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Turn by Turn Navigation with Courses

Rmat
8 months ago

Most of my experience with Garmin devices is using the Edge series for cycling.  I am trying to figure out if the 66 series devices can do the same turn by turn navigation as the Edges can do with a custom designed courses.

Basically I want a device that behaves the same way as an Edge but has a bigger screen and can be plugged in while using for use on a motorcycle.

I’ve searched all over and can’t find an answer.  Any help is appreciated.

  • +1 6 months ago in reply to Like2Hike

    It doesn't matter how the Course has been created. When you navigate a Course, you get turn by turn instructions when you have set Setup > Routing > Course Navigation to Roads&Trails. If it is set to Direct Path, you only get Off Course warnings. When you set it to Prompted, the unit will ask you each time when you navigate a Course whether you want to use Direct Path or Roads&Trails.

    If creating Courses on the device itself works for you, great. But I find it very cumbersome and prefer to use Explore and wirelessly sync the Course to the unit. From there I can start navigating the Course. If I want instructions I select Roads&Trails for Course Navigation. If not I select Direct Path. I use the latter most of the time because on my hikes I do not need turn by turn instructions, but of course your use case may vary.

  • 0 6 months ago in reply to Like2Hike

    The Setup > Routing menu configures various settings related to routing both for Routes and for Courses. See my other comment for how the Course Navigation option configures the navigation experience for Courses.

  • 0 6 months ago in reply to JungleJim

    I believe this is the info I needed from the beginning.  It looks like this will work.  The only issue I see is it takes a few minutes to calculate directions when first starting the course.

  • 0 6 months ago in reply to JungleJim

    I tried to create a Course on the app, with Routing>Course Navigation on Road & Trails. I did not get any turn by turn notifications.

  • 0 6 months ago in reply to Rmat

    I did some further testing.

    I found that if I create a Course on the app, and select Go from the app, I don't get any turn by turn navigation. If I create the Course on the app, and then select the Course from the 66i and select Go, I get turn by turn navigation.

    Maybe I have a bug...I hike too, and I don't use Courses, Routes or the app very much.

  • 0 6 months ago in reply to Like2Hike

    I usually have Setup > Routing > Course Navigation set to Prompted so I know for sure what method the device uses. If I remember correctly (don't have my device at hand), if you start navigation from the Explore app the GPSMAP will then prompt for the type of course navigation to use.

    Note it also depends on the map that is active at time of navigation. It needs to be a map that supports routing. Also make sure to have only one routable map active, if multiple maps are active it could lead to unpredictable behavior.

    And there could very well be bugs when using Explore. For example one issue I encountered (and can easily reproduce) is that when starting a Course from Explore, a different Course is actually loaded on the GPSMAP... 

  • 0 6 months ago in reply to JungleJim

    Yes, I only have one map active that supports routing at a time (but then, I don't use routing anyway)

    It still begs the question, why does the 66i Course Planner ask the navigation preference when you use the Map to create the Course? It should already be available in the Routing Setup. It's in the Owner's Manual as well, as if intentional and necessary.

    When I first played around with creating Courses on the app, I had several that once saved, reversed the starting point with the finish point. It hasn't done that today, though.

  • 0 6 months ago in reply to JungleJim

    I changed my Course Navigation to Prompted and went to use a Course from the app. It then told me to Check Device, which asked for the navigation preference. Same as if I was choosing the Course from the 66i Course Planner. That's why Prompted allows the app to work for you...it's taking you to the 66i and asking that question.

    But if you have Course Navigation set to either Direct Path or Roads & Trails, the app doesn't tell you to check device!

    So I didn't get turn by turn instructions.

  • 0 6 months ago

    I do not get any turn by turn navigation (nor if Course Navigation is set to Direct Path) when loading an existing course from the Course Planner on the 66i.  The Map page menu has "Stop Navigation" as an option, so it's in navigation mode, but no notifications.

    When I load a course the same way with Navigation set to Prompted, it works fine. Initially, and momentarily I see the 66i calculate the path on the Map page, which is not seen when Roads & Trails or Direct Path is selected in Course Navigation.

    When I use the Route Planner, it works fine regardless of what Course Navigation is set to. 

    All of the above led me to believe that the Course Planner doesn't use the Route Planning setup menu. Though it seems to when "Prompted" is selected.

  • 0 6 months ago in reply to Like2Hike

    Interesting. I don't have my device at hand right now, so I cannot check if this also happens on my unit.

    Btw, it's correct that Course Navigation doesn't influence how the Route navigation works, because (as the name implies) it only applies to navigating Course.

    So I guess if you want to be 100% sure you get turn by turn instructions it's best to use Routes.