zumo XT First (and continuing) impressions

[Breezly]

I have road books that contain a starting point, several dozens of crossing points (some up to more than 100) and an arrival point...Classic.

Example: this road book containing 250 steps elaborated with MapSource
(http://www.wachter.fr/transpy2020/trans ... s_2020.gpx)

Question 1:
Can it be loaded onto the Zumo XT from MapSource?

Question 2:
Can it be loaded onto Zumo XT from BasecCamp?

Question 3:
When connecting the Zumo XT to a PC, can I load the road book into a folder via copy and paste and into which folder?

Question 4:
Is there a limit of 29 steps as in other Zumo's?

Thank you in advance for your answers

The XT, just like other Garmin GPSs using Tripplanner for routing, is limited to 29 VIA points in a route. But a route may contain up to 125 Shaping points between each VIA point. You will need to convert some of the points in your route to Shaping points. This is best done in Basecamp.

[mervingry]

I had the same problem as you. I have two micro SD cards with music that work on my Zumo 660, but were not recognized by the Zumo XT. I tried all sorts of things including reformatting the cards. The solution is to transfer your music directly from your computer to the micro SD card while the card is in the Zumo and the Zumo is connected to your computer via a USB cable. Create a new folder on the SD card (call it 'MP3') and move your songs into that folder. Here is the link from Garmin describing the process:
https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?f...u ... gion_music

[Tom Schmitz]

I can get the XT to import a route that has up to 243 via points. It broke it into 9 trips.

It seemed coincidental that your route had 244 via points, so I added 6 more to bring it to 250. Then I knocked off two to make it 248 and it imported it just fine, again splitting it into 9 trips.

However, it would not import the modified trip that had 250 via points.

It should be noted that, when I added the via points in the middle of your route, I destroyed the continuity of your routing. That is, I created straight sections that Basecamp could not route due to lack of a routable map. Yet the 248 imported and the 250 did not.

Without having detailed maps of the area I cannot figure out what it is doing and where and why it might be limited, as what I am seeing could be affected by the lack of proper maps to calculate against.

Sorry I couldn't provide a definitive answer for you.

[jfheath]

Mapsource doesn't make the same distinction between Via Points and Shaping Points that Basecamp and the Trip Planner app makes.

The route for Trip Planner really needs to be transferred from Basecamp, otherwise you will have issues, particularly for longer routes.

Having too many Via Points in a route will cause issues when navigating. Better to use Via Points for key places that you know you will pass through, and use shaping points for locations inbetween. Your route should load easily as one section with a few carefully chosen Via points.

Eg I put my Via Points on the road I will take AFTER a coffee stop, and use a shaping point to get me to the coffee stop. I know I will pass through the via point whether or not I stop for coffee, and the shaping points are more forgiving than Vias if you miss them out when riding.

[Ray N.]

I was following a route heading south a couple days ago with my Zumo XT when I encountered a closed road due to flooding. I u turned and stopped the route because I didn't know how to use detour or if it would work. I rode a couple miles North and east on another road and then, south again on a different road. I started the route again in trip planner and picked "closest entry point". It routed me to the next route via point which was beyond the flooding. It worked very well. With the Zumo 590/595 I had to know the name of the correct via point to start beyond the flooding.

Maybe there are other ways to continue on more easily with the Zumo 590/595, but I didn't know them. If I picked the wrong via point with the Zumo 590/595 devices, I would delete via and shaping points until I was back on route which was kind of cumbersome.

I was very pleased with Zumo XT's performance and wanted to share my thoughts about it. I also felt the XT's spoken directions were much better, but I can't remember specifics. I also would like to comment that the screen was much brighter and more readable than my former 590/595 Zumos.

[communicator]

Many thanks to

@jfheath
@Tom Schmitz
@Breezly

for their precise and detailed answers. This gives me the confidence to buy the XT as soon as it will be sold in France.

[jfheath]

After loading the 244 point route into Basecamp, I realised that it is a multi-day trip. Why not break it into a new trip for each day. Less points to have in memory at any one time. Easier to load up each morning - the start is up at the top of the route.

When doing this in Basecamp, it is easier to rename the start of each day, highlight the lot (except start and end) and convert them all to non alerting shaping points. Let it save and then duplicate the route as many times as you need - one for each day - keeping one as the entire route in case you mess things up.

Then take each duplicate in turn, delete all of the route points above the start for the day, and all of the route points after the end of the day. Rename the route eg 05 Monday to Garvarnie. and save it. Then open it up again and identify the stopping points. Make those the alerting Via Points (Although I prefer the point on the road AFTER the stopping point to be a Via Point - it gives me the option of ignoring the instruction.) Finish off by recalculating the route, so that the route is using the same map that you have in your version of Basecamp. (assuming that map is the one that you have in the Zumo).

Do the same thing for the other days.

[Tom Schmitz]

You're most welcome.

I think that you can expect, if the example you gave is your practice, that the XT will import the route no matter how many via points you have and break it into routes that it can handle.

My preference is to define a start point and endpoint and let Basecamp route it. Then I go back with the Insert tool and create shaping points to place the route where I want to go. I then insert via points every 250km for a gas stop and a via point for every hotel or campground. I then break the route into daily chunks. Then I move it to the zumo.

[communicator]

For @jfheath

In fact, that's exactly what I did. My ride is divided into 7 road books for 7 days of travel.
The example I submitted to you was to see the limits of Zumo XT. And in particular this famous 29 point limit which triggers a division of the initial road book.
Moreover, it seems to me to have understood that there is also another limit located at 250 points maximum for a single road book.
Can you confirm this?

[jfheath]

For @jfheath

In fact, that's exactly what I did. My ride is divided into 7 road books for 7 days of travel.
The example I submitted to you was to see the limits of Zumo XT. And in particular this famous 29 point limit which triggers a division of the initial road book.
Moreover, it seems to me to have understood that there is also another limit located at 250 points maximum for a single road book.
Can you confirm this?

No - I'm afraid not. But I'll give it a go on my 590/5 to see what that does, and report back. I think my XT is in Southampton, UK - at present having been delayed twice. Must be self isolating or something. 250 is an odd number for a computer. 255 or 256 is a more likely figure, but who knows.

The maximum value of 29 isn't entirely correct. The satnav says that it 'nnnnn has more than 29 Via points. Route was split into 9 trips'. But if you create a route with 31 Via points, it will accept that without splitting it. Ditto 30 points. 31 is the absolute limit for the number of Via points in a single route. As soon as it spots a route with more than 29 via points, it has to go through the process of making separate routes, each with 31 points. (31 is a nice number in a computer - it is the biggest number that can be stored as a 5 digit binary number). and each section has to duplicate two points from other sections - ie the start and the finish of a section.

Note also that on the 590/5 these are not entirely independent trips. When you reach the end of one of a series of (say) 9, it automatically continues with the next section. No need to stop and load the next. (At least, I tried it just once and that is what it did).

I'll see what I can find out about the 250 limit - but remember we are talking about Via Points, and really to have that many Via points in a single route is not good for following a route on the road - in my opinion. But that's another story.