Zumo User Forums

Hi All
Just returned from a 10 day trip to the dolomites traveling through Germany and Austria
4 Riders 2 Zumos XTs two Nav Vs all with same maps loaded and same settings(where possible)
but each loaded route had a different distance & time , and why the each unit should want to go a different route (even though only slightly) to what was planed
This happened with pre trip loaded routes and routes planned on the unit itself
Thinking the XT is the worst model Garmin have "developed" and we're seriously of going back to my old 590.

I see the same thing with a group that I occasionally ride with. Someone in the group will create the route in Basecamp and then distribute the .GPX file to the rest. It is then interesting when questions like "Weren't we supposed to turn right there?" are heard over the comm. Those of us who create the routes include an excessive number of waypoints in an attempt to insure that every GPS calculates the same route but we sometimes fail.

Time and distance calculation differences between devices doesn't surprise me. Time differences are common between Basecamp and the XT even when the XT is showing the same route and using the same map. I have never paid attention to distance.

If I'm publishing a route for my group to follow I plan it in Basecamp, but run the resulting gpx file through MRA. That tends to need a few additional shaping points to get the routing right.

Peobody wrote: ↑Sat Jul 16, 2022 1:41 pm
Time and distance calculation differences between devices doesn't surprise me. Time differences are common between Basecamp and the XT even when the XT is showing the same route and using the same map. I have never paid attention to distance.

Don't forget that when the route recalculates, as well as any avoidances that are set, the XT ( and the earlier units) use the 'rider profile' which is created according to the roads that you ride and the type of roads and the speeds that you typically ride. People will have built up different info in their profiles.
I don't know how it uses the data or where it is stored, but some of the data about roads ridden in the past can be viewed in the hidden Diagnostic Page (long press the circular speedo) -> Developer Info -> My Trends Info.

Certainly riding locally I never take the busy main roads. Eventually, the XT realises this and it starts to route me on the roads that I normally take. I've reset my XT too many times to have built up a long term profile, so I don't know how that affects the choice of roads seldom ridden.

We used to tour with 3 Garmin's in Europe. One of the points that killed the annual event was arguments over which way to go. One point had to be introduced. The Leader ; leads, and ONLY gets suggestions if he/she asks.

We tried everything with the Garmin’s but could not get two identical units to do the same route!

it was kind of funny as for years the same guy lead and there were no issues, he announced that others should lead from time to time but could not let them do it! He would regularly blast passed the leader to show them how it should be done.

Same devices sometimes taking different routes isn't surprising as Garmins 'learn' your driving style and speeds on different road types. You'd need to hard reset all the devices and then ensure everything else, eg maps, avoidances etc, match if you want identical devices to take the same route, or use sufficient via or shaping points although even that isn't guaranteed.

JohnnyRidesAlone wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:25 am We used to tour with 3 Garmin's in Europe. One of the points that killed the annual event was arguments over which way to go. One point had to be introduced. The Leader ; leads, and ONLY gets suggestions if he/she asks.

We tried everything with the Garmin’s but could not get two identical units to do the same route!

it was kind of funny as for years the same guy lead and there were no issues, he announced that others should lead from time to time but could not let them do it! He would regularly blast passed the leader to show them how it should be done.

I think in future we may use this Idea

Scarecrow wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 12:18 pm

JohnnyRidesAlone wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:25 am We used to tour with 3 Garmin's in Europe. One of the points that killed the annual event was arguments over which way to go. One point had to be introduced. The Leader ; leads, and ONLY gets suggestions if he/she asks.

We tried everything with the Garmin’s but could not get two identical units to do the same route!

it was kind of funny as for years the same guy lead and there were no issues, he announced that others should lead from time to time but could not let them do it! He would regularly blast passed the leader to show them how it should be done.

I think in future we may use this Idea

Jesus! when I go for a ride with my mates and lead I get no bloody suggestions! They think I am god that knows everywhere when in reality I am winging it

Stu wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 5:04 pm

Scarecrow wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 12:18 pm

JohnnyRidesAlone wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:25 am We used to tour with 3 Garmin's in Europe. One of the points that killed the annual event was arguments over which way to go. One point had to be introduced. The Leader ; leads, and ONLY gets suggestions if he/she asks.

We tried everything with the Garmin’s but could not get two identical units to do the same route!

it was kind of funny as for years the same guy lead and there were no issues, he announced that others should lead from time to time but could not let them do it! He would regularly blast passed the leader to show them how it should be done.

I think in future we may use this Idea

Jesus! when I go for a ride with my mates and lead I get no bloody suggestions! They think I am god that knows everywhere when in reality I am winging it

Stu wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 5:04 pm Jesus! when I go for a ride with my mates and lead I get no bloody suggestions! They think I am god that knows everywhere when in reality I am winging it

I bet you also take a ribbing over any u-turns regardless whether they were your fault. One of our poor guys will never live down 4 u-turns within an hour as he tried to navigate the group across a small river that had recently flooded and washed out bridges in the area. A number of group members were involved in figuring where to go next at each closed bridge but the leader that day still gets teased about the "u-turn" ride.