Adding courses to the 5x

Former Member
Former Member
I've had my 5x now for about two months, and it's replaced every function my Mio 505 served, plus some, with the exception of navigation. I had the Mio 505 since 2014 because it had better navigation features than any Garmin product available until the 820 was released, and at half the cost. I really liked how I could make a ride on whatever site, download it as a GPX, then throw it onto the Mio from a file browser, and have it show up as a rideable route. I'm given to believe the 5X is similar; put the GPX into the "NewFiles" folder, select it from Courses, but this does not work. How do I make a ride OUTSIDE of Garmin's site, and enable it for riding on my 5X? Thanks.
  • Yes, no problem. Go into Garmin Connect (Using a MacBook here, but Windows is probably very similar), click on the menu on the left side so that the window slides in from the left. Go down to "Training", then to "Courses". Once on the "Courses" page, there's a slide in from the left with the option to "Create a course". If you look below the button "Create a Course", there, in very small print is "Import". Clicking on that brings up another page on which you can either browse, or drag .GPX or .TCX files into the map view, and there you have your course. From that point, you can choose which course(s) to upload to your watch.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    OK, i've found it. Now i get an error: "An error occurred with your upload. Please try again." which repeats as many times as I attempt the upload. It's a 2.6MB .TCX for a 200 mile ride. Is there a length limit to courses, perhaps? I attempted grabbing a fresh file from RideWithGPS.com and it produces the same error. The file works when put on a Magellan/Mio device.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    I've always had trouble importing routes. Apparently you can't import a route with >10,000 way points.

    The best way I have found to import routes is,
    1. download and install this on your 5X - https://apps.garmin.com/en-NZ/apps/2750f280-82f4-4f21-a32c-57acc7ce4870
    2. and this on your 5x - https://apps.garmin.com/en-NZ/apps/b7efc9ca-5446-4e1c-bc53-474e97f376ac
    3. import a GPX file via here - http://dynamic.watch
    4. launch either of the above apps on your 5X, then download your route
    5. route will appear in Navigation
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    I downloaded both dwmap and route course to my new Fenix 5x, but after reading the descriptions of both I can't figure out what's the difference between the two or which I should use for what situation, or does it matter? Do they both do the same thing?
  • I downloaded both dwmap and route course to my new Fenix 5x, but after reading the descriptions of both I can't figure out what's the difference between the two or which I should use for what situation, or does it matter? Do they both do the same thing?


    dwmap is an app that gives you navigation on the watch, and you don't need that when you've got a 5x.

    Route Course is the one you want to use. It is basically the "route planning" component from dwmap on the web and the "transport mechanism" from dwmap that gets a route from the web to the watch. Once you've got the route on the watch, you load it as normal for your ride/run.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    Got it, makes sense now thanks!
  • dwmap is an app that gives you navigation on the watch, and you don't need that when you've got a 5x.

    Route Course is the one you want to use. It is basically the "route planning" component from dwmap on the web and the "transport mechanism" from dwmap that gets a route from the web to the watch. Once you've got the route on the watch, you load it as normal for your ride/run.


    Exactly yes, thanks for that TomasMelbourne. routeCourse gives you all the benefits of the https://dynamic.watch platform for broad route import flexibility, mobile Planner, wireless downloads, etc, but lets you use the built-in map and activity features of this watch with the downloaded routes (courses).

  • There you go - Routecourse how to video
    https://youtu.be/qPa7k1SJz9M


    Whoa, that's awesome, thanks, I didn't know that was out there for routeCourse.
  • Exactly yes, thanks for that TomasMelbourne. routeCourse gives you all the benefits of the https://dynamic.watch platform for broad route import flexibility, mobile Planner, wireless downloads, etc, but lets you use the built-in map and activity features of this watch with the downloaded routes (courses).



    I remember a discussion a few months ago about the routeCourse-loaded courses showing only cross hatching on the preview screen on the Fenix 5x. You have probably been told numerous times by other people already, but just in case: This issue has completely gone away - it may have been the Fenix fw 6.0 that fixed it, or it may have been something you did, I don't know. But all in all, it just works now :)