XT not following planned route

[moto-m]

I have recently purchased a Zumo XT. I planned a route on Basecamp and uploaded it to the XT. I carefully checked that the route showing on the XT matched the route on Basecamp, but when I rode the route it took me down a narrow poorly surfaced single track road that I felt sure that I didn't plan to ride. Afterwards, I checked the Track recorded by the XT and I discovered that it didn't match the planned route. So why would the XT change the route? I do not have any options set other than Fastest Route - and this was in no way a faster route.
Mike

[JohnnyRidesAlone]

Make sure basecamp route and XT route are both Motorcycle mode.

[moto-m]

Yes I did check - and they are both set to motorcycle and no other options are set.

[sussamb]

This can occasionally happen and could be due to a number of factors, main one is differences in the routing algorithms between BaseCamp and a device. Also can be affected by traffic if you have your device set to automatically reroute.

[moto-m]

I understand what you're saying sussamb, but I checked that the route on the XT matched the planned route on Basecamp after the XT had been un-plugged from the computer and was running on its internal battery and therefore using the XT internal maps and algorithms and it did all match. I do not have the XT linked to my phone so no traffic info. I was leading a small group who were mainly using TomTom's and they were all totally taken by surprise as their satnavs showed the route continuing straight on - which I later checked and found was the plan. But thanks sussamb for your suggestion, I cannot think of any reason why the XT would have done this. For me, the whole point of planning a route on Basecamp is that this is where I want to go - I don't want the XT to choose something else by itself as this defeats the object.

[rbentnail]

I've been through this with other Garmin devices. In the beginning of my deep woods Garmin adventures, the preview would match the Base Camp planned route but the actual calculated route displayed when GO was touched became something else. My work-around is to simply add a few more shaping points to prohibit the device from changing the route. A more experienced user asked me this question, "if you remove any one point, will your route change?" If it does then you need more points! I'm a shaping point fanatic now adding points every 5-7 miles, even more when in our extremely rural backwoods country where lots of turns are made. GPS routing is notoriously unreliable there and is not to be trusted to make good decisions on its own .

Also, when planning in Base Camp, I change all my routes to customized ones before transferring by double clicking the route name/route options tab/customize route options.

[moto-m]

That's interesting what you say rbentnail regarding the route changing on the XT when you click "GO" - that seems to me to be the only reasonable answer. But that does defy the whole point of detail planning a route on Basecamp, doesn't it. I shall certainly take your advice and add more shaping points in future - things are never as straight forward as you're lead to believe are they. Thank you for sharing your experience.

I understand that the TomTom system uses tracks to navigate rather than a route. It does seem to be more reliable at following the planned route but unfortunately, it is impossible to have Via points that announce themselves and this is something that I find very useful.

[rbentnail]

re: shaping v. via points and routes v. tracks

I preface all the following with this- I'm a simple man. No comm system, no Bluetooth pairing, and for the last 3 years I have not one single time even used the audio out from my 595. I simply want a device to use to visually follow a pre-set route of my choosing. That's it, no more. I have the audio out of the device conveniently located and I've tested it so I know it will do what I need it to do but I've never actually used it while traveling.

I tend to use shaping points rather than via points. I do not need them to announce and always silence them in Base Camp. And generally shaping points are easier to manage when skipping and rerouting on the fly. Via points will not automatically skip- if you miss one you will always be told to u-turn to go to that missed via point until you manually intercede and skip it. With shaping points, I can leave the route and rejoin it later and about 90% of the time the device just continues on to the next shaping point as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened. The other 10% of the time it asks me if I want to skip that missed point.

As for the routes v. tracks- I have no idea of the usefulness of a track. I've never made one nor have I ever tried to follow one. I doubt I would recognize one if it hit me in the head . As far as I can tell my blissful ignorance is fine for my needs. Heck, it took me 2 years to figure out what an "Active Log" is in Base Camp and what setting to tick on the device to record where I've been. As far as I can tell, that's a "track", a log of where I've been. What's the point of following that? I've already been there!

[sussamb]

Many Zumo users will have both the route and a track. A track never changes so you can see almost instantly if a route is deviating from what you planned.

[moto-m]

Thank you all
This has been very helpful

Mike