Reliability of the inbuilt "Route Planner" ZumoXT2

[Sean OZ]

G'Day

I haven't posted here for a while now. It's disappointing to see that the dreaded Tread App still seems to have pretty much all the same faults, it's had from the beginning. Also by now, I was hoping that Garmin would of come up with a PC or Mac friendly version for route planning, that works with the XT2 correctly. Not Happy Garmin!

A few times in the past now, I have just used the inbuilt Route Planner on the XT2 to create a new route. It has kept to the route with no apparent problems after I manually plotted in my route, one step at a time.

IE: Start "Creek Rd' then add "Stop" at "Sandy Rd" then add "Stop" at Sunrise Place" and End route at "Xanadu". (This example is a purely hypothetical route, with made up names) By plotting a route this way, even if I miss a stop point I have been able to "skip" the Stop and the XT2 then recalculates and continues to the next Stop point. Even when deviating from the original route path.

Has anyone used just the "Route PLanner" on the Zumo XT2 for planning out long rides?

I will soon be heading out on a 9 day adventure, covering about 2,000 kms (1,240 Miles) I first use Google Maps to create a wide view temporary route. I then just use the same place names etc, to map it all out directly on the XT2.

I have made 1 route, for each of the 9 days. Most daily maps have about 10 "Stop" locations along the route. I have then created a new "Collection" on the XT2 and copied each of the daily routes, into the new collection folder.

I'm hoping that it all goes well, hence my curiosity to hear from other XT2 users, that purley use the inbuilt "Route PLanner" on the XT2 and nothing else.

Thanks.

[jfheath]

The XT2 route planner has a few oddities.

It is easy to accidentally abort the planned route before it is finished.
Adding shaping points to a highlighted segment - must be added in the order in which you visit them
Adding Vias to an existing route with shaping points - will delete the shaping points.
Changing Vias to shaping points will probably relocate the point onto a faster road - and any other shaping points nearby.


I have found that this method works well.

1. Create stand alone Waypoints for the key places on your route. Save each waypoint in turn into a single collection. It helps if you number the waypoints.
2. Build your route point by point using the search button - to find the collection / waypoint that you have saved. Place the start point and then keep adding the next stop point in order.

3. Save the route every few Vias, and continue building. This is very rapid and avoids the problems associated with selecting segments and tapping the map to place a new point. Eg With small screen and big fingers this often results in unwanted results. Plus - as the temperature of the XT2 rises with no airflow and holding it in your hand, the screen response to the proximity of your finger, changes which results in lots of misplaced points.
Creating the points first and saving as Waypoints makes creating the route much less problematic.

4. If you wish to add shaping points between vias, remember that they must be placed in the correct order. Eg if you end up needing three shaping points in the order a, b, c then you must place a first, then b, then c. Normally you would place b in the middle, and then realise you need other shaping points to keep it on the road, so you then add a and c. This will look correct on the map, but the Zumo will visit them in the order b, a, c. It is difficult to spot, because all shaping points are given the same name - ‘Shaping Point’.

5. If you change a via point to a shaping point and the route changes as a result, then use the undo button. Then repeat the change from Via to Shaping. You often get a different result. Undo a second time usually results in the route and shaping points staying where the Via Point was placed, and the route is then not changed.


Unfortunately there is no way to add a track to the XT2, and you cannot use the Tread App to create a track.

However, if you build a route with a few carefully chosen via points to get you in the right direction, you can use the road choices - Michelin, moto, adventurous etc to follow the roads that you want. Routes created on the Zumo itself will never get stuck in a RUT - if you deviate, the XT2 will eventually stop asking you to go back and will calculate to the next route point.

[Oop North John]

I personally use Tread as I find it easier to work with. But 99.99% of waypoints were generated in BaseCamp, and transferred across. A quick play with the XT2 and its Trip Planner shows it is as bad as Tread in that Garmin POI's (ie ones that Garmin shows in BaseCamp) seem also to be invisible.

[jfheath]

I personally use Tread as I find it easier to work with. But 99.99% of waypoints were generated in BaseCamp, and transferred across. A quick play with the XT2 and its Trip Planner shows it is as bad as Tread in that Garmin POI's (ie ones that Garmin shows in BaseCamp) seem also to be invisible.

Not sure what you mean here John.

Do you mean POIs created and saved as GPI files ?

We identified a while back that a recent software update broke the display of POIs on the XT2 screen. I proved that they worked with v5.40 of the software, but they did not work with with v6.10 (I think those numbers are correct).

Garmin informed with evidence, and filed into the rubbish bin called 'Development Team'.

[Oop North John]

I personally use Tread as I find it easier to work with. But 99.99% of waypoints were generated in BaseCamp, and transferred across. A quick play with the XT2 and its Trip Planner shows it is as bad as Tread in that Garmin POI's (ie ones that Garmin shows in BaseCamp) seem also to be invisible.

Not sure what you mean here John.

Do you mean POIs created and saved as GPI files ?

We identified a while back that a recent software update broke the display of POIs on the XT2 screen. I proved that they worked with v5.40 of the software, but they did not work with with v6.10 (I think those numbers are correct).

Garmin informed with evidence, and filed into the rubbish bin called 'Development Team'.

I meant that I generate waypoints in Basecamp, which might already be a POI that shows in Basecamp, which then I transfer to Tread / XT2 as a gpx file.

This is due to the POIs I can easily find and see in Basecamp seem to be hidden from view in the XT2 and Tread.

Hope that makes sense?

[jfheath]

I personally use Tread as I find it easier to work with. But 99.99% of waypoints were generated in BaseCamp, and transferred across. A quick play with the XT2 and its Trip Planner shows it is as bad as Tread in that Garmin POI's (ie ones that Garmin shows in BaseCamp) seem also to be invisible.

Not sure what you mean here John.

Do you mean POIs created and saved as GPI files ?

We identified a while back that a recent software update broke the display of POIs on the XT2 screen. I proved that they worked with v5.40 of the software, but they did not work with with v6.10 (I think those numbers are correct).

Garmin informed with evidence, and filed into the rubbish bin called 'Development Team'.

I meant that I generate waypoints in Basecamp, which might already be a POI that shows in Basecamp, which then I transfer to Tread / XT2 as a gpx file.

This is due to the POIs I can easily find and see in Basecamp seem to be hidden from view in the XT2 and Tread.

Hope that makes sense?

Yes - OK - but how do you 'generate' a waypoint in Basecamp from what you already have ?
Send me a gpx file if you like, I'll work it out from that.

Waypoints will not show up if they are put into a collection that does not have its visibility set. If you do not use collections - then check that 'Unorganised' has its visibility turned on

[Oop North John]

If you search using the "where to" in the XT2 then it will find the thousands of POI's that can be seen when using Basecamp and City Nav mapping. But, when using the Route Planner in the XT2 the majority are not shown as far as I know. Campsites maybe are.

So for a selected few POIs, I make them into waypoints which the Route Planner does show. And this works for Tread

[jfheath]

Got you.

I've never tried, but I think that Garmin use the term POI in Basecamp differently from how they use it on the Zumos.

Garmin has had the alerting with pic, mp3 files, and text ever since I got my first Zumo 550. I never got the impression that the POIs in Basecamp had anything to do with the POIs in the Zumo, I've only every used them for creating waypoints - and they give you the 'flag' in the popup windows when you select the numbered options in the list or on the map, to help to implement that.

[Oop North John]

Got you.

I've never tried, but I think that Garmin use the term POI in Basecamp differently from how they use it on the Zumos.

Garmin has had the alerting with pic, mp3 files, and text ever since I got my first Zumo 550. I never got the impression that the POIs in Basecamp had anything to do with the POIs in the Zumo, I've only every used them for creating waypoints - and they give you the 'flag' in the popup windows when you select the numbered options in the list or on the map, to help to implement that.

The "Find" in Basecamp drop down has the option of "Find Points of Interest" so that's why I called them POIs.

Interestingly (for me anyway) is that with the XT2 connected to Basecamp, it then also shows third party (in my case speed cameras) in the "Find POIs" selection, live and learn