yes, Garmin is shite, but...

[Berin]

I've just created our tracks and routes, for a 2500km mixed on road/off road trip through France and across the Pyrenees. I've taken tracks, split them modified them, joined them, turned track into routes and routes into tracks, and changed the colours of tracks. I've used a waypoint library, created and reused waypoints, and been able to easily view whatever I wanted on the map, switched maps, changed waypoint symbols.

All using Basecamp for Mac, which didn't crash once!

I don't think there is another mapping app I could have done this with.

I then transferred the tracks, routes and waypoint to 2 Montana's with about 2 clicks. On the Montana, I can set up profiles to switch between road riding, trail riding, select different map sets, select units as part of the profile, set up waypoints with proximity alarms, view the routes and track at the same time to make sure I'm not off course, set shortcuts to view a dashboard including elevations, paired it with e tempe device for temperature, can switch track recording on or off from a short cut, navigate a track, navigate to a way point, search near a waypoint or city or poi, get a weather report, and send a message via in reach when out of mobile coverage, change the route type and avoidances on the fly.

The Montana's have good screens, are pretty tough, don't overheat, are waterproof, the touch screen can be locked, and have good solid mounts.

I also transferred the routes to a phone, and a Zumo, as well as keeping copies in Dropbox.

I do miss the old facility to view the routes in Google Earth from Basecamp and currently the import/viewing of gps files in google earth doesn't seem to work, but it's pretty easy just to have a Basecamp screen and a Google Earth screen open at the same time

So it's shite, and I had problems updating the maps on one Montana, and currently it's not possible to update maps on the Mac using either a Montana or a Zumo (I keep an old Zumo 590 just for this purpose), but it's still the best for planning - let;s see if I'm still of the same opinion when we get back!

 

[Mad Hatter]

I agree and think that basecamp is pretty good for heavy duty route planning, I certainly prefer it to the new Garmin apps

 

[er-minio]

I agree and what you describe is what I wasn’t able to “replicate” in MRA.

BC is clunky, but has some good functionality.

Even just being able to see ALL my routes/track over the years and being able yo duplicate and split them is easier/faster than with other software. SO FAR.

 

[Mzokk]

Still use Basecamp quite a bit. It's a shame that Garmin didn't replicate it's functionality in the truly appalling Explore website

 

[John Armstrong]

I agree and think that basecamp is pretty good for heavy duty route planning, I certainly prefer it to the new Garmin apps

I use BaseCamp and then e-mail myself the gpx file of the routes etc so it can be opened up in Tread to use in the XT2. Which then needs to check what Tread has changed for the planned route, and then repeat with the XT2. Oh for the simple days when I could plan a route in BaseCamp, send it to the GPS, and know nothing much would have changed.

Probably get excommunicated by Garmin for this heresy!

 

[glenn2926]

I use BaseCamp and then e-mail myself the gpx file of the routes etc so it can be opened up in Tread to use in the XT2. Which then needs to check what Tread has changed for the planned route, and then repeat with the XT2. Oh for the simple days when I could plan a route in BaseCamp, send it to the GPS, and know nothing much would have changed.

Probably get excommunicated by Garmin for this heresy!

Is there any reason you cannot still do that? It’s exactly what I do. Make a route on basecamp and send it to the Zumo, job done.

 

[John Armstrong]

Is there any reason you cannot still do that? It’s exactly what I do. Make a route on basecamp and send it to the Zumo, job done.

The 396, XT and XT2 I know for certain are afflicted by the "faster" roads algorithm not always giving the quickest routing. BaseCamp and the 595 and older Garmin GPSR's have the same routing algorithm, which means they have much more chance of having the same route in them as is in BaseCamp.

 

[karlp]

Do you manage to keep the maps up to date in Basecamp - i.e. the same version as the map on the Garmin device

 

[G&T]

Just updated Basecamp and NavVI to 2026.20 latest maps. 5 hour download, with Device and Computer selected, but an ‘Update Failed’ message. Looked through and saw the new version on the Nav but not in the maps folder on the PC? Back into Express clicked download to computer again and 3 hours later success.

Basecamp is great in my opinion but Garmin just needs to make it more user friendly.

 

[glenn2926]

Do you manage to keep the maps up to date in Basecamp - i.e. the same version as the map on the Garmin device

No, my old Zumo 660 is not updated anymore. Basecamp is though. My Basecamp has newer mapping than my Zumo but it doesn’t really matter.

 

[Berin]

I use BaseCamp and then e-mail myself the gpx file of the routes etc so it can be opened up in Tread to use in the XT2. Which then needs to check what Tread has changed for the planned route, and then repeat with the XT2. Oh for the simple days when I could plan a route in BaseCamp, send it to the GPS, and know nothing much would have changed.

Probably get excommunicated by Garmin for this heresy!

Having checked by comparing the routes to the tracks, transferring the routes to both the XT and the Montana direct from Basecamp seems to have copied them across accurately.

Note to John RTW, rather than emailing myself the gpx files, I use Dropbox, which then means the original routes are easily accessible in the event of a cock up. Just remember to make them available offline.

 

[er-minio]

Yep. Dropbox > Garmin Drive (or whatever) > Bluetooth to XT.

I keep my Basecamp Library on Dropbox too, so I have all my BC stuff available on both my desktop and laptop Mac (when traveling I always have the MacBook in tow). Just beware to never open BC at the same time on both.

 

[Snaf]

I do miss the old facility to view the routes in Google Earth from Basecamp and currently the import/viewing of gps files in google earth doesn't seem to work, but it's pretty easy just to have a Basecamp screen and a Google Earth screen open at the same time

I've not used basecamp for years but having been given a Garmin GPSMAP 67 for testing I thought I'd give it go.
Initially I couldn't get GE to import a gpx as it's not an option and all files didn't work.
I then tried Tools > GPS > tick all files and it worked

Not as easy as just clicking view GE in Basecamp but only a couple of clicks more.

Sadly don't seem to be able to export GPX from GE.

 

[Mzokk]

You can export routes from google earth as KML/KMZ files and these can be imported into Basecamp.

 

[Berin]

I've not used basecamp for years but having been given a Garmin GPSMAP 67 for testing I thought I'd give it go.
Initially I couldn't get GE to import a gpx as it's not an option and all files didn't work.
I then tried Tools > GPS > tick all files and it worked

Not as easy as just clicking view GE in Basecamp but only a couple of clicks more.

Sadly don't seem to be able to export GPX from GE.

I will try that- thanks

 

[Orinoco]

The 396, XT and XT2 I know for certain are afflicted by the "faster" roads algorithm not always giving the quickest routing. BaseCamp and the 595 and older Garmin GPSR's have the same routing algorithm, which means they have much more chance of having the same route in them as is in BaseCamp.

The faster road thing really is a pain when transferring routes to the XT, might have to look into finding a 595 as alternative to using my XT

 

[Snaf]

You can export routes from google earth as KML/KMZ files and these can be imported into Basecamp.

I mostly use MemoryMap which doesn't, I use Gpsbabel to convert but good to know I can go via Basecamp as well.
I've often wondered why there isn't a program that makes swapping between platforms easy, surely this is what AI should be good at but I can't find an answer.

 

[John Armstrong]

The faster road thing really is a pain when transferring routes to the XT, might have to look into finding a 595 as alternative to using my XT

Trouble is the screen is so dull on the 590 / 595 when you've got used to an XT.

But, if you trust it's routing then you probably don't need to be looking at the screen as often.

Now I know the XT2's limitations, I've not refitted a 590 / 595 or XT to my bike.

 

[glenn2926]

I mostly use MemoryMap which doesn't, I use Gpsbabel to convert but good to know I can go via Basecamp as well.
I've often wondered why there isn't a program that makes swapping between platforms easy, surely this is what AI should be good at but I can't find an answer.

That all sounds far, far more complicated than just using Basecamp then sending the route to the device. None of this converting to this, converting to that malarkey. Why people think swapping between different planing and mapping platforms is better than just plotting route on Basecamp and sending to device is better is way beyond me.

 

[Wapping]

That all sounds far, far more complicated than just using Basecamp then sending the route to the device. None of this converting to this, converting to that malarkey. Why people think swapping between different planing and mapping platforms is better than just plotting route on Basecamp and sending to device is better is way beyond me.

I think you are maybe missing the point, or at worse, pushing some sort of agenda.

We can accept that you like BaseCamp and enjoy the ease of transferring routes from BaseCamp to your Garmin device. I too liked BaseCamp (and MapSource before that) finding it easy to use and transfer to lots of different Garmin devices easy and reliable. For whatever reasons, lots of people didn’t like MapSource and / or definitely didn’t like BaseCamp; some even hated anything even remotely related to Garmin as a whole. You aren’t one of them and neither was I.

Then came along lots of other route creation tools. Tire was an early one, as was another whose name now escapes me. Then came phones (as pretty good GPS devices in their own right) and of course the simplicity (at least for A to B routing) of Google and / or Waize. These too are popular.

Then came the enhanced (and still growing) applications like MyRoute, developed by the same people who owned Tire. This filled a void for those who disliked BaseCamp and wanted something better than “Tell me how to go from A to B”. Onto this can be added Kurviger and other applications, some of which (as it the case of Kurviger) will even create ‘twisty’ routes from A to Z, via all the letters in between.

Whist all this is going on, some bods wanted more. Some looked for applications better suited to off-road, whilst others simply liked the maps offered by other applications better, whilst others still wanted to do all sorts of things, like adding in every WC and loo in Ireland. In short, there is now something for everyone.

The one thing many of the applications had in common (and it’s nothing new) was the ability (or even the basic need) to export routes in a GPX format. This was born out of bods’ desire to:

A. Share routes with their friends.

B. Get the route from one application into another and / or into a GPS capable navigation device.

Garmin had / have their own version.

Both A and B have developed with time and become easier and easier. The only real exception is Google, which uses a different system but one that can be converted quite easily.

Of course if anyone is determined to find fault with anything they don’t like or just can’t get on with or (just as likely) can’t be arsed with, then they’ll find fault, no matter what. The venom directed towards Garmin and BaseCamp is proof of this.

On the other side of the same coin, there are those that are very happy with Garmin products as a whole and, more importantly, happy with the ease with which they can move their routes from one application into another and / or from one device into another. They certainly do not see it as a faff at all.

Which side of the coin, bods want to chose in a game of toss, is up to them.