Navigation issue

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On mine I'll start the course and then before I've even got on my bike it says 'course complete' so I have to press the stop button then not save the course, load the course up again and set off, then its not showing distance to next so if I stop and reload the course it says 'do a u-turn to the start of the course!! Has anybody got an 830 that works properly???

The "Nickdodo" distance issue.

forums.garmin.com/.../same-tbt-issue-as-the-820

Trying making the start and end points distinctly apart from each other.

If that doesn't work for you try loading the course a short while after you start riding the course (assuming you know where you are going) and say no to navigate to start.  The Edge will pick-up the route and calculate it for you from that point.

Never had this issue with my old Edge 800, I understand what you're saying though, I plan all my routes on Garmin connect so no more clicking the loop to start I reckon?

It's a common Garmin failure to develop functional software. I have an old handheld Garmin GPS on my boat. I've made courses that start just outside my harbor, go to an island, buoy, oil rig etc then back to the harbor. Routes don't work as the Garmin decides that I'm at the finish when I activate the route as I exit the harbor. 

Garmin route algorithms have not improved since the 1990s.

PHILVANTWO said:

Never had this issue with my old Edge 800, I understand what you're saying though, I plan all my routes on Garmin connect so no more clicking the loop to start I reckon?

It was certainly a problem with the 800. If you never saw it, you were lucky.

Yes, for a loop ride, end the ride a little bit shorter. That is, don't bring it all the way back to the start point.

The idea is, when starting the course, to be closer to start point than to the end point.

If the unit happens to pick the end point, restarting the course a bit further along usually gets it working as expected.

The units should reject picking up points near the end especially if you are also near the start.

I create a course (and it doesn't matter in Ridewithgps or Garmin connect)

Every course/route planner produces the same file. So, of course they work the same. So, it doesn't matter what planner you use.

The planners all produce the same sort of track file: a series of points that accurately traces the curves and turns of your route. There found be small random differences, but that doesn't matter.

There can be difference in behavior with the map used to pan the route.

PHILVANTWO said:

it says 'course complete' so I have to press the stop button then not save the course, load the course up again

You aren't "saving the course". You are saving the ride record (the activity).

Recording a ride is a separate thing from loading/using a course.

Don't stop the recording.

Just pick and reload the course again.

If there's an active course, you'll be asked of you want to stop navigating.

You don't need to delete and redo the courses. You can make changes to existing courses.

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Yes, having 100 yards short of the start point should be enough (that should be even more than you need).

Keep in mind that you don't always start the course exactly at the start point of the course.

People typically load/start the course close to the first point in the course but not exactly at the first point.  Think of people starting the course in a parking lot next to their cars parked in different places.

So, we are talking about three points:

1. The course start (first) point.
2. The course end (last) point.
3. The point you loaded/start using the course (call it the "load" point).

The idea is to have the distance between the load point and the start point be smaller than the distance between the load point and the end point.

It's not really the distance between the start and end points.

Usually, making the course a bit shorter so there's a gap between the start and end points produces the result you want. (But I've seen cases just having the end point short isn't enough.)