Why can't I backtrack on a Navigation course?

I just tried Navigation on my Epix 2 for the first time today.

I've never used Navigation on any Garmin device before, so one thing about it was surprising to me.

I loaded a course for a bike event I was on. It would tell me if I was on or off course.

I decided to do an experiment, and when I was approaching a turn and the watch beeped at me to tell me a turn was coming, I turned around and went back about 1/2 mile, then turned around and continued in the correct direction.

I had expected the watch to act as if I were approaching the turn like it did the first time; however, it said "Off course" until I got to the point where I had doubled back, then continued from there. It didn't beep at me again to let me know the turn was coming up. Basically, it seems like Navigation has an idea of the last point in the course you were on going in the direction of the course, and you must return to that point before it continues "On Course".

Does anyone know why this is? Wouldn't it be useful for you to get back on the course and it immediately tell you you're on the course, and act like it had when you first hit those points on the course? I don't mean that it would pretend you hadn't traveled that part of the course before you doubled back (it should be additive - after all, you're still moving). But why does "On Course" if you've gotten "Off Course" mean a place on the course AT OR BEYOND when you left it? Why isn't a point BEFORE you left the course also considered ON the course?

Seems like an arbitrary decision.

- Tim

0 jaamgans over 3 years ago

Working like that because you are following a course. Once you are off course all will get is a notification you are off, until you get back on. What's in the past is in the past. It isn't navigating you.

If you want navigation then you need to let the watch do the route - select your point and then let the watch build the navigation.

0 tinkertoy over 3 years ago in reply to jaamgans

I understand that's how it works; I disagree that the way it works is the only intepretation of what "Navigation" or "being on course" means.

If I were following a map, for instance, and had to go back to get something I dropped earlier in the course, and then continued forward after that, no matter where I was on the course, I would still be ON COURSE, even if it was before I turned around.

A very good argument could be made for the Navigation app behaving that way as well. Defining "on course" to mean "only on parts of the course you haven't yet been on" seems ridiculous. At worst, there should be a setting that lets you decide which mode you prefer.

- Tim