Routes (SD card or XT )

[rbentnail]

Russ,

Macs don’t play nice with Android, so you need an app to run interference. Also on Macs, if Express is running in the background, BC won’t see the XT. Mounting the card avoids both problems. I use my XT to plan long trips - I’ve got a 3000-miler coming up in June - so I do move lots of route files around. So just passing along what works for me. I‘ve got a full-time job telling me what to do, so try to refrain from doing that to others.

Retired from the newspaper biz, I used both Windows and Mac systems. Each has its pros and cons and as with so many things, it’s all about picking the best tool for the task at hand. For GPS work, not a lot of differences, so I’m sticking with what works for me.

-dan

I get it, find something that works and stick with it. Base Camp and Express conflict sometimes in Windows too, I've been saying for a long time to shut down Express & make sure it's not running in the background when using Base Camp.

[PaulaRay]

Russ,

Macs don’t play nice with Android, so you need an app to run interference. Also on Macs, if Express is running in the background, BC won’t see the XT. Mounting the card avoids both problems. I use my XT to plan long trips - I’ve got a 3000-miler coming up in June - so I do move lots of route files around. So just passing along what works for me. I‘ve got a full-time job telling me what to do, so try to refrain from doing that to others.

Retired from the newspaper biz, I used both Windows and Mac systems. Each has its pros and cons and as with so many things, it’s all about picking the best tool for the task at hand. For GPS work, not a lot of differences, so I’m sticking with what works for me.

-dan

Ray

[PaulaRay]

I always do it the SD card way. I'm not sure if the XT does it this way but here's why:

It's important to understand exactly what the device's DELETE ROUTE command does. Try this- transfer the route to internal memory. Import it. Start it, even if you put the gps in the simulation mode. Imagine the wind as you ride. Enjoy yourself, maybe stop for an imaginary burger . Done. Now delete the route. Can you import it again to re-use, review, discuss with others, etc.?

The 595 and a previous nuvi both delete the route completely if it's transferred to internal memory. If you want to see the route again you'll have to transfer it again from Base Camp.

Now try it with the SD card. Again with the 595 and nuvi, but if you transfer the route(s) to your SD card (listed as User Memory in BC), you can import and delete and re-import as many times as you'd like. Not so important if your routes are for a once-in-a-lifetime trip but it's sure is nice having 25-50 routes at my fingertips whenever I want them without having to reconnect to Base Camp. Never know when a buddy is going to call asking to ride!

I suggest you try both ways and decide which is better for you. I'm also not saying you have to do one or the other exclusively but I've found over time it's easier if I do. The picture is representative of the routes never removed from my SD card. Hard to do that with internal memory.GPS Routes.JPG

So far, I'm loving this Zumo XT! I'm currently performing some test routes with Waypoints in BC transferring them to my SD Card. Tried out the deleting process discussed which works just as you described on the XT. I know I'm going to love this method! Thanks. Ray

[PaulaRay]

Paula,

I find it a lot easier and faster to mount the SD card on my iMac and transfer or copy or drag my Basecamp routes to a GPX folder on it (inside a Garmin folder) and then pop the card back into my XT. This avoids so many issues, ranging from Android file problems to routes being overwritten in the XT's internal storage and more. It lets you import routes when you need them and is, in my opinion, far superior to dealing with a connected XT.

-dan

I did the drag & drop method which works quite well to my SD Card within BC but, one thing I don't like about using this method is the way Garmin renames the routes as Route.gpx, Route1.gpx, Route2.gpx and so on as jfheath mentioned. Using your method with the SD Card mounted to your computer, you could quickly rename the .gpx the given name you called it in BC. Example; Home to Cabin.gpx. instead of leaving it as Route1.gpx, Route2.gpx and so on. I would prefer this, especially if I have several routes (trips) that I want to transfer from BC to my SD Card. Makes finding a pre-loaded route fast and easy. Would be next to impossible guessing..... What Route number was that? I tested this which transferred just fine to Trip Planner for Importing on the XT. Awesome!! In addition, upon connecting your XT to your computer with your SD Card installed, the Android App pops up. Right now, I see that it "might be" handy for looking at your SD Card Route list without mounting it to your computer. Too bad you can't rename the .gpx routes within the Android App, it may have acted as a shortcut without actuallly mounting the SD Card seperately. As other's have mentioned, make sure you exit out if you're going to open Garmins other Apps such as, BC or GEx. All this is working just fine on my MacBook Pro M1 Max. So far.... Loving the XT!! Ray

[danham]

Ray,

Are you dragging more than one route at a time to the SD card? If yes, that's why they get re-named. Do it one at a time and they will retain the name you gave them on BC. If this feels clunky, it may be faster to export them one at a time from BC to a folder on your Mac, then drag them all to the SD card. Again, the names will survive.

-dan

[rbentnail]

Ray,

Are you dragging more than one route at a time to the SD card? If yes, that's why they get re-named. Do it one at a time and they will retain the name you gave them on BC. If this feels clunky, it may be faster to export them one at a time from BC to a folder on your Mac, then drag them all to the SD card. Again, the names will survive.

-dan

Is this renaming thing b/c you're using Mac? With 3 different Garmins, I've never seen this.

[danham]

Russ,

It's a Basecamp and XT thing and perhaps I was less than clear in my previous reply. I don't have my XT handy to double check the details, but here's what I recall: If you create a route called AtoB and transfer it from BC to an SD card, it will retain that name and look like this at the destination: AtoB.gpx. If you now create a second route in BC called BtoC, select BOTH AtoB and BtoC and export them together, it ends up as something like Selected Data.gpx. If the destination is the XT, it seems to call this route1.gpx and if you export more routes during that "session," the XT will call that route2.gpx. The XT is "smart" enough when you go to import using Trip Planner to find the individual routes by name inside route1.gpx. But if you are looking to keep things organized in your SD card, generic names like route1.gpx and Selected Data.gpx are less than helpful.

-dan

[rbentnail]

Perhaps what you are seeing is b/c your SD card is in your computer. My SD card is never removed from the XT and all I ever see is the proper route names on both the XT and in Base Camp.

[danham]

Interesting; you are probably right. The only two places I ever export to from BC are on my computer: a folder or an SD card.

-dan

[PaulaRay]

Ray,

Are you dragging more than one route at a time to the SD card? If yes, that's why they get re-named. Do it one at a time and they will retain the name you gave them on BC. If this feels clunky, it may be faster to export them one at a time from BC to a folder on your Mac, then drag them all to the SD card. Again, the names will survive.

-dan

Ahhhh..... That works. Thanks. Ray