Best practice for loading Routes

I’m having an issue with loading routes that I’ve created in either PlotARoute.com or Strava. Both methods seem to be stuck on ‘calculating’ on the watch when loading the route.

Plotaroute.com routes have been exported as a .FIT file and placed in the NewFiles folder of the watch, on the PC.

Strava routes have been imported to the watch through the routecourse app / https://dynamic.watch/ method.

This happens when it’s set to ‘Use Map’ so is this calculating problem occurring from it working out Turn-by-Turn notifications? When I change it to ‘follow course’ it doesn’t have any calculating to do, but then I’m guessing I’ll get no TBT?

Is there a better method to creating a route, loading it with TBT and minimal calculating time?

Thanks!

(just realised I've posted this in the wrong forum but might still be relevant, can be deleted if need be)

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0 minisergium over 5 years ago

I know there are better ways to go but I can think of some scenarios where you wouldn't have a phone and you'd need to plan a route offline.

I've tried:

Navigate/courses/create new
Add location/use map [select 1st location]
Add location/use map [select 2nd location]
Done
Map

But the only thing I get is a straight line between 1st and 2nd location, not a route.

Any idea?

0 nmyeti over 5 years ago

For Strava routes I've always used https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/945c964a-314b-41fa-9a13-32a1f7931335 without any problems.

0 blavla over 5 years ago

I'm using the Garmin Connect site "Training>Courses>Create a course" in there and sync it to my watch. Never had issues.

0 atomic over 5 years ago

I have exactly the same problem.
any ideas?

0 Former Member over 5 years ago

Have you checked Settings -> Activities & Apps -> Navigate -> Navigate Settings -> Routing -> Courses?

Set that to "Use Map".

0 atomic over 5 years ago

Yes, I tried with this settings and still have the same problem

0 philipshambrook over 5 years ago

Do you have routable maps installed?

0 caspervet over 5 years ago

I have exactly the same. However, it's not stuck but it's calculating the route for ~20-25 minutes before picking up. So, you should remember the first part very well as you can just start your activity. It happens when the setting is 'Follow Map' instead of 'Follow Course'. If 'Follow Course' it starts instantly, but won't give you streetnames and a different way of guiding you.
For the people that never had this issue, they will most likely use the 'follow course' setting.
Connected to this is, when 'follow map' and going a wrong way, it will recalculate your route but in a way that it won't follow anything of your course anymore except your destination point, it will then recalculate against your settings (shortest, fastest, etc). So my default setting will be 'follow course' until they make the calculation faster.

0 9532385 over 3 years ago in reply to caspervet

My Fenix 6X calculates a simple route for 15 minutes. If it has any problem on the route, I have to restart the navigation and it calculates again for 15 minutes. Also, as caspervet describes, if the navigation has any problem, or if you go a bit off route once, it changes to trying to bring you to the destination over a direct line. These 2 problems make the 'follow map' type navigation pretty much useless. I have experienced it multiple times that this watch is not going to bring me back home : - (

0 jose.cboliveira over 3 years ago in reply to 9532385

There two types of tracks

Routes and courses

Routes have lots of points and you can't use map mode because fenix will try two find a solution for each point and that take a lot of time. You have to use follow mode. The is not a fenix tbt navigation but a breadcrumb solution. However,, some programs like connect put additional information on the route that can provide TBT information.

Courses have a small number of points. The points are more land marks that fenix must pass. If you use follow mode you will get straight lines between those points. If you want navigation you must use map mode..the actual calculated route could be different from what you espected because it calculates using an algorithm like minimizing distance.

Strava komoot etc exports routes not courses. So you must use follow mode.

To use map mode you can use explorer app to draw the course or convert the route in to a course with a program like basecamp