid to require users to take additional, undocumented steps in order to complete the functions advertised!

Garmin, are you listening?

0 SUSSAMB over 10 years ago

Well in Garmin's and many other folks minds the Edge is a fitness device, so as I suggested you may find Connect more suitable for you than Basecamp.

Yes, some maps can be installed onto a hard drive, indeed many Garmin maps can be, and you may find that when you update your map you can then select to install it to your PC as well. Equally there are many maps that cannot be installed, it's mainly down to whether the map maker provides an installer package.

I have a USB stick permanently connected to a rear port on my PC, it's no big deal really :)

Incidentally what functions were 'advertised' that you feel you don't have?

0 eezytiger over 10 years ago

The Edge Touring is supplied with maps and the start up screen asks where you want to go or to view the map. It's primary function is mapping/routing/navigation. If you want a device whose primary function is fitness monitoring the other Edge devices might arguably fit that classification. In any event it shouldn't matter. It's all Garmin hardware and software. It does work together, just not terribly well.

As for leaving a USB stick permanently mounted, I use an 11.6" laptop which just squeezes tightly into its neoprene cover. There is no room to leave devices sticking out of it 24x7.

0 SUSSAMB over 10 years ago

Then you'll need to wait until you do a map update, that should allow you to install the map to both the device and your PC.

The specs on the Edge Touring page specifically refer to Connect and talk about comparing lap times, competing etc so Garmin clearly feel it's more a fitness device than you do. If you want a pure mapping device for your bike that is better integrated with Basecamp and you can return the Edge Touring you'd be better off with a GPS from Garmin's handheld range, and for which you can purchase cycle mounts.

0 eezytiger over 10 years ago

I performed a map update from 2014.10 to 2014.30 on the day it arrived. I don't recall an option to install to the PC (laptop) at the time and certainly would not have known at the time that it was necessary to do so. Subsequent visits to the update function in Garmin Express will allow me to re-download the latest map, but there is still no option to install to the PC. What makes this so stupid is that the maps are downloaded to the PC in the first instance, where they remain once the device has been updated, so I still have them on the PC, but Basecamp has no access to them.

Having a background of over 20 years in IT it's stuff like this that really grinds my gears. There is no sense in these needless impediments to user friendliness and overall functionality. The Edge Touring was released in 2013. Garmin has had well over a year to straighten things like this out.

p.s. While the Touring Plus has ANT+ support, and can be coupled with an HRM, the plain Touring model does not, so as a fitness device it's capability is pretty limited.

0 SUSSAMB over 10 years ago

If you can redownload the map look under Advanced Options, you can choose there whether to select to install to device and/or PC.

Everything is there, you simply needed to ask the questions before time.

0 eezytiger over 10 years ago

I've seen advanced options mentioned on another thread, but on my system there is no such option offered anywhere that I can see - and I have looked.

Also nothing like that within Basecamp.

And trying to plan a route using Connect is like keyhole surgery compared to the full screen experience of Basecamp because the web page doesn't come close to filling the screen (2560x1440 pixels).....

0 SUSSAMB over 10 years ago

Looks like it isn't an option for that map then. You might want to ask the question in the Edge Touring forum.

0 eezytiger over 10 years ago

Thanks for trying to help. I do think the onus is on Garmin to sort out these hiccups though. It is clearly an overly fragmented ecosystem and not where we should be at the end of 2014. It's hard to understand why hardware like this is still running USB 2 as well, especially when forced to access multiple GB of map data from the device. Anyway, enough ranting, as this isn't the place to get any of this fixed.

MERRY XMAS! :-)