This page is in response to the ever increasing interest in the Garmin Edge 705.
Rather than trawl through 560 odd comments and replies which takes an evening I am told, far easy to read this page. It is the summation of mine and everybody’s input. It’s going to take a while but will cover all aspects of the 705.
You can download and install the latest versions of the software before take delivery of your Edge in most cases. MapSource updates require an original. Comment from Stuart : You can get around Garmin saying you have to have an original Mapsource before applying the latest version as an update by unzipping the download file, then running MSMAIN.MSI then SETUP.EXE
Maps
You need a map of some sort to make your Garmin Edge 705 function. The decision you have to make is whether to buy DVD based map or a plugin MicroSD card map. DVD maps need installing and then loading on to your 705 or memory card. The advantage of a DVD map is that you can plan routes in Mapsource and you can see them in TrainingCentre.
SD card maps are plug and play. They have the auto routing built into them along with all the points of interest (POI). This includes garages, restaurants, cash machines etc. They have a novelty value but you didn’t buy your 705 for them.
The SD card map can be uploaded in MapSource by renaming a copy of it as PCbasemap. I’ll up load a link to a tutorial. It is not for the novice computer user and things can go wrong.
If you’ve come to a 705 via the Ordnance Survey digital mapping programs like Memorymap, Trackogs or Anquet in the UK you are going to be very disappointed with TopoGB. The level of detail that you get is very inferior to digital or paper maps as Garmin uses a vector system and OS maps are raster images. (Things are better with the Garmin Edge 800 as it uses a different mapping system where you get the raster OS maps with the routable Vector maps beneath the the OS overlay.)
Software Updates
To get you Garmin Edge to work straight out of the box you need to update your programs, drivers and firmware straight away. Without Garmin Communicator installed other programs won’t see your new toy as a device. So you can’t import or export anything.
Latest Versions
TrainingCenterVer 3.5.3with AntAgent 2.2
MapSource 6.16.2
Garmin Edge705 Ver 3.20 GPS 2.10
GarminCommunicator PluginVer 2.9.2
WebupdaterVer 2.4.
Mapinstall Ver 3.14.2
http://www8.garmin.com2/support/download_details.jsp?id=591
Routing Software and Websites
It should be apparent that Garmin don’t do very good routing software. That’s being polite, I’ve met a number of you who expressed it in harder terms. Fortunately there are others out there that do do good routing software and there are a lot of great websites out there.
First off you need to know the difference between a Route and a Course
Routes
Your Edge has a 100 waypoints limit. You use the waypoints to mark the turns on your Route. You Navigate the Route from Waypoint to Waypoint.
I’ve done rides up to 200 km using this method and it is entirely different to riding a course.
Routes rely on as the crow flies (straight line) navigation between Waypoints. The compass always points to the next waypoint. When you follow the route as long as the compass screen is always roughly pointing forward you are on Route. If it is 90 degrees to you something is amiss. This can be within a 100 metres of the waypoint.
A Waypoint will bleep and give you a countdown to the waypoint in distance and seconds.
It’s a great way to ride if you are on limited resources ala Garmin Edge 305.
See the Route planning Tutorial on this site for planning and riding a Route.
Courses
A Course can consist of 17000 trackpoint. It can be a saved ride. It can be planned in Mapsource, Digital OS maping software and the Google map based websites. You can race against the virtual partner as it contains speed info as well as position. File size is a lot bigger than a Route GPX file. You can save multiple Courses on a Memory Card. I’ve a dozen on mine. You can also convert your riding history to a Course within the Edge.
Riding a Course is not the same as riding a Route.
Your essentially reriding another ride. The only time the Edge 705 bleeps at you is when you go OFF Course. Don’t press enter but retrace your steps to rejoin the Course. Your Edge will say Course Found and the black triangle will be back on the pink Course track.
There is a musical fanfare when you complete the Course.
The Course is the pink line in the photo above selected from Training/Course, List. Then Do Course box
MultipleCourses
Save your Courses to the Courses folder on the Edge 705, not your Memory card. They should be in .TCX format. Limit of 50 Courses.
CoursePoints
CoursePoints are what your Edge is all about. They are Icons built into a lot Garmin Navigation products. There is a limited number to choose from and there is another 100 CoursePoint limit.
They behave similar to a waypoint in that they bleep at you when you arrive at one.
This is where you have to abandon Garmin products to add CoursePoints to your Course.
You can only add CoursePoints in Garmin TrainingCenter and with a PCBasemap that isn’t an option.
This is where the GoogleMaps based sites come to the fore, particularly WWW.BikeRouteToaster.com
BRT does CoursePoints as well as trackpoints, you can set which side of the road an how far from the centre you ride.
It auto routes you and automatically puts the right CoursePoint at a junction. Along with warning Coursepoints before the junction it is a great bit of software.
Another reason to use Coursepoints is when you are actually doing a Course you get another screen with extra datafields on it relating to the Course. Such as Time to Course, Distance to CoursePoint, ETA and so on.
TrainingCenter
http://www8.garmin.com/products/trainingcenter/This is where all your ride data is stored. I’ve got nearly three years worth of rides and spinning classes from an Edge 305, Edge 705 and a Forerunner 50. You can overlay rides and compare all the data from the ride.
It comes with a PCBasemap which is useless. Once you get a Garmin Map installed things become a lot better. You can save your ride History as a Course and use the Course point tool to add Coursepoints.
This is the only way you can add Coursepoints with Garmin Software.
Personally I wouldn’t bother it’s easier to use BikeRouteToaster to plan one.
The file format used by Training Center is .TCX which is Edge specific. Along with Latitude and Longitude it contains heartrate and cadence data. Your digital mapping software probably won’t recognise this format yet but it will recognise a GPX file. You need to convert the TCX file to a GPX file with a conversion tool like TCXConverter.
TCXConverter opens in a new window.
Tracklogs
Tracklogs now supports the Edge 705 for file transfer as it supports the .tcx format. (this page has looked out of date on the google searches because it autosaved an early version.) You can upload your history as it now sees the .tcx history files in your device.
Course(.crs) to Course(.tcx) Conversion
If you have graduated from the 305 or get routes from other sites that don’t support the .TCX format you neeed to convert your Courses from .crs to .tcx. This is not that easy as the format conversion programs are some way behind the format changes. Garmin Communicator enabling helps in the file transfer as the 705 is a file based device.
I have about 120 Courses on Motionbased from 305 rides that I can’t transfer into my 705 unless I use a conversion program.
After a fair bit of searching this seems the easiest at the moment. WWW.GPSies.com
It allows conversion between the .crs format to the .tcx format which your 705 will see as a course in the Courses folder.
It is an important jump, I hadn’t seen it as a problem as I tended not to reride a Course. If you get a Course (.crs) off an organiser it becomes a big problem trying to get it into a 705.
Vulcan Nerve Pinch
Dead Edges may need the Vulcan nerve pinch to revive them. Power and the lap button for a soft rest for a couple of seconds should see you back in business. Not so much a problem now but playing dead was an issue for early users. Can’t remember the pinch on a ride , big problem.
A big problem if you’ve just bought your Edge as you think it’s broke, cue panic and irate calls to customer services.
Hard Reset
Power and Mode button for 3 seconds will bring up a box with “Do you really want to erase all user data”. This clears your Profile and all your History.
Ride History not saving to Compter
If you’ve a ride that won’t save to your History, save it as a Course on the 705 before you you do a hard reset as it will all be lost
Backlight
Using your 705 at night. You can ride a Course at night and use CoursePoints to warn you of the turns. The Edge turns the backlight on when it gives a warning signal. This can be a Waypoint, CoursePoint, OffCourse or paused message. It’ll stay lit for the length of the backlight timer setting.
If you want to see the screen at night pressing the power button once will bring the backlight to 50% as will the toggle button, sideways will not alter the screen your on.
Profile problems
I’ve been having profile sync problems for a while this is the answer thanks to Motionbased.
Start – My Computer – C:\ – Documents and Settings – All Users – Application data (to get this folder to appear, you may need to click the following: Tools – Folder Options – View – Show Hidden Files and
Folders) – Garmin – Training Center.
In this folder you will find a file called UserProfile.bin. Delete this file and then connect the unit again. Choose to keep the profile on the unit, and the problem may then be solved.
It worked fine for moi.
Garmin Connect
Register for GarminConnect, it’s only now starting to be useful. You can upload your rides and runs to be stored online. Has a player module that plays the ride in Google maps that can be exported for others to see. Would be great if it included a Route or Course planning function.
MapSource
Steer clear of Mapsource if you have an Edge 705. It doesn’t support the .TCX format will only import Waypoints and you can only save as a .GPX format. Fine if you have a 305 and want to plan a Route but a 305 doesn’t support a Garmin Map.
You only need it if you have a version of a DVD map or want to rename a copy of the SD Card map as the PCBasemap so you can see it in Training Centre.
OSM (OpenStreetMap)
OSM are free Garmin compatible maps. The mapomatic ones include NCR cycleroutes but the link doesn’t work as I write this.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/
http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps
http://www.opencyclemap.org
http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm
Now Routable and with contours.
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/Download
Worldwide free maps for your Garmin.
Route and Course Planning Sites
Plenty out there but one worth a visit is WWW.BikeHike.co.uk
BikeHike allows a 705 user to use the new GPXX format. This allows you to plan a ride as a Course but ride it like a Route. The advantage of this is that you get an unlimeted number of hardpoints which behave like a CoursePoints.
There is also a Window with an Ordnance Survey map so planning from a Routsheet becomes a bit easier and you don’t have to purchase a digital map. Rides are Navigated as Saved ride as a 705 doesn’t support Routes.
Auto plots CoursePoints and Warning points similar to WWW.BikeRouteToaster.Com
WWW.Marengo.com Site for Planning a Route based on naming WayPoints as the turn direction. 100 waypoint limit which it won’t let you excede. I started out with my 305 using this site. Before you dismiss it, it still has it’s place but you need to know and understand the difference between a Route and a Course.
It only supports GPX Routes.
Version 2.70 problems. Post from Nick about 2.70 problems and a link back to 2.60
Hi Frank! On numerous occasions, this site has been of great help to me, and reading the other posts, of great help to a lot of others also. I recently asked about problems with the latest web update (v2.70) from Garmin.
I have now found out from Garmin that they have found an error in the update and that it is corrupting some tcx. files and therefore not allowing your history to be updated on Garmin Connect. All you need to do, is open your Garmin folder, Then History and delete all the tcx. files. Alternatively, you can forward all the files to product support at Garmin and they will “clean” them and send them back. They also gave me a link to revert back to the old update. http://www8.garmin.com/software/Edge605_705_260.gcd I do hope you dont mind me putting this on here, but i felt obliged after the help i have received from your goodself! Thanks, Nick Jordan
Version 2.80 now out supposed to clear the unsaved rides problem. WARNING clears all your data.
I’ve had a lot of grief with 2.80 over the last day or so with the Edge not uploading files to TrainingCenter or GarminConnect. The root of the problem was that Version 2.70 or 2.80 deleted the History Folder and although the files were still in Edge memory they wouldn’t transfer across.
Garmin Learning Centre
New site with Utube videos of how to get to grips with your new toy.
http://www8.garmin.com/learningcenter/
http://www8.garmin.com/learningcenter/training/edge705/index.html
Above is a new link to Youtube tutorials.
It’s a start but needs to be a lot bigger.
Lattitude and Longitude
Handy to have for when you need to be rescued.
Settings/Units/Position Format hddd.ddddd
There are numerous map grid systems depending where you are.
You can find your location by going to Map mode and moving the toggle. Another way is to save a waypoint.
Good but not foolproof. Make sure you keep the rubber USB cover on as all sorts of nasties happen when water gets in. Likewise the microSD card cover and slot. Rain will get in eventually and this will wreck your ability to use an SD card map. Get it wet while out on a ride and you start to loose the map and your ride data. This isn’t funny on a 100mile ride never mind a wet one.
Cadence Sensor. When you have more than 1 every time you swap your Edge between bikes you should rescan the cadence sensor in the Acessories menu. Likewise if you have more than two HRM’s.
20 June 2010 I’ve only just re-enabled comments on this page so if you want to get your name up in lights I’ll give you credit for stuff for that gets added to the guide.
27 June 2010 Lots of new software updates from Garmin
31 Aug 2010 Flickr photos of screen shots to be added. At least you will be able to see what menu you need to be in.
Once you’ve had a comment approved you’ll be able to comment again without needing approval again.
History Bug Ver 3.20
Dave has alerted me to a ride history bug in 3.20.
If you leave your Edge on after a ride and don’t save any data before you let the battery go flat YOU WILL LOOSE ALL YOUR DATA. I thought I’d had a rough time of things with loosing my Etape training ride but Dave lost his actual Col climb data for his holiday in France.
Trust me you’ll try anything to get that sort of data back, it’s priceless.
Dave has rolled back to Ver 2.90 which is stable for him. I was lucky enough to have a hotel with WiFi but I’d be really gutted to loose any ride no matter what it was.
From GarminConnect Forum member MS.BLUEBERRY
Once you have plugged your 705, you just have to replace file called X:\Garmin\gupdate.GCD with a 3.10 version. After that, the device will reboot and will ask you to confirm that you want to install an older version than the one currently installed. If you confirm, you will have to re-enter all your settings. That’s it ! (I just did it without any problems)
http://www.garmin.com/software/Edge605_705_310.gcd
Be sure you rename it to gupdate.GCD before copying to the Garmin
Worked fine for me too. Thanks to Michael for the Garmin link.
Garmin Maps on the USD Card
Thanks to anon for posting. 09Mar 2011
Hi Frank, just thought I would update you as I have now been shown by Garmin how to uninstall the maps from the Edge and install them on the SD card which leaves the entire memory of the Edge for recording my routes. When saving the maps they said “When you go to transfer mapping, it will ask where you wish to save the mapping. Typically there will be a drop down list, here you will need to select the SD card instead of the Edge device”
I did this and it worked so I replied “Many thanks for that, I now appear to have saved the maps to the SD card but can’t work out how to delete them from the Edge. I uploaded them from the device in Mapsource thinking it might remove them from the Edge but it didn’t. Any ideas?” Their response was prompt and said “If you connect the device to your
computer and find it as a removable device, double click on the Garmin
icon then double click on the Garmin folder. This is where you will find
the mapping uploaded to the unit. The mapping file will be named
GMAPSUPP.img. If you are going to delete the mapping, only delete that
file.
I have followed their instructions and it worked so I now have the maps I want on the SD card and the routes I saved are on the Edge. Hopefully this info will help others too.
Waiting for my 705 to be repaired/exchanged under Garmins repair policy. 09 Mar 2011.
06 may Received an as new exchange unit with a turnaround of about 4 days.
Cost was £102 as it was well outside of the warranty. Served me very well all said and done.
Working on a OSM mapping install tutorial for those that don’t want to lash out on a Garmin map.
Frank Kinlan's Blog 
Great website, thanks. I’m new to “GPS” cycling. I’m west London based and do most of my cycling within say a 100 mile radius. I’m a road cyclist. I’m sure (hope) a lot of the technical info will make more sense with the device in front of me, however in terms of getting started what, in addition to the Garmin 705 pack (including HRM and cadence), am I initially going to need to budget for in terms of maps, SD cards etc to get this up and working for me? I gather the base map loaded on the device is probably inadequate and the MicroSD card looks the better solution for me.
Thanks
Thanks Jon, you need something other than the Basemap. With no additional mapping it will route you on A roads and motorways.
An SD card gets you up and running out of the box. A copy can be renamed as pcbasemap later so you see the map in TrainingCentre.
The calorie counter on my 705 seems wrong, giving figures that suggest I am burning 80% more calories than all other books regard as reasonable. For example, a 1:19:00 road ride, fairly flat, at zone 2.9 ave HR, is not going to burn 1900 calories – although my 705 says it does. I’m told that Garmin won’t pay to licence the best algorithm for this, but surely they can get closer to reality ?
Or am I missing something ?
John, I don’t know about Garmin not paying the licence but the likes of Polar not letting Garmin licence it. The problem Garmin has is that the calorie calculation is a time/distance/rider calculation. It counts calories going downhill which is a big negative and should be written out of the algorithm.
There was a post on the 705 page that said the calorie calculation was similar to the Polar calc when using a turbo trainer which is basically all uphill. You raise a valid point though so it’ll go into the knowledgebase.
Frank.
Hi Frank, I just bought a 705 and found the same issue with the calories…has someone been able to know if there is a setting that needs to be tweaked differently?
thx
Guy
Guy, for Garmin it’s not an issue and as far as I know they don’t have the copyright on that piece of code, Polar do. If they had their heads screwed on they would sponsor someone to come up with a garmin method. Plenty of Universites looking for a Master project.
It’s not rocket science to negate the calories going downhill while not pedalling.
Regards,
Frank.
I think you must have a link somewhere in your blog to my page about using the Edge 605 with routes made on Google maps, but in case you don’t here is the link.
Ok George, I enabled comments on the new version of the page. I’ll put a link up in the Blogroll.
have a look at http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/ for converting routes, between lots of formats, it manages to clean up formatting errors and allowed me to import courses to a TACX trainer that wouldn’t beforehand
hi frank,
i have an apple mac and the edge 705- i have downloaded the map install and training center etc software for using with mac,went a spin yesterday and the device didnt seem to save it,what have i not done so as to save it to history? was i supposed to save it using a certain key or what? what is it about laps? any help would be greatly appreciated- i also cant link it with mapmyride- would that be something to do with the fact that i have a mac computer as opposed to a windows based one?
Diarmaid, there is a problem with your 705 not completing the file. If it’s valuable data save the ride history as a Course. If you can see the file in the History folders copy it to your Mac then export it to whatever program you like.
I tried the file converter on GPSies. Also GPSVisulizer mentioned above.
Stop and start your Edge again and then plug in your USB lead, it should start Saving and then appear as a saved ride of no duration.
I’ll add a bit about data recovery on this page as it does happen, it happened to me on last Sundays ride my first 100 miler of this year when my Edge got wet.
Regards
Frank.
Diarmaid,
As Frank says, your track is in the History files on your 705 which you will see under Garmin in the Finder on your Mac when you plug it into the USB. The tracks are labelled by date and time. When you press Start it begins a to log the track in a new file. When you press Stop it stops tracking. Each time you press the Lap button it places a Track marker in the file. When you Reset (hold the Lap button for several seconds) it closes the file.
If you click on my name, you will get my page about using the Edge 605 (same as 705 for this purpose) with a Mac. I never use the Garmin utilities for handling routes because the web-based tools are so much better.
George
Hi there. Did you ever write a tutorial for loading city Navigator NT into mapsource? I am trying to do it at the moment and can’t work out how. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Hi Caroline, It was on a link to Daves site. You copy the .img file across and rename it to whatever the PCBasemap is called. I’ll write it up for the Dummies guide. I didn’t want to be held responsable for someone making a mistake.
Frank,
you are a legend! I was almost there but I had created a new folder instead of replacing it. I can now actually see the road I live on!
Frank…I love my Edge 705 and it works great. Can you tell me if I can use my 705 on a second bike and what I would have to do? I have a second set of sensors, but I haven’t added them to the second bike or used the Edge on the second bike yet. I’d like to be able to use my HR monitor as well.
Celso, use the same HRM but you will have to rescan the Cadence sensor each time you swap bikes.
Frank..thanks so much for the advice. Do I need to go into Garmine to distinguish between bike 1 and 2 when I download data? Thanks…Celso Rodriguez
After a long wet ride my Edge 705 went slightly crazy – now it seems to be working except for two things:
1. The SD maps don’t work
2. It can’t connect to the computer (computer says the disk must be formatted – I don’t think this will solve anything)
Any tips?
James, did you ever get your 705 to connect or recognise the map? Iain
James, I’m in the same boat and the outlook isn’t good. The lower half of the 705 contains the microSD card port and the mini USB port and the battery. The card slot is potted with a compound and can’t be replaced.
Mine is faulty with the contacts corroded. I’ll be giving Garmin a call to see if the bottom half can be replaced but I don’t think it will be cheap.
Works OK with a CD map or OSM map in the memory.
It also started to auto stop and start mid ride when it got a soaking the other week.
I’d be looking at sealing the slot with tape in future.
Damn. Let me know what Garmin say – if it’s too expensive I’ll attempt to fix it with some solder or something, I’m convinced it’s only a few contacts in there that have corroded.
I’m evaluating the Edge 705 and i want to see what the downloadable maps look like in Training Centre. I can’t seem to work out how you see the maps in training centre? Can you only do this after you install the maps on the GPS device itself?
Hi Colin, you need to copy your map from from a microSD card to your computer and rename it as pcbasemap.img (or whatever the basemap is called). The basemap in your Garmin and Mapsource and Training centre is woeful.
Have a look at other peoples rides in GarminConnect for an idea of what it looks like.
DVD versions of the maps are locked to your device with a key so you can’t upload the maps and resell the DVD.
Hi Frank, Im building a website to display real time rider data on some upcoming group cycling adventures. Live data from each rider will be streamed by radio to a following car that will then stream the data to the webserver. Im hoping that the 705 is a good candidate to collect the rider data and. Do you know is it possible to stream the data the 705 collects out of the 705 to a radio on each bike? Cheers.
Hi Steve the 705 has ANT technology to transfer Courses between 705s and the sensors but it does have a great range. You’d have to have whatever system the Teams use to stream rider data.
It won’t come cheap.
For logging it’s a great device.
Sounds like a great app for an Iphone or smartphone though.
I contacted Garmin support and they have replaced my Garmin (very quickly – I posted it on Monday, have my replacement now on Thursday). Pretty impressed with the service; guessing it’s a problem with design so they’re used to replacing them.
Hi Frank..re 2nd bike usage and having to rescan for accessories (cadence sensor, etc); I’m not sure this is necessary if you use the 2nd (and 3rd) bike options in the Garmin Profile menu. I haven’t had a problem switching between bikes and sensors doing this
Ok DJP, always used the second bike as a different set of data to view, I’ll check it out and update the page.
Thanks,
Frank.
Does anybody know what the screen with the green outlined ascent map actually shows?
Is it terrain to go, terrain just done, a mix of both? I can’t work it out at all.
That is the elevation profile/tracking page. It shows your progress in terms of elevation (what you have done – not what you are about to!). If you move the joystick sideways it will increase the distance shown so the profile appears to stretch or compress, and if you move the joystick upwards it will change the ratio to make the hills look more/less severe. I set mine to show roughly 10miles per square so I get a running history for the last 40miles (I think there are 4 squares – would have to check to be sure).
So even on a course/route, it won’t tell you what you have to come?
Shame.
can anyone tell me whether it is possible to alter the settings on the 705 Edge to increase the size of the instruction on the screen to turn left or right at a waypoint? My eyesight is not brilliant and ideally I would like the entire screen to temporarily show the direction arrow and right/left instruction before the waypoint is reached?
This seems to be an obvious benefit but I cannot see a way of doing it and maybe there isnt?
any advice gratefully received.
Richard
Hi Richard,
I’ve let the post stand to see if anyone would respond.
I’ve come across sight problems from hearsay and speaking to other users. Lionel (of the Northend) gets a hell of a lot of stick but did mention a fix. Vario-focal lenses on your eyeware. This will allow you to glance down and see a focused screen.
Others who I can’t mention just get lost and just bring the technology into ridicule.
As such it’s not really a Garmin problem, but a problem with eyesite and cycling generally.
This has got to be an ISSUE, what use is the worlds best cycling nav device if almost everbody won’t admitt to defective vision. God knows what the dissapointment rate is if you buy this device online and can’t see the screen clearly when your on your bike.
If your longsighted anything less than armslenght is going to hurt your eyes.
Just done a test with Val and it’s opened up a whole new dimension to this. I always thought it was about not getting lost.
The distance to to your bars now takes a significant importance, if you have trouble seeing a speedo what chance do you have with a multi functional satnav.
Go on Ebay and buy some bifocal workplace glasses. They actually look like Oakleys or something, and you can get them in different strengths. I have a similar problem with ‘cycle computers’ being long sighted, but cured with the bifocals.
Hi Frank
thanks for the reply. I am 57 and recently back into cycling and have been greatly inspired by your postings, in terms of health management and cycling generally. I have only been able to get the full use out of my 705 thanks to your blog, and I agree that it is a fantastic piece of kit. My eyesight is actually pretty good, but one of the consequences of ageing is the recent need for reading glasses. I can read the screen but bigger directional arrows and directions would take some of the strain out of the process. Perhaps something for the Garmin developers to consider in the future. Stay safe and best wishes
Richard
Hi. Do you know how to calibrate the altimeter?, as it relies on barometric pressure the elevation reading changes constantly. On my last bike computer there was a facility to reset this to your known home elevation, or simply adjust manually (to sea level when on a beach, etc), but can’t find this facility on the 705.
Regards,
Glynne Knight
Hi Glynne, it does reset the elevation to your home location but you can’t adjust it. Early versions of the software didn’t have this facility.
One tip I might offer is to set your home location after leaving it in clear view of the sats for 20 minutes. A recalibration occurs after about 20 minutes. I’ve had it 50 ft out at sea level and on contacting Garmin was told +/- 75 ft was within spec.
I think this figure is based on a worst case satalite triangulation as the accuracy can be as good as 9 ft.
Regards,
Frank
I contacted Garmin about this many times. Finally, about 6 months ago they said a Garmin firmware update (not sure which level) now performs an altitude calibration when you ‘save location’. The benefit of this is that as you save the location, you have the opportunity to edit the altitude measurement/reading of the point you are saving. Once the point is saved, the Edge alters/recalibrates the current altitude reading in line with your edited value. Obviously you have to know (or have some idea) of the altitude at the point you are saving but that’s the same for any calibration/edit method. I can confirm this method works.
Eg. You drive to a point (different from your home location) to start a ride. You switch your Egde on and find that the altitude is -150m (or some other value you know to be nonsensical). You know that the altitude should be +200m. Go to save location, manually change the altitude reading for the point you are saving to 200 and save the point. Your current elevation reading will change from -150 to 200. You can then delete the saved point if you want to. It’s not ideal if your saved points limit is full but it’s better than nothing.
Hi Paul, I think that was version 2.80. Just tried it with version 3.10 and it worked fine. Thanks for the tip. I had a lot of issues with elevation at sea level, probably due to water getting into altimeter vent on the back.
Hi Frank , great site well done and many thanks! I need to delete some saved routes through created in bikehike, as it wont load any more points. I havent a clue how to do this! Can you help ??
Many Thanks David
Hi David, use your PC and find the files to delete in the Garmin/Courses or GPX folder. Or using the 705 Training/Courses select the Course then Delete Course option
Hi Frank,
Great web site.
Do you know if there is an auto switch off function for the 705?
Thanks,
Ian
Hi Ian see the end of the updated page, it might power down depending on what version you are running but you run the risk of loosing everything. Auto-pause is useful as it stops you using memory up for nothing.
Turn it off after a ride is the safest bet.
Regards,
Frank.
Hi Frank
Have purchased TOPO GB DVD, loaded ok, found my device, entered the device s/n then the DVD product key, screen said UNLOCK OK, or something like that. Now if I go to Garmin/ mapinstal from program menu Topo GB V2 is there, can find my 705 OK, map comes up but says MAP DETAIL LOCKED and can’t select a map region to load. Map Product Manager says Topo is locked, if I choose UNLOCK UNLINE just go back to route above that says UNLOCK SUCCESSFULL, but MAP INSTALL still says Topo is locked, what am I doing wrong?. Loaded communicator successfully, or so it says. Am using Windows 7
Regards,
Glynne Knight
Hi Frank
Further to my problems with Topo, have restated my computer and everything is now miraculously working. I forgot the obvious Windows fix it of restating it. All things come to those who wait, it seems!
Regards,
Glynne Knight
When cycling using my edge 705 with Navigator Maps (UK) installed on SD card, on two occasions, I have seen some very odd behaviour.
On both occasions, I was following a course but had to take a diversion because of road closures. The edge advised me that I was off course and I pressed enter to dismiss the message.
A little later on, I noticed on both occasions that the map visible had defaulted to the base map and that when I went to settings….map, although there was a square box that was ticked, the map name (usually “CN Europe NY 2010.10”) was blank.
The problem became worse as when I re-joined the course, no roads other than major roads on the base map were visible and it appeared that I was cycling in the middle of nowhere!
Anybody else seen this behaviour?
Just to say that I have had a reply from Garmin support who say that “I’ve been in contact with the software developers and this is a problem that they are aware of and are currently investigating.”
No suggestion of when a fix might happen (if at all).
It seems like Garmin finally realized that 3.20 has serious issues, since it disappeared from their homepage without any comment:
http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3987
I personally had to downgrade back to 3.10 after experiencing a whole range of irritating problems.
Does anyone else recommend downgrading and if so, how is this done…? I assume one uses the web updater software but, rather worryingly, the Garmin web site advertises this as being for IBM-compatible PCs running Windows® 2000 or XP operating systems… anyone tried this with Windows 7 (x64)?
Hi Colin, loosing everthing for leaving your 705 on is too big an ask for 705 users. The software guys can address the issues but they have no inkling of what it means in real life. It can get bloodly wild out there and I rely on my 705 as I don’t carry a map and rarely a route sheet these days.
Can’t comment on Windows 7 or Mac for that matter. I haven’t downgraded yet but haven’t had another total loss like I did the other year.
When it happens you’ll do anything possible to get the data back so downgrade before you loose a valuable ride.
Regards,
Frank.
Thanks Michael,
great link. This is too much like Microsoft bug testing but with us soft buggers doing it the hard way. Ride 120 miles and then not get your ride saved for a bug in the software.
My current gripe is the altitude bug which screws up the gradient cacls. Some maybe don’t think it’s a serious problem but it is to me as my Edge is out of warranty.
hi frank, been using the 705 for a couple of years now with the usual trials and tribulations and your site has been a great help in solving the many issues encountered so thanks and keep up the good work. my latest coundrum concerns saving multiple courses. now i save all my routes and courses to the sd card and nothing to the 705 memory and for me i’ve found this to be the most reliable method, until now. lately i have found that if i have more than three courses saved on the sd card, lets say ten for example, and i select the third or more course on the list then the 705 will only navigate the the last course on the list, it does’nt matter which course between three and ten is chosen it only reads course ten. any thoughts regards ian.
Frank
Great site, my question relates to Heart rate zones. Having set the zones on the 705, how do i see how long I’ve spent in each zone? I cant see how to access that data in Training Centre?
Hi Hugh, it’s under Totals and if you click the middle button on the lower chart window the bands will show across the graph. You need to get some rides in and it will all become clear.
Regards,
Frank.
Frank, thanks for such a prompt reply. I am clearly very technologically challenged as i can’t find he Totals tab! I do have 50 odd rides on the Centre and am on version 3.0.4. Apologies for such a basic question!
Regards. Hugh
Hugh,
If you are in History (at top LHS) then on the right half of the screen, just under the toolbar, you have 3 tabs, Map/Total/Notes.
If you click on the middle of these “totals” then select a ride, at the top of the Right side of the screen you have all the details of the ride and the laps but under that, above the graph, in the middle of the RHS of the screen there is some zone information:-
How much time and distance you are in the various heart rate and speed zones. It may be the same for cadance but I don’t have the cadence monitor so can’t tell you about that.
Hope this helps.
Colin
thanks for trying to set me on the right path. unfortunately I must still be doing something wrong. When I’m in history I have all the rides down the left hand column, as if hey are folders in History, and on the right is all the data (speed, ascent, distance etc) with the map and graphs under that. i can’t locate the tabs, nor the toolbar. Clearly a dunderhaed. have I loaded the rides wrongly, perhaps?
Thanks Hugh, Version is 3.5.3 but it’s always been there. Click on a ride and not the week and it should show the track of the ride. Helps if you have more than a Basemap loaded in TrainingCenter.
Hi
Im having problems trying to load maps on to my 705 and hope you can help.
In map source im am trying to downlosd garmin nt v9 routes but my edge is saying it cant unlock maps when i turn it on after sending the new route and map.
My maps have been installed a year ago and work fine on my other gps.
Any ideas?
Cheers JOHN
Hi John, your 705 needs a new unlock code as your installed code has been locked to your other GPS.
Get on to Garmin Support If youve registered both GPS,s it should be obvious that your not trying to get a pirate disk to work. Be nice to them and you’ll probably get a new code in the post.
It has happened to others.
Regards,
Frank.
Hi,
I’ve just got a 705 Edge Road Performance and have to say I’ve found this blog invaluable.
Quick question that someone may be able to help with, I have uploaded a few routes into the GPX folder which is great but while navigating I find that sometimes the route crashes (get a recalculate message and when it gets to 100% nothing happens).
More frustratingly half way through a route that is working fine the Edge unit seems to loose the map (I have SD version). This then switches to the basemap and I get the red arrow to follow back home. I was wondering if I save the route to the unit will it get round this problem of the map being lost on the SD card? Similarly would this help solve the first problem of route crashing?
Any thoughts appreciated, driving me nuts at the moment!
Nick
Hi Nick, my cardreader got wet on a ride and resulted in a lost map. It now won’t see an SD card. If your on version 3.2 downgrade to an earlier version.
Never seen a red arrow so can’t comment.
Anyone out there had a similar problem to Nick?
Frank.
I have also had times where the SD map has disappeared and reverted to the base map. In both cases, I had to go well off a route that I was following although I am not sure if that is definitely linked.
A restart of the EDGE fixed it (i.e. the map reappeared). I noted that when the map disappeared, I could go to Settings….Maps the bit at the bottom which usually has a tick-box and the name of the map (CN Europe NT 21010.10) instead has only the tick box (which I can tick and untick) but no map name.
I’ve raised a call with Garmin who told me to upgrade to the latest firmweare. I told them that I had 3.1 (and wouldn’t go higher) and I’ve been chasing them for a reply since!
Hi,
Wondered if you can help?
I am trying to load the latest USB drivers for the Edge 705 (USB Drivers_23) in Windows 7 and the WIN ZIP self extractor progress simply halts. I also have an eTrex CX which was successfully loaded USB wise prior, therefore I deleted all Garmin folders from my Registry in an effort to “start again” but the result is exactly the same…….and of course I now can`t load the drivrs for the eTrex either!
For reference, if I plug the Edge into an XP laptop the OS automatically finds an approiate Microsoft driver no problem. No such luck with Windows 7.
Any help much appreciated.
Regards – Les
Can any Windows 7 Edge users help Les out ?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Frank. An excellent website – thanks and well done. I have a couple of questions, if anyone can help:
Do you, or does anyone, have any views or information about the accuracy of the calorie counter on the 705? How reliable is it as a guide to how many cals you burn during a session?
Frank: Garmin have announced the release sometime in October of an updated version of the 705 – the 800. Do you have any plans to buy one and provide a dummies guide to that as well?
Best wishes. Ed.
Ed the calorie counting algorythym is flawed because it counts calories when you are freewheeling downhill at 30 mph. Garmin don’t have the patent to the Polar algoryrthym which is supposed to be the best.
On the flat it’s on par with most of the other HRMs.
I am planning on getting an 800 as I like the idea of putting your own maps into it. A guide will follow once I’ve got to grips with it.
Regards,
Frank.
Hi further to my post re: Windows 7 USB drivers I have managed to sort it by doing a Windows System Restore (to the day before) removing my ETrex and re-installing the Edge. The Extrex then also loaded fine!
If I may I now have two further queries which you may be able to help with:
1. I have pre-loaded TOPO microSD and wondered if I am able to make a back-up as they are fragile items which I will be swapping between my Garmins?
2. Is there any way of loading the microSD maps into Mapsource for mapping?
Thank you for any advice given.
Regards – Les
Hi Les,
Not sure about your first q.
I think Mapsource is not recommended for the Edge 705. You can download Garmin Basecamp which should pull in the Map on the SD card and allow you to plot routes…..
http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=4435
But to be honest its pretty lousy (Garmin support also feel this way!!). I use http://www.bikely.com for mapping which you can try plot routes as well as find runs from other users, and import export them. There are others like bikeroute toaster which also get good write ups.
Hope this is of some help
Nick
Les , see the Velorider blog on the sidebar. You copy your map .img file and rename it to the basemap file. It’s about 1.2 Gb in size and saves you having to buy the more expensive DVD version.
Probably worth doing a doing a page about it as it is a common question.
The Mapsource software was just like advertised, Product does everything plus more than I need. Price was great, but shipping was pains takingly slow (eight days), the product shipped from Missouri, and I live in Kentucky (one state away) that was an unreasonable amount of time. Payment was easy with fair communications.
Great help this blog iam new to all this and this helped me so much
many thanks
Nick & Frank,
Thank you for your help.
I have now copied the content of the microSdCard to hard disc and have loaded BaseCamp.
Am I correct in assuming that I cannot make an actual microSdcard backup which the Garmin will read? I tried it but understand that Garmin have some sort of software code on the original card?
Also I followed the Velorider blog instructions in an effort to get BaseCamp to pull in my map but I dont seem to have a PCBSMP2 directory or a pc_basemap2.img file (or the Basemap equivalent). I tried it with Mapsource also with no luck.
Would be great if anyone has any other ideas for me to try or I will wait for Frank to get the time to do a separate page on this common question.
Many thanks for this very helpful blog – Les
Les it TrainingCenter not BaseCamp. BaseCamp is for the new Edge800 to download satellite imagery to.
I’ve just loaded 2 different .img into the PCBSMP2 directory and it worked fine. One was a cycling img file so all the NCR routes came up.
The other is the map of Europe out of my Nuvi 250W.
Frank,
Thanks for reply, I have now loaded TrainingCenter. Not sure if others have the same issue but in Windows 7 it would load at first so I ran the Win 7 Comaptability Mode function and it now runs fine.
I then renamed the original .img to old and replaced with my microSD card .img and I now have my maps on ther PC.
Fantastic – thank you!
Since today, my Garmin 705 always asks to be formatted, very strange.
I never had this problem yet. I have it since april 2010.
It works fine further, but not connectable to my computer any more.
My computer sees the Garmin, that’s why he asks to format?
I also tried on another PC, the same problem
Any Idea what I can do about it?
I don’t dare to format it of course
Thank you, I hope somebody knows what I can do to connect again with it.
Walter, I’ve a similar problem but mine is a faulty micro SD card reader. The onboard memory is fine. A colleage at work was in the same situation and had to reformat the onboard memory. In his case it all came back fine.
Take the map out first if it’s on a card.
Contact Garmin Support, they can be very helpfull with situations like this as it is by no means unique now it’s 2 years old.
Regards,
Frank.
Hi Frank, I posted this question over at ridewithgps.com and was hoping maybe you could help…..
“Hi Zack,
Did you get my previous email about using your site? I’m having trouble getting navigation when I either download routes or create my own. The first problem I had was that when I downloaded routes from the site and put them on my garmin, the screen freezes at 100% when calculating. This happens all the time. I thought maybe it was a file size issue so I created a small loop right around my house and it did navigate this time, only there were no street names that came up on the unit….only “turn east”, “turn south”, etc.
I’m obviously doing somethign wrong because whenever I use the 705 to find things like addresses or when I type in specific places it navigates just fine with street names for turns and everything else that this unit should be doing.
I’ve seen all the youtube videos and instructions on how to create routes from ridewithgps.com so I’m pretty sure I’m doing everything correctly but it’s just not working…….any suggestions??”
Not had a route lock up while calculating only. Regarding no street names coming up, you are probably riding a course, a course at the end of the day doesnt need roads. It’s what the Mountain Bikers ride. You’d only get a warning message if you went off-course by about 30-40 metres.
Adam, just looking through this site and saw your question, yes i know it was September last year. But i just got a 705 and use the same route finder as you what I found out was once you see it up loaded @ 100% wait until you hear the bleeps which can take up to another 5 mins. Then your ready to go I did the same as you for my first ride, then decided to wait and see what happened the 2nd time and it worked no probems
hi frank
great web site. i have 705 with city navigator dvd on my computer. i have down loaded maps to 705. my problem is i can’t see much detail on the map on the edge even with detail on MOST. i have the city navigator map ticked in the map set up menu. for instance the road in which i live is not showing only main a roads.
i tried to do a reset by holding power and mode but nothing happened. i have the latest software.
KR Steve
Hi Steve, I’m assuming you’ve unlocked the 705. If you have Ver 3.20 installed downgrade to 3.10. I had a similar problem on a 100 mile ride with only the basemap showing up, which is what seems to be happening in your case.
Steve, One thing to check is that you are not zoomed out too much. the minor roads that I cycle on only show up when I zoom in so that the scale in the bottom left hand corner of the Edge screen shows 300m or less. At 500m, I don’t see all the monor roads.
Hi,
Have tried the copy and rename trick for basemap when copying from the SD card. Map type was EU City maps
Got some odd results where in MapSource and GT
Parts of the map missing
Parts of the map with blocks of grey covering map detail
Map segements which don’t seem to be joined properly…
Any hint or tips to fix that?
Mitch,
Did you get any answers to this? I have exactly the same issue when using the EU City Map for the UK when looking at my routes/history in Training Centre.
Thanks for all the info and time…really appreciate it…
I was wondering if anyone has used the 705 in the car as
i was hoping to not buy two GPS units…
any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Hi,
I’ve used it in my car and it works really well. I have the city navigator sd card in it. I would just make sure you have somewhere to mount it though which I don’t. When you get near the junction a detailed picture of the junction comes up.
Caroline
Back in the 80’s when you bought a computer it did very little unless you learnt how to fiddle with it. Having read all the above it seems to me that it is criminal that you can’t simply buy the Garmin 705, fix it to your bike and ride off. Apparently it will send you down lethal motorways and main roads. So why is everyone raving about it? Are you saying that having bought this thing I then have to start buying extra maps in order to make it work? And learn how to install them? It is unbelievable that there isn’t some sort of electronic map that shows all the major international cycle tracks through Europe. I simply want to ride from Prague to Dover next summer. I can buy paper bike maps (only in German) for the entire route, but I am astounded that if I want to do this using a Garmin I’d have to sit at a computer and plot it all, then transfer it to the Garmin in some way. Or am I way off beam and this can all be done much more simply? Comments please.
Look at the OSM maps for the Countries you are cycling through. I use the UK one that has all the NCRoutes on it.
One other thing is do you want to ride it as a Route or a Course? In the 305 days I was ridding 200km Audaxes as a Route and it worked.
Once you get sucked into the Course side of the 705 things are a bit different. Do you really want to ride that distance with your 705 bleeping at you if you go off Course by more than 30 mtrs.
Routes make sense for some rides where the destination is the goal and a detour for a missed turn may not be the end of the world.
Regards,
Frank.
Hi Frank,
I’m doing my first Audax soon and have loaded the course on my 705.
It’s easy enough to follow the course on the basemap but I can’t stop it from zooming in when approaching a turn despite turning the autozoom off.
Can you help?
I think it depends on how you’ve downloaded the course. A TCX Course wouldn’t have any turn information other than CoursePoints. A GPX Route should give you a countdown as you approach the waypoint. I’d normally ride a Course with it zoomed into about 300ft .
Nearly all the recent rides have been done as TCX Courses with no Course or Waypoints. It does mean you have to follow the Course religously as there is next to no navigation involved.
I started out on my ride and by Edge started calculating my distance and then stopped calculating the distance after 54 feet. ( I did press the start button) Any idea why this would happen?
Not at the moment, 54 ft is neither here nor there. Did it start calculating again if the start button was pressed again or register it had stopped if you pressed the button again.
I am running out of memory on my 707 and this causes the 705 to fail to download the data from my ries. My PC tells me I have used 914MB out of 924MB. All visable files are in the \Garmin folder = 911MB.
I thought I if I deleted all the history and courses but even so it still has little spare memory and the folders containing real data only total about 12MB. However, there is a file called CLM.nvm which seems to be the culprit; it is 911,520 KB which is 890MB – 96% of the Edge’s memory.
I did a hard reset, no effect other than wiping out my setup. Web update does nothing as I am on software version 3.2 GPS 2.10.
Can someone help? Has this CLM.nvm file got corrupted or is it supposed to be this big. How much memory should the 705 have for history and courses?
Found this.
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=111688
Looks safe to delete it.
Think I can help here. It’s a fairly common problem. You could probably just delete it and Garmin Edge will put a new uncorrupted version in its place. But to be on the safe side, back up everything on the Garmin (just copy the Garmin folder) and put it somewhere safe, then delete the CLM.nvm file then reinstall the firmware. The reinstallation of the firmware will put the nvm file back and it will be smaller.
Frank, Thanks for this. I had thought of deleting that file but wasn’t sure to do so.
everything OK now but a bit of feedback for anyone else that has this problem.
I deleted the CLM.nvm and tried to reinstall the software. The WebUpdater tool did not update the firmware “Your Garmin device has the latest software”.
However when I used training centre to “send to device” to put my courses back, it recreated CLM.nvm (80KM rather than 890KM!!!!).
Everything seems to work OK and I have 900MB of free space for courses and history.
Thanks.
Sorry, Dave (not Frank), thank you.
Hi there, i have just got a 705 as a present for christmas and to be honest i am a little disopointed with the fact that it did not come with street maps etc. I wanted it to use for off road cycling. This is even worse as from what i ac gather the easiest option is to get TOPO GB?? why cant this things be simple like a gps in the car??? can anyone please suggest the best maps to get for off road cycling in the UK please. I have read that you can use OS map and maybe Google and for a route?? also if i put a memory card in the back how do i know it can read it if i can not find whats on the card.
Please help me before i go mad and sell it lol.
Graham HARRIS
Hi Graham,
Topo GB is about the best option for a 705 but it is not true OS mapping. You will have to plan an ride a COURSE as once you are offroad you can’t be Routed anywhere as there is nothing to follow.
The new Edge 800 supports OS Maps and is Routable also. A bundle with all of the UK on SD card will have you paying about £50 for the map instead of the listed £199. The IOM is a free download to give you an idea of what it’s like.
The best option at the moment is the free OSM maps that have contours on them, they also include cycle paths and are Routable.
Have a look at some of the planning sites as they will have an OSM overlay. All you need then is a memory card or use the memory in the 705 and your away.
Regards,
Frank.
Hi – I have just upgraded Garmin Edge 705 software from 3.2 to 3.3
There was no warning, but I lost all my history, data fields settings reverted to default. In units, my kilometres went to miles. Home location was lost, as were all but 3 of my “Finds”. In Page mode options, my preferred Map only was changed to: Map & Altimeter. And my British Grid changed hddd.mm.mmm (whatever that may be).
Worst of all, something strange has happened to the compass. When riding a Route, it used to point in the right direction. Now it always points straight ahead, even when riding in exactly the wrong direction.
I will be contacting Garmin support about the compass, but has anyone else had these probs with 3.2?
sorry, I meant problems with 3.3 of course (not 3.2)
Hi,
I have been gifted a 605, I would like to use a it for both on and off road, can the 705 do this by simply changing a map card? I have been back to the supplier but they have no idea.
Also after reading the reports is this the best cycle GPS on the market?
Regards
Craig
Excellent website for this dummy with his new 705 (version 3.1)! Thank you.
Whilst finding my way round the device on the first day I seem to have pressed the joystick too often and created loads of waypoints or “Recent Finds” that are stored in the folder Where to? – Find Places – Favourites – Recent Finds. How do I delete them? Pressing the Delete option in Find offers the “Yes/No do you really want to delete all waypoints?” , but does not delete any of them, What have I missed?
please help , i have bought the edge 705 and a city navigator sd card to use . How do i see this map on training centre , you talk about renaming pcbasemap but in my f drive i.e the device theres a gmapsupp (262kb) and gmapbmap (6kb) and in my g drive i.e sd card theres a gmapsupp (262kb) so how do i go about this renaming and getting it to display on training centre . I understand i do not need map source . I have uploaded 2 TCX files from bikeroutetoaster straight to device but before i ride them i want to be sure it will display on training centre . Please please help me , i feel stupid !!
City Navigator is over 1 GB so I don’t think you are looking at the right file. You need to copy the file into the directory where the the PCbasemap is on your PC.
C:\Garmin\PCBSMP2\PCBASEMAP2.IMG Which is now 1.6 GB
Hope this helps.
I have bought the map of Europe on disc with a Garmin Edge 705. I think the maps have installed onto the Garmin and not the memory card as when I remove the card I can still see the maps on my Garmin. How do I clear them from the Garmin and make sure they are on the card. I would appreciate any guidance as it has been a steep learning curve trying to get my head round this device and have come close to sending it back. I think I am now mastering it and am looking forward to using it on a cycling holiday in Majorca in May.
Hi Kerry, if you have Europe on disc it is more than likely to be in the Edge memory. You can use MapInstall to see and alter what area of map you have in your Edge. You want to do this to make sure you have Majorca in the 705 for your holiday. I’ve used MapInstall for a trip to Spain a few years ago and it worked fine while I was there.
The maps you see on cards are literally plug and play and can be swapped between devices.
I’m in the process of reviewing the whole site, updating links, articles etc so it may get added to the guide.
Regards,
Frank.
Hi Frank, thanks for a prompt reply but I don’t think I explained my problem very well. I have bought the CD with Europe on and selected the areas of the UK and Majorca that I want and uploaded them to the Edge. What I can’t work out is how to save them to the Micro SD card instead so that the Edge memory is free to hold all the rides I will be recording. Kind regards, Kerry
Hi again, stick with the internal memory, CD or DVD map installs are tied to the specific device via the keycode that comes with the disc to prevent piracy. My 705 card reader is broken due to water damage and is going back this week but still functioned using the internal memory for the last year.
A plug and play map is transferable between devices while a CD/DVD is paired but Garmin don’t tell you that at the time of purchase.
There is enough space on the internal memory to be going on with without worrying about the microUSB card.
Regards,
Frank.
Hi Frank, just thought I would update you as I have now been shown by Garmin how to uninstall the maps from the Edge and install them on the SD card which leaves the entire memory of the Edge for recording my routes. When saving the maps they said “When you go to transfer mapping, it will ask where you wish to save the mapping. Typically there will be a drop down list, here you will need to select the SD card instead of the Edge device”
I did this and it worked so I replied “Many thanks for that, I now appear to have saved the maps to the SD card but can’t work out how to delete them from the Edge. I uploaded them from the device in Mapsource thinking it might remove them from the Edge but it didn’t. Any ideas?” Their response was prompt and said “If you connect the device to your
computer and find it as a removable device, double click on the Garmin
icon then double click on the Garmin folder. This is where you will find
the mapping uploaded to the unit. The mapping file will be named
GMAPSUPP.img. If you are going to delete the mapping, only delete that
file.
I have followed their instructions and it worked so I now have the maps I want on the SD card and the routes I saved are on the Edge. Hopefully this info will help others too.
Ah that makes sense as to why I couldn’t save to the micro card, many thanks for your help and your excellent website. 🙂
Hi Frank,
This 705 is a great piece of kit however I cannot figure out how to upload courses I’ve created from sites such as bikeroutetoaster and ridewithgps. I save it as a GPX file and I plug my 705 in but the course is not on the Garmin when I unplug and switch it on. What am I doing wrong?
Regards
Ian.
Ian you need to save it to your 705 as a .tcx file and then ride it as a Course. It should be under training. To get the feel of it save a ride in your History as a Course on the 705 itself and see if you can find that. You should be able to see any Courses in TrainingCenter under the Courses button
Hi Ian, have you sorted your routing out? I save my files as Gpx rather than Tcx and save the directly into my Garmin\gpx folder, select where to on saved routes, this way my Garmin will give me turn by turn directions and street names.
Can anyone tell me how to create an SD card map file from a downloaded .plt file. This is an AutoCAD / HPGL Vector Graphic Plotter File.
The web site specifically shows a Garmin 705 so thet seem to be intended for Garmin GPS devices but there are no instructions as to how to edit this into the format the Edge uses.
ColinR
Hi Colin, you try this Garmin forum. https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?f=204
You’ll need to register. I’ll be looking into custom maps when I can get around to it.
Regards,
Frank.
Hi Frank,
I have read your article which is great and I am just about ready to purchase the 705. I am still undecided as to whether to buy the 705 with a plug and play sd card with uk maps or with buy the cd. I have found a deal which comes with the plug and play sd card so I more inclined to buy this. My concern is I am new to cycling gps and what the main thing I want to be able to do is plan a specific route with set points and upload to the 705 a then follow the route. I am sure this isn’t a problem but I am completing a charity cycle ride throughout the UK over 10 days and want to upload our daily routes onto the device so the riders can easily follow the directions. Is this straight forward to do? Will the plug and play card be enough to achieve this?
Thanks
Grant
Hi Grant, buying a map on the SD card is the way to go. If your doing LEJOG download the ride Courses otherwise plan your Course on one of the web based Course planning sites. I would not reccomend using the Garmin software to plan a Course of this importance.
If you prefer OS mapping look into the Garmin Edge 800 with a 1:50,000 SD card. It is good value IMHO.
Regards,
Frank.
Hi Grant, just followed your link. It shouldn’t be too hard to plan the Course yourself. Use one of the Google maps based sites and it should be a doodle. Whatever you buy you need to get to grips with it before the ride and not on it.
Hi Frank
Thanks for the response. The edge 800 is a little out of my price range as I have found the 705 with HR and Cadence plus the sd card for £250 so the 800 with the same kit is considerably more. Whiteout sounding dumb what is LEJOG? What on line programme would you recommended for what we are doing as we need to go to set points each day? As I am a comply novice to this how easy is it to create the routes online then upload them to the 705? Are the instructions good enough that come with it? You mention at the start of your article about using mapsource to plan routes? Do I need this? Sorry if these are basic questions but trying to take it all in!
Thanks
Grant
Hi Grant,
LEJOG, Lands End to John O’Groats, roughly the same distance if you take the scenic route.
Ok your set on the 705, if the instructions that come with the 705 were good enough you wouldn’t be asking me for directions of any sort.
Try some offline planning on BikeHike or BikeRouteToaster. Take it from me if someone knows you have the route planned in it’ll be you that will be leading the ride.
I suspect it will be a simple enough route but things can go wrong. If there is a ride leader, let them lead . If you go off Course, flag it up as it won’t be far if you go astray, about 100 mtrs.
A Course is virtually a 100% representation of what you should ride on the day.
You’ve got enough time to get things sorted but don’t leave it to the last minute.
Frank.
Grant, try these websites… all are easy to use after a little practive. create each stage of your journey as a separate course.
http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/new
my personal favourite is http://bikehike.co.uk/index.php but they seem to be having some problems at the moment, not all the OS map tiles are displaying.
Thanks Frank and Colin
I have ordered it and no doubt will be asking more questions when it arrives. I am the main organiser for the event so we will definitely be following the gps all the way. Oh you mentioned the planning using bikehike etc, is it then straight forward to upload the routes onto the 705?
Thanks again
Grant
Hello Grant
I use my Edge 705 mainly for: 1) recording a ride (tcx “History” files), for average speed, heart rate etc and 2) for giving me turn by turn instructions on a new ride (gpx route files).
For routes, I have used the following, every week for the past 18 months. I am not saying it’s the best method, but it works: create the route in MapSource (yes, it takes some getting used to, especially the editing), give the route a sensible name; copy it either to Edge internal memory or to my card (using Windows – NOT the MapSource icon). All I then need to do is to make sure I have downloaded to the Edge the area covered by my ride (my map version is City Navigator on disc – not SD card). Currently I have downloaded most of England/Wales + Pyrenees + southern Alps, which takes up about 250MB of the 3GB available (roughly 1GB on Edge internal memory + 2GB on my card). Routes of 60 miles or so need about 125KB and a record of the same ride (a tcx file) about 500KB. So, even with all the system files, I am left with 2.5GB of space – enough for 10,ooo 60-mile routes! I have bought a lifetime map subscription for £75: for this I get 4 updates a year for as long as my Edge lasts. I can recommend getting updated versions – on my most recent (last month), I found cycle tracks in Oxford which were not on the previous versions.
All this simply proves that there are many ways of making the Edge work well – but patience and trial and error are essential. Shame that it’s not all properly documented!
Hi Richard
Thanks for the response the advice you gave will definitely help.
I have purchased the 705 with the ready to ride sd card so how do I go about getting the mapsource software onto my computer, as reading Franks article, you have to have the dvd to use mapsource?
Thanks again
Grant
Hi Frank
I bought my edge 705 in North America in 2009 and had the North America city navigator sd memory card installed. I haven’t used the GPS for a year and today, back in London inserted a new Europe city navigator sd card to start cycling back home. The garmin page came on then the gps freezes / crashes unable to change modes/pages. It won’t even turn off so have to take out the sd card to do so. I tried putting back in the north america sd card and it works fine with the obvious issue that it doesn’t show the roads here. Can you advise if I am doing something wrong, or if I need to download something first? Or could the cd card be faulty? Thanks for your help
Hi Andrew, my cardreader port got water in it and wouldn’t see the card properly, wanting to format it all the time. Try reading the card in a USB card reader to rule out the card being faulty. Next thing to try is a full reset. You’ll loose everything.
If things are still not going your way get in touch with Garmin Europe in Southhampton (when you can get through) and explain the situation.
Everyone needs to be aware that Garmin Europe know what devices they warranty to crack down on grey imports.
This won’t affect you as your out of warranty, one last thing are you using the latest versions of the software.
I was making a route following the Tour of Flanders. Is there any way (GPX, TCX or something else) that would allow me to be informed that I’m on “this and this hill” or that I’m passing by this tourist attraction, etc.?
Hi Matt, you could try adding Coursepoints at the desired locations.
POI tend to be cashmachines etc
The old 305 method using Marengo allowed you to rename the Waypoint I’ll check if the same is true of Coursepoints.
Use BikeRouteToaster turn off Autorouting and select Coursepoints. Where you next click on the Course, a dialog box will come up that allows you name it, it will use the Generic icon. That should get you on your way.
Thanks Frank, but the problem is that Edge 705 will only show a max. of 8 or 10 characters that are in the “Name” portion of the course point when you come up to it. I think there’s no way to have it show what’s written in the “Directions” section, right? The best I could come up with was to shorten “turn right” or “turn left” into R or L and then adding a short form of the name of the hill.
I had a couple of other questions. There is no way to rename files saved on the 705 (routes, courses, maps) without a computer, right?
Secondly, to have the 705 follow a TCX course, I need to press the start timer button? Is it possible to start a TCX course in the middle (i.e. not at the beginning of a course) and have the 705 follow it, or to return to following the course if I take a small detour and miss a point in the course? It seemed to work when I pressed the start timer button, but I wanted to make sure.
Thanks for all your useful comments/help.
Cheers.
I’ve just updated to the latest version of Training Center (3.6.1) & lost my mapping. Id put a suitably named copy of the map off the SD card in previously but they seem to have changed to mapping format (or at least the files & names) so haven’t figured out if it is still possible. On my previous PC the maps got updated anyway when I ran the first time update for my daughter’s Nuvi. The new version also has a different data format so had to import “legacy” data – which it seemed to do OK without issue.
I may buy the City Navigator Europe on DVD/download (the price seems the same these days) as the maps on my 605 are now at least 3 years old so there will be changes in some places. I would hope that that would update both the Training Center maps & the 605.
On a positive note, one feature that I have noticed that the new version allows you to specify a 1st day of the week (defaulting to Monday – which I prefer).
Rick
Hi Frank,
I really must be a dummy, I just can’t figure out how to send the routes Iv’e mapped out on ride with gps to my Garmin 705, tried everything and now very fed up…………HELP!
Ian.
Ian, RidewithGPS doesn’t support GarminCommunicator yet, it’s them not you. You need to use the Internet Explorer file transfer, copy it to your desktop or straight into your Edge if it is shown.
Regards,
Frank.
Matt, you need to Do Course in Training first. The Start button logs the ride. Depending on your setting you’ll get an option if you go off Course. It’s better if you plan things first. I’ve not tried joining a ride mid Course but if you loose a Course it does know if you re-aquire it. Try stuff out on simple round the block stuff first. This way you can experiment with going off Course, starting mid Course etc. For the big day it needs to go right.
Hi
I am having huge difficulty getting my edge to down load ride data onto garmin training centre (running in my powerbook). Last year I had no problems so I am at a complete loss to understand what has changed since last autumn. What appears to happen is a single start position is logged with no other data!!!!
Hi Frank,
I sure hope you can help…
I have a edge 705 with the latest software (3:10) and all of a sudden when I try to upload new activites to Garmin Connect it says “No new activities found”. It has the ride in my history on the Garmin but does not transfer into Garmin Connect.
Also there is no history of it in my History Folder as well – what gives?
Thanks,
Tim
Sorry Frank,
Software is the 3:30.
Thanks,
Tim
Hi Tim, I’ve had the same trouble in the past. If the history is important to you, save it as a Course on the 705 first as it looks like your going to have to do a hard reset. When you connect up to your computer the 705 should save the file to the history folder. In my case the upgrade removed the folder so there was nowhere for the file to be placed. I’ve had a similar case on the 800 with a corrupted file and ended up deleting it.
GarminConnect is a bit more tolerant of errors than TrainingCenter.
Hi Frank,
Thanks for your reply… sorry to ask this but how do you save the History as a Course on the 705?
I don’t have a History file when I open the file on my computer…
Thanks again,
Tim
Hi Tim,
fire up your 705, select the ride in the History folder and you should have an option of Save As Course.
It has worked in the past in TrainingCenter as that uploads all the Courses as well as the History. It does sound like the file hasn’t been closed properly.
Thanks Frank,
I’ve tried a hard reset – saving as a course and nothing is working, it still won’t transfer any activities….
Looks like I’ll have to send it in for repair… can’t understand why this suddenly happened?!
@Tim,
I had the same problem. Searched high and low, and sent the unit to Garmin for a fix, but still same problem.
I found a solution/work-around:
After your ride, make sure that you stop time, and reset. At any rate, make sure you have reset the unit before you start a new ride; even if it means that you make a short ride for only a few meters.
It is apparently very important that the last ride is closed up by resetting the unit.
Only had this problem with the latest version of software.
Good luck, and to Frank: thanks for a good site.
Hi Frank,
I’ve just got the edge 800 and I like it very much compared to my 705.
I have one problem and that is when I’ve done a ride and look at the ascent profile it is shown over half the screen ie the left hand side.
If I select a course and view the profile it covers the whole screen.
Any ideas?
Hi Eric, I’ve seen it but never really took any notice of it. I had a look at the ascent profile screen and found it was scrollable with a swipe of the screen.
Hi Frank, great web site. I have an edge 705 with the Garmin euro maps on an SD card. I have worked out how to get a route planned in mapmyride.com into the 705 via copying the file across as a gpx. The only issue I seem to have is that because my routes are circular it says that I have approached the finish before I have started! How do I do a turn by turn route from mapmyride into the Garmin?
Hi Frank, I currently use mapmyride.com to load maps to my edge 705. I spent a good while plotting out an 85 mile route the other night and when trying to go out this morning, the route would simply not route. Upon loading a route/course it calculates, then it reaches 100% and seemingly stays on 100% forever. It is really frustrating especially with a few friends in tow that once thought your garmin was a cool tool. I’ve restarted, tried loading while stationary, moving, riding 20 miles and seeing if it can recalculate the ride considering where I am now, but nothing seems to be working. Any advise?
Peter you have to turn it on in the house leave it on the window sill for at least 15 mins before you leave. I had the same problem it goes to 100% and bleeps but it’s not ready.Leave it another 5 to 10 mins until it bleeps again and your start screen comes on i.e. time, HR etc then you will get the route you planned
Hi Frank, it’s been 3 years plus with 705 now, and only 2nd post on this site, not bad compared to many. In short Garmin have removed the 705 from their website, and is’s not even in the discontinued section. I am off for a 2700 mile jaunt over 2 months through Europe, and have a dynamo powered charger for the 705, which will apparently power the satnav while it is ON and you are using it while riding, as long as you are in version 2.6 software. Anyone know how I can revert back that far? garmin “help” by email have failed to even mention why they have removed the 705 from website, and even told me I needed a 12volt charger (So the 5 volt mains one they supplied with it when new and used for 3 years is no good then?) I can only presume their helpline is staffed by morons who have no idea at all.
Any ideas on how to do this? I am leaving 31st May and wanted to sort it before then if possible.
Mark
Mark,
Here is an archive of 705 firmware http://garminedge705.wikispaces.com/file/list/orphaned
Beware that these files are NOT hosted by Garmin, they might have been modified to do bad things, your own risk 🙂
Simply place the file you choose onto the root of your SD card and turn on, your device will be flashed.
Are you sure you have to be on 2.60? I’m pretty sure that later versions of the FW sorted out the various charging gremlins.
Oops, forgot to mention to rename the file to gupdate.gcd first.
Dear Frank,
As you’ve said on your blog, pre-planning routes for the 705 can be a real pain. After several problems, I tried bikehike.co.uk as you suggest, and saved the file as a GPXX, to bypass the 100 waypoint limit (I want turn by turn for long day rides). When I download it to the computer, however, it says the file is a GPX one (not GPXX). Am I doing something wrong?
Thanks for a great site
Justin
I have just had this happen too. Will try on my home Windows Vista PC!!
It WILL show as a GPX – that is the file extension it uses – which is somewhat confusing! I usually put GPXX in the file name so I know it is one. Copy it into the GPX folder on the Garmin & it will show up as a saved ride and give you routing when you load it.
I’ve tended to go towards saving courses these days. You don’t get turn by turn instructions but you still get the pink line on the map to follow. I’ve found that if you miss a turn (say have to turn early & go round the other 2 sides of a block) it will never tell you any more instructions (it is still waiting for you to reach the next turn in its route which you never do), but if you let it recalculate it is likely not to be along the route you programmed. A course only tells you if you are off course or when you rejoin it but will recognise that you are following it even if you have a diversion and miss a bit.
Rick.
I don’t know if there are links to old firmware but this page for the 705 appears to be working OK (at least for me).
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=160&pID=10885
Also can I note that my 605 with the latest firmware (& for a few iterations before) switches on when I put it on to charge. I have to put it into charging mode with the power button if I don’t want it on. (I don’t know if that is significant)
Regards
Rick.
Hi in my edge 705 my map israel topo is on the sd card.when i save *.gpx files on the card at directory Garmin\gpx ,when i turn on the 705 its take about 6 min to be power when i delete gpx files its turn on in few second.
where shold i save the files?
HI Frank , I just recently discovered your site and thinks its great!
I have just switched from PC to mac and I installed Basecamp. It works fine for a gpx viewer but when I plug in my 705, it always crashes while trying to load recent activities.
does anyone have a file for the “profile problem” on mac os x. i repeatedly get the profiles do not match warning when i plug in my edge 705. i have looked under ~/Library/Application Support/Garmin/… but no UserProflie.bin file. Any thoughts or mac users fixed this bug ?
Hi Frank
Wonder if you can help?
Ive got most of the uk memory map discs but ‘not’ the south west. Im planning to do a charity ride in Devon, coast to coast plus add ons as a one off, and i am not keen on buying the memory map disc for one ride..
Do you have any suggestions of where i can access free mapping for the area with navigation tools to map route and download it to my garmin 705?
Appreciate the help
Thanx Rob
Can Anybody sent the v3.10 file so i can downgrade
I have both an Edge 605 and Edge 705. Lately the 605 will freeze at the start-up screen as it boots. I can shut it down normally, but nothing else. I have tried a hard reset, re-installing Ver 3.3, and re-verting back to Ver 3.1. Nothing has helped. And occasionally it will give me a screen saying it cannot acquire satellites and asks what I would like to do. I make a selection and it goes to the booting screen again and stays there. Any ideas?
Will the Edge 705 work with the New Vector to be released in March 2012? I hope they have software updates for it. I don’t need to invest in an 800 to use the new power meter….
Hi Al,I can only assume so but if you can afford $1499 for for a pair of pedals it shouldn’t be a problem. At $999 or less it has all the possibilities of becoming a mass market device. Whats needed is another rule breaker.
Regards,
Frank.
new to the garmin 705.
how do you get the heart rate to appear on the screen where time/speed/distance/ etc are.
i have gone to settings then data fields then bike computer 1 and have scrolled through the 1-8 programes but can’t see it anywhere.
my hr monitor is present. i have restarted the scan to see if that was the problem.
thanks paul
Settings/Datafields/Bikecomputer1/ Press joggle button/ select the number of fields/ joggle button. The field name to edit will be hilighted in blue. Press the joggle button and the menu display will come up. There are a lot of them and you will have to scroll down to find HRM. Likewise for Grade which is a favourite of mine.
Regards,
Frank
Frank,
How do I make this a new post rather than just a reply???
I have brought a Garmin Edge 705, but need some advice about what to do next…I have been advised to buy the GB Topo DVD. Firstly do you recommend this? And secondly, what is the best way to plan routes /courses? I think I want to plot courses but what is the best way to do this?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Oliver,
only I can generate new posts, as it’s a blog and not a forum.
GB Topo DVD is an expensive waste of time and has been superseded by the GB OS maps that WON’T work with your 705.
City Navigator is a safe bet but the OSM Cycle maps are free are routable and have contours in them depending on what version you download.
You can now plan Courses on Garmin Connect but it’s very basic compared to some of the other sites.
See the links at the side for other sites, CoursePoints will give you the warnings on junctions but you only have 100 of them.
I’m just writing a review of Garmin Connect at the moment.
Regards,
Frank.
I recently bought a Garmin Edge 800 and your article has been really helpful! Thanks.
I’ve been experimenting with various mapping options and wrote an article about it –
http://www.scarletfire.co.uk/2012/01/garmin-edge-800-why-you-shouldnt-bother-with-custom-osm-maps/
I hope it will help others make an informed decision.
Keep up the great work 🙂
Hi Alan, you’ve posted on the 705 Dummies guide not the 800 Dummies Guide. I’ll try to move it across.
Oops – I’ve reposted on the correct one, so no offence if you delete this one!
thanks Frank 🙂
hello, i purchased a new packard bell home computer last week.Ive logged onto my garmin connect,pluged in my edge 605 into the computer and it is showin ‘no devices found’ what am i doing wrong as i have quite a few rides to download from the edge 605 and it wont let me
reagrds
Simon
Hi Simon, it sounds like you need to download GarminCommunicator again.
http://www8.garmin.com/support/agree.jsp?id=3607
This is the latest version by the look of things, failing that see if your USB drivers are up to date.
Regards,
Frank.
frank, i need some help here. just cant seem to figure this 705 out. i have maps loaded on an sd card and it seems that the 705 just wont recognize the card. the maps dont show up on the 705 although the sd card is in. please help. thanks!!!
Hello, any tips/solutions greatly appreciated.
My Edge 705 cannot find satellites anymore.
Tried:
-Soft reset
-Hard reset
-FW update (had the newest any way)
-cleaning the satellite cache
-checked Garmin forum.
Thank you all very much,
Jørgen
I had problems with history I spent hours trying to find how to get older software, I eventually deleted the gupdate.gdp from the edge 705 and reloaded it from a backup I made a few days earlier when it was not saving rides in history .
I am getting a worrying message though that there is not enough disk space when installing some software even though I have hard reset the device a few times, I did have to delete a large amount of data mistakingly loaded from my work pc during a work backup
Hi Frank
I’ve got an Edge 705 and use Bikeroutetoaster to plan all of my rides and then transfer them to the Edge when I want to ride one of them. This works well when I am at home or if I take my lap top away with me.
I have just brought an iPad 3 and had hoped that I could use this especially when touring. I can access Bikeroutetoaster and create a ride but can’t save it to the iPad or transfer it to the Edge even with a USB connector.
Do you have any experience of this or has anyone else had any success with it?
Thanks
Rob
Hi Rob,
I suspect that need a Mac or Ipad version of GarminConnect. Your Ipad won’t see your Edge as a drive like the 800.
Dave took his Samsung Galaxy Pad and Garmin 800 to Majorca and had no problems transfering rides.
I’m thinking of an IPad3 myself so I’ll look into it.
Regards,
Frank.
I was hoping you may be able to help. My edge 705 has worked well for 18 months but I now have a problem. At the end of a ride, I can see the ride on the edge and it is in the history with all the basic info (speed, distance, cadence etc) but I can’t upload the file to mapmyrde/garmin connect etc. The file has no bytes yet it has the info when you look on the edge. Also it doe snot seem to save onto edge when the ride finishes like it used to – you saw it saving history when plugged into computer. This has just started to happen. Can still upload rides onto edge and use it as a compute for getting basic info off, but no longer can download all the ride info to my computer – a pain when trying to analyse training for events etc.
I hope there is a simple answer and not a terminal edge – I have tried soft and hard resetting.
Hi Guy,
I had the same problem, it turned out to be an error in a software upgrade and a directory was missing. It is in the comments somewhere but I haven’t used a 705 for about 18 months months now.
Try and delete the zero byte file if you can as if it can’t be closed it will give funny results.
There was a software upgrade that Garmin rolled back at the time to cover it.
Regards,
Frank.
Thanks Frank. I have tried deleting them with no joy. What software update do I need? Or do I need to get an older version which I read about on your site. What duo you use now?
Hi Guy and Frank
I had similar problem as Guy described and I tried what Frank suggested. It did not work either. So I am calling Garmin to see what more I can do about it. However many electronics devices are not made to last nowadays so it maybe time for a upgrade
It’s an obsolete device now, Garmin have nothing to gain by putting time and effort into something they no longer sell.
Hi Frank – I have had my 705 for a couple of years now, and we have a bit of a love/hate relationship. One thing I am sure I have done before; but cannot see how to do it, is to put in a location to find using the Grid reference.
The Find places seems to only give the option of entering an address not enterring a grid reference – Any ideas where this option is hidden?
Cheers
Pat
Hi Pat, there is a similar problem with the 800. You can move around the map and see OS map grid references but not route to them. If you still have the Compass that would be a help. Use it to navigate it to your destination. It worked in the old Edge 305 days and that was without a map.
Navigating to a POI gets us back down to car level navigation which is not what it’s about.
They can do this stuff for walkers, why not for us.
Regards,
Frank.
Thanks for the reply Frank
I will just have to do that method – I was just looking to put in my two overnight sleep stops in the Archechoise for next week, which have grid references; but very vague street directions. I hope the villages won’t be too big, after 2000m climbing each day, I will need a bed.
It’s a pain not being able to enter as a grid reference; my car Garmin Sat nav lets me.
You would have thought a device specifically designed for outside sport users like the Edge it would be a logical function – ah well, maybe the Edge 900 will have it (some hope).
Thanks again
Pat
I know I’m not the first to do this, and won’t be the last, but I forgot to turn off my garmin at the end of today’s ride. Since I drove to the start I now have a few faster bonus miles. Is there any way of deleting a portion of a ride?
Frank,
I have a Garmin 705 and have City Navigator (after your advice). I am comfortable plotting routes and saved rides, but my question is about using it in France…
…I’ve plotted some routes to use in France with MapSource. Will the maps be as detailed in France as they are in England when I use it out there? Also, a friend says on MapSource I need to right click on the route and select “Select maps around route”. He says this is so I don’t have to load up all the unecessary maps. Is this necessary? I have a massive SD card where I save my routes to rather than my Garmin if that helps.
Thanks!!
Hi ollybean,
If you’ve City Navigator Europe on DVD you need to send the area of interest using Mapsource. I’ve done something similar on a trip to Spain and it was fine.
I dont think a 705 will recognize anything above 4Gb by the way.
Frank,
On a similar point to Ollybean’s topic, is there a way of viewing which maps I have stored on my 705? I am also going cycling abroad and want to make sure I have uploaded the correct maps for my trip. I have bought City Navigator Europe on dvd and have highlighted various maps (in pink on Mapsource) and “sent to device”. Is this all I need to do to ensure I have the desired maps?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Dylan,
City Navigator Europe on DVD needs to be ported to your 705 with MapSource.
On micro SD card you just put it in the card slot.
HELP! I have owned a 705 from it’s release. I have had years of stress with this product! Glad I am not alone with lots of problems! Has anyone cracked the files/program so that it works on a pc with out garmin connect or training? In about four years ownership I have never successfully unlocked the mapping or been able to view the files/routes etc. Garmin have only recently been replying to my emails. VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!
I CANNOT RECOMMEND GARMIN PRODUCTS AT ALL!! (I have owned two garmin car satnavs also) I am reluctant to purchase a 800 as there are thousands of blogs about problems of this model. Being an engineer,I have always liked owning the latest gadgets,garmin have done alot to dispel my belief in technology advancement. someone must have cracked these locked codes!
Thanks.
Hi I have a 2 year old 705, it recently came off and fell to the road no physical damage but as my ride went on 2 strange circles appeared on the screen then gradually 3 or4 lines spread across the screen tried a hard reset but they are still there, with the backlight out they almost disappear, has the display been damaged as it doesn’t seem to be the software and can it be repaired.
Trevor
Hi Trevor,
It’s possible that the conductive rubber strips that are used on LCD screens have become dislodged. You can take the 705 apart using Torx screwdrivers suitable for mobile phones. Garmin operate an exchange/repair policy, it’s good but pricy £120 in the UK. I’d try giving Garmin a call as the 705 is now classed as an obsolete device. It may be less now.
Regards,
Frank.
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Frank,
I’ve owned a 705 for a couple of years. Suddenly it’s started intermittently to not show charts from workouts I’ve completed when I upload them on to Garmin Connect. When I click on the activity, I can see the summary data but then it hangs, doesn’t load the charts and I have to force quit safari. This only happens when I try to upload a workout (that I have programmed prior e.g.: ride for 30kms and keep HR bt/n xx bpm and xx bpm).
I’ve checked that I have the latest update.
Any ideas why this might be happening?
What’s up everyone, it’s my first visit at this website,
and post is really fruitful designed for me, keep up posting these types of articles.
Hi Frank, My Edge 705 is getting on for 5 or 6 years old i would guess and has generally been reliable. However, the Altimeter has started going wrong with increasing frequency. Now i live -186m below sea level and wherever in the UK i switch on i am still in negative territory. Haven’t tried a hard reset yet. Any other possible causes before i do?
Hi Frank. I’ve been using my Garmin 705 since they were released & I love it. Im looking to update my PC & it’d be great to get a tablet, like the iPad4, so I could upload histoy files to Strava & download ‘gpx route files say from RideWithGPS or BikeRouteToaster, while touring. I’m not sure if the iPad4 will allow that… any of your readers got any experience with an IPad / Garmin 705 combination?
Cheers for now
Suzi
Anyone know why the Garmin 705 works fine outside on my bike but as soon as I am inside on either my trainer or rollers I only get some stats, today I had cadence, HR, and power but no mileage, speed or time. I have tried it with the GPS on and off, and on two different bike and it used to work, it usually works in full for the first 1-20 seconds. very frustrated,
Frank, you’ve done a brilliant job here pulling this stuff together. However, the world (?) is still screaming for a true, start to finish, dummies guide to the Garmin 705. I mean REALLY simple, and particularly, how to plan and input a route, EXACTLY how to do this, step by step. So many aspects of this seemingly simple process are just lost on me. It seems all talk of software and uploading, downloading. A tutorial needs to be task based and put together in a logical order that explains what you need to do, what it entails, and exactly how to do it, including the software/uploading/downloading bits, not just fleeting references in an anecdotal way. A lot of older people are just not savvy or used to having to work so intuitively (guess or trial and error basically) and need step by step instructions. I’m surprised that one of the cycling magazine hasn’t written one. There’s guides for iPhones, Samsung Galaxy – loads of stuff. I had a Garmin ’60’ model, the yellow thing, and as my first go at GPS on a bike, it drove me crazy. I’ll tell you, that thing was lucky not to find itself lying 200 yards in a wood having bounced off a tree. These things are idiosyncratic. They’re not user friendly for people who are not used to software and related terminology and procedures. Hence the need for a TRUE, step by step guide how to use your Garmin 705 to plot a route and how to use that info once it is in there; no assumptions, every step identified and explained every inch of the way. Now, I’m sure what I am asking for (not of you Frank) to most people is a waste of time. Well maybe it is – to them. But for some of us, that is the only way that we are ever going to be able to use our 705s. I bought mine a couple of years ago, and more out of fear than lack of need, I have yet to try to input a route, let alone fix it to my bike. So BAD was my experience with that yellow Garmin thing I had before, seriously, it consumed me at one point. I REALLY do want to master my 705 but.. Once again Frank, thanks for pulling all this together, I’m gonna wade through it and see if I can get this thing working. The problem is, every paragraph or so, concepts that I don’t really understand are mentioned in a ‘given’ manner, and I’m into confusion zone because quite simple, I don’t understand.
Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Thank you,
However I am going through issues with your RSS.
I don’t know the reason why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anybody else having
the same RSS issues? Anyone that knows the answer can
you kindly respond? Thanx!!
What’s up, I log on to your new stuff daily. Your humoristic style is awesome, keep up the good work!
Is there anyone in the Rugeley, Staffs area who has an Edge 705, who REALLY understands how to use it and is prepared to spend an hour or so with me getting me started please? I’ve just started to read the owners manual and already I’m getting mixed messages re what it says, vs what I’m reading here. I’m finding it so confusing. Example; Owners manual says to upload routes as .gpx files, whereas here it says as .tcx files. When you’re struggling to understand the basics, it doesn’t help! Thanks.
Hi Steve
I’ve had an Edge 705 for about 3 years and like yourself struggled for ages to get to grips with it. Eventually I managed to plot routes, transfer them to the Edge and then ride them without the need for maps. It is now by far the most useful gadget that I have.
I’m in Shenstone, about 3 miles south of Lichfield, so not too far away from you if you are passing this way. Just need a “safe” way to pass on contact details if you are interested.
Rob.
Rob, many thanks and I’d like to take you up on your kind offer. Not sure how we exchange email addresses or phone numbers though?!
Steve
Hi Steve
I’ve got an old email address that I don’t use any more but can still access it. If you email me a contact number I can give you a call. It’s rob@karenandrob.co.uk.
Rob.
Hi Steve, email me a contact number at rob@karenandrob.co.uk and I’ll give you a call.
Rob
How do you share routes made on Bikeroutetoaster with others? A friend of mine has planned some routes for our forthcoming short tour in England. We live miles apart. He does not have a Garmin but he is able to use BRT to plot courses. He sent me a course via email both as an attachment and a link. When i click on either, I just get BRT open up with a map of the world – no sign of the plotted course. What’s the correct procedure? Steady please with the use of terminology, software references etc etc, I’m one the true Garmin 705 dummies and need step by step instructions I’m afraid. BTW, I am plotting my own BRT courses and using them now, so I know that much. Thanks.
Steve – I suspect that the problem is simply that your friend hasn’t made the route available (apart from private to him) in BRT so you are unable to see it when you click his link.
Lots of good info Frank, thanks,
Pretty happy with the 705 and have sussed out most issues, but is there a way to set a location as your starting point that avoids waiting 5 min for the GPS to acquire satellites?
I work in the city and don’t want to sit on the footpath every evening waiting for the thing to figure out where it is. If I just hit timer-start it often fails to acquire satellites until I’m halfway home. The tall buildings and harbour bridge cause too much interference I think.
It would be good to just set the start point and start riding (and timing). Is this what the ‘home’ location does? Does that start a new trip or can I use it as the return half of my daily commute?
cheers
Michael
I have recently discovered the rubber USB cover is lost from my Edge 705 has fallen off. Does anyone know where I buy a replacement from?
Great website, btw.
You will not be able to replace the cover. The 705 is now an obsolete device, by all means contact Garmin but I dont think you will get very far. Make sure no water enters the micro USB port as this will ruin the device.
Regards,
Frank.
As luck would bave it I found the rubber cover on the kitchen floor a few weeks after losing it (shows how much I clean up). In the meantime, I found some mini-usb rubber plugs on ebay. They weren’t perfect, but the could be used in a pinch with some tape over the top.
Personally I’m sick of this built in obsolescence after a few years. It gives manufacturers the opportunity to walk away from bad designs – and you, the consumer, actually ends up paying for it by having to ‘upgrade’ in order to getting a working solution. I’m afraid I’m one of the dying breed of old fashioned engineering based ‘British’ types who likes to buy a well designed and tested piece of kit, and if I like it, use it, service it and look after it for a long time. I don’t like to ‘have to buy’ the latest version because the manufacturer has decided to take no interest whatsoever in items from just a few years ago. Shimano are a perfect example. Try buying a part for say a superseded derailleur from one of their inappropriately named ‘service centres’ – no chance. Buy a new derailleur. No, the more we adopt apathy and acceptance of manufacturers disregard for older kit, the more they’ll milk it. Make a fuss. Tell them how you’re perfectly happy with your 705 and that you just need to cover to make it 100% again. I bet, if you push hard enough, speak to enough people, rattle enough cages, they’ll have one somewhere in the bowels of the company. Best of luck!
I couldn’t agree more Steven. The 705 is a sturdy unit that performs all the tasks I require.
I do think the operating system needs to be brought into the modern era with a major update, but otherwise Garmin should support it with spares and accessories.
Hey would you mind letting me know which web host you’re working with? I’ve loaded
your blog in 3 different internet browsers and I must say this blog loads a lot quicker then most.
Can you suggest a good internet hosting provider at a honest price?
Many thanks, I appreciate it!
Frank thank you for this compilation. Went looking for the re-format instructions (which I’d found before). My 705 has taken to Windows telling me it needs to be formatted. Think it may be just corrupt data, could be either the SD or built in memory, not sure yet but am going the reformat route. Someone posted a link to instruction given to him after a painful tech session with Garmin. The instructions were at:
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?30702-Total-factory-reset-help-please
The instructions are several postings down. Since your site seems a one-stop shop for common problems and you did cover some of the format issues, thought I’d link this up.
BTW. I’m a retired software engineer. Wrote flight sim stuff 30 years ago… back when we had to walk uphill both ways to do it, Lots of linear algebra involved in it (my flight sim was the first with shading btw, not for public release though). I’ve written a ride analyzer that been a work in progress for years. It gives you a spinnable, tiltable “six flags roller coaster” view of the track with the hills shown in a translucent color (and an ant farm profile view of the hills too). Started adding wunderground wind arrows but got side-tracked for several family projects and haven’t worked on it for a couple months. Still use it all the time as it lets me drag a mouse box around a section of the map and get analysis of that region, something like a totals line from the training center. One of these days I’ll offer it up for free probably. Over the years I’ve had to change the formats as Garmin has often changed them. Nerds may appreciate that I had to create a “zero” starting point and sometimes an ending point as Garmin’s software doesn’t create starting points and may choose not to create an endpoint (actually that’s an operator error for not saving the track between race events, but the intent is for an end point). Was also working on adding a virtual race between multiple workouts or other imports. My old guy gang does training TT’s and we wanted to see how it would go in a mass start view.
Wow, awesome weblog format! How lengthy have you ever been running a
blog for? you make running a blog look easy. The total glance of your site is fantastic, let alone the content material!
Is there such a thing as an external power supply that can be used while the 705 is in use. I’m planning a couple of day long rides, possibly following a course (which saps the battery). As protection against it going flat, I was wondering if anyone has ever plugged in an external power source while on the move. I get the feeling I’d lose the ride data up ’til the point I plug it in. Is this correct?
There are packs out there, I even made my own a few years ago, the hard part is making sure the cable remains in place while riding. There are obstruction issues when using an oversize stem.
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approximately all important infos. I would like to look more posts like this .
Hi Frank! I’m a new 705 owner. The device I bought was used. I have gone into Garmin Connect to create a course and sent it to the device. It indicates that it has been sent but when I go to the device to pull it up there is nothing there. What am I missing or need to do?
You are so awesome! I don’t suppose I have read a single thing like this before.
So good to discover someone with genuine thoughts on this subject matter.
Really.. thanks for starting this up. This site is something that is
needed on the web, someone with some originality!
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon every day.
It’s always interesting to read content from other writers and
practice something from other websites.
I don’t know whether it’s just me or if perhaps eveeybody else encountering
issues with your website. It appears like some of the text on your content are running off the screen.
Can someody ele poease comment and lett me knopw if tthis
is happening to them aas well? This may be a problem with my internet browser because I’ve had
this happen previously. Cheers
I’ve been changing themes recently to get the maximum amount of width to the page, thanks for pointing it out.
Hey there are using WordPress for your site platform? I’m new to the blog world
but I’m trying to get started and set up my own. Do you require any
html coding expertise to make your own blog? Any help
would be greatly appreciated!
None. Pages that drop down from the menu are permanent.
Hey! I realize this is somewhat off-topic but I
had to ask. Does building a well-established blog such as yours require a lot of work?
I’m completely new to blogging however I do write in
my diary every day. I’d like to start a blog so I will
be able to share my personal experience and feelings online.
Please let me know if you have aany kind off ideas or tips for new aspiring bloggers.
Thankyou!
Hi Barb, just keep posting stuff that interests you. When you get on the first page of a google search you will know you are onto something. Aldi Cycling gloves was my first. It even got picked up by Aldi for one of their adverts.
It is hard to make money from a blog so dont bother. If you can run free of adverts, do.
Good Luck,
Frank.
I absolutely love your blog and find the majority
of your post’s to be precisely what I’m lookng for. Does one offer
guest writers to write content in yoir case? I wouldn’t mind creating
a post or eelaborating on most of thhe subjects you write regarding here.
Again, awesome website!
I like it when individuals come together and share ideas. Great blog, stick with it!
G’day Frank, what a great resource and very readable too.
I’ve recently been getting blank spots on my rides. Eg. I go out for a 70 km ride, but when I get home there are a couple of long straight lines between segments of the ride and only 50 km recorded. After a couple of times I started paying more attention while riding and I notice that occasionally my cadence and heart monitors are displaying as normal, but the speed and distance stop recording. Ie. I’m riding with the group at 35 kmh but the Garmin says 00.
The 705 is a couple of years old but in fine condition, although the battery is not as strong as at first. It will go about 10 hours not the 14 or 15 it used to.
cheers
Michael.
Here’s a couple link to the Garmin Connect page with data from a couple of recent ride. Notice the ‘cliff’ at 20 km in the first one. That’s were the Garmin stopped and I didn’t notice until the bottom of the decent where I restarted the device. Strange how the cadence and heart rate keep recording.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/479877882
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/477205482
Having a problem with the garmin705edge.the problem is the garmin won’t read the gpx routes uploaded in saved rides .on the computer when the garmin is connected the garmin will show the routes are uploaded .but once I unplug the unit and go into (where to) saved rides the unit reads 0% and crashes .i then have to do a reset .to open the garmin again .any ideas on how to get my garmin up and running again .thanks,help solve this problem
Frank My garmin 705edge will not read the routes(gpx)exported to it .once I go into save rides the garmin will crash reading 0%.im then forced to reset the garmin ….on another note the garmin once pluged into my iMac and when I open the gpx folder the routes are there .any idea wats the problem .regards thanks eamon ,it had been reading them in the past
Hi Frank and others. I’m thinking about doing some longer rides with my Edge 705 (~6hrs). I’m worried about battery life. Is there a portable charging power supply that works on the go? I mean if I’m halfway through a ride and then plug a power supply in, will the 705 reset back to zero? If not, is there a power supply you’d recommend?
Hi Stephen, you should get about 12 hours out of a 705.If not you should look into buying a battery off Ebay and change it yourself.
Look at the phone or tablet chargers like Power Monkey. there are a lot out there and it is changing all the time.
I,ve done a couple of posts on charging on the move, bear in mind that it is not instantaneous and you will have to be charging as you ride.
I’ve just changed the Theme so there is no search widget at the moment.
It will not reset back to zero.
My next project is to make a charging lead from the MagicShine lights battery on the bike.
Thanks Frank. So I decided to treat myself and upgrade to an 810. I thought I’d be able to de-register the maps from my old 705 and re-register them for my new 810. I have a horrible feeling I can’t do this. Is it true that once I’ve used the maps on a Garmin device that they cannot be used any where else?
If the map was on a microSD card it should be plug and play. If you bought the CD version contact Garmin for a code as it will be locked to the device. Even the microSD card maps are locked.The free OSM maps can be just as effective but lack some of the routeing that the Garmin maps have.
Frank – maybe be it’s me misunderstanding you – but if a card is “plug and play” how can it be “locked” as you say above? surely it’s one or the other? Anyway, I bought a microSD card just plugged it in and it works fine.
It is locked to the card serial number of card so you cant copy the card for a friend.
Maps used to be very expensive, they have come down in price but still get pirated.
gotcha..
Thanks again Frank. Your advice was spot on. I bought some new maps on microSD. The old maps were indeed on DVD. They are useless to me now that I have consumed the code on the 705.
SRAM developed an extended mount for new 500/800 series but they also developed an adaptor so u can use Edge 705 with it too. The mount is called SRAM QuickView Garmin Computer Mount. Costs around 18 Euro. An adaptor for 705 is called SRAM QuickView Computer Mount Adaptor. Costs 5 Euro. I’ve been using both for few months and I’m generally happy with it.
Great blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download
it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog stand
out. Please let me know where you got your theme. Many thanks
please help i am pulling my hair out here.
i recently bought a second hand garmin 705.
i have downloaded garmin communicator plugin for firefox/ mac. my system meets the software requirements..
downloaded garmin express fine.
i cant get into garmin connect. going to the website just prompts me to either download garmin express (already done), opening garmin express with my 705 on and plugged in shows my garmin connect account but there is nothing to click on to go into it.
i can’t login via the connect page using the express login details, tried to create a new account on connect site using same login details as express and it says an account already exists in that name….
what can i do?
@James
I run a Mac – although I stick with Safari, not Firefox.
Make sure you have the most up to date app update for Garmin Express – I had some issues a while back and Garmin released an App update and cured it – I too have a 705.
In fact Garmin Express works better on my Mac than my Work PC, where I always have to go to classic Garmin Connect and manually upload activities as Express always bombs out.
Have fun.
I seldom drop responses, but i did a few searching and wound
up here Dummies Guide to the Garmin Edge 705 | Frank Kinlan’s Blog.
And I actually ddo have a couple of questions for you if you tend
not too mind. Is it simply me oor does it look as if like some of these responses appear like written by brain dwad folks?
😛 And, if you are writing on additional sites, I’d like to keep up
with everything fresh you have to post. Would you list of the complete urls of all your shared sites like your linkedin profile, Facebook page
or twitter feed?
How to set 705 to read kilometer for distance?
Does anyone have any advice on the best way to use an external battery pack to keep a Garmin 705 charged during a long ride?
Hi Richard.
I have an 800 but most of the following will apply to any garmin…..
First it depends where your garmin is mounted.
If on an out front mount you’re unlikely to have room to leave the usb cable in whilst moving, so the only option is to use a charger every time you stop for coffee.
If the garmin is stem mounted or handlebar mounted, or on the top tube, you can charge as you ride along by inserting the usb into the garmin & leaving the charger in a tri_bag or similar.
Which usb charger to use.. i find a tiny Duracell charger enough to keep the garmin going for 12 hours. For longer trips, i use a OnePlus mobile phone recharger. That gives 2 _ 3 days use.
I’ve never needed more than that so cant comment on solar cell rechargers.
You should also look at how you set up the garmin to reduce lecky use.
The screen brightness needs to be as low as poss. whilst still being visible!!!
When navigating, i also follow a “line” on the map rather than using the Follow Course facility. The latter gives turn by turn instructions, alerts etc but does drain the battery.
Thanks, I’ve since discovered that the Samsung Portable 5,200mAh Battery Pack I bought for my S7 actually does the trick, hurrah!
Hi,
I know I’m late to the party, but I bought a 705 (2nd hand), installed a recent map (for France) and I can’t get the 705 to find any street names around me (Lyon) ! I just want the device to point me to a given street name, and that’s all. Apparently this function (MENU > WHERE TO?> Places) is very buggy. So far, I only managed to import a GPX into the device (converted from Google maps) and use it. But this is so tedious. I wish I could program the destination on the fly, and the 705 did the rest. Not the case as far as I can say (I can’t believe this device is from 2008 ??? Looks so rudimentary in that respect).
Thanks for publishing this page, this is the most informative, straightforward place for beginners like me.
OK after some time using the 705, I have fixed my problems: the map I had wasn’t routable. I now have installed a map derived from OSM, designed for bikes, and the edge works great with it (and it is up to date). I can now search street names but the search function is particularly picky: if the street you’re looking for is “Rue de la république”, you must type in EXACTLY the first few letters of the street name (typing “république” for instance, won’t find any match
)
Although the interface is dated now in 2018, I find my Edge 705 pretty useful, when you understand its limits. There’s plenty of info on it on the web as well.
Fine way of explaining, and nice piece of writing to obtain facts
concerning my presentation focus, which i am going to convey in college.