How to load GPS waypoints directly into watch folder?

On Garmin Explore make sure the collection where you have put your waypoints is set to be sync.

Go to Devices, choose your Tactics and then “Sync Config” . There you will find all your collections and be able to set which ones will be sync.

Thanks for the advice. That’s exactly what I did on Garmin Explore, but I couldn’t find the waypoints in my watch after that.

The app has many bells and whistles but I could not figure out how to transfer a few simple waypoints to the watch. It also often has problems connecting to the server and I have to wait while it looks for the server.

In contrast, the direct file transfer needs no internet or server connection and worked immediately with a simple drag and drop.

7269862 said:

I tried converting my .gpx file to .fit and copying it into the watch's Location folder as Lctns.fit,

The Lctns.fit file is of a specific format for the watch to read.  I would delete the Lctns file you copied onto the watch before using any other method to get waypoints on the watch just in case it's corrupted.

7269862 said:

I do not wish to pair my watch with my phone,

If you don't pair watch to phone, Explore is not an option.

7269862 said:

I installed BaseCamp but it crashed soon after launch.

Basecamp is an easy way to get waypoints onto the watch especially if you don't want to pair your phone with your watch.  I'm not sure why it crashed, many people are able to use Basecamp with Mac and Windows machines.    There is a forum specifically for Basecamp issues if you'd like to try and figure out the crash issues (https://forums.garmin.com/apps-software/mac-windows-software/f/basecamp-windows)

Thank you for the information. I may eventually write a bash script or something like that to copy the file to my computer (to retrieve any newly saved locations), delete it in the watch folder, and then add any new gpx files to the Newfiles folder. The script could also be expanded to process other kinds of files in the watch, all with a single press of the Enter key.

I curse and swear a lot at computers in general, so they don't like me. I click too many buttons too fast as I get annoyed by any lag in the software's response, and that could be why BaseCamp crashed. I'm using Google MyMaps for now. It works and I can easily share cartographic information with expedition team members. If I need more specialized geospatial analysis, I'll use a proper GIS software or the GIS libraries in R.

One question: what is the reason why you don't want to pair the watch with the phone? That would be much easier and safer. I wouldn't recommend deleting the lctns.fit on the watch and replacing it with a manually added one over and over again. This file is internal to the system.
When you connect the watch to the phone, you will automatically have all the waypoints and other track data stored on the watch in the Explore app. All you need is a bluetooth connection between watch and phone. An internet connection or mobile network is not necessary. You can also export the data offline from explore to another app. On my iPhone this also works with a connected usb-c data carrier.

If you create your tours on the computer, you can do this with any suitable tool and export the gpx to the explore web portal. if you then open the explore app on the phone and synchronize the watch, you have everything you need on the watch.
As I said, I would be careful about constantly replacing the watch's lctns.fit manually. This is always an intervention in the system, which is certainly not what Garmin wants.

7269862 said:

That’s exactly what I did on Garmin Explore, but I couldn’t find the waypoints in my watch after that.

See this : 

Support: Using the Library & Collections on the Garmin Explore App

https://youtu.be/UAaQrbQyIfI

Thanks for all the advice on how to get it to work. However, I hate smartphones and will do whatever it takes to prevent my military-grade expedition watch from ever having to rely on a smartphone. Bluetooth and WiFi are permanently disabled on my watch.

They can make whatever support videos they like, but my actual experience with Explore was one of frustration when I clicked the correct buttons but nothing happened. Why I can only transfer waypoints using the Explore phone app but not the Explore desktop app, I cannot fathom.

I would expect an expensive, military-grade expedition watch to withstand repeated deletion and replacement of the Lctns.fit file. What if I were an intelligence officer in a war zone and my commander wanted to transfer some secret waypoints to my watch from his field computer that only has a USB port? They are most definitely not going to connect to WiFi and install Garmin BaseCamp and Explore to do that.

Does the "Up ahead" functionality work this way? I found that creating courses with waypoints (course points as Garmin calls them) using Garmin Connect Web works fine, but not using gpx-files. There's a thread here somewhere explaining that in the resulting .FIT-file (which Garmin Connect Web will eventually sync to your phone) contains zero-distance coursepoints. As you wish not to use the webservice, this is not an issue for you. I'm trying to find out if you have indications about your waypoints on the Up ahead fields using garmin explore.

Interesting. I don't really see how a point can "belong" to a route. in GPX terms, it's just a waypoint along a path of waypoints but in itself it's not required to be included in the route, true. But, if you choose to do so, it still doesn't work with upahead. The distance is something I cannot really comprehend; the distance will be ever changing as you move along the route so it will only be "valid" when you start a course at its startingpoint (intstead of somewhere else on your way TO the course or halfway the course).

I tried exporting data / waypoints from basecamp to garmin using their TCX format but garmin connect web cannot import it ... *sigh*

Dan.Boilermaker said:

Basecamp is an easy way to get waypoints

I agree.

I haven’t got an hypothesis confirmed yet but with my new 7x Pro I can no longer “send to device” as I used to do with my old Fênix 5x. Every time I try Basecamp crashes.

Instead I have to select, drag and drop to fênix 7x Pro . That works perfectly.

I guess should be something related do the MTP / USB