Garmin Question

[BFish]

Been using and happy with the old relic 2610. my wife and daughter have 27xx and 28xx. My questions are:

 

-can i somehow take one of the 27xx or 28xx and set it up on my mapsourse software and download to it? i don't mind paying for the latest map, but is it possible to download my routes, waypoints, etc?

 

-if i went with the latest and greatest garim (zumo, etc) i have the same question as above. don't want to lose my routes, waypoints, etc.

 

thanks in advance.

[Bill_Walker]

Yes, you can, provided you also install the map sets that they have installed on their units. Be careful to select the correct map source in MapSource. And you'll have to recalculate the routes with the new map set, and then correct any discrepancies, just like when you update the maps on your own unit.

 

Should work with the latest and greatest.

[T__]

Brian, if you go with a Zumo 550 or 660 it uses a different mapping than your older Garmin unit..

 

You can upload your old routes into Map Source with newer mapping then download that to your new Zumo BUT! It won’t be perfect..

 

There is just enough difference in the road position between your older routing & the newer mapping to get you close but in some cases the way points or via points will be off the route far enough to confuse your Zumo so it will send you to those of routing points & off your intended route..

 

I work a fair amount with older routings into my Zumo & it takes some work in MapSource to make it all work smoothly..

 

If you are willing to clean up your old routes in the new mapping on MapSource it will function OK though..

 

 

Twisty

 

[Peter Parts]

I think I'm the last guy in the universe to get a GPS (three days ago) so take this for what it is worth: for c$80, I got a new TomTom 140S, first sold in Spring 09. Well liked by Consumer Reports and has the features of the top-end units of not long ago. I don't know why I'd need waypoints since it re-thinks routes in a few seconds despite whatever shortcuts and errors I take.

 

The 140S is not much of a biker GPS because it lacks BlueTooth and some out-of-doors glove-wearing features. But with GPSs, hardly worth trying to keep an old one current.

[T__]

Peter, I think as time goes by you will find way points & shaping points very important on a motorcycle GPS.. Not so much for a car as in a car you usually just want to get to a destination any way the unit sees fit..

Most of us riding motorcycles not only want to get to a destination but we want to get there on certain roads friendly to motorcycle riding.. Without waypoints & shaping points it is very difficult to pre-build a route & stay on it using roads that are fun to ride & not necessarily the fastest or shortest way there..

 

Without the way points it will definitely get you there just maybe not on the roads of your choosing..

 

I guess it just depends on what you want/need from a GPS as far a motorcycle usage goes..

 

Twisty

 

[BFish]

thanks guys. i'm more concerned with the waypoints and a little tweaking won't be an issue. an upgrade is in order in the near future. thanks again.

[JayW]

As a related question, can I easily transfer the waypoints from my 2610 to a Zumo 550? Is it just a matter of moving the waypoint file from the old GPS to the new one? I don't really care about the routes, just the many geographic sites that I marked and have accumulated through the years on my 2610.

 

Jay

[Peter Parts]

Peter, I think as time goes by you will find way points & shaping points very important on a motorcycle GPS.snip

 

Thanks for helpful tip.

 

Part of my fun is serendipidy riding - aided by intuition. Most of my rural riding is spontaneous without maps. Sometimes for a hoot in a new place or at a strange intersection, I take whatever road goes higher, or closer to a body of water or according to which cross-road has the bigger stop-sign, or, when using a map, which wiggles more or curves (meaning mountains are there), etc.

[hopz]

The key to all this moving around is to get your stuff into a file format that will transfer.

 

If you go to your computer-based Mapsource... you can save files and waypoints in the *.gpx format. This is pretty universal and will move around easily.

 

So, the idea is use the Mapsource as the "hub" then move things there and save in .gpx. Once there you can create a library of waypoints and routes and put them where you want them.

 

It makes life easier if all the units have the same base map... datewise. Also be aware that no matter the year of the map, or the version of the gps... the unit will recalculate any route once it is imported. This usually means you need to look closely at an imported route to detect and correct problems. (note: this is the source of many of the weird u-turns that often crop up)

 

FYI. waypoints and routes can be cut and pasted like any windows file, which is handy.

 

As for the 2610 to zumo... no problem. Just use mapsource as the center piece... meaning move anything on the 2610 to mapsource, save it in gpx, then out to the zumo device, import it, check it and there you go.

[T__]

As a related question, can I easily transfer the waypoints from my 2610 to a Zumo 550? Is it just a matter of moving the waypoint file from the old GPS to the new one? I don't really care about the routes, just the many geographic sites that I marked and have accumulated through the years on my 2610.

 

Jay

 

Jay, the easy answer is yes you can probably just transfer from the old to the new.. Now how usable it will be is the question..

 

As you can see there can be some issues when just transferring from old mapping old GPS data to the newer mapping & Zumo.. I have done quite a bit if this & it can add some complexity to your new routing.. Those little side spurs can be a pain if you don’t pre-run your route (or go to the 80’ resolution in MapSource & look your new route over carefully as your GPS will try to route you to those points..

 

Same with the route being off the roads on the map (top of picture).. If off too far & you have re-calculation turned on it will re-calculate as you deviate from the route as it knows it..

 

It can ALL be fixed if the old route (or way points) are brought up in your new MapSource & gone over with a fine tooth comb.. Or just KNOW your route & pay no attention to turns & off route points it tries to route you to..

 

 

 

Twisty

[hopz]

Yes! Twisty1 hits the mark again... thanks.

 

I can add in... that many new GPS users build routes using place or town names. On my first trip with my new Zumo- back in 1996... I wanted to turn onto Hwy 491 in Gallup, NM. My route was plotted to Gallup... obviously everyone knows that Gallup has the off ramp to 491... only when I got there- in the dead of night- the "stupid" GPS wanted me to drive over to the main Post Office in Gallup... since that is the place where "Gallup" exists, not the highway.

 

Lesson learned is that when you make a route- look at it- like Twisty1 said- down to the 80 foot mark. Saves a lot of trouble.

 

the issue is not really a big deal if you know where you are going on a familiar road, but if you are in unfamiliar territory- best to check first.

[JayW]

Wow - great information, hopz and Twisty1. Thanks for the detailed and thoughtful answers. I'll give it a try.

 

Jay

[BFish]

Yes! Twisty1 hits the mark again... thanks.

 

I can add in... that many new GPS users build routes using place or town names. On my first trip with my new Zumo- back in 1996... I wanted to turn onto Hwy 491 in Gallup, NM. My route was plotted to Gallup... obviously everyone knows that Gallup has the off ramp to 491... only when I got there- in the dead of night- the "stupid" GPS wanted me to drive over to the main Post Office in Gallup... since that is the place where "Gallup" exists, not the highway.

 

Lesson learned is that when you make a route- look at it- like Twisty1 said- down to the 80 foot mark. Saves a lot of trouble.

 

the issue is not really a big deal if you know where you are going on a familiar road, but if you are in unfamiliar territory- best to check first.

 

had this issue as well, learned the hard way. now all waypoints, other than an exact location/POI are merely a dot on the route to get from point A-Z. when cruising along knowing i'm on the correct road and the next waypoint requires a jog, i just ignore it now. after recalc all is well.

 

another question i have is relating to one of the family's other units. if i connect it to my laptop and mapsource, will it just be another unit in mapsource? will it require re-registering with garmin?

[T__]

clip~another question i have is relating to one of the family's other units. if i connect it to my laptop and mapsource, will it just be another unit in mapsource? will it require re-registering with garmin?

 

Brian, you won’t have to re-register it as you already have the MapSource & Zumo (hopefully with matching mapping..

 

Seeing as the Zumo connects using USB (usually but there are other ways) the USB should automatically find both the Zumo & any internal SD card (if you have one in your Zumo) .. It should show up under My Computer as additional drive(s).. If You don’t see the Zumo in MapSource or MyComputer there is a function in the MapSource to (Find Device) &that will usually find the Zumo..

 

If you have an SD card in your Zumo you have to be VERY CAREFUL that MapSource is uploading or downloading TO the Zumo drive & not the SD card (a VERY common mistake).. In some cases you want to load TO the SD card so in those cases you must be careful you are talking to the SD card & not the Zumo..

 

You’ll learn as you go (most of us have had to)

 

 

Twisty

 

 

 

[BFish]

twisty...sorry for the confusion....no zumo, but a 2610 and 27xx, 28xx. assume they will have more compatible mapsource. they all connect with USB and i do have a card in the 2610. i want to transfer my stuff (2610) to the "newer" less worn and torn 27xx,28xx. i'll give it a try this evening or over the weekend. really, my wish is for my waypoints to be in the other units. they all fit my moto and i may need to swap out one day.

[hopz]

Brian... if data exists on your older units and those units communicate with your current version of Mapsource- you can upload those data to Mapsource and then download to a different unit at will.

 

Mapsouce is the place where all the routes and waypoints can be managed and distributed.

 

Best to remove the SD card unless it is needed to hold the routes. Put it back in after the data is moved around.