Fenix 5 Plus - Navigation and following preplanned route with notifications/vibrations at turns

I have a Fenix 5 Plus and would like to do the following:

- preplan a route using a software (I have used Garmin Connect but it does not seem to work)

- transfer this route onto my watch

- start this route on my run and have cues (on screen and vibration if possible) at specific points that I can decide or at turns/forks

Does anyone have any ideas how best to do this? I was reading that I may need to use a different website, so any recommendations would be great.

Thank you!

0 RunR over 4 years ago

If you draw a course with Garmin Connect or it you upload a track in Garmin Connect and sent it to the watch, turn by turn alerts are automatically added. This works well ( not perfect) but sometimes it is helpful to set those alerts manually where you want them to be.

I used the following procedure on my Fenix 3 and I have not tested it on my F5plus so far, but I might still work:

You need a software which is able to draw courses and set alerts manually. I use Locus Map (Android), which has also the option to export as a .fit file. There are probably websites available which deliver that as well.

Then the .fit file can be copied in the Garmin/Newfiles folder on the watch and after a restart of the watch the course with the manual alerts can be used. On the F3 the .fit format was the only option because the alerts were lost when using gpx. This might be different now.

If you do not have a .fit file another option to transfer the file was to use the old Garmin Training Center Software, but this is not available from Garmin any more.

I hope this information is helpful. If you tried it, it might be helpful for other users when you post your experience with that.

0 9526273 over 4 years ago in reply to RunR

I ended up having some success using PlotARoute, downloading the file as a TCX file, importing it to Garmin Connect, then uploading it on my watch. I will also try to download a different route as a FIT file, then adding it to the watch via USB.

Overall, it did seem to work a lot better. It took about 10 minutes once I started the course on my watch for it to show actually start navigating. Unsure if this is because of the signal, but it usually only takes 10-15 seconds to gain GPS signal if I'm running without a course.

I still wish that instead of just the pink line and arrows on the map, that something could possibly pop up on the bottom of the screen. I believe I've seen this where the bottom quarter has a small banner with an arrow and the distance until the turn.

0 RunR over 4 years ago in reply to 9526273

It takes some time (but not 10min) if you have selected "follow map" because the watch matches the course to the map. It also does a new calculation if you leave a track. So it's not a bug, it's a feature. I always use "follow course'. This has to be changed in the settings of each activity.

https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/fenix5plus/EN-US/GUID-4D9C1A64-B6FE-466C-87D7-5A31C3CFDED5.html

When I transfer a course from the Garmin Connect mobile app via Bluetooth to the watch it always contains turn by turn alerts!

When approaching a crossing, the watch gives a signal, shows an arrow and does a zoom of the map. That's really great and taking the wrong path is almost impossible.

So you might check your settings.