ZUMO XT2 CONCLUSIONS

[jfheath]

The 595 is pretty robust. In all of the tests I have done with the XT, routes that are re-saved make it behave just like the 595 - even after deviating after skip has been used.

But the 595 does have the annoying habit of changing the name of the route points - just like the XT. You can get round it, but I find it annoying.

[Josan]

I bought this XT2 in June 2023, I've done more than 15.000 kms with it and that's my conclusions:

* I design routes on MRA (MyRouteApp) and load the GPX 1.1 to the XT2. The only way to do it is using cable or SD card. Using Tread destroys totally the route and all the routes you had in your XT2 device
* In my opinion, this XT2 uncomplish the objectives due to the fact that any route can be passed trough Tread so, If you only use the XT2 wired is OK for you
* The HW is good (fast, brightness, size, etc...) but they have a great problem with SW. SW version of XT2 sometimes loss functions that had in previous versions and is not possible to downgrade. Tread versions are a bullshit. The Tread IT team dows not speak the same langauge as the XT2 IT team.
* Not everything is bad, there are some things in XT2 that I love, like the scenic roads from Michelin, places from Tripadvisor, load my speed cameras DB, and other minor functions

Should I buy it again? NO For the same price, I would install a rough mobile with the navigation SW I liked

[jfheath]

I bought this XT2 in June 2023, I've done more than 15.000 kms with it and that's my conclusions:

* I design routes on MRA (MyRouteApp) and load the GPX 1.1 to the XT2. The only way to do it is using cable or SD card. Using Tread destroys totally the route and all the routes you had in your XT2.

MRA will allow you to Export gpx files, with the same choice of Gpx 1.1, 1.2 etc formats .

Once exported, you should be able to place them in the appropriate GPX folder on the Zumo ??

Does the Tread App behave like the drive app in sending messages to the XT2. With drive, you can email a gpx file to your phone. Then ask the phone to use the Drive App to open it. That cause drive to forward it to the XT.


The tread app doesn't create routes in the same way that Basecamp does. There are no route points. If you send it route points, it will calculate a route that links them together, and send it to the Zumo without the route point being part of the route.

A couple of years ago I tested out Garmin's Explore routing with Basecamp and the XT. I understand that Tread uses the same data the Explore uses. I dont know the XT2 or Tread, but I would imagine that at least some of what I have written here will go at least some way to illustrate the behaviour with tread and the XT2 ? The link points to the first of a series of pages. flick through til you find something relevant. Pics of maps in Basecamp, in Explore and on the XT.

app.php/ZXT-P55

[Josan]

I bought this XT2 in June 2023, I've done more than 15.000 kms with it and that's my conclusions:

* I design routes on MRA (MyRouteApp) and load the GPX 1.1 to the XT2. The only way to do it is using cable or SD card. Using Tread destroys totally the route and all the routes you had in your XT2.

MRA will allow you to Export gpx files, with the same choice of Gpx 1.1, 1.2 etc formats .

Once exported, you should be able to place them in the appropriate GPX folder on the Zumo ??

Does the Tread App behave like the drive app in sending messages to the XT2. With drive, you can email a gpx file to your phone. Then ask the phone to use the Drive App to open it. That cause drive to forward it to the XT.


The tread app doesn't create routes in the same way that Basecamp does. There are no route points. If you send it route points, it will calculate a route that links them together, and send it to the Zumo without the route point being part of the route.

A couple of years ago I tested out Garmin's Explore routing with Basecamp and the XT. I understand that Tread uses the same data the Explore uses. I dont know the XT2 or Tread, but I would imagine that at least some of what I have written here will go at least some way to illustrate the behaviour with tread and the XT2 ? The link points to the first of a series of pages. flick through til you find something relevant. Pics of maps in Basecamp, in Explore and on the XT.

app.php/ZXT-P55

The end of the problem is the compatibility between Tread and XT2.
I load a GPX route in Tread and shows it OK, then I switch on XT2 and sincronize both the route is sent to XT2, I load it to run it and.... then I receive several messages saying the route can not be run or incompatibility with profiles or other things.... and that occurs even with routes I already had in XT2 loaded from SD and tested.

[Malarkey]

Read the previous posts, ditch the Tread App, it's useless.

I design initial routes in Myrouteapp then export to Basecamp to fine tune and then place directly on the SD card, some others do it directly from MRA and it will keep to the routes you designed. Tread will do its own thing, it's not worth even having on your phone, ditch it and enjoy the routes you want to ride.

[jfheath]

Basecamp / Mra produce very different GPX files from the ones that are stored in the Explore database that is used by the Explore and Tread Apps.

Basecamp defines the usage mode, routing preference, saved waypoints, via points, shaping points. The Explore database doesn't have this information. GPX file format is designed so that any structures within it that are not recognised by the software that is reading it, can be ignored. From what you say, it looks as though Tread doesn't do a very good job of ignoring the features that come from Basecamp.

Explore does - but as you will have seen if you read my previous link showing how the XT received my Basecamp routes - what you get out is nothing like what you put in. It can't be - having lost its major components of shaping points and via points.

Tread and Explore were designed to be the starting point for route planning. As such Explore
still doesn't offer me anything that I want to use. I can only guess that Tread is similar. But many users like it for the way that they use it.

Try sending a track, see how that behaves. That is more consistent with the data that the Explore / Tread database contains. But I doubt that is what you want.

I don't think it is fair to describe it as rubbish when you are trying to make it do something that it was never designed to do. It is just not what you expected. If you want your XT to use Basecamp routes, create a gpx file and put it directly onto the Zumo.

You might want to break the connection with Tread, if you can. I've described how to do this for Explore. Whether the same technique works for Tread - I wouldn't know. Let us know, if you find out please.

[frenzo]

thanks everybody who contributed to this thread - I also am having trouble with the XT2 and am disappointed it doesn't work with Basecamp.

I want to follow the advice others have provided and ditch the Tread app altogether, working with routes built solely on BC. Question though - My Basecamp software won't let me plan a trip without a connected Garmin device (and the XT2 of course won't be recognized by Basecamp). Is my only option to purchase maps? Or is there any other way to use Basecamp, plan a trip, save it, and move it to XT2, even though Basecamp won't recognize it?

[jfheath]

thanks everybody who contributed to this thread - I also am having trouble with the XT2 and am disappointed it doesn't work with Basecamp.

Welcome to the forum.

That is not the conclusion that I draw from this thread. The first page of this thread comes up with a clear conclusion that you can transfer routes etc to the XT2 using the USB cable. @technoguppy posted a number of posts expressing frustration and finding a solution that worked.

With the Tread App removed, working solely from BaseCamp and porting the routes to the unit via USB, all worked great.

Shaping points were shaping points.
Waypoints were waypoints.
All was right in the cosmos.

I want to follow the advice others have provided and ditch the Tread app altogether, working with routes built solely on BC. Question though - My Basecamp software won't let me plan a trip without a connected Garmin device (and the XT2 of course won't be recognized by Basecamp). Is my only option to purchase maps? Or is there any other way to use Basecamp, plan a trip, save it, and move it to XT2, even though Basecamp won't recognize it?

Have you installed the maps onto your computer for Basecamp ? BC may be trying to get themap from the Zumo - which is slow and tedious.

I think I mentioned before - you dont use BC to transfer routes to Tread or to Explore. They are different beasts and are not intended to be used in that way. Plan you route in Tread/Explore and let it synch with the Zumo; or plan it in Basecamp. A combination of both will just lose and likely corrupt the informations.

[frenzo]

First off, thank you so much for getting back to me, and apologies in advance if I'm just too much of a newbie for everything Garmin/GPS nav related - I may very well lack context, and may need to go educate myself a bit more before seeking help here.

That said, thank you @jfheath for clarifying! Yes, sloppy language on my part. What I meant is that Basecamp doesn't recognize XT2 and requires workarounds.

My question in fact was exactly around how to implement the conclusion / recommendation in the first page of the thread (transfer routes etc to the XT2 using the USB cable)

I have not installed maps onto my computer for Basecamp - At startup, if I attempt to create a route, Basecamp (on an apple laptop, version 4.8.11) offers me two options:
1. connect a garmin device (which isn't feasible with an Xt2)
2. purchase maps online

That's the conundrum I was trying to address - From your response, it appears I need to educate myself on how to install the maps onto my computer for Basecamp.

[jfheath]

We are all newbies to the things we try to get the Zumos to do for the first time.

We start off thinking that we know how it should work, and then it shows us that we were wrong.
It's a little game that Garmin likes to play with its valued customers.

As for getting the maps onto the PC - the normal way is to use Garmin Express, not Basecamp. You will need to download it and install it. Make sure that Basecamp isn't running. And set the options in Express so that it doesn't keep running in the background.

But whether Express will work with the XT2 - I don't know. Maps will install to the PC with any recognised Zumo plugged in - if you happen to have an older one lying around.

There is also a program called Mapinstall - which can be downloaded from Garmin. I don't think that needs the zumo to be connected. I might be wrong though.

Maybe @technoguppy can add any more info about how to get the XT2 to work with Basecamp ?