Garmin Basecamp Route Planning

[Boyan Atanaschev]

LastFebruary I read how to create a route on Google maps, save it as a KML file, convert to GPX, transfer to microSD, which then shows in the Tracks app on our Navigator VI. From there you convert it to a Trip, where it now shows in the Trip Planner app.

When I activate the route I want on the Trip Planner app, the map of the route I defined shows, but more often than not after I select "Go", Garmin will change the route I defined. I know that I have "Fast" route selected as a preference, but the other options would change the defined route too. Garmin support does indicate that their device will follow a defined route on Trip Planner, but not much more info.

I have created a number of very specific routes that maximize mountain passes, river valleys, and scenic byways leading from one mountain city to the next. With all these combinations, I can create any number of multi day trips around Colorado. So I'm not looking to change my routes if someone was inclined to suggest I follow Garmin's sage advice.

Your GPS does not change or alter imported tracks. By displaying the track of the route and the Route, you can make sure you are riding the original designed route from your Google maps, even if your GPS should alter the route.

When I convert the selected route in the Track App to a "Trip", it then shows in the Trip Planning App. When I select the route, it shows the map of the route I defined. It does not provide just two points; start and the end and it does not stay on the defined route.

You are correct Michael, it is set to "Automatic". When I read Garmin's description of "Off-Route Recalculation" it's purpose is to get you back onto your defined route if you stray away from it. I'm simply trying to get the Nav VI to follow the defined route I created and to stop changing it. If I was to stray from my defined route, I would actually like it to take me back to my defined route.

Without either way points or shaping points in the Google maps routes, I'm not sure you will get the desired results. Base camp is a pain to learn but that's the only way I've been able to get the routes to match up when transferring to the Nav VI.

Without matching maps in whatever you originally make the route on & what is in your GPS then getting matching routes is a real crap shoot. No matter what, if the imported route doesn't match the map inside you GPS then it will recalculate (no matter if recalculate is turned off) as it needs to do that so the routing follows the roads.

I have had some luck with importing (mis-matched map) routes on older Garmin devices by importing them into the GPS with the GPS set to direct routes, THEN after importing, switching to follow roads (not sure it that is an option on your Nav vi).

On major roads with little option to route elsewhere then you can get a non matching map route to work most of the time. But when routing over smaller very specific roads then getting an exact routing map into a Garmin GPS is pretty iffy.

I know you think using Base Camp is a pain but with a little playing, a little learning curve you will be WAY farther ahead in getting very specific, technical, functioning routes into your GPS that gives you exactly what you want routing & road wise.

Just start using Base Camp, as you run into a road block just post the problem here & we can talk you through the resolution as some of us have been making very technical routes that track perfectly since way before Base Camp was even available (back from the pre-Base Camp Map Source days).

When I load my defined routes in the manner I've described above, and I select it in the Trip Planning App, it gives an option to see the route on the map. When I do that, the route I have defined shows correctly. It even starts navigating correctly, but at some point it changes my defined route.

I used way points to define the routes. The routes load correctly on the Nav VI, it's just that the Nav VI decides to reroute to another route with the same destination. For example, instead of going to the mountain pass I want to ride, it will try to take me on another route to a nearby highway or a freeway.

I'm not really sure what is happening but for some reason your GPS doesn't like your imported route, either due to mapping differences, or GPS routing avoidances, or something? Possibly your GPS is set to fastest time, or avoid something, or you have avoid gravel roads turned on, & your GPS thinks there is a gravel section in that mountain pass (personally I turn off ALL avoidances then manually use (add) shaping points to force a route to go on those smaller roads or over sections they it won't naturally want to route through.

First, when you load the route into your GPS make darn sure the you zoom WAY in then verify that it isn't trying to route on the wrong side of a divided hi-way. This will drive a route crazy & usually force a strange off-route re-calculation.

Next, once you load the route into your GPS (& it looks like it is what you want) save it in the GPS. That way if/when the route goes crazy you can stop the route, then re-initialize it, THEN see if will continue correctly on you intended route. (also drop a marker on your GPS so you can put your track (& marker) into BaseCamp then see what the heck went wrong & why it went crazy.

You might also import the route into BaseCamp (that is a simple drag & drop) then you can go over the zoomed-in-route with a fine tooth comb to find where it is not working. Then hit re-calculate to see if it stays as you originally imported it, THEN upload THAT to your GPS (this should be a stable functioning route)

Jeff, have you looked at this tutorial from New England Riders? Ed and a couple others have put a lot of effort into creating this and he is always willing to help users. All this is free. You can look up New England Riders on Facebook and join the group if you want, not limited to NewEngland. If you have questions about basecamp, I would suggest joining NER and then post on the group page.

It also can only use the information you have provided it to calculate a route. When you use a track to create a route inside the GPS, it will make a route that matches the track, BUT the route will only have to points. A Start and a End point. It will have no WayPoints and no Shaping Points and no ViaPoints. SO if you get of the route by 1 Foot, the GPS will recalculate the route, using Your preferences (fastest or shortest routing) to the final destination. This has been designed by Garmin and you can't change that.

If you want your GPS to help you to find your way back to your route, you will have to provide your GPS with sufficient data for it to know where you want to ride or go. This is why I/We are telling you to use BaseCamp. When you create routes in BaseCamp, you insert into the route WayPoints and ShapingPoints. These points will tell the GPS that you want to ride on a particular road or path and also that you want to visit certain towns, sights or parks etc.

It uses a web site for creating routes. It lets you choose from different map data suppliers, including Google, Maps Me and others. It makes routes very similar to Google Maps. But you can safe them as routes and tracks. You can export these routes directly to your GPS or save the GPX files and transfer them later. It also saves the routes as Routes and Tracks. You can also use the routes created in Kurviger.de on your i-phones using Scenic and I believe they may have android version by now also.

But like with every mapping software, if you do not use points (WayPoints or ShapingPoints) to force the route onto the roads you want to ride, the software will use logic and direct you to your destination the shortest way possible.

Look under __ Settings, then NAVIGATION, then CALCULATION MODE. Not sure what you will find there on the nav vi but that is probably where it would be at. I'm not even sure if the nav vi has a turn off feature for off-route re-calculation?

When you begin to navigate a route, the Garmin will display the starting point of the route, the end point, and any intermediate via points, and asks you to "Select next destination." Your NAV will then calculate a new route from your present location to the selected point, before following whatever remains of your pre-planned route. If you select the end point as the next destination, the entire original route will be ignored.

Google is handy for initial planning, getting a quick idea of travel time, locating nearby lodging, etc., but for me Basecamp does a better job of getting the details of the route just right. Just the ability to use unannounced shaping points makes a big difference since I can follow an exact route without listening to a lot of warnings about upcoming waypoints. If you give Basecamp another try, drop a private message to John Heath (jfheath) on this board and ask him to email you a copy of his guide on "Routing with Basecamp for the Garmin Zumos." He has done a lot of research into the interaction of the software with the GPS and has found out how to build routes that work the way you want them to. (Something Garmin has never done.) The guide is written for the Zumo models, but the process works just fine with the Nav V and VI.

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