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Garmin Explore refuses to import GPX files

kidney_thief
over 4 years ago

Hi,

The only thing I use this abomination (Garmin Explore android app) for is importing GPX files into Instinct from other route planning apps. I did not import routes for a while and today I discovered Explore refuses to import GPX file. My initial though was that recent Locus Maps update changed something about exported GPX, but useless Explore refuses to import even GPX that I have previously imported without a hassle. Any way to fix this? I managed to get around this by using Garmin Connect webapp to create a route from GPX file, but it's pretty frustrating not to be able to import the route directly through phone Disappointed

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to trux

    On Courses page :) import this way went fine - even more than fine - apparently this way garmin adds additional metadata that allow warnings to turn etc. which was missing in case of Explore imports. I'm unable to force android app to import GPX files from Locus - I'll sort this out as you advised by checking if it's not the case of some GPX data that causes import error.

  • +1 over 4 years ago

    So - by accident I found a solution to my import problem Slight smile I'm posting it here perhaps it will help someone:

    • use Garmin Connect instead of Garmin Explore - this was suggested by trux (thanks!) - there is one HUGE advantage with Connect over Explore - Connect includes additional metadata that makes turn by turn navigation work for Instinct (notifications that turn approaches with meter countdown etc). Only downside from using Connect is that it won't sync your Saved Locations - I haven't figured how to push them other than via Explore (which is dead). Saved locations added context to breadcrumb trail - still have to figure out how to make them work Slight smile With Garmin Connect you can click some points of the route and give them icon, but you can't have points outside a route unfortunately
    • why doesn't Garmin Connect import my GPX? - if you are using Locus Maps make sure you go to settings during 'Route planning' and disable 'attach directions' in the very bottom of settings page (the one on which you can choose activity type and hand-drawing - it's a checkmark). This option includes some points with names like 'Turn left', etc. Apparently this breaks the import somehow Slight smile you don't need them since Garmin Connect does a better job and they were close to illegible on tiny screen anyway.
    • when my route has over 200 points navigation is inaccurate (missing points) - this is truly a hack, but welp, you can split one long route into several smaller and load them by hand when you reach them. This works for me - probably is a no-go during races etc.
  • 0 over 1 year ago

    I could not get Garmin Explorer to import my  30 WayPoint, each of which had about 90 word descriptions in a .gpx that I made using Caltopo.com, which certainly should have been up to industry standards.  There were no error messages, just no action. 
    ...By trial and error , I found it worked if => All descriptions were removed and 2 Waypoints (Names) are reduced to these much shorter  N+C40 and N+C30 

    ... Contact me at HenryG__USCA.edu