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Paused activity icon flashing when following a course, no way to unpause?

cbr600f4
over 1 year ago

I bought a Garmin Edge 530 just 3 months ago, and I am a bit confused/disappointed (I have owned several Garmin watches, but first time owning an Edge).

Context:

Garmin Edge 530, updted to the latest firmware 9.75

I recently decided buy and to use an Edge device on some cycling activities, with the most important reason (for my use case) to make it easier for me to follow pre-defined courses through its screen (courses which I have saved in my Connect account and sent to the device). When I use my Fenix 6 Pro, it works flawlessly, it shows everything correctly, location and directions, activity data, and no issues whatsoever. But the screen is too small and I hate to have to keep moving my wrist to check the course directions. Unfortunately, when using the Edge to start an activity following a course, the device stays in some kind of paused status (I tried all the methods explained in the manual for starting an activity with an associated course).

Issue:

When I use my Garmin Edge 530 and start an activity to follow a course (using this method here https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/edge530/EN-US/GUID-3E9F932E-22BF-4454-8520-1EFCA047EF87.html or starting a Road activity and then selecting a course), the device screen shows the correct course and directions, BUT there is a VERY annoying blinking pause icon constantly on the screen, regardless of my speed, location, etc... and the activity never actually seems to start (or "unpause"). So it seems it actually never records anything from the activity, as it seems to be paused. Fortunately I recorded the activity with my Fenix watch, and kind of try to follow directions from the Edge, over the blinking "paused" icon.

Just like I initially thought, you probably wonder if I have some kind of auto-pause setting on, or if I don't know how to unpause an activity when paused, but I checked my settings and tried pretty much everything to unpause the activity and read the manual and some posts here more than once.  If I don't use the follow course, the activities seem to function and record correctly, but once a course is involved, there comes the blinkning "paused" icon.

Am I missing something ? Some setting I may have not noticed causes this behavior? Has this happened to anyone else ?

Any suggestions ?

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    It does sound like you have auto-pause turned on which historically causes many problems.  (The pause icon only appears if auto-pause is enabled.)  With auto-pause turned off, Garmin Connect will show you moving versus overall time, so you can still see the difference after the ride.

    Also, if you don't have a speed sensor, consider getting one, It makes the distance much more accurate and ensures the Edge knows you're moving without relying on the GPS.  I also recommend manually setting the wheel circumference for the speed sensor via rolling it out next to a tape measurer, much more accurate than the automatic calibration.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Cranky K.

    First of all thank you very much for taking the time to try and help me.

    I will try and look again for the auto-pause setting, maybe it's somehow turned on for when I follow a course. 

    I do have a cadence sensor in one of my bikes, but not a speed sensor. I will look into a speed sensor too, your suggestions make absolute sense (even though the Edge should unpause using its own GPS speed tracking). 

    Again, thank you for taking the time.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to cbr600f4

    Are sure it was the pause icon and not the warning that you are moving, but have started the timer.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to cbr600f4

    might have the answer.  If you're seeing a blinking "arrow", that's the alert asking if you'd like to start recording the ride, not a pause symbol.  Are you pushing the "Start" button on the bottom right to start recording?  Review the button locations in the manual if needed.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Cranky K.

    Thank you for your suggestion, it is actually quite correct in  way. It does look a bit like an "pause Arrow" icon, but I also did push the "Start" button (I have tried lots of things before I resorted to ask for help here), and the activity didn't start. For example, it would change to the activity type selection screen, I would select Road, click the start button, and it simply changed back to the "navigation" screen, with the blinking icon. 

    I do not believe this to be related, but the Start/Stop button is getting stuck frequently (I didi say I am quite disappointed with the Edge), so I am returning the unit for repair/warranty, and I just reset it to factory settings (as indicated by the support person). When I get it back - or a replacement unit - I will test it again and update this topic.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to cbr600f4

    Following this topic closely since we have significant problems pausing a ride.

    to elaborate on what was said above, the “pause” symbol is tan in color and looks like a pause symbol.

    the symbol warning you that you haven’t started the activity is a blue bar and a blue right facing arrow.

    Our problems occur when pausing an activity using the start/stop button.  It seems that if we leave it paused while having lunch, it decides that we’re done, saves the ride and ends the activity.

    So what is the correct protocol for pausing for lunch?  BTW this is an Edge Explore 2, but in this regard it’s substantially identical to the 1040.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to 7330723

    Hi, you can press the "start/stop" button, and it will bring up the save/resume menu screen. Just select resume (or press start button) after your break.

    (Personally I still use the auto-pause feature for this.)

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Kyle J

    Thanks Kyle.  This is obviously what we end up doing.  But the “auto pause” feature is essentially useless if you end up manually pausing anyway.

    unless I missed your point?

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to 7330723

    Sorry what I meant was I don't (usually) press the stop button manually for breaks, mainly because I forget to, lol. I have auto-pause enabled and I just rely on that. I haven't had any issues with auto-pause not resuming correctly (although I do need to wake up certain sensors that go to sleep).

    I also don't recall if the Edge itself goes to sleep after a certain amount of time auto-paused.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Kyle J

    I see.  Thanks for the clarification.

    our main problem with auto pause isn’t that it doesn’t work, but that when in auto pause mode the map is dimmed and obscured by the pause symbol.

    So when we stop to consult the map, auto pause makes it hard to do.

    but I guess the question still remains; what is the conceivable reason for the Garmin prescribed behavior?  In the best case, it makes a useful feature difficult and cumbersome to use, if not useless.