Zumo xt with T4A

[NJ Van Zyl]

Good day.

I have upgrade my GPS to the zumo xt. On friday tested it out with some waypoints i have loaded. Not sure if im doing it right but on friday when selecting my destination waypoint the unit showed a straight line to it.

Regards

Kallie

[Danie Kotze]

Hi, my apology for asking an obvious question. Was/is the correct routing method chosen i.e. fastest route or shortest route? If I remember correctly my eTrex has a Offroad routing method which will draw a straight line. On the eTrex I can actually set it to ask me every time I want to route. 

Cheers

Danie. 

Sent from Outlook for Android

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From: tracks...@googlegroups.com <tracks...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of NJ Van Zyl <kalli...@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 10, 2025 5:15:25 PM
To: tracks...@googlegroups.com <tracks...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [T4A] Zumo xt with T4A

 

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[NJ Van Zyl]

Hi Danie. 

Im not sure. Will have to check the settings. Was my first time using the device.

Regards

Kallie

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[Lizette Swart]

Hi Kallie,

I agree with Danie, check your "routing" is not set to "direct" or "off-road" - this will draw a straight line.

I presume you are using the waypoints to create the route on the device, you are not loading a route created on Basecamp to the Zumo?

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart

liz...@tracks4africa.co.za

+27 (0)21 880 8660

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[NJ Van Zyl]

Thank you Lizette.

I am using waypoints, my GPS was set  offroad.

thank you

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[Lizette Swart]

Great, glad it is sorted! Over the weekend I set my Montana to off-road (quite easily by clicking a few buttons) in order to reach a certain point not on the map - it took an hour to figure out how to get it back to "proper" routing again!

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart

liz...@tracks4africa.co.za

+27 (0)21 880 8660

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[ExplorerZA]

Morning.

I have set my GPS now to the quickets route - do i need to change this setting when we are heading to Botswana? when will i use the straight line function or shortest route function?

regards

Kallie

[Danie Kotzé]

Kallie,

 

As mentioned, my eTrex and a previous GPSMap unit have the function that will allow me to choose each time I route. My Nuvi, however, does not allow me the option to choose before each route.

 

By default, I will use fastest route. When I don’t have a fixed plan where to travel and I have time, I will choose shortest route as it sometimes takes one on “interesting” roads. But then I am also prepared to turn around when necessary.

 

I use offroad/straight line routing mostly when hiking and there is not necessarily a routable route to calculate on. I then just need to know the general direction where my destination is. I suppose one can do the same when driving also.

 

I do most/all of my route planning on Basecamp and then transfer the routes to my GPS. What have found is that there are differences in the routing algorithms between Basecamp and the GPS. Even between different GPS units. I have planned the exact same route on the same map set on 2 2 different GPS units set to say fastest route and they will come up with different routes. I know that other people will just load waypoints to the GPS and then have the route calculated by the GPS.

 

What I then do is, as soon as my planning is done on Basecamp, I will just randomly add via points along my planned route. In this way I will “force” my GPS to navigate the planned route. In this instance it then, mostly, does not matter if my routing method is fastest or shortest.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Danie Kotzé

+27 64 045-2693

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[NJ Van Zyl]

Thank you Danie

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[Lizette Swart]

Hi Kallie,

Daniel has given you some solid advice. I always drive on "fastest route" and override the GPS when I feal it. "Shortest route" may take you off the beaten track on off-road tracks that may be shorter but probably will take a lot longer to drive.

If your POI you are trying to reach, have no roads on the map you are using, you then set the device to "off-road" or "direct" pouring. This will draw a straight line from your location to the POI you are trying to reach. So you can always see where you want to be, and have to use some common sense in which track to follow when arriving at a fork in the road.

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart

liz...@tracks4africa.co.za

+27 (0)21 880 8660

To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tracks4africa/01ae4621-9680-4162-8162-09377682c651n%40googlegroups.com.