Does the XT autodelete archived tracks?

[BigBird]

Thanks for those ideas, @lkraus .

I will rely on my ability to get to the archive periodically rather than to the unsaved tracks log too frequently. Either is a compromise. Player's choice.

There are options here and there to share things, like routes. And one of the methods is to "share" to SD card. So that is in play. Perhaps even for unsaved tracks. But not for track archives.

[Rofor]

I think a track log is also closed every time the GPS loses power and sleeps or is shut down.

This was fact on the older Zumo 59x series (don't know about the 39x) - but doesn't count any more on the Zumo XT. It splits the track a lot more - for me it looks like there will be started a new part when you stand still a certain amount of time...

[jfheath]

I think a track log is also closed every time the GPS loses power and sleeps or is shut down. Food and gas stops, stops to sight see, adjust gear, check the map because you don't trust the routing, etc. can all quickly use up the 20 track capacity, even if the distance between stops is short.

That isn't my experience. A single track log file - eg 5.gpx - can contain many separate tracks spanning a few days.

Each individual 'active log' in the file will often contain a whole days activity - including the stops when the satnav loses its power from the ignition and goes into sleep mode. When investigating logs to find out where we stopped for coffee, I often have to look for the kinks in the track on the map, or the sudden time jump in order to pin point the location - their was not a new track started, nor a new file like 4.gpx.

I have an ongoing case with broken track logs where the track log has gaps in the recording. Each break causes a new track to begin - still in the same gpx file - but recording only a short burst of activity followed by a gap of a few seconds. This behaviour is almost certainly caused by the repeated U turn behaviour - every time the XT recalculates to get you to go back.

Basecamp has a cunning tool. You can transfer the logs to Basecamp, see the individual short active logs , each stamped with date and time. Highlight all if them and get BC to connect them all together - which it does with a short straight line - and either keep the original short sections are delete them. No need to get them into order, BC uses the logged date and time to do that.

Or - the XT has a manual track recorder which you can use in the Track App. Press to start recording, and it records continuously while you are moving - until you press stop - even a few days later, surviving a soft power off. When you stop it, it asks for a file name. The result is stored in the GPX folder. This is unaffected by the broken track log caused by the repeated u return behaviour, but may not survive a hard power off. I've not played with it much, but used it when it was suggested by Garmin Tech Support that the broken track log was a loss of satellite reception. The manual recorded track was recording at the same time as the automatic track log. The auto track lig was brokem, the manual recording was not.

Someone else commented that their track log was broken if a screen shot was obtained when riding. That is an intriguing possibility which I have yet to test. Since I was taking screen shots to get evidence of the repeated U turn behaviour, I
this may be the cause of the broken track log, not the u turn. I don't think so, but its definitely possible.

I suspect that behaviour may have been changing across various software updates. I also suspect that it may be possible for Garmin to apply patches to the software eg through express, without rolling out a new software version. I have no evidence to support this - just observed changes in behaviour that I cannot explain any other way. I have never connected my XT to wifi.