Garmin Sport Watch Mapping and other features

[el manana]

Same here - Garmin 6 Pro on the way. I've got a 5 but was already jealous of the mapping capabilities of the 5S Pro Sapphire my wife has.

I have a 6 coming too. Outdoor active has stopped working on my Casio pro trek so that's my excuse. Would have gone for the X but the Casio was too big, so fancied something smaller.

Got my fenix 6. Very nice, but I'm going to miss viewranger/outdoor active OS maps.

My 6 Pro had also arrived - need to do some playing around with the mapping stuff on it when I get the chance.

mine too Talkytoatser maps is looking best option..got uk for 13 quid got it onto my macbook just need to figure out how to copy it over to watch now ..this afternoons task

If your map is a Disk Image File (all the ones that I've had for Garmin devices have been) then simply copy and paste it into the Garmin file on the watch. If it's named the same as a DIF file already in the folder (e.g. "gmapsupp") then add a 1 to the end of the name so that you don't lose the map already on the watch.
Edit: To display the map go to settings (by holding down the left middle button), activity and apps, hike (or wherever you want to view the map), hike settings, (scroll to) map, configure maps, then scroll to the map you want to display and select it. It's not as complicated as it sounds.

Looking on there web page they look a lot clearer and better info ,worth a look on there page. Shud have it sorted this afternoon

I think ! I was struggling to get my MacBook Air to see the watch,with it plugged in. Was my last issue

Ta

Did the first half of this last weekend. (The bothy to Portree.) think it was the only place in the uk not to be sun kissed. Nice hike though and beautiful views. When the fog lifted.

Did you get your Talkytoaster maps to work?

I didn't realise I could load more/better maps onto my 6Pro and so am v interested to know how you've got on.

talkytoaster maps work fine on 6Pro. This should help

 

[el manana]

If your map is a Disk Image File (all the ones that I've had for Garmin devices have been) then simply copy and paste it into the Garmin file on the watch. If it's named the same as a DIF file already in the folder (e.g. "gmapsupp") then add a 1 to the end of the name so that you don't lose the map already on the watch.
Edit: To display the map go to settings (by holding down the left middle button), activity and apps, hike (or wherever you want to view the map), hike settings, (scroll to) map, configure maps, then scroll to the map you want to display and select it. It's not as complicated as it sounds.

Did you get your Talkytoaster maps to work?

I didn't realise I could load more/better maps onto my 6Pro and so am v interested to know how you've got on.

Installation of the TalkyToaster maps is really easy following @WilliamC instructions.

The instructions on the TT website are very explicit but literally its downloading the zip file, unzipping it and dragging the img file into the Garmin folder on the watch.

Appreciate may not be as straight forward to all

 

[el manana]

A question for anyone using the mapping?

In Hike -> Settings, i access the maps and it shows which maps are on and off by the little green bar on the right (Fenix 5 plus).

So which map does it use if more than one map is switched on for Hiking?

 

[Lyrrad]

What option makes any kind of sense to have multiple maps switch on?

I believe the SkiView map overlays on the Garmin built in maps so I would imagine it would do the same on the TT maps

EDIT: Just found this

 

[WilliamC]

As a side note, for those new to the Garmin Fenix 6 series: If you're using the watch for navigation, it is useful to switch to a non-mapping data field when you're not actually looking at the map. This can save significant battery use as constantly updating the map as you move uses a lot of processing power. I have a clock face as the data field one up from the map and switch to that. The watch will continue to track you, so it just takes one press of the down button to find yourself on the map.
Edit: You can have the heading bug on the watch data field, but I turned it off as it wasn't very useful to me.

 

[Munro277]

As a side note, for those new to the Garmin Fenix 6 series: If you're using the watch for navigation, it is useful to switch to a non-mapping data field when you're not actually looking at the map. This can save significant battery use as constantly updating the map as you move uses a lot of processing power. I have a clock face as the data field one up from the map and switch to that. The watch will continue to track you, so it just takes one press of the down button to find yourself on the map.

Just found that out today

 

[Munro277]

It took me an age to get the TT map on using my old Mac but fin as log manage. Wow what a difference
@WilliamC if tracking for say 8-10 hr day hoe long had watch been lasting ? Ta

 

[JimbotheScot]

Ive got talkytoaster and also The discoverer 50k OS maps work if you have the unlocked IMG file just drag and drop, they look best at 800ft draw distance but you can't beat OS maps

 

[WilliamC]

It took me an age to get the TT map on using my old Mac but fin as log manage. Wow what a difference
@WilliamC if tracking for say 8-10 hr day hoe long had watch been lasting ? Ta

I rarely have it on all day, but in testing it out when I first got it, it was lasting more than four days of 10+ hours. (I'd charge it in the evening after 4 days).
If left constantly on the mapping page, I'd have to recharge it after two days.
Edit: This is with the 6X Pro.

 

[Munro277]

I rarely have it on all day, but in testing it out when I first got it, it was lasting more than four days of 10+ hours. (I'd charge it in the evening after 4 days).
If left constantly on the mapping page, I'd have to recharge it after two days.

Ta. Had planned on getting one ,now with Covid recovery not sure I’ll do a 2 nighter before Sweden but will report back how it does over 7/8 days there. I’ve switched of notifications any tips on what else can be done to make battery life even better ?

 

[WilliamC]

Ta. Had planned on getting one ,now with Covid recovery not sure I’ll do a 2 nighter before Sweden but will report back how it does over 7/8 days there. I’ve switched of notifications any tips on what else can be done to make battery life even better ?

I switched off everything I don't use (e.g. heart rate monitor, connection to phone) and chose a watch face that doesn't display seconds. I also shortened the time that the face stays illuminated for when you press a button in the dark.
I did try switching to a less frequent tracking mode but I found it slow to update the position on the map.

 

[WilliamC]

Some battery saving suggestions here and here.
The "resume later" tip is very useful, though you'll probably come across that when you're using it, anyway.

 

[edh]

.

 

[Lyrrad]

Ta. Had planned on getting one ,now with Covid recovery not sure I’ll do a 2 nighter before Sweden but will report back how it does over 7/8 days there. I’ve switched of notifications any tips on what else can be done to make battery life even better ?

I can't remember if Pulse Ox during sleep is on by default, but that's a real battery drain and definitely should be turned off for battery life preservation.

 

[Enzo]

I bought mine partly for sleep tracking day to day, presumably that needs pulse ox so think for hiking I'll just charge it nightly. Given what my Casio looks like after 18 months might keep the fenix for hiking and non work typically the mapping on my Casio has decided to work again, full UK OS 25k mapping on outdoor active is hard to beat, once I sort out our pc I'll try talkytoaster on the fenix. I like it so far