Roadtrippers and Zumo XT2 anyone???

[Protonhound]

Well, my workflow right now is less complicated than the alternatives and there is no chance of any compatibility issues with simply inputting waypoints manually into Tread once I have created the route elsewhere and since I just want things to work that's what I will stick with.
Throwing Basecamp into my mix would create nothing but headaches and a whole lot of wasted time.

[bicyclenut]

I have a BMW NAV5, Garmin Zumo XT and now a Garmin Zumo XT2. I run Basecamp on a MacMini and Macbook M1/M2.

Basecamp still works and was updated within the last year, works fast and well on M1/M2 chips better than Intel. Basecamp will recognize the NA5 and XT2 no problem, I was never very successful in getting the XT to be recognized in Basecamp.

My experience with XT2 is not very long term yet, but lucky the XT2 is recognized in Basecamp as route transfer via the Drive App worked well with the XT in absence of the ability to direct connect and allowed upload of days of a trips to phone to be uploaded to Garmin easily day by day. Wireless transfer of Routes to the XT2 via the Tread App does not seem to work well, at least in my limited experience and what I read online. I can transfer Routes to the XT2 via direct or to a microSD card and seems to work fine. Basecamp says not compatible but once you dismiss that prompt it seems to be able to work like my NAV5.

I can install updated maps to all of my computers using the Map option to install to computer as long as I have my NAV5, XT2 or my Montana 700i plugged in. Again, my XT does not seem to communicate well with my Mac, it will with a Windows Surface computer I have for work and running PC Software.

Based on my limited use and experience with the Zumo XT2, I would think that putting a Route on the microSD card and inserting it into the XT2 would be a workable way to get routes from many sources into the XT2. I'm sure there could be issues with how they handle shaping points and other options. You would think that Garmin would have some function/ability that would allow one to use/share a GPX file and it would route it just as created in the case of sharing a route with a friend you would not want each GPS to create a different route based on their setup but just use the route as created, but unfortunately it doesn't seem that simple. I can create a route in Basecamp and import that same route with plenty of shaping points into REVER and the distance can be almost exactly the same as what I created in Basecamp but the time is way off. If I create that same route in REVER exactly the same, the time is very close to that calculated in Basecamp, so just like languages, it seems like some things are gained or lost in the translation from program to program even with a GPX file being a standard file type.

Garmin Express will install maps direct to the PC - but nowadays, it needs a valid device to be plugged in to the USB port

Right, but considering that the XT2 is not supported by Basecamp, is the function available for installing the map to the PC when one is connected to GE?

I don't know, and I have mo way of finding out. I just know that in one Express update, the facility was not available to install the map to the PC - so I just connected my 590 and that allowed install to the Pc.

There used to be a way of instaling to a memory card, simply by having a particular file or folder on the card - I think. I wonder if that still works. @Stu or @sussamb may recall.

[zumokaren]

For me, transferring routes via the microSD card works well between those programs and the Zumo. The app connections can be iffy at times. Maybe start simple by creating routes on the microSD card and see how that works before overcomplicating things with multiple programs. The basics usually work best in my experience.

[jfheath]

I've installed the Europe maps for my XT2 onto the PC, and -- drumroll -- the whole of North America onto the SD card.
Just plugged in the XT2 so that Express could recognise the device as having the valid licence, and it worked fine.

There's no need to use Basecamp to install the maps. (I know it doesn't answer the question, but it is the normal way of doing things).