help with Garmin Zumo XT

[Marinus van Deudekom]

@Mike-wiruth Hi Mike
With an XT a lot of things can go wrong of the route itself isn't maar correct. The XT tends to mess up your route.
What I do is export the route using the drive app.
If the route is still not the one you designed it must be how it was created.
Share your route here and make sure it's set to public and we'll have a peak at it to help you out
Have fun

[Mzokk]

1. First thing with the XT is to start the route about half a mile way from where you are. The unit will navigate you to the first point. This stops the unit getting confused and taking you straight to the end.

2. On an out and back route like you have shown put at least one via point (Hand) at the furthest point in the out route so that if you have to skip a waypoint (shaping point in Garmin speak) it won't recalculate and take you back to the end.

3. I use an XT and like it but there are lots of oddities with it compared to older Garmin units. I've got used to it but it drove me mad for the first 6 months I had it and I have a BMW nav IV and two 3XX garmin units as well. Its worth reading jfheath's excellent guide on the Garmin Zumo Forums.

4. I've found the combination of the XT MRA for planning and the Garmin Drive app great for creating bespoke on the fly routes while I'm on tour.

[Mike wiruth]

@Mzokk Great information, can you post the link for the Garmin forum that you use? I got the XT because my other garmin kept changing my custom route if I took a wrong turn or stopped for gas. Very frustrating. I'm excited about making custom routes in MRA. I just have to get it all figured out on the best method to import it to my XT. Right now I just plug in my xt and drop the file into the gpx folder. Garmin explore doesn't seem to work with the xp. It says that the xt in not a supported device. I have some confusion on what file type to download is as. 1.1 gpx route, track, poi????? And when I open it on the XT if I need to open it in the trip planner or track or what. Can you help with that explaining the method you use? Thanks very much for taking the time to reply and thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

[Marinus van Deudekom]

@Mike-wiruth dont install Garmin explore because that will have a conflict with your XT
Install Garmin Drive. Then you can export the routes from MRA directly without any cables. I find the 1.2 export the best because then you have the route including the viapoints AND the track according to the route as you made it in MRA.
If you already installed Garmin explore set the XT to factory reset and start over again and don't install explore

[Mzokk]

@Mike-wiruth

This is the Forum that I use for Zumo related information.

https://www.zumouserforums.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=48

Also what Marinus says don't use explore its terrible software. Using Garmin drive to move MRA routes and tracks to your XT from your phone works well.

[Mike wiruth]

@Marinus-van-Deudekom I deleted Garmin Explore from my phone. I then went to my navigator and am in the process of wirelessly sending the file to my xp via Garmin Drive. It takes forever. This is a simple route that I created to test it. Seems to be hung up.

[Mike wiruth]

@Marinus-van-Deudekom VICTORY!!!
I got it to work. I'm not sure how do delete Garmin explore from the xt. I deleted it from my phone though. I reset the xt but not sure if it was a factory reset or not. But, I got the route to go over to the xt and when it worked as it should it was fast. It imported tracks and a route. I assume that I would use the route in trip planner to navigate for turn by turn directions? Thanks again for your help.

[Mike wiruth]

I seem to have it working. Thanks everyone for your help. Now I just need to learn how to use the software on the computer to design custom routes. To learn the purpose of waypoints and shaping points.

[paul69]

@Mike-wiruth said in help with Garmin Zumo XT:

I'm not sure how do delete Garmin explore from the xt.

hi,

i seem to rmemeber when i used an XT the explore did create problems, but you now know this.
it has been quite a while since i owned an XT, but off memory, you have to reset the drive app and when you get to the explore part it ask do you want install explore, i think there was was a box for "maybe later", click on this box.
i did write an explanation of how to do this but can't remember if it was on here or the zumo forum, which has a link above, i will have look and post the thread

[paul69]

hi @Mike-wiruth

just found this which was written by the font of knowledge on the zumo forum explaining how to get rid of explore.

https://www.zumouserforums.co.uk/app.php/ZXT-P56

this is also has an effect on viewing the routes/tracks in the XT menus, but thankfully i do not have to put up with the nuances of the XT any longer thanks to MRA

[Dave J 0]

@paul69 have had similar problems to you with an XT2 and the awful Tread App changing routes and points as a result of the app and device sync. Garmin have really not done a good job with the software for a very good device.

XT2 is a backup now with me relying on MRA on a CarPlay display. Working a treat and the new changes are brilliant.

[paul69]

@Dave-J-0 said in help with Garmin Zumo XT:

XT2 is a backup now with me relying on MRA on a CarPlay display. Working a treat and the new changes are brilliant.

i took this route too a couple of years ago, but the XT has long gone now.
I believe that MRA is a really good piece of software and once oyu get used to using it ther are very little if any issues.
recently did a 2000m tour of Scottish Highland and Lake district, without a hitch, all pre planned routes worked as they should, i also had to use the in app route planner due to road closure and this also worked superbly, and this was only in beta stage at that point.

[Mzokk]

@Mike-wiruth The transfer from Garmin Drive to the XT should be almost instant.

[Mzokk]

@Mike-wiruth the method I use to transfer routes and navigate using the XT are as follows.

I usually plot my routes on the computer screen (unless I'm on tour) as its easier to work with a 27" screen that a phone. I transfer my routes from the phone to the XT via the App.

This is not an ideal route but will illustrate some issues that can arise with the XT

I download using GPX1.1 because this shows how you shaped the route using MRA and allows you to fix a route that does not go where you want on the XT. I also download the track of the route which will be as planned in MRA.

Route Received

Track Received

Open Trip planner route will be in list.

Track is in list.

Open Route (Address near my house removed)

Open Track Default is blue but I change the colour to yellow.

Open the route and Track and make the track visible on the XT

You can see that I wanted to go along the coast but the XT's routing logic is taking me back to a town and then back to the intended route as designed. This can be fixed by putting in an extra shaping point in the XT.

Or by ensuring there are enough waypoints in the route you designed in MRA.
I created a bespoke map theme for my XT that makes the Track line thicker and this can be seen below the route line even when navigating. It gives a heads up if the XT is going away from your intended route. I keep recalculate on the unit as "Prompted" and only use recalculate if I can't navigate back to my intended route using the screen.

[paul69]

@Mzokk said in help with Garmin Zumo XT:

Track is in list.

please correct me if i am wrong, as i have not had an XT for some time now
but off memory, you would not be able to see the track in the tracks menu if explore was running, hence why i posted the link to thread explaining how to remove explore.

but I am only guessing from memeory as I do not have an XT, so maybe my input is pointless

[paul69]

hi,
the above wording does not make my query clear

If explore is running and you send track and routes as either 1.2 or 1.1 to the XT using drive app, am i correct in thinking the tracks cannot be seen in the tracks menu.

yes that makes more sense

[Reinhard-32]

@Mzokk I do so in the same manner and it works fine.

[paul69]

@Mzokk said in help with Garmin Zumo XT:

I created a bespoke map theme for my XT that makes the Track line thicker and this can be seen below the route line

i did this too, it was brilliant way to see if the route had gone off somewhere else, instantly noticeable

[Mzokk]

@paul69 I don't use explore so the XT reverts to the old Garmin method of displaying a track by ticking it in the menu. The Drive app works fine without explore being installed on your phone or linked to your XT unit.

You obviously have to manually untick the track when you have finished using it.

[Mzokk]

@paul69 I am thinking of going down the route of using MRA for navigation as well as route planning. Sometimes the testing gets a bit ridiculous.