Garmin tread overland GPS and Garmin Tread app and Garmin Explore - shite, absolute shite

[Mad Hatter]

I’ve just bought a garmin tread overland GPS and have spent the last two days trying to get the GPS unit working with the Garmin tread app and Garmin explore. All I can say is what an absolute load of shite it is. The three things that are supposed to work together so you can plan routes and use tracks etc are total rubbish. I thought that basecamp was bad but the new systems are just absolutely crap. As well as being mindblowingly complicated they simply don’t work properly. I’m really really disappointed and will never buy garmin again. It’s supposed to be a premium GPS product but the software is just crap. It’s unstable, has bugs, and a user interface which is a fucking joke. As you can tell I’m really pissed off with it.

I wish apple would bring out some heavyweight GPS/Nav gear. At least it would work properly unlike the shit I’ve just spent a small fortune on.

Rant over

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Fresh thread started

Richard

 

[Mad Hatter]

Thanks Richard, feel free to delete my post I was just venting!

 

[Wapping]

Welcome.

It’s an excellent rant.

My hope is that someone will come along and pour oil on your troubled waters.

 

[John Armstrong]

Sounds like you're enjoying the delights we have with the XT2 and Tread? It could be so good if they could get the software to be as good as the hardware!

Someone here might have the same set up and be able to assist: https://www.zumouserforums.co.uk/index.php

 

[Mad Hatter]

Thanks John. I’m glad it’s not just me. I’m still appalled that Garmin can put a product like this into the marketplace!

 

[John Armstrong]

Thanks John. I’m glad it’s not just me. I’m still appalled that Garmin can put a product like this into the marketplace!

There are work arounds for Tread / XT2 for most of its "features". One thing Tread does share with the XT and XT2 is the faster roads rather than the fastest route problem, which means I need to add extra shaping points to make it go along the roads I want to, but Tread has ideas about how it treats them which most think are illogical! So, I use via points, which fixes that, but doesn't help on the road as the "next junction" function stops at a via point. Arrgh, and breath!
I still use Basecamp to route plan, though doesn't officially support the XT2, but am going to use a tablet to tweak routes when away on holiday.

 

[Mad Hatter]

I am going to try creating routes in basecamp and put them onto an SD card to load to the GPS rather than transfering them to tread/explore to sync to the GPS. Irritating as it should be seamless

 

[Mad Hatter]

I don’t really understand the purpose of having both the tread app and the explore app/website?

 

[John Armstrong]

I am going to try creating routes in basecamp and put them onto an SD card to load to the GPS rather than transfering them to tread/explore to sync to the GPS. Irritating as it should be seamless

If the Tread GPS is like the XT2 then you'll need to "copy" the route to prevent the beloved "Repeated U-Turns" or RUT that afflicts the XT and XT2.

Currently I export the collection from Basecamp into a file, e-mail it to myself, then open the attachment in Tread to overcome the RUT problem. I found putting routes etc onto a SD card and then opening them up in the XT2 a bit convoluted. Maybe the Tread GPS has this sorted?

 

[Mzokk]

I am going to try creating routes in basecamp and put them onto an SD card to load to the GPS rather than transfering them to tread/explore to sync to the GPS. Irritating as it should be seamless

Hi I don't have a tread but I think that it would function like the rest of Garmin's motorcycle GPS's and if you connect it to a computer via USB you will be able to drop gpx files directly into the GPX folder on the unit.

 

[Mzokk]

This is what it looks like for internal storage on the XT. Also the computer will recognise the SD card and you can put GPX files in a Garmin>GPX file on the SD card.

 

[Mzokk]

I don’t really understand the purpose of having both the tread app and the explore app/website?

From Garmin's perspective the Explore Website is a repository for all your routes, tracks and waypoints that you can organise and synchronise with your device. The explore app is for making tracks to follow if walking or cycling. The tread app is for route/Track planning with the XT2/Tread instead of Basecamp. But you are right, for motorcycle routing, the combination of apps and web is overly complicated. Some would say shit show

 

[er-minio]

All I can say is what an absolute load of shite it is.

Amen to that.

 

[cookie]

Garmin in shit software shocker!

 

[Deleted account 250722001]

@ Mad Hatter ( and anyone else who may care)
Simplicity is key.
Forget all the garmin connect stuff.

Get yourself a 'as reliable as possible' stand alone satnav.
My favourite is the 276cX
Yes, it is push button and yes they are on the 'wrong' side for bikes but you should not be poking at them while riding anyway.

No, there is no wonder wheel connection nor can you play music on it or ping-pong nor take calls.

What it does do is excel at navigation.

If you must/need to create routes, set your prox. alarms etc, hopefully using exactly the same maps on BC and the unit AND have exactly the same settings on both - the most common area of cock-ups, then you work on BC, add whatever waypoints you need, save your file as a .gpx and manually copy it to the unit.
No fandangles with garmin servers
No synchronizing
No need for internet
but you do need a windows pc. Any old one will do.
Result?
Solid nav unit, minimum stress.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

@ Mad Hatter ( and anyone else who may care)
Simplicity is key.
Forget all the garmin connect stuff.

Get yourself a 'as reliable as possible' stand alone satnav.
My favourite is the 276cX
Yes, it is push button and yes they are on the 'wrong' side for bikes but you should not be poking at them while riding anyway.

No, there is no wonder wheel connection nor can you play music on it or ping-pong nor take calls.

What it does do is excel at navigation.

If you must/need to create routes, set your prox. alarms etc, hopefully using exactly the same maps on BC and the unit AND have exactly the same settings on both - the most common area of cock-ups, then you work on BC, add whatever waypoints you need, save your file as a .gpx and manually copy it to the unit.
No fandangles with garmin servers
No synchronizing
No need for internet
but you do need a windows pc. Any old one will do.
Result?
Solid nav unit, minimum stress.

That's exactly why I keep going with the Garmin 2610 for the road trips and Garmin Montana 610 for road and offroad, both a from an era when the 276CX was king and they get me from A to B reliably

I have a Zumo XT too, but it;'s only similarity is that it's made by Garmin

 

[Wapping]

I have a Zumo XT too, but only because I bought it dirt cheap

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