Explore app - courses, routes, tracks…

Maybe this helps a little bit:

support.garmin.com/.../

support.garmin.com/.../

Additionally, courses theoretically allow turn by turn navigation. But it seems like (according to a report in the Garmin Explore subforum) Garmin Explore does not add any navigation course points  currently, which i find quite disappointing...

Hi, thanks!

So, that means I won’t be able to do the waypoint example?

In the explore app I can only create a ‘Course’, why would I ever want to copy to ‘Routes’ or ‘Tracks’? What’s the point of them???

I have a ‘Route’ in Explore created (for canoeing ) It shows up as a ‘Course’ on watch - it still confuses me… and I also don’t know why it’s a ‘Route’ in Explore though… but I guess I must have done a ‘Copy as Course’ for some reason

Routes in Explore and basecamp... Will give you waypoints to navigate..

Express will give you turn by turn directions... (depending on routing and options in the activity) 

I use

www.plotaroute.com/.../route planner (best to do it via pc) 

to choose either.... I can also write notes in the course to appear before a turn for example, or an interesting place...(notes appear directly on the watch map) . I can choose when where and how, how far before a turn I want the directions...

Perhaps check it out...

All the best..

Ps.... All routes you make will always be in the course folder as courses.. no matter the software used to make them.... 

Hi, thanks. I’ll check it out. I do prefer an app on my phone though. 
I still don’t get why I would choose to copy a ‘Course’ to ‘Route’? What’s the purpose?

You can use it with your phone... I Just find it easier for me via pc... 

I'm not sure what you meant...Course to route? ... 

I find Garmin Explore confusing too. Keep in mind that it was created for handheld navigation devices, and now Garmin is trying to make it work for Fenix and a few other watches too.

Regarding courses vs. routes - the difference is in how navigation is done on a device.

With a course the routing is done in advance and a device is just showing it on top of the map. But course navigation doesn't rely on the device map in any way. If you get off course it doesn't attempt to bring you back on course.

With routes the actual navigation is done on device. A classic route consists of a set of waypoints and the device makes routing decisions on the fly, just like a car navigation, to bring to each next waypoint. If you go off route, the device would re-route to a next waypoint.

Fenix supports these 2 modes, and they work very differently. For example, these large arrows on top of the map are available only in the routing mode where the device actually uses the map. In contrast, in the course navigation mode Fenix completely ignores the map. It might have turn directions stored in the course, and then it would show those at the bottom of the map, but turn directions have to be prepared in advance. Usually it is Garmin Connect that inserts them into a course. 

One extra difference between these two navigation modes is that route navigation is much slower and burn through the battery much quicker. 

Thanks! I’m starting to get it. If I create a Course on Explore, it will stay there only, i.e. it can’t be found on watch. However I can start navigation from the app and that will be shown on watch, but phone will handle re/routing. I can’t do that because I apparently don’t have latest firmware (I’m on 19.x). Now, in Explore I can copy the Course to either Route or Track (Copy as Route or Copy as Track). If I do that they show up on my watch (where they are called Courses - not confusing at all…) and if I start one it will be the watch doing the calc. 
Route seems to waypoints and track seems to be a straight line to end dest.  
Is all of this correct??

I think now I might be wrong and that the app is simply not syncing right…

Here is a short guide to the web version. But the functionality is based on the same organization of collections.

https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/explorewebsiteInd/EN-US/Garmin_Explore_Web_Help_EN-US.pdf

Hey thanks a lot. I’ve read it but I’m sure something’s wrong. I can only sync ‘Tracks’ to my watch. Can’t sync Courses or Routes. Maybe it’s because I’m on 19.x???