Pre-purchase questions - navigation, displayed data, Connect app

Hello good folks,
I am going to buy Instinct (probably Solar for newer hardware) and I would like to ask users a few things to know if it will meet my expectations (because they do not provide such things in the reviews).
First, info on how the watch will be used: creating a route in the computer (or even better in the app), uploading it to the watch and hiking in the mountains.
1. During the activity, is it possible to see how many total ascents there are and compare it with the total value planned in the course?
2. Can I start navigation (with the entire route planned) at any time during the route and it will take into account that I have already gone, for example, half of the route and I have the other half? Or will it tell me to go back to the starting point first?
3. In other words - can I run the route pre-loaded on my watch at any time while recording my activity and display how much distance, time and ascent I have left to the finish line?

Additional question - is it possible to use maps other than Google Maps in the Garmin Connect App for iPhone? There is OpenStreetMap in the web version, which is also not perfect, but better.
And yes, the integration with Komoot gave a lot, but Komoot does not allow me to route on a regular street (it sticks to the trail) and I often have to return from the mountains along the street, but that's a topic for another discussion.

Anyway, thank you for all the answers, I am sure that they will help me make my purchase decision.
Stay safe and in good health!

Top Replies

Dan.Boilermaker over 4 years ago +2

Answer to #2: Yes, you can start an activity or even navigation of a pre-loaded course once the activity has begun and the watch will navigate you for the remainder of the course. I do this all the time…
kabjac over 4 years ago in reply to DieterFass +1

DieterFass said:
Don't take this wrong, I love the watch for the fitness functions, GPS sports, phone notifications and simply as my watch, but the features you seem to look for are not strong points.…

All Replies

0 Luc over 4 years ago in reply to kabjac

My use case scenario is exactly that: I use the Instinct Solar almost exclusively for hikes navigation & tracking as I don't want to carry a Garmin GPS handheld anymore. I just like to quickly glance how far along I'm on the track (and still on track on the course) and if needed I can use my phone for better visual maps. The elevation profile with positioning is great for that. 'Track me' is also something I'd use as a backup feature if I don't yet know which trail to follow.

Otherwise I want to use it as a daily watch and therefore must have long battery life. So far this fits very well. The Fenix 6 series seems better for hiking with the maps but despite much higher price you still have trade-offs like poorer readability indoors, less solar charge and being a heavier bulkier watch.

I haven't done large number of hikes yet but I haven't seen any crashes or loss of courses yet. I'm using latest beta software 9.94 so not sure if that helps. Worst case I have (waterproof) phone with offline maps (using Locus map app).

0 kabjac over 4 years ago in reply to DieterFass

DieterFass said:
There are many reports here in the forum about complains on elevation accuracy (reading from barometer).

To give you an idea for activities that start and end at same elevation I often find a 100m delta between start and finish over an hour period. For me not an issue, but others seem to want better accuracy.

Yes, I am aware of that and willing to accept that as long as tracking and remaining distance works well. Of course I would prefer to have accurate altitude data, but form all reviews I read Instinct is no worse here than Fenix or Forerunner or Polar. The only one that stands out in this field is Suunto with their FusedAlti, but software and overall user experience seems to be horrible compared to Garmin. I was considering also Polar GritX, similar price range to Instinct, but no real advantage in terms of alti and bunch of stuff focused on pro running that I will never use. Same with Forerunner 945, no real gain, just paying 200 more for stuff I will not use (color screen, maps, pay, music).

Oh, and there is always "Correct Elevation" function in both Connect and Strava (of course after activity not during, but still).

So after doing a really deep research and comparing different Garmins (Instinct, Instinct Solar, Fenix, Forerunner, eTrex), two Polars (GritX and VantageV) and some Suuntos (9 Baro, Traverse, Ambit3 Peak) I decided that despite some shortcomings (alti) Instinct is the one that meets my expectations most of all considered.

Luc said:
My use case scenario is exactly that: I use the Instinct Solar almost exclusively for hikes navigation & tracking as I don't want to carry a Garmin GPS handheld anymore. I just like to quickly glance how far along I'm on the track (and still on track on the course) and if needed I can use my phone for better visual maps. The elevation profile with positioning is great for that.

And this is exactly the scenario I am going to use the device with. I'm glad it works for you and I hope it will be the same for me.

0 Luc over 4 years ago in reply to RickDog1

RickDog1 said:
1. I have not found any way to access the ascent profile that is expected based on a route/course. The watch does not contain maps so I don't see how that function would work like other devices.

The way this works is that the elevation is stored in each point in the course. I think there's a limit of 50 data points per course that it will create with Garmin apps. But with GPX files that limit is much higher (max 200 for full course nav. ?). So therefore this isn't as accurate between points as it is with full maps.

0 Luc over 4 years ago in reply to Luc

Actually when I export that course on the Connect web site to GPX file I see 100's of points for a 6 mile course. Possibly though export increases data resolution compared to syncing a course directly to the watch. According to support page it's max 50 course points and unlimited for fit file for the Instinct. Not sure if that's still up to date but I assume it's still 50.

Placing a GPX file straight into the watch (NewFiles folder) to import, increases the limit for navigation to 200 I think? I haven't hit yet warnings about too large file.

0 Luc over 4 years ago in reply to kabjac

kabjac said:
So, you can start navi at any given time, but if you will do it in the middle of the activity it will take Instinct a lot of time to realize you are half way through and point you in the right direction. In addition this does not apply to using previous activity as a track since then Instinct will always point you in direction of starting point (luckily I was not planning to do that, I only intend to use courses created on Connect).

I tested this today and started the course navigation 30% into the trail. It right away recognized where I was and it continued from there without issues. So not an issue anymore.

I also went twice off track for a shortcut and no issue there when I rejoined the trail. It showed distance from main trail and arrow with relative positioning.

0 kabjac over 4 years ago in reply to Luc

Luc said:
I tested this today and started the course navigation 30% into the trail. It right away recognized where I was and it continued from there without issues. So not an issue anymore.

I also went twice off track for a shortcut and no issue there when I rejoined the trail. It showed distance from main trail and arrow with relative positioning.

That is a great news, thank you very much