Garmin Zumo discount
- Thread starter Madmudder
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I replaced my TomTom 550 with the XT. I'm not thrilled about the map situation. I used the 550 in the US&Canada and Europe; all maps were part of the purchase. The XT only has North America; I'll have to buy Europe separately. Grumble, grumble...
The reason I dropped the 550 is simple. The POI searches were unreliable. I lost count on how many times I searched for something and got no results from the 550. I started checking the searches using the online TomTom POI using the planner app, and the searches resolved as expected. I spent much of the last two months laboring with TomTom support over this issue. Their "fix" was to tell me to write up a suggested map fix. In some cases, the searches were for businesses in place for 20+ years. Enough.
I used a Garmin 660 on two trips in the Alps, and particularly on the second trip, it failed spectacularly. And I have video to prove it (that's my 660 in middle of the K1600GT's dashboard). [/ grin]
There's the easy way over St. Gotthard Pass (see video open), and then there's the cobbled roadway that preceded it: "La Tremola".
I built a route, in BaseCamp, to get me from my hotel to the pass, and then onto La Tremola, going up, and coming back down. The 660 ignored the turn off the main road. I finally got on La Tremola on the way down (yea!), but at almost anything vaguely resembling a road, it tried to send me down that road. Exciting "detours" include a footpath(!), and the entrance to a Swiss military base(!!!).
I gritted it out with the 660, but finally said "I've had enough of Garmin". The TomTom started out OK, but somewhere in the last few months the wheels fell off. Updates should have cleared up any problems, but they made it worse, not better. Go figure.
So now I'm back to Garmin and the XT. My experiments to date have been successful, both for finding destinations the 550 can't, and for general routing. The 550, for example, has no idea about "route shaping". On cross-country, definite waypoints have to be created to favor one route over another.
I haven't tried building a route in the current BaseCamp, and feeding it to the XT to see what happens in real time. Watch this space...
The reason I dropped the 550 is simple. The POI searches were unreliable. I lost count on how many times I searched for something and got no results from the 550. I started checking the searches using the online TomTom POI using the planner app, and the searches resolved as expected. I spent much of the last two months laboring with TomTom support over this issue. Their "fix" was to tell me to write up a suggested map fix. In some cases, the searches were for businesses in place for 20+ years. Enough.
I used a Garmin 660 on two trips in the Alps, and particularly on the second trip, it failed spectacularly. And I have video to prove it (that's my 660 in middle of the K1600GT's dashboard). [/ grin]
There's the easy way over St. Gotthard Pass (see video open), and then there's the cobbled roadway that preceded it: "La Tremola".
I built a route, in BaseCamp, to get me from my hotel to the pass, and then onto La Tremola, going up, and coming back down. The 660 ignored the turn off the main road. I finally got on La Tremola on the way down (yea!), but at almost anything vaguely resembling a road, it tried to send me down that road. Exciting "detours" include a footpath(!), and the entrance to a Swiss military base(!!!).
I gritted it out with the 660, but finally said "I've had enough of Garmin". The TomTom started out OK, but somewhere in the last few months the wheels fell off. Updates should have cleared up any problems, but they made it worse, not better. Go figure.
So now I'm back to Garmin and the XT. My experiments to date have been successful, both for finding destinations the 550 can't, and for general routing. The 550, for example, has no idea about "route shaping". On cross-country, definite waypoints have to be created to favor one route over another.
I haven't tried building a route in the current BaseCamp, and feeding it to the XT to see what happens in real time. Watch this space...
Madmudder
Tim
Google maps & Garmin
RossKean
Well-known member
I'll have to have a look at this. Would be nice if complex routing with Google Maps was as easy on a phone as it is on a computer...
I am OK with Basecamp for the most part but it takes be 10 minutes to get my head around the procedures every time I use it - probably because I don't use it often enough.
The most common complaint I have heard about Base Camp has everything to do with how a route is made. If you start at point A then go to Points C, D, E,..... N in order to create a route then you will likely find Base Camp very difficult to work with. A simpler way:
pick a start point, pick an end point, press ESC and let Base Camp make the route. Now, using the insert and move editing tools, modify your route.
pick a start point, pick an end point, press ESC and let Base Camp make the route. Now, using the insert and move editing tools, modify your route.
RossKean
Well-known member
That is usually what I do. For anyone creating a Basecamp route on their computer, zoom in to make SURE it takes you where you want to go. Garmin doesn't have much sense about routing you through places you don't want to go on a motorcycle. You also have to make very sure where you put your waypoints. I have accidently dropped a point on the wrong side of a divided highway and that was a mess to figure out once I got there.
You also need to know when to trust the GPS and when to ignore it - again, it helps to review the route in detail before you are committed. Doesn't hurt to check it on the Zumo once you transfer it, either. I have encountered my share of Garmin-induced detours that were never intended. If something doesn't "seem" right, I have learned it is often better to stop and make sure.
One time, Zumo tried to route me 500 km out of my way because I had "Avoid Tolls" in my route preferences on my 665. Looked OK on my Basecamp screen. That one was obvious but I scratched my head a bit when it wouldn't take me across the Mackinac Bridge.
So true! A friend with a Garmin Nuvi blocked toll roads. He couldn't figure out why the GPS sent him from Philadelphia to Newport, Rhode Island via Buffalo.
RossKean
Well-known member
When you are using Basecamp for routing, make SURE settings/preferences are identical to what's on your Zumo. Otherwise, your Zumo may take the start, end and waypoints used to shape the route and draw a very different route than Basecamp did. Shorter vs faster routing. Toll, dirt and highway avoidances etc. These can change how the points are interpreted by the software. Also make sure you are using the same map version on computer and GPS.
Good points, worth remembering.
RiderJoe
Well-known member
So true! In addition to Ross’ suggestions, I would also recommend reviewing your planned route once more - zoomed in very closely on your computer before saving it and transferring it to your GPS. The reason for this is that when you pace your routing points while the map is zoomed out, it is easy to assume that the points have landed in the right places, which may not be completely true. For example, I made mistakes like dropping the point on the correct road, but it landed on the wrong lane of it. This resulted in the route exiting the freeway, and going back in the wrong direction unnecessarily just to reach the point I placed. Similar “side trips” can also occur when the point ends up next to the road and not on it.
While it feels tedious to review the exact travel path while zoomed in, the time spent doing it will pale in comparison to the time wasted on your trip following and recovering from those “unplanned wrong turns”, - not to mention the aggravation that comes with them. This is true for any mapping software you use, not just Basecamp.
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A simple way-
double click your route name in the bottom left box. Tick the Center of Map box. Now as you scroll down thru your points, you will see maximum magnification of each individual point. Use the MOVE edit tool as needed.
Doing it this way you don't have to "follow" the route to find your points. The map snaps to each one as you pick it from the list.
The box that opens can be also very useful for changing via & shaping points, naming routes, changing route colors, and most importantly converting your route to a "Custom Route". Doing this prevents the XT from changing the route based on minor map or preference differences between Base Camp and the XT. I do this for ALL my routes I create.
BigOgre
Well-known member
Huh. Learn something new today again. That saves a bit of time. Thanks Russ.
RiderJoe
Well-known member
@rbentnail , Yes! What @BigOgre said! Thanks so much for the tip!
Yoose welcome! If you've been zooming in and tracing routes to find and move points this will surely make Base Camp a bit easier to use.
wfooshee
O, Woe is me!!
Wish I'd seen this a while back. Just looked at Garmin and they're 399 and 499 now, no sale prices. It's almost time to replace my StreetPilot 2820... 
BigOgre
Well-known member
RossKean
Well-known member
Yep. Although this isn't the first time Garmin has done a discount on the XT - I was expecting this a year ago when they had a special price offer.
The new one has a larger screen and apparently some software changes to make routing easier. I would love to see them roll back the software upgrades to the original XT but that doesn't fit with Garmin's policy of planned obsolescence. (I suspect there is enough memory and processor capacity to handle it).
The new one apparently has a different mount. I always thought the old mount was pretty flimsy although I have never had the unit fall off. If the new mount is compatible with the old XT (and is an improvement), I would get one. (I am planning to buy an extra mount anyway for another bike.)
SR-71
Well-known member
I'm struggling to verify whether this can be "hard wired" to the bike for power. On the site it says in the "in the box" comes the motorcycle power cable, which should work for it being wired to power when on the bike, right?
I have my Zumo hard wired to my FJR's battery and it works fine. It's just important to understand that if the bike is parked for a long period (and not on a trickle charger) the bike's battery is constantly keeping the Zumo's battery charged, so if the bike sits for a long period eventually your bike's battery will run down. Of course to eliminate this issue, during long periods of non-use (and no trickle charging) you can always disconnect the Zumo from its mount.
I have my Zumo hard wired to my FJR's battery and it works fine. It's just important to understand that if the bike is parked for a long period (and not on a trickle charger) the bike's battery is constantly keeping the Zumo's battery charged, so if the bike sits for a long period eventually your bike's battery will run down. Of course to eliminate this issue, during long periods of non-use (and no trickle charging) you can always disconnect the Zumo from its mount.
RossKean
Well-known member
Makes far more sense to connect the Zumo to a power source that is switched with the ignition. Either a fuseblock with a relay triggered by a tail light or run it from the glove box power.
BigOgre
Well-known member
Might give you an argument there Ross. Makes sense if you can't remember to monitor it's usage but there's been plenty of times I've stood next to the bike, sometimes with other riders looking on, as I figure out where I'm heading to next. Usually during a little break in the shade and the like where I wouldn't want the bike running. Battery capabilities on my 590 doesn't allow me to do that while holding it in my hands either.
As for draining the bike's battery, as SR-71 said just about the only risk I could imagine is if it's left on the bike overnight or more which IMHO is sorta silly. Just too easy to pop it off and also takes away the theft possibility when not home. Shorter stops too, just pop it in one of the bags, but at the least remember to shut it down or put it in sleep mode. It just becomes part of the routine, no different than learning to cancel your turn signals.
As for draining the bike's battery, as SR-71 said just about the only risk I could imagine is if it's left on the bike overnight or more which IMHO is sorta silly. Just too easy to pop it off and also takes away the theft possibility when not home. Shorter stops too, just pop it in one of the bags, but at the least remember to shut it down or put it in sleep mode. It just becomes part of the routine, no different than learning to cancel your turn signals.
