Zumo XT on sale..

[CollingsBob]

Garmin has put the Zumo XT on sale - $130.00 off. My trusty 396 is now 4-5 years old but still works perfectly, my only complaint is it’s kinda small - hard for me to read.
Are there any issues or weird behaviour with the Zumo XT that I should be concerned with?

[Oop North John]

Are there any issues or weird behaviour with the Zumo XT that I should be concerned with?

If you use it as an A to B device, or only plan routes on it then the XT then you'll enjoy it. If you plan routes with via / shaping points in Basecamp and then go off route you may well be tempted to throw it as far as you can.

The problematic behaviour has a few threads but basically it wants you to u-turn back to the point where you left the route, repeatedly, until it may decide to use a logical route after dozens of "u-turn when possible"

[Peobody]

What @Oop North John said. The XT is a great device but is has enough aggravating characteristics associated with following planned routes, or more appropriately, when you wander off of a planned route, that you'll be loving it one minute and then hating it the next. Still, it is a nice size, has a bright screen, and there are plenty of people here willing to help you get the most out of it.

[kernowing]

Are there any issues or weird behaviour with the Zumo XT that I should be concerned with?

If you use it as an A to B device, or only plan routes on it then the XT then you'll enjoy it. If you plan routes with via / shaping points in Basecamp and then go off route you may well be tempted to throw it as far as you can.

The problematic behaviour has a few threads but basically it wants you to u-turn back to the point where you left the route, repeatedly, until it may decide to use a logical route after dozens of "u-turn when possible"

Pretty much why I've resisted the urge to buy an XT @CollingsBob
My major bike tour days are pretty much over now so I'll stick to my old 660.

[JohnnyRidesAlone]

I think in the round from what i have tried and seen of TomTom and trying to use maps it is the "one eyed man in the land of the blind"

The errors and problems can be circumvented with some work.
This would be the one I would choose for multipoint fun tours and trips. Point to Point there are better options

[colirv]

I don't think I've ever had a problem when I wander off route. I simply zoom out and work out how to rejoin it.

[danham]

Pretty much why I've resisted the urge to buy an XT @CollingsBob
My major bike tour days are pretty much over now so I'll stick to my old 660.

The reasons I gave up my 660 and bought an XT are that its contacts wore out after a LOT of miles and I'd get low battery alerts while riding, and the latest map update went so wrong that I couldn't fix it to get a full update. But now that I've gotten used to the XT's "personality" (and let's admit that the 660 has its quirks, too), I find it to be a vastly superior navigator.

The best advice I got is to load tracks and display them "under" any pre-planned route. The track will never be ruined by rogue recalculations or other glitches and allows me to get back on the route without wading into the "skip" function, which should be labeled "abandon hope all ye who enter here."

-dan

[carolinarider09]

Since the XT is o sale, I am thinking about a purchase.

My question is simple. If I were to purchase a Garmin XT would I be able to use routes I have planned using another software program that produces "GPX" files on the XT without hassle?

I have several trips planned and I have the routes in the GPX format, ready to ride. I'd not like to have to "redo" them.

[danham]

Since the XT is o sale, I am thinking about a purchase.

My question is simple. If I were to purchase a Garmin XT would I be able to use routes I have planned using another software program that produces "GPX" files on the XT without hassle?

I have several trips planned and I have the routes in the GPX format, ready to ride. I'd not like to have to "redo" them.

Simple question; complex answer. It depends on two things: the program you used and the maps it uses. If I were doing this I'd import the routes one at a time into Basecamp and after making sure the XT and BC are using the exact same map version, recalculate the route on your computer and check it for errors, such as unexpected U-turns, before transferring to the XT. This should be a lot faster than re-doing them.

-dan

[carolinarider09]

I will see it Basecamp will import the files.