New user - maps advice

When you connect your watch to your compute over USB, Basecamp will copy and display the maps that are on the watch. You can only see them when the watch is connected — I think for licensing reasons. You can also purchase maps from Garmin or download from 3rd party sources.

You can copy GPX files to the NewFiles directory on the watch over USB. When you eject the watch, it will import and convert the GPX to a native FIT file format as a course. 

You can send a track or course to the watch using Garmin Basecamp over USB which automates copying a GPX file to the NewFiles directory. 

Turn by Turn directions require a course with course points (turn points). There is a finite maximum number of course points depending on watch model. It used to be 50. Maybe it is 200 in the f6, I cannot recall. In general turn by turn is useful for courses on roads and not so useful on trails — especially complex technical trails. 

The easiest way to make a course with turn by turn is using the Garmin Connect web app. You can also do it with Garmin Connect Mobile. 

Contours depend on the resolution of contour lines and the topography of your area. They may be 25m lines meaning you get a line for each 25m of elevation change. You won’t see much unless it is quite hilly depending upon zoom level. 

Settings (long press of the middle button)> Map> Draw Contours = On.

Courses are fairly straightforward to create (and rename) using Garmin Connect. The web version of GC on a laptop is easier to draw precise routes.

I see, so maps are loaded from the watch.  I can see the map load progress in the LH Basecamp window - so far it's been loading for maybe half an hour, and looks like it's around 40% so far.  So eventually I'll get a map to show, presumably. 

I tried creating a simple route in GC, a series of straight lines connected by dots. Not very good, as the map (based on Google Maps?) doesn't show footpaths. In satellite mode you can see some paths, but not if they go through woods. I don't think it would be much use in practice.  I saved my simple route ('untitled', as there doesn't seem to be a way of giving it a name),  but it doesn't appear under courses on my watch. 

Still no contours, even though this is switched on. Tried zooming in and out, but no difference.  Looks like I may have to go back to using a paper map! 

Where are you located? Which maps are installed on your device? The preinstalled TopoActive maps Europe have no contour lines. 

I'm in the UK. Not sure which map I have installed - BaseCamp seems to be loading 'gmapprom' and 'gmaprda' which I plug the watch into my laptop. 

The F6 models with maps in Europe have preinstalled Topo Active Europe maps. Which maps is Express showing you for an update/to install?

Another question: which maps have you enabled in the app settings of your used app?

For example: hike app>hike settings>map>configure maps.

I'm having to break my reply down in to several posts as the forum didn't like it all in one:

8008886 said:

Firstly,  I don't see the map contours shown on the sticky pad that covered the screen in the box.  I did download the topographic map (at least I think I did),but that hasn't made any difference. Any pointers?

The TopoActive North America maps do seem to have contours, but the TopoActive Europe ones don't.  If you're outside North America that would explain things.  I don't know why Garmin do this, but it just seems to be the way things are.  Whilst some regions don't have a visible contour layer, what all the TopoActive maps on the Fenix 6 Pro models do have is Digital Elevation Maps (DEM).  You can confirm the maps on your device by going to Menu>Activities & Apps>(select an outdoor GPS activity like Hike or Run)>Hike Settings>Map>Configure Maps, then scroll through the maps that are installed (there should be a worldwide basemap DEM, a Ski Map, the TopoActive Map(s) for your region and TopoActive DEM for your region).  So your 6S can calibrate elevation from current horizontal position and the associated elevation from the DEM (GPS elevation is notoriously inaccurate).

To add contours, you can easily (for free) download a file that has a transparent layer with just contour lines from this site http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/, just select the "Transparent overlay with elevation contours" option at the top, select your regions and then drop the associated .img file generated in your /Garmin folder on your 6S.  Alternatively you could buy the Garmin Topo Pro maps for your area (very expensive and not specifically recommended for watches due to the quantity of data) or get some great maps with contours already embedded from TalkyToaster (inexpensive from here https://talkytoaster.me.uk/ - I have nothing to do with this site, but have bought maps from there and I am a happy customer).

8008886 said:

I did find some pre-determined walks on line with GPX files, and managed to get it on to my watch using Connect (albeit with no map detail), but don't seem to be able to give it a sensible name. 

You can also open/import GPX files on your phone in the Explore app, then give them a new name etc and sync them with the watch.  The one concept you need to get used to with Explore is 'Collections'.  A 'Collection' is a bit like a music playlist in iTunes or Spotify; it's a defined selection of routes and points from your whole 'Library'.  By default, the Fenix only syncs with a 'Collection' in Explore, so that the watch doesn't get swamped trying to sync a whole 'Library' of routes/tracks and waypoints (a 'Library' can be massive for a keen user). What I find particularly useful is quickly creating a series of Waypoints (rather than a whole route) in the Explore app, then sync them to my Fenix 6X, then use the watch's own routing function to navigate me to each Waypoint in turn ('Waypoints' in Explore = 'Saved Locations' on the Fenix).

8008886 said:

Overall, my excitement with my new toy is starting to wear off - it's so complicated and I find the manual poor - as of they've not bothered to test the understanding of someone new,  like me! 

Sorry, there's no way around it, the Fenix 6 is an outdoor enthusiasts' watch and so does take a little more time to learn due to the huge number of features.  Also, Garmin have created so much additional functionality across different apps and websites, that it is almost impossible for them to document it in a User manual (it would be enormous and they'd have to update it every 5 minutes); which is probably why Garmin provide a user community forum like this so we can help each other out and get the most from these powerful, but sometimes complex, outdoor tools.