Help please! New to me 705 + GPX file issue + maps

[rabbit]

I have just been given a Garmin 705 by a friend for my first solo Audax in December.  As in, I am not going with friends so will actually have to know where I am going n all that. 

I have tried to upload the GPX file from the event page on the aukweb calender by using the Garmin training centre - it's not recognising the GPX (I have unzipped the file).  I have also tried to import it into my Garmin Connect manually then was hoping to download it as a .tcx file, but it won't even upload to my Garmin connect.  I figure this is already far too complicated, I thought I would just be able to import the GPX file and then bingo, there it would be.  As a note, I have imported one of my own recent rides off Garmin Connect (from my 410) onto the device with no problems. 

What am I doing wrong?  Any ideas?  I am assuming it's just me being a numpty.

PS, I hear there is some open source maps available for the Etrex30.  Will they work on the 705? 

I was almost tempted to buy a Etrex30 to be honest, because of the battery life, but if I can get this 705 up and running and it gets me through for now then that would be great. 

[frankly frankie]

What am I doing wrong?  Any ideas?  I am assuming it's just me being a numpty.

Not necessarily - it could equally be a duff GPX file.
Try 'cleaning' it by uploading and re-downloading via a site such as GPS Visualizer

Yes the 705 and the E30 both use the same type of map files.

[Hot Flatus]

Save file onto desktop.

Open in bikehike.co.uk

Click Save route, and select gpxx route as file format.

Save onto desktop, then drag and drop into the GPS folder on your 705

All this shouldvake about two minutes.

[rabbit]

Wow, thank you very much for the advice.  I will try both and let you know 

Will also get the open street maps sorted then, good good 

[Ningishzidda]

I have just received a GPX file for an Audax soon.

Importing it onto Autoroute 2011, I see it has 1500+ points on it. I reckon it is a Garmin recording because some of the points are not on the ridden route. Some are in sideroads and some are in shopping parking areas due to positional inaccuracies of the recording unit.

If I load an un-edited copy straight onto a Garmin, the unit would give directions to the misplaced points. So, on Autoroute 2011, I chop out all the points which serve no purpose. I only leave in points which are a couple of hundred yards down the roads I want, so the Garmin has no confusion about where it’s got to go.

Autoroute 2011 exports an edited GPX under a different name, which Garmin is happy with.

The same operation can be done on Tyre toTravel, which is freebie on the web but takes a lot longer than Autoroute 2011.

PS. On Autoroute 2011, the one big GPX can be divided into smaller GPXs which represent stages of an Audax between controls.

[Ningishzidda]

In the bicycle GPS / SatNav world, you cannot rely 100% on the results of someone else’s equipment.
You have to inspect their results and adapt and/or modify them to your own equipment’s suitability.

A Garmin GPX recording is very woolly due to the large number of log points and its positional inaccuracy. The same could be said of BikeHike without ‘point limitation’ enabled. Loads of points that are not necessary for a unit to use it successfully as a guidance GPX.

Some sort of editing is advisable to trim the supplied file into something that won’t cause the handset to throw a wobbly.

[Hot Flatus]

The gpxx on bikehike gets around the waypoint limit.

It really is an easy process. No need for Ningishzidda's drama.

[frankly frankie]

In the bicycle GPS / SatNav world, you cannot rely 100% on the results of someone else’s equipment.

This is what I meant when I said above:

I am assuming it's just me being a numpty.

Not necessarily - it could equally be a duff GPX file.

In other words, you can't assume all event organisers are GPS gods. 
It's actually rather easy to produce a corrupt or out-of-spec Track file which may appear to be OK viewed on a tolerant system but won't work properly in the GPS, which tends to be more picky.  Or maybe it works in the organiser's GPS but that doesn't mean it'll work in everybody else's.  Or maybe the organiser doesn't have a GPS, and is relying on Planner software to tell him everything's alright.

As the end user of a downloaded file - you just don't know.  Caveat emptor rider.

[Ningishzidda]

The second bonus for meticulously inspecting, editing and modifying  the GPX supplied is you get to learn the route, where the Controls are and if you are really clever, you get a psychic insight, and you can correctly predict the answers to the Information questions. 

My psychic abilities are telling me the one-and-only INFO on the Tinsel and Lanes has something festive in the answer, like 'Merry' or similar,, 

[rabbit]

Well it looks like I have it uploaded now so fingers crossed!  Luckily the audax is in my locality so it'll be a good test this time.  I'm going to map the route later so I am not reliant on the gps

Thanks for the help all.