Routes - advice appreciated

[GarryM]

Hello! Newbie here and learning Basecamp. I would appreciate a bit of feedback on what I am doing as I am sure there will be a better way.
When planning a route, I do the following:
1. Have Basecamp, Google Earth and a map website (viaMichelin) open on my PC
2. Open a new list in Basecamp
3. Find my start position and finish position on the Basecamp map and create waypoints, checking via Google or the map website that I have got them in the right spot (Basecamp map often not detailed enough to be sure.)
4. Select new ‘route’ and drag the newly made waypoints into the dialogue box for start and finish points and let Basecamp plot the route.
5. Carefully look through the route and create waypoints at regular intervals (typically every 10 mins of riding or after important junctions) either on the plotted route or away from it if I want to ride on a different road. Again, checking on Google or map website if I am unsure. I tend to name these waypoints as SP1, SP2 and so on (useful for the particular route I am planning but useless for anything else.) Each time I need to move the Basecamp map I have to select the little ‘hand’ tool and then when in the right place, select the waypoint tool again. Of course, I regularly forget and then have to delete the waypoints I create when just trying to grab and move the map.
6. Click on the route to bring up the route properties window and then manually add each intermediate waypoint.
7. Let Basecamp re-plot the route via the new waypoints
8. Check it has worked and then in the route properties window select all waypoints except the first and last and check ‘Don’t Alert on Arrival (shaping point)’
9. Send the route to my NAV5
Now all this seems to work but I am sure there must be a quicker way. All advice appreciated!

 

[Becksy]

Yes. You can drag and shape the route which is much easier than using waypoints all the time. Refer to my post in the Base camp thread category called Basecamp, Waypoints, Via points etc. And look for the replies from Wapping, who will probably be along here to help as well.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...share_tid=430575&share_fid=19781&share_type=t


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[Becksy]

PS. Currently using what I learnt from that thread in Spain and all has worked perfectly. Have also dated and timed the routes which had presented them clearly in the right order of use.


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[leedude03]

if you are using a pc the instructions will be different for a mac, in other words if you read instructions that are refering to a mac they may not apply when using a pc so be aware of this

 

[GarryM]

Yes. You can drag and shape the route which is much easier than using waypoints all the time. Refer to my post in the Base camp thread category ...

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...share_tid=430575&share_fid=19781&share_type=t


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Thank you Becksy and leedude03. I have just read the thread above. Very helpful. Funnily enough, I am going to Spain in a few weeks and wanted to get better at Basecamp before I go!

I have ridden several routes now where I have not had to deviate at all and not surprisingly everything has worked well. My first planned routes had no shaping points and after deviating, a recalculation lost the route - again, not surprisingly. Today, I was forced to deviate from my route and my NAV 5 recalculated ignoring the next shaping point (it could easily have gone that way) but when I then navigated myself back to my original route, the final recalculation (it had done several by then) was my original route. This may have been luck, i.e. the NAV calculated the route without reference to shaping points and it just happened to be in line with my planned route.

To test I suppose I would need to have planned a route with some 'out of the way' shaping points. But, does anyone know the answer? I've read conflicting posts, some saying that shaping points are never ignored and others saying that they will be on a recalculation (my experience.) Also, on a route with several waypoints and many shaping points in between, when recalculating will the NAV just ensure all waypoints remain on the 'new' route or will it recalculate to the next waypoint only, leaving the route after that untouched, i.e. going through all of the shaping points and waypoints after the next waypoint?

 

[Wapping]

As regards your question above.

I think it depends on how far off your pre-planned route you have deviated and / or have been re-routed and / or the remaining distance to your next waypoint. Wherever possible the device will try to route you through shaping points and then to a waypoint. However, in its world, a waypoint (a point you have told the device you must pass through) will always trump a shaping point.

By preference - and this really is a personal thing, so opinions do vary as to 'the best way' to set-up GPS devices for personal use - I set my GPS device to only warn me if I go off route, leaving me the choice as to whether I then want to instruct the device to recalculate my pre-planned route or not.

 

[leedude03]

Many ways to set your nav and to plan a route, as wapping says its a personal choice, i have recalculate switched off, if i stray from my route i just tend to zoom out on the nav until i can see my route and make my own way back to it, others prefer to let the nav recalculate a new route. The best advice i can give is spend time learning the software you have chosen to use, the same goes for the nav you use, many of the problems you read about with reference to mapping software and nav issues are down to user error, some folks hate the garmin software, some will not use anything else.
It looks as though you are getting along with your garmin products ok, and if you have any issues or questions about it, do as you have done and ask, as i am sure someone on here will be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[GarryM]

As regards your question above.

I think it depends on how far off your pre-planned route you have deviated and / or have been re-routed and / or the remaining distance to your next waypoint. Wherever possible the device will try to route you through shaping points and then to a waypoint. However, in its world, a waypoint (a point you have told the device you must pass through) will always trump a shaping point.

By preference - and this really is a personal thing, so opinions do vary as to 'the best way' to set-up GPS devices for personal use - I set my GPS device to only warn me if I go off route, leaving me the choice as to whether I then want to instruct the device to recalculate my pre-planned route or not.

Thank you and leedude03. I read the exchange of views on the other thread. I understand the different personal preference thing and can see that the best way to ensure the NAV does not lose the original planned route (which might have taken an age to plot!) is to turn re-calculate off as you and leedude03 say. However, my personal preference would be to be able to deviate from my route and know that the NAV would direct me back to my route either at the next sensible shaping point or at worst to the next waypoint secure in the knowledge that the NAV after that point would faithfully follow the route I had taken ages to plot. I don't know if it will but I wouldn't be surprised if it would re-calculate through all of the waypoints but ignore the shaping points. This is a NAV issue rather than Basecamp but I guess I need to plot some routes that would test that and ride them to see. Has anyone done that?

 

[leedude03]

with the nav5, not one hundred percent as i dont have one, but feel sure some one will confirm, if for any reason you have to deviate from the route, you can select any way point on that route and instruct the nav to take you to it, so if you needed to go forward to another waypoint you can, and from that point reselect your route and carry on. word of warning do not select your final destination waypoint if you have a few others you wish to see on the way, as the nav will then decide to just take you straight to it based on its preferences you have set on the unit, and possibly miss your other way points.

 

[leedude03]

Quote GarryM ( However, my personal preference would be to be able to deviate from my route and know that the NAV would direct me back to my route either at the next sensible shaping point or at worst to the next waypoint secure in the knowledge that the NAV after that point would faithfully follow the route I had taken ages to plot. I don't know if it will but I wouldn't be surprised if it would re-calculate through all of the waypoints but ignore the shaping points. This is a NAV issue rather than Basecamp but I guess I need to plot some routes that would test that and ride them to see. Has anyone done that? ) Wapping has answered this Quote (I think it depends on how far off your pre-planned route you have deviated and / or have been re-routed and / or the remaining distance to your next waypoint. Wherever possible the device will try to route you through shaping points and then to a waypoint. However, in its world, a waypoint (a point you have told the device you must pass through) will always trump a shaping point.) i would only add that your preference settings on the nav will/may affect how and where it routes you back onto your origional route.

 

[GarryM]

A related question. I am trying to understand how the NAV5 recalculates when deviating from a route. I did a test today: a route around a local town. The NAV5 would pick the ring road given the choice. On Basecamp I placed waypoints before and after the town and three shaping points in the town centre. The Basecamp & NAV5 calculated a route through the town picking up all waypoints and shaping points as expected. On the 'bike, I ignored the route and stayed on the ring road. There are several opportunities to leave the ring road and return to the planned route and the NAV5 tried to get me back to the shaping points and recalculated each time I passed an opportunity. So that's good. But when I reached the end of the ring road, the NAV5 tried to take me back into the town (presumably to reach one or more shaping points and then do a U-turn) instead of ignoring the shaping points and heading straight for the next waypoint on the road I was on. I can only think the shaping point was nearer than the waypoint (it probably was, but not by much) but would be interested to hear others' opinions. Thanks!

 

[leedude03]

You hit the nail on the head it will/should route to the next nearest point.

 

[GarryM]

That was quick!!! OK - I can re-test for that. If that's the answer then I will have confidence in it when 'lost' abroad. Good stuff, thanks.

 

[leedude03]

That was quick!!! OK - I can re-test for that. If that's the answer then I will have confidence in it when 'lost' abroad. Good stuff, thanks.

remember your preferences on the unit will affect this aswell. it all depends on settings like quickest and shortest or avoid motorway, example, you could have a waypoint at 15 miles away. and one at 25 miles away, it may route you to the one 25 mile away, if it could be reached quicker than the first at 15 mile by using motorway, if quickest routing and not to avoid motorway is already selected on the nav, therefore you would miss the one at 15 mile. Hope you understand this.

 

[GarryM]

Yes, I do, thanks. Very helpful.