Memory card use - am I just being stupid?

I've had my Zumo since Christmas and the things that work, work well.

But I'm really confused about route management and memory card use - I've scanned forums but can't believe that since a great piece of technology has such a ridiculous method of operating so I've reached the conclusion that it's just me being stupid.

Heres the thing:-

I create my routes in Mapsource (and yes, maps are the same version, yada, yada - that's not the problem) and I can happily "sent to" either the Zumo directly OR the memorycard. That is of course until I reached my 20 route limit on the unit so now I ALWAYS just send to the memory card.

I got a really big memory card so that I can store lots of routes on it - I figure that I'll just store them up in a LIBRARY and pluck out what I want, when I want - that would be logical huh?

BUT - while it seems I can send as many routes as I want to the memory card, in order to use them on the unit I have to "import user data" that is found. Now I don't have to do this straight away as when it detects new user data on start up I just answer "no" and I can pull in the new route at my leisure at a later time.

BUT - here is the extremely annoyng part where I must be doing something wrong:- lets say I already have 20 routes on the Zumo (as I have right now) and lets say that I have another 10 routes on the memory card and I want to use one of them today. The only option that I have is to DELETE one of my existing 20 routes on the unit so that I can IMPORT one of the 10 from the memory card.

Why can't I SWAP the route I don't want to use (today) from the unit back onto the memory card and then IMPORT the new route?

What's even worse is that:-
a) The route that I have to choose to DELETE is now gone from the unit and I have to UPLOAD it back to the memory card using the computer again when I want to use it in the future again and even more frustrating is that the IMPORT function doesn't leave a copy of the route I have just IMPORTED on the memory card, it goes and DELETES this at the same time.

Which means that despite having a big memory card, I can't seem to find a way to keep a LIBRARY of routes on the card, that I can IMPORT into the unit when I want to use them (as opposed to using them off the card - what was wrong with that idea in the forst place Garmin????) and I have to constantly re-upload the same darn routes all the time as I'm constantly deleting routes and swapping routes out.

Is the software logic just that p*ss poor or am I just that stoopid?

The only option that I haven't tried as yet is simply using a "drag and drop" approach of the "gdb" file from the PC to the memory card and NOT using Mapsource at all - I'll try this approach later today and see what that ends up with ............. but in the meantime,

any answers greatly appreciated.

Couldnt you just store routes on memory cards and have none saved on the unit?, i know it defeats the object of the in built memory!!!!!!!!!

I haven't use routes that much yet, but found out that if you select a route and then press share. It actually copies the route to the memory card. So then tou do not have to delete it from the unit. It is just a hard way to write " copy to card"..

Hope this helps.

Martin

Maxxx said:

Heres the thing:-
...
The only option that I haven't tried as yet is simply using a "drag and drop" approach of the "gdb" file from the PC to the memory card and NOT using Mapsource at all - I'll try this approach later today and see what that ends up with ............. but in the meantime,

Click to expand...

Hello Maxxx,

I use the ZUMO 550, but I have heard about the route limit on the 660.

What I'd recommend is not using the device memory at all for routes, just use the memory card. That guarantees that you have got all your precious routes available whenever you need them .

One more piece of advice: save your route in the gpx format and copy them to your memory card using the Windows Explorer. But make sure that you save the routes in the Garmin/GPX folder.

Good luck

Bearloe

Zumo 550, routes stored in a folder on the memory card.

When I import one to use it still leaves the orgional on the memory card.

Looks like 660 not the same.

Kenny Rodkiss said:

Zumo 550, routes stored in a folder on the memory card.

When I import one to use it still leaves the orgional on the memory card.

Looks like 660 not the same.

Click to expand...

Hi Kenny Rodkiss,

please tell us in what way the 660 is different.

Bearloe

UPDATE - figured some stuff out .......

OK - first off, thanks for all the suggestions from you guys above - it gave me some ideas to play with and this is what I have found out today:-

1) If I "save as" and save the route as a gpx file on my PC and then copy the gpx file to the memory card in the "garmin / gpx" folder using windows then the Zumo will import the route but more importantly it will LEAVE A COPY of the route in the folder so that I can use it again at a later date - as per the 550.

2) If I use Mapsource as I always have done and transfer the route to the memory card BUT THEN when I start the Zumo up I have to answer "NO" to the question "New user data detected, do you want to import now?". Then when I want to use the route I then IMPORT from my data but this time it leaves a copy on the memory card for me to use again at a later date.

NOTE FOR 550 users or other Garmin's that can run routes off the memory card ......... the 660 REFUSES to run routes off the memory card. I CANNOT just use the memory card and not the internal memory - the Zumo WILL NOT run a route unless you IMPORT it first, from the memory card to the internal memory .........this to me is a MAJOR FLAW in an otherwise great piece of kit as it means you have to constantly swap routes in and out of internal memory - which is PANTS!!!

BUT - at least I now can keep my library of routes I was looking for, even if it means I have to upload them to internal memory (import) after uploading to external memory (transfer) just so that I can keep them in case I want to use them again .........

Perhaps Garmin should consider doing some user feedback forums - they might end up with a cracking product

Maxxx said:

1) If I "save as" and save the route as a gpx file on my PC and then copy the gpx file to the memory card in the "garmin / gpx" folder using windows then the Zumo will import the route but more importantly it will LEAVE A COPY of the route in the folder so that I can use it again at a later date - as per the 550.

Click to expand...

Hi Maxxx,

I'm glad it works out for you now

NOTE FOR 550 users or other Garmin's that can run routes off the memory card ......... the 660 REFUSES to run routes off the memory card.

Click to expand...

The 550 cannot run routes from the memory card! You must import them into the ZUMO memory. But that's OK, because it only takes a few seconds and you're ready to ride . So, the memory card is just a great place to store your data.

But I can turn off the ZUMO 550 option "recalculate", which makes the device show the route exactly as planned in Mapsource. Otherwise, the unit will "recalculate" it and you'll end up with a different route.
Check if this is the case with the 660, too.

Bearloe

Maxxx said:

1) If I "save as" and save the route as a gpx file on my PC and then copy the gpx file to the memory card in the "garmin / gpx" folder using windows then the Zumo will import the route but more importantly it will LEAVE A COPY of the route in the folder so that I can use it again at a later date - as per the 550.

Click to expand...

This is a good thing.

It means that the route will always be there on your memory card. As you can save 100's of routes on a decent sized card you will have an entire library before you know it.

Maxxx said:

2) If I use Mapsource as I always have done and transfer the route to the memory card BUT THEN when I start the Zumo up I have to answer "NO" to the question "New user data detected, do you want to import now?". Then when I want to use the route I then IMPORT from my data but this time it leaves a copy on the memory card for me to use again at a later date.

Click to expand...

That's right. The dumb device knows that you have created a route (or multiple routes) and sent them to your data card. However, it 'knows' that you may not want to use the route (or routes) then and there, so it asks very politely what you would like to do.

Think of it as going shopping and putting several days food in the food in the fridge. When you open the fridge door you do not take it all out at once and eat it then and there.

How many routes do you need to use at any one time or on any one day?

Maxxx said:

2) I then IMPORT from my data but this time it leaves a copy on the memory card for me to use again at a later date.

Click to expand...

Yes, you imported it to the memory card as a GPX file (you have to). But the device cannot run GPX files, so it has to import it and convert it. No importation and no conversion, no route; which would make the gps device somewhat pointless.

You could always save the route direct to the device's main memory, which will cut out the importation stage.

Leaving a copy is good for two reasons:

(1) If you by accident delete a route you can summon it back. But only until you next attach it to a PC, after then it will be deleted. But that is OK as you did ask it to delete. This is a good thing.

(2) You can summon up a route from the card and amend it, say by adding in new viapoints or destination(s). This is a good thing. But, if you then change your mind, you can go back to the original unchanged route (still sitting quite happily on your memory card) and use that still. This too is a good thing.

Maxxx said:

Perhaps Garmin should consider doing some user feedback forums - they might end up with a cracking product

Click to expand...

You seem to be very troubled by lots or very little, it's hard to tell. But each of us is different.

Garmin do run a forum, so use that. Or simply write to Garmin in the UK, setting out your thoughts, the reasons for your frustrations and any suggestions for improvements, engaging them in a dialogue. Garmin do listen to good ideas, for sure.

Go in peace.