Just getting familiar with the Zumo XT2 over the last week. In many ways an upgrade, in others a setback. It replaced my Zumo 595LM on my bike, and will soon replace the Zumo 595LM on my wife's bike.
Garmin_BC_XT2.png (51.78 KiB) Viewed 7805 times
I was able to connect to the unit via BaseCamp after closing the pop-up box.
The whole, you need your phone to use the unit is a little disconcerting. I'd like to be able to not have to look like the Star Ship Enterprise while I'm riding but so it goes.
I could send it a route. It lands as temp.gpx and once I import it, I can select from routes contained within. It seemed to massage the route for the map, and then it synced to the Tread App as well.
Technoguppy
Oakville, ON, Canada
Triumph Rocket 3 GT
Garmin XT2
Technoguppy
Oakville, ON, Canada
Triumph Rocket 3 GT
Garmin zumo XT2
Sena SRL-EXT
Samsung S24
You don't need Tread App to do most things BUT the Tread App is KING regardless of what you last did on the unit. Beware what you delete, move, alter, etc., on Tread App as it will permeate to the unit.
BaseCamp 4.7.5 to ZUMO XT2
After hitting OK on the "You can't do it pop-up" the device shows in the folder structure of BaseCamp.
You can copy / move routes to the XT2 Internal Storage.
NOTE: I highly recommend you check and correct your WAYPOINTS and SHAPING POINTS and recalculate based on the latest map BEFORE copying/moving to the unit.
Import the routes, assign to the Collection or create a new collection.
Load the route to see that it matches what you intend it to.
If you're so inclined, sync to the Tread App.
Done.
BaseCamp 4.7.5 to Tread App to ZUMO XT2 (not my preferred method as it is fraught with problems)
You've got a route, you've mapped it out, you're set, you recalculate it to match the updated or latest map (in my case 24.07 North America) on BaseCamp and the unit.
Export your folder either as a route or a seletion (a group of routes) to a cloud based file storage (like OneDrive, GDrive, iCloud) so you can access it from the Tread App on your phone.
On your phone, import from the aforementioned cloud location, the file or files you want to import.
The files are now local to your phone and not related to the cloud items whatsoever.
You open the route, there's like a little box with a pencil in it that gives the impression it's for editing. When you touch that, it will open your route, "calculate it", and set every single shaping point you have to a WAYPOINT! Great! (Sarcasm intended). You can go in to the route here (or later using the unit) to deselect one by one, each and every shaping point you have that you don't want to be alerted on, or see as a waypoint along your journey.
Save.
Sync.
Open on the unit. If you didn't previously, once imported you will need to one by one set unwanten waypoints to shaping points.
Save.
Sync.
Now the good news...
If you make a change on the unit, it will sync up to the app. If you make a change on the app, it will sync up to the unit. Both events require that the device and the Tread App are communicating together.
What is the app good for...
Best I can tell, it is good way to share GPX files. You can text or email them to a group or individuals and they can import them almost immediately into their units, if they have the Zumo ZT2. If not, they would need to import them per normal but it would make that easier.
If you only travelled with a phone (in lieu of lugging a laptop around with you), you could reshape on the Tread App or create a route. If you were in a hotel room, or restaurant or something. It does also handle the Smart Notifications like text, weather, and traffic. The unit uses GPS, the Tread app extends it to other “data” sources via cellular network.
Some key points, if nothing else...
Always recalculate to the latest to avoid any surprises between what you are being directed to do and what you expect it to do, especially if you are sharing routes with other riders.
It's quicker than the 595LM by a large margin. It does have some nonsense to it as well. Seems they were going for an adventure, ATV, camper/RV, motorcyclists who offroads and on-roads, cruises, and camps version. There are some "features" that I would prefer not having as it is just clutter.
You can disable the annoying "CURVE AHEAD" and "RAILROAD CROSSING AHEAD" pop-up notifications. Ideally I can see that the road is curving and I should be aware of all signage related to railroad crossings. I personally like to disable them, as they seemingly pop-up when I am trying to do somethign else or looking for other info from the screen. You may choose otherwise. Chacun son gout!
Is it worth the money to upgrade? 70/30. I work / live / relate to other humans in the high-tech world so for me, having the latest is key. I did skip the XT version as I wanted Garmin to work the kinks out before investing $900 CAD. I'm giving up the TPMS that was a nice feature of the 595LM but I think the ZUMO XT2 has better Bluetooth connectivity than the old unit. Between connections to my Samsung S22 phone, my Sena SRL-EXT, and the ZUMO XT2, they are all talking and playing nicely (for the moment).
I am happy to try stuff, give answers as best I have them. I might be right, I might be wrong. I am here to learn, to share, and to otherwise enjoy long trips on my motorcycle.
Technoguppy
Oakville, ON, Canada
Triumph Rocket 3 GT
Garmin zumo XT2
Sena SRL-EXT
Samsung S24
According to the Tread owners manual it should be as easy as exporting the route to a .gpx file and then using a file explorer to copy that file to the GPX folder on the XT2 which should be listed as an attached device. It is the same verbiage that is in the XT owners manual. Does this not work as described? https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp ... 21913.html
If this indeed works then it is hard to understand why the XT2 was designed such that BaseCamp can't access it directly.
2008 Honda GL1800 Goldwing
1995 Kawasaki ZG1000 Concours
zūmo XT linked to Cardo Packtalk Bold and iPhone SE.
bluewolverine wrote: ↑Mon May 29, 2023 1:57 am
What does Basecamp offer than is not available in the Tread app?
working with basecamp on a large screen pc or mac, versus navigating via small screen/app
That's right. Plus BC gives the best view of the streets and details. You can even set different view details from low to highest at the same zoom level (frame). Also, you can see if the road is unpaved (well, 90% of the time in my experience).
Of course if you need to make a new route in the "field" you can do in the unit itself, but XT2 makes it even easier.
bluewolverine wrote: ↑Mon May 29, 2023 1:57 am
What does Basecamp offer than is not available in the Tread app?
working with basecamp on a large screen pc or mac, versus navigating via small screen/app
That's right. Plus BC gives the best view of the streets and details. You can even set different view details from low to highest at the same zoom level (frame). Also, you can see if the road is unpaved (well, 90% of the time in my experience).
Of course if you need to make a new route in the "field" you can do in the unit itself, but XT2 makes it even easier.
Gotcha. I use Myrouteapp for building routes on my PC.
working with basecamp on a large screen pc or mac, versus navigating via small screen/app
That's right. Plus BC gives the best view of the streets and details. You can even set different view details from low to highest at the same zoom level (frame). Also, you can see if the road is unpaved (well, 90% of the time in my experience).
Of course if you need to make a new route in the "field" you can do in the unit itself, but XT2 makes it even easier.
Gotcha. I use Myrouteapp for building routes on my PC.
Basecamp is, although not easy, a powerful tool.
The menu variety alone is enormous.
But in detail, just insert shaping points, use the rubber band or click from found waypoints to put together a route and this on a 32 inch monitor is a big win for me.
If then also simply tracks can be edited, shortened or extended and then several can be merged, a mobile app does not come along.
Not to forget the super clean tree structure of your own data and the easy coloring of tracks and routes as well as the quick rename copy etc..
Until an app can do what has grown in Basecamp over the years, that will take time.
If you then still bring OSM maps into the game, at the latest then the app has finally lost.
What however Basecamp unfortunately probably does not have, is the satellite view, I miss very much.
proofresistant wrote: ↑Mon Jun 26, 2023 7:05 pm
What however Basecamp unfortunately probably does not have, is the satellite view, I miss very much.
With the XT and, I think, the XT2, Birdseye view is supported for satellite images of a specified area.
But I do not find Birdseye as useful as the old Google Earth views, as the servers are slow and the views are not nearly as detailed. Sometimes I cannot even tell if a road is dirt or asphalt, whereas Google will show the cracks and potholes. See https://www.advrider.com/f/threads/garm ... t-45411621 for an example.
