GPS notes

Turn-by-Turn navigation settings on Garmin Edge GPS

The notes below are my own collection (2015) for using Garmin Edge 800 GPS, some of these notes are valid for other GPS in the Garmin Edge series, but please only use in conjunction with your own checks, ie use at your own risk :)

When loading a GPX Track, Track Points are included. Waypoints (NOT Course points) may or may not be loaded at the same time, depends on how the files are made/generated.

When loading a TCX Course, Track Points are included. Waypoints appear not to be included (as far as I know). Course Points may or may not be included depending on the application used to generate the file (eg www.ridewithgps.com). Course Points are the user generated 'pop-up' messages that alert the rider when in proximity to that Course Point (note that they are 'dumb' - proximity only regardless of direction of approach to the Course Point).

Note that navigation methods are both the same whether using GPX or TCX files, ie select 'Turn Guidance' to ON. The difference is that TCX files may include the extra navigation method (select 'Off Course Warnings' to ON - does not work for GPX files even though the selection may be there on the GPS).

Summary of GPS settings for Turn-by-Turn Navigation (both GPX and TCX files)
1. Spanner > System > Routing > Recalculate - OFF (Note if you turn this ON and you go off-route then the GPS will completely recalculate the shortest path back to your Course or possibly to the End point of the Course [seems to be random?], users have reported their GPS crashing or taking minutes when trying to completely recalculate the new Course), Lock on Road - No, this just effects how the blue triangle cursor is displayed and nothing else. If Yes, this causes the blue triangle to be drawn on the nearest road. It doesn't change the cyan "where you have been" track. It has nothing to do with navigation what-so-ever.
2. Courses > Select your Course > Spanner > Virtual Partner - OFF, Turn Guidance - ON [if you plan to use this you must have routable maps loaded], Off Course Warnings - OFF (not required to be on if Turn Guidance is ON, as you will be alerted if you go off route, you'll just get even more beeping...)
3. Courses > Select your Course > Spanner > Map Display > Always Display - OFF, Colour - {select colour} (note does not affect the Map Screen appearance), Course Points - OFF (only works with the pop-up Course Points in a TCX file - the Map display will appear too cluttered - but they will STILL pop-up anyhow when in close proximity).
Note 1: You cannot disable the TCX Course pop-ups (if they are in the TCX file of course) when you are navigating a course whether or not Turn Guidance is ON or OFF.
Note 2: When Turn Guidance is ON [and you are navigating a Course i.e. you've pressed the big green GO button of the Course you have selected] the following is displayed on the Map Screen: A thin (ish) magenta line with black borders showing your actual original plotted course, and a much wider magenta line showing what your GPS calculated using your routable maps. Note these two lines do not always align with each other as your routable map may not have all the known roads/turns in it so it just draws a straight line to the beginning of the next navigable section.
Note 3: With Turn Guidance ON and Off Course Warnings ON you will STILL receive both the on-screen navigation and the pop-up Course Points alerts (pop-up Course navigation cannot be disabled as per Note 1).
Note 4: When Navigating a Course the timer does NOT start - this is independent of navigating a Course, you can start the timer before or after commencing Navigating a Course - BUT when you 'Stop Course' the timer does reset, you can stop/re-start and re-set the timer before you 'Stop Course'.
Note 5: You may only wish to use only the pop-up Course Points for Navigation and not the Turn Guidance, ie Turn Guidance - OFF. This is a popular option as the Garmin generated Turn Guidance is not perfect (refer back to Note 2). What appears on the GPS Map Screen is the thin (ish) magenta line with the thin black borders, ie not the additional wider magenta line had you used Turn Guidance - ON. Also, select Off Course Warnings - ON so that you are alerted to going off route.
Note 6: When Navigating a Course the timer will only start if you are near the course and you select "Yes" when prompted, if you select "No" you will have to remember to start the timer by pressing the start/stop button on the GPS even though you will be navigating the course. You can start the timer before commencing Navigating a Course - BUT when you 'Stop Course' the timer does NOT reset, you can stop/re-start and re-set the timer before you 'Stop Course', BUT if you stop and reset the timer the Course will automatically stop. Get it? Yeah I know...
Note 7: Virtual Partner in some cases cannot be turned off depending on the Garmin Edge model, this function is available on most Garmin GPS after a firmware update (after much wailing and gnashing of teeth by users...).

Finally, if you neither wish to use the turn-by-turn navigation - ie Turn Guidance (GPX & TCX files) or the Off Course Warnings (TCX files only), you might wish to simply eye-ball how you are going along the map by noticing where you are relative to the displayed route on the GPS Map screen, settings:
1. Courses > Select your Course > Spanner > No changes here (except the May Display, discussed next in point 2) will make any difference as you will not be making use of navigating the Course function ie the green GO button.
2. Courses > Select your Course > Spanner > Map Display > Always Display - ON, Colour - {select colour}, Course Points - ON/OFF (will not make any difference since again user not making use of the navigating the Course function ie the big green GO button has not been pressed).