Garmin Zumo 550 and creating routes on PC

[_Stretchie_]

Ay up

Got me a Zumo 550. Only used it in the car and so far the only bad thing about it is that the car cradle is not fantastic because it falls off the window after a while and the screen could do with having more than two info fields.

Anyhoo, who has a Garmin and of you who creates routes using your PC and then zaps them over to your Zumo to follow a specific route, e.g. a rideout around the Lakes (maybe the AR route Vox?? You had one of these on your bike didn't you?)

I find google maps (NOT GOOGLE EARTH) easiest for creating a route as you can add destinations and drag and drop parts of the route to deflect it around what ever you want to. You can then open it in Google earth to save it as a .kml or .kmz file but then what? How do you then make it a .GPX?? file for your Zumo?

Once this has been done do you have to open it in the Map Source program on 'Send to device'? or do you attache the Zumo via the cable and sent it over as a file/put it on an SD card

Ta kids

[maviczap]

Don't know if my Zumo 400 will do this, so I'm waiting to see what replies you get on how to do it.

Then I'll give it a bash on mine, which will come in handy, as I know SvRich wasn't able to do this with his TomTom on our Spring rideout. He spent hours trying

[the_lone_wolf]

I think you'll have to import the google file into Mapsource before you send it to the device

Thread here:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138479

After that you need to connect your Zumo and go to "Send to Device" - check the option for "routes" and it should send it to your GPS unit

After that when you switch on your Zumo you will get a screen saying new data found, import it and then the route should be in the menu

[Supervox]

For the AR route all I did was enter as Waypoints the start and finish of each section; then do a 'from (a) to (b) route' then finally use the arrow tool to drag the route to the actual roads I wanted to follow.

I haven't a clue how to import GoogleMaps into the Zumo - sorry !

[_Stretchie_]

Originally Posted by Supervox

For the AR route all I did was enter as Waypoints the start and finish of each section; then do a 'from (a) to (b) route' then finally use the arrow tool to drag the route to the actual roads I wanted to follow.

I haven't a clue how to import GoogleMaps into the Zumo - sorry !

So you did that in the MapSource software? I've tried that but could drag anything, all it did was give me a highlight box..

Tyre is what you want: http://www.janboersma.nl/gett/index.php It works for TomTom and Garmin and uses Google Maps.

[embee]

I've only done routes using Mapsource. It isn't the most intuitive prog to use, but will do it well once you get used to it. In simplest terms.....

Select "route" tool, left click once on start point, left click on next waypoint, so on to the end. Move the cursor away from the map area and select another tool (hand etc), or it just wants more route points from the cursor.

To modify (drag) the route, select the "selection" tool (arrow), left click once on the route and it will change colour (pink to yellow), then left click once (and release) on the point you want to drag, the "rubber band" then attaches to the two surrounding waypoints and you pull the point to where you want it, left click to stick it down and the route will recalculate.

One tip is to make sure you have the same preferences/avoidances selected in Mapsource and on your Zumo, otherwise it might do strange things on recalculating. Another is to be particularly careful about selecting waypoints on dual carriageways, if you get the wrong carriageway it will send you round the houses to get there. Zoom right in close to be sure.

Save the route, you can select where you save it on your PC.

Select "Transfer" and "send to device" with your Zumo connected. When you next fire up the Zumo, it should prompt you to import the new file. All a bit clunky for my liking, but it does work.

The Zumo forum is very useful for all this sort of stuff
http://www.zumoforums.com/index.php

[_Stretchie_]

Cheers guys, been playing with it tonight and it's not that bad now I'm getting used to it, using the + and - buttons for zooming in and out and ctrl+w to add a new waypoint where the mouse cursor is.

Just need to practice the transferring it to the Zumo and following it. I see your point about the preferences and will keep an eye on it. Just need to get the mount fixed and the power soted out.

Have tried the RAM mount supplied to attach it to the clutch fixing but it sticks out like a sore thumb but need to ride with it on to see what it's like.

[maviczap]

I'm going to get one of these for my Sv, which does away with most of the supplied Garmin RAM mount.

Dicky Ticker has one fitted to his Trumpet

http://telferizer.com/

I would highly recommend them and it is easy to put the power feed from the battery along the inside of the chassis under the tank with only the connecting piece secured with a cable tie round the bottom of the mount post-------------Simples---neat and unobtrusive