Zumo XT and Basecamp - Everything That You Need to Know

[jfheath]

Issuu started making demands for payment for hosting anything more than a few pages. I had to abandon that platform, and decided to publish the pdf on here for people to download if they wanted to.

But once again - it must not be posted anywhere else.

[Edit]With a little help fromt he search facility, I have just been throught the entire site and got rid of any links that point to my extinct issuu page. I've replaced them with this link. viewtopic.php?t=521


PDF file is freely downloadable from post #1. The document must not be posted anywhere else. Point people to the above link.

[jfheath]

New section 12 just added. Not complete, but the first five pages are there .......

[Peobody]

Oops, something went wrong. Can't access section 12.

[jfheath]

My Oops - I forgot to turn them on !!
Try now.

[lkraus]

Thank you for gathering these issues and workarounds in one place!

[jfheath]

Thank you for gathering these issues and workarounds in one place!

I've been meaning to do it for a while - but I knew how long it would take. The HTML editor on this system is a little clunky and time consuming. When I did the first pages, I got into a rhythm and used word processor macros to generate the code from my pdf version - one page at a time. But I'd forgotten. I have another few more snippets to add over the next couple of weeks - hopefully. Depends if this weather lifts. I have a bike somewhere that I want to ride !

[PatrickHH]

Hello jfheath,

I am a VERY new newby here (registered today) and have just begun to learn about my new Zumo XT2. I am finding your 25 Oct 2021 18:30 article "Zumo XT and Basecamp - Everything That You Need to Know" extremely educational and useful. I've been riding bikes for over 50 years (am now on a Can-Am Spyder RTL). I've used Zumo 450, 550, 660 and am now stepping up to the XT2. I can't say that I've ever "mastered" any of them, though I learned to use what I needed in every case.

I'm so new that I'm just now preparing to insert the SD card into my XT2 and I'd like to start out "doing it right." I'd like to set up my file structure on the SD card so that I can insert files in the proper folders for best access by the "mother ship." BTW, I'll be inserting some files from my PC's HDD, and will not be exclusively inserting from basecamp (have never used BaseCamp much - it always seemed to think it knew how I liked to ride - I usually use an old copy of Garmin's MapSource to create my point-to-point routes).

The page 28 of your article, titled "28 Transfer Trip to the SD Card" shows a useful screenshot of a portion of the file structure of the memory card, and I can certainly replicate that; however, the only file type I can see I could put into that structure is GPX files. It's not clear to me where I would put waypoints (some of which are used in several different routes that I have saved).

Could you pls post (or send me) a screenshot of a more expanded memory card's file structure so that I can set mine up correctly. O tell me I'm way "off base" and don't need to create a file structure, but can just dump waypoint files into a generic folder -- that the "mother ship" will then create on the SD card the necessary folders and will rearrange whatever waypoints I've put on the SD card.

Again, I'm TOTALLY IMPRESSED by the breadth and detail of your article. It's great.

Best Regards, PatrickHH

[jfheath]

Many thanks for the comments - oh and welcome to the forums.

I've taken the liberty of adding the hyperlink the page that you refer to (Moderator privilege).

The first thing to say is that the pages that you are looking at refer to the XT. I have never set eyes or hands on an XT2, but I have read the manual and it seems as though much of the XT has transferred. But I know too well from the development of the 590, 595 and the XT (all of which I still have), that they are not the same beast.

That being said, I would be very surprised if the pages on the XT are that far wide of the mark for the XT2, and extremely surprised if the folder structure has changed. The images below may have been shrunk down by the system. Click on the image if you want to see it in its normal resolution.

Internal Storage

The Root Folder.

Internal 1.jpg (18.96 KiB) Viewed 1907 times

The image shows the main subfolder names. .System isn't always visible - you have to make it visible if you want to see it. But that is a separate thing from what you want to know at present. It is normally hidden becasue it contains the system folders which generally speaking could prevent your Zumo from working if they are messed around with.

The two folders of interest to us at the moment are Garmin and GPX. I have images with examples in the next two sections.

You might also notice a folder called MP3. That isn't there by default, you have to create it if you want mp3 files to be stored in Internal Storage. In fact, I don't - I put it there to test something out and forgot to delete it ! But if you want music files there, that is where you need to put it. On the XT it doesn't matter whether you call it MP3 or mp3 - but on some Zumos it has to be in upper case.


Root Folder / GPX

Internal 2.jpg (19.96 KiB) Viewed 1908 times

This shows the content of my GPX subfolder. It may or not be there already. If you transfer data from Basecamp, the system will put it there. If you create a route using trip planner on the Zumo, it will put the GPX folder there. Otherwise you have to create the folder yourself. It has to be galled GPX (capital letters are what I have always used, so I do not know if gpx in lowercase works.)

The 4 entries that have a red box next to them are put there by the system. The others are GPX files that I have placed in there. These are some test routes that I created to test XT behaviour. Each of them contains routes, saved waypoints/favourites and tracks.

CurrentTrackLog.gpx

...is a record of your recent riding activity - stored as tracks which record where you have been, the date, time and speed at locations that are plotted anywhere between 1 and 20 seconds apart - depending on how straight the road is. This can be really useful if you like to keep these as a record of where you have been and when. I do.

Archive

This is created automatically by the system and will appear only after you have ridden a few days with your Zumo. When the CurrentTackLog.gpx file becomes full, the Zumo will take some of the older tracks and save them as a numbered file in the Archive Folder. Starting at 1.gpx. When 1.gpx gets to be about 1MB, it will start a new file called 2.gpx and so on. Every few months I will copy all of the files in Archive to my hard drive - overwriting any that I have previously downloaded. This is because the XT keeps updating some of the archive files in an attempt to keep complete tracklogs together. That way I am sure to get the last version of the file on my system.

Internal 3.jpg (41.23 KiB) Viewed 1908 times

The third image shows the contents of my Archive folder. Typically it would keep the last 20 files, but for whatever reason it has got only the archives from 19 to 27 - ie the last 9. I don't know why that is. The m-m icon that is associated with the gpx files is to do with my computer. Typically I open GPX files with a program called Memory-Map, because I like to see my routes on a properly drawn high resolution Ordnance Survey map - the sort that is used by hikers and emergency services.


Current.gpx

This is a file that contains all of the routes, tracks and saved location / Favourites that are currently available from the Zumo screen.

temp.gpx

Is a file that is used by Basecamp to temporarily store data (routes, tracks and Waypoints/Favourites) that has been transferred from Basecamp.
This file will be overwritten by subsequent transfers. Tracks are deleted from the file once they have been imported. Once imported it must be assumed that you may not be able to import them again - if say you deleted a route from the XT.


Position.gpx

Mine does not show a Position.gpx. I do not know why. My Zumo must have reset in a recent update ?? This is a simple file that records the position of the zumo the last time that it got a signal. It assumes that when you turn on the stanave you will be in the same position and that speeds up the process of getting a fix on the satellites. If you change position by a long way (like you caught a ferry or a plane), then it may take up to 3 minutes to find out where you are. In order to find out where you are it needs a few satellites. In order to find the satellites that are overhead, it needs to know where you are ! It gradually works it out - but it takes much longer.

SD Card

The Root Folder.

This shows the contents of my current SD card. The two folders that are of interest are Garmin and MP3, and I have screenshots below of each of these.

SD Card 1.jpg (9.82 KiB) Viewed 1908 times

Memory Card / Garmin /GPX

SD Card 2.jpg (30.38 KiB) Viewed 1908 times

The Zumo does not create a GPX folder - unless you transfer files from Basecamp. If you want to place your own GPX files onto the SD card, then they need to be in a GPX folder. (which may or may not be true on the XT2 - but it is a convention worth sticking with - especially since I don't know anything about the XT2).

In that folder you can place any gpx file that contains Waypoints (ie Saved Locations), tracks and routes. Any GPX file can contain any number of these, and they can be quite large in size. Name them as you like - the Zumo does not use the name of the file, so name them so that you recognise what they contain when you want to delete them.

The Zumo will not alter the contents of any gpx file that is saved on the SD card. (it does when the gpx file is placed in internal storeage.). So the SD card is a good place to put your gpx files. You can import the routes, tracks and Waypoints / Favourites into the Zumo. From the Zumo screen you can use the routes, tracks and waypoints. You can delete any route and it will still be there on the SD card for you to import again if you need to. The same applies to tracks and Waypoints.

It doesn't matter whether you have your routes all in one gpx file or whether you decide to store one route per file. The same applies to tracks. And to waypoints. And you could use one gpx file to store everything or (say) put your routes tracks and waypoint for one day all in one gpx file, and those for another day in a separate gpx file. it is up to you.

When I refer to 'waypoints', I am referring to the saved locations that will appear in 'favourites' on the Zumo. Any other type of point that is plotted as part of a route eg Via and Shaping points n- they will be part of the route and cannot be separated from it.


Memory Card / Garmin / MP3

SD Card 3.jpg (39.85 KiB) Viewed 1908 times

Any MP3 file can be placed in this folder and in any subfolder folder that you care to create within that folder.
So I have arranged folders by Artist name / Album Name and in the album name folder are the tracks from the album.

The name of the album, artist, tracks have no relevance to the MP3 player in the Zumo. The zumo finds any mp3 file in any folder in any subfolder and lumps them altogether. It knows the album name, artist name , track name, track number from the tags that are recorded with the MP3 file. Programs like Windows Media Player will display and let you edit this information. I organise mine into folders like this to make it easier for me to find and delete individual mp3 files.


Phew. Can I go and lie down now please ? !

[PatrickHH]

JFHeath,
Thank you so very much for the detailed response to my SD card question. I appreciate the information.
Regards, PatrickHH

[wildonthepath]

jfheath! Hello! I am new to the Zumo User Forums. I've Been using the XT for years now an love the information you provide. I would sure enjoy your pdf information. I know a lot of folks who are using the Zumo XT who would benefit from your information. I'm impressed! I have just joined and can't private message yet but will PM you my information for approval as soon ASAP!

John Fairrington
Wild on the Path.