Garmin XT or XT2?

Don Stauffer

I've been very pleased MRA Gold user for a few years, planning many routes and downloading the gpx 1.1 file to my Garmin XT. I may have an opportunity to buy an XT2, and I wanted to make sure that the experience will be the same as I have come to expect with my original XT.

I generally use the Explore app to download my route and track to the Garmin. If I am working on a desktop, I sometimes use a hard wired USB cable and the MRA Connector, but that is the exception. From what I have read, I would need the 'Tread' app to perform this function with the XT2.

I've found a few threads on this and other forums, but I'd appreciate any direct feedback users can provide regarding MRA routing and navigation with the XT2.

Thanks!

Mzokk

@Don-Stauffer This would be a better place to start.

https://www.zumouserforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3007.

I use an XT but don't use Explore as a repository for my routes tracks and waypoints I use Basecamp and MRA and use Garmin drive to send routes and tracks from my phone. With the XT2 you use both explore (as a repository for your routes tracks and waypoints) and tread to plan routes. I think Garmin explore is awful because it may or may not sync with the XT and its route planning isn't great because you cant see what the XT is going to do with the route until you start it in the XT plus its clunky that's why I use MRA and Garmin Drive and have removed explore from my XT unit and effectively use MRA as my explore. I've used Garmin unit for 20 Years, using the XT I now do four things that I wouldn't have necessarily done with the old units

I put a shaping point on every road I want to be on and use more shaping points than I previously would have if planning routes in basecamp or increasingly MRA routeplanner..Because of the "Faster Time" now = faster roads thing
Always make a track and display the track and the route on the device so that I can spot any deviation(s). When you remove the connection to explore you just turn individual tracks on and off like in the old Garmin units
Have recalculation on prompted rather than automatic and use it sparingly
Any route I'm using gets saved as an "Active Route" to avoid any issues with repeated u-turns if I have used recalculation at some point in the route.

Hans van de Ven MR.MRA

@Don-Stauffer

We use an XT and XT2 in combination with MRA, we don’t use Garmin drive and the Tread app.
Routes via the connector to the XT and XT2
No problems at all

Don Stauffer

@Hans-van-de-Ven-MR-MRA Thanks much for that info. Just one clarification, I use the 'Drive' app as a wireless connector to the XT, not 'Explore' as I stated in the original post.

Don Stauffer

@Mzokk Thanks for the link, I'll visit that foum as well for more discussion of the two units. I think I found it once when I was considering the original Zumo XT.

I appreciate your suggestions for use, I'm starting to make use of the track in cases when the Zumo routing gets in the way of my original route. I learned early on to set recalculations to 'prompt'.

Can you clarify point #4 regarding saving a route as an "Active Route"?

Many thanks!

Mzokk

@Don-Stauffer With regards to Saving an "Active" route. The Garmin Zumo XT saves routes in two places. "Saved Trips" that are designed on the XT unit and saved and "Imported Trips" which is anything that you send to the unit from Basecamp, MRA Routeplanner or Garmin Drive. The issue is that if you follow an "Imported Trip" there is a bug in the Garmin XT software which can result in repeated requests for U turns to go back through a missed shaping point even though you are back on the magenta line route. The bug has been well documented by JFheath on the Zumo forums and Garmin know about it, but haven't done anything. . This bug happens with "Imported Trips" but not "Saved Trips", but you can convert an imported trip to a saved trip by.

1.Opening the "Imported Trip"
2. Press Go
3. Select the Start waypoint (which I usually put about a mile away in the direction of travel to ensure the GPS passes through it)
4.Hit start and start the Trip.
5. Go back to the unit home screen without stopping the route. (Trip)
6. Select apps trip planner.
7. When you open trip planner at the top of the screen will be "My Active Route"
8.Click on it and hit Save.
9. The default name will be "Trip followed by todays date" you can change this. I usually give it its original name followed by an S for saved and hit "DONE". To save the route.
10. The trip then appears in your "Saved Trips" you can stop the imported route.
11. When you are actually going to navigate you use the "Saved Trip" version of the route and I tend to chose the planned start waypoint as the start as it will now be the second waypoint. The route won't exhibit RUT behaviour if you miss a shaping point or get diverted.

You can go this process when you are sitting at home, or in your accommodation when you are on tour. It sounds like a lot of steps but takes less than a minute when you get used to it.

I'm very careful with my routes as I tend to be the navigator for a group of riders I've ridden with for over 40 years. I've used Garmin GPS devices for 20 years and the XT was the first unit that had me doing a bit of head scratching, due to "Faster Time" now meaning faster roads and the RUT issue. While navigation devices can be a pain, I used to navigate using a map in a map pocket in a tank bag and road numbers, distances and turn directions written on a strip of paper at the side of the map. This worked well until you missed a turn and had to stop to figure out how to get back on track.

Things are so much easier now!!

Hans van de Ven MR.MRA

@Don-Stauffer

That is OK, because in the Garmin Drive App you can skipp the Explorer connection. That is not possible in de Tread App.

Don Stauffer

@Mzokk Many thanks for that! Your instructions are very clear, I'll use that workaround. I believe that I encountered that very bug a few weeks back (before it started snowing). We had to detour due to road construction, and the Garmin would not let go of the shaping point. I resorted to using a track that day.

I've been traveling via motorcycle for many years as well, and my paper method was identical to yours. I still carry a full set of maps for my planned travel area. I started carrying my auto GPS in the tank bag to navigate that 'last mile' to the exact location of hotels, etc. I failed to become proficient with Base Camp, in spite of some effort and time spent on tutorials. Finding MRA was a game-changer.

MRA + the Zumo gives me the confidence plan more challenging routes, and while traveling I can pay more attention to the road and traffic conditions. As I get older, it's more of a challenge to multi-task.

Happy travels, may all of your routes be beautiful!

Don Stauffer

@Hans-van-de-Ven-MR-MRA Thanks for pointing that out. For me, the requirement of Explorer + Tread is one reason not to migrate to the XT2.

Mzokk

@Don-Stauffer said in Garmin XT or XT2?:

Happy travels, may all of your routes be beautiful!

And you. My Current workflow for touring is paper map MRA Route planner on the phone and make up routes on the fly over a coffee.