Sharing a route between Garmin devices via a bluetooth connection, have you?

Despite trying many times, between various Garmin devices, XT, BMW Navigator 5 and 6, Zumo 550, we have never been able to share a route via bluetooth. The sending device finds the other device, the receiving device displays a passkey and accept message but the transfer always fails.

Yet, sharing a route via the Garmin Drive app always works. Garmin support just seem to answer questions about this problem with more questions without actually coming up with a solution.

So, has anyone actually achieved this seemingly simple procedure ?

Nope tried many times to share between a Nav VI and Nav V, both devices saw each other, never managed to share a route, gave up

It can be done between Nav 5’s and 6’s, I’ve done it in the middle of nowhere with a mate, but it’s a while ago so I can’t tell you if there were any tricks we used at the time.

I've done it on many occasions between my Nav V and other Vs and VIs. However, it's a hit and miss affair with probably no more than 75% of attempts successful, perhaps fewer. Sometimes my unit can find those of friends without delay and the route transfers easily. On other occasions the same units cannot seem to connect - switching off and on again sometimes helps but sometimes they just won't 'see' each other. We try again later and they usually connect. In fact we try changing position - to the front of the bike, the rear, the left and the right, on the cradle and off, and sometimes they connect across the car park. It's puzzling and maddening but when it works, very handy

A black art!

Yes, lots of times, Nav V to VI and visa-versa.

Wapping said:

Yes, lots of times, Nav V to VI and visa-versa.

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There you go. If the Oracle has done it, take it as read it works and those of us who couldn't make it work are dumb

No tricks. Just works - usually...

casbar said:

There you go. If the Oracle has done it, take it as read it works and those of us who couldn't make it work are dumb

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I have never given it much thought. But now that I do, you could well be right.

Well that's the stupid thing about this. We have 3 devices, 2 XTs, a Nav6 and despite many attempts between the devices in all combinations, it always fails.

Thoughts were that maybe because we had the Garmins connected by bluetooth to phones and headsets, there weren't enough bluetooth channels/capacity to effect the transfer so we turned those off. Still failed.

I can't see what we are doing wrong.

Maybe something has changed, but a couple of years ago, I spent around an hour in a car park trying to send a route from my Nav VI to my mates Nav V, would it work - nope. I happen to have a V and a VI at the moment, may give it another try over the weekend just to see

mrtee43 said:

I can't see what we are doing wrong.

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I can’t see or even imagine what you and your chums are doing either. But let’s see what can be done to assist, in a light hearted way.

First a disclaimer: I don’t own an XT, so I have no idea how its Bluetooth functions operates or even if it is compatible with a Nav VI. I do though own a Nav V and VI and can send complex routes from one to the other with ease. I do not have all the mumbo jumbo stuff, but more on that later. Here goes:

If we assume that it is compatible, Nav VI to XT and visa-versa, I would:

Properly create a simple route A to B of say 20 miles on your Nav VI. Create a different but similar length route on the XT. Give each a different name you’ll recognise and be able to spot amongst maybe the 100’s of other routes to Tesco and your mum’s that you have maybe saved on both devices.

Take one (not both) of the XT’s and, just for now turn off all the mumbo jumbo that it is connected to, like phones, headsets, the man in the moon or whatever. Similarly, turn off all the mumbo jumbo on the Nav VI. Your second XT, just turn off or hit it with a hammer. In other words, make sure it is definitely not in contact with either device. Just for the sake of it, make sure your motorbike, phone and any other technical wizardry either device might try to communicate through or with are all off and out of the equation.

Now attempt to send the route from the Nav VI to the XT, following exactly the instructions that appear on both devices. Just follow the instructions, don’t take any notice of “My mate says, he always does it standing on one leg” or some such. Does it work? Do you know where to find the route you sent on the XT if it doesn’t appear? If it does work. Great.

Now attempt to to the same thing but in reverse, sending the route you created on the XT to the Nav VI. Does it work?

If one person does all of this it at least removes one other variable of some chimp (ie your mate) sticking their fingers into the pie.

If the answer to either of the above is no, report back.

If the answer to either of the above is yes, report back.

If the answer is yes, then you’ll at least have established that it does work. Then reconnect all the other mumbo jumbo and repeat.

Does it still work? Yes. Case solved.

Does it not work? Then, logically, the mumbo jumbo, must have bolt-on bits, are feckin’ it up somewhere or it’s something else.

How goes?

Not had a chance to meet up with fellow Garmin owners yet but rest assured, results will be posted as soon as we have tried and exhausted all possibilities!

The world awaits your words.

If it's any consolation or just affirmation that it does work, I have just blue bluetoothed three routes from a Nav VI to a Nav V, completely painlessly.