Garmin GPS Tips & Tricks
During our recent SR!
tours of Oregon, a number of riders had issues reading their GPS
files. If you've been navigating routes with a Garmin GPS for a
number of years, perhaps we won't be telling you anything new here,
but if you're new to GPS, you may find this helpful.
Frustration #1 - When I load a
route into the GPS, all I see are the waypoints and not the route
lines.
Solution A
- Garmin has done a remarkable job of lowering the prices on their
GPSs in order to compete in the auto market. Today you can get a Nuvi for just $139. But it won't allow you to upload and read
routes. Not just yet. None of Garmin's lines (Nuvi, 60C, eTrex
etc...) other than the Zumo line will route until you spend more
money and purchase a version of their high-end MapSource
 Software
such as City Navigator or Topo, which will run you $139. You thought
you were getting a deal and in fact you still are. A GPS that allows
uploaded routes to be read for under $300? That's a bargain
considering it was much more a decade ago when all this GPS hoopla
began.
The route lines should follow the road in both your
MapSource software as well as in your GPS.
Once you get the
software, you must download it onto your computer, register and unlock it,
then upload the detailed map sets you need into your GPS. Now you
can read a route someone else has created.
And don't be fooled
when Garmin tells you that the GPS comes with all the maps loaded
already. That may be so, but until you pay the additional rate, you
will not be able unlock your units ability to read custom routes.
RIGHT CLICK HERE
to download our test route to your desktop. Then upload it into your
GPS. If you can only see the waypoints, you need to complete the
process explained above.
Solution B
- Zumo owners read this. When you are provided a route (like the one
you can download above) you must import the "custom route" before
you can read it. If you do not, all you will see are straight lines
leading from one waypoint to another. Once imported, the route
should be visible under:
tools/custom routes
Frustration #2 - The GPS told me
to turn down a walking trail and I don't want to go that way.
When individuals
create custom routes, they do it with one of two routing preference
options provided in the MapSource Software, 'Fastest' or 'Shortest'.
If I create the route using the 'Fastest' and your GPS has a routing
preference set at 'Shortest,' then it's anyone's guess where you're
going to wind up next. This usually makes for some good storytelling
later in the day. But if you want to be sure you're going where
you're supposed to go, be sure to check with the route provider as
to which preference was used in creating the custom route.
Zumo/Nuvi: tools/settings/navigation/route preference
Others: setup/routing/follow road method
Frustration #3 - I got to the
National Park entrance and the GPS told me to make a U-turn rather
than continue into the park.
Garmin's latest
firmware provides for 'Seasonal Closures' and knows many roads that
are closed in the winter. Look through your routing options and
remove the checkmark for seasonal closures under 'Avoidances' in
your navigation options. In fact, if you're going to be using
someone else's route, uncheck all the avoidances.
Zumo/Nuvi: tools/settings/navigation/avoidances
Others: setup/routing/follow road options
Frustration #4 - I pulled out for
gas and my GPS re-routed me. Thus I missed all the cool stuff.
Most Garmin units ship
with 'Recalculation Mode' set to 'Auto' which will screw up a
perfectly good route just about every time you get off it. In
motorcycle touring, getting off the route is common, so don't let
your GPS throw you for a loop (sometimes literally). Instead, change
the setting from 'Auto' to 'Off' (my preference) or 'Prompted' which
will advise you you are off the route.
Zumo/Nuvi: tools/settings/navigation/recalculation mode
Others: setup/routing/follow road options/off route calculation
Frustration #5 - Someone has
played a rotten trick on me and set the verbal commands in my Zumo from English
to Cantonese. Now I'm totally lost.
Someone in your party
knows how to use your GPS better than you. Visit:
Zumo/Nuvi: tools/settings/language/voice
and choose the
language character that is more to your liking.
And remember - you're
on a motorcycle ride. Listening to your GPS, music and other
distracting noises (like that 102 db loud pipe in front of you) takes
away from the concentration you need to ride your bike the best you
can. Consider disabling the voice commands all together.
Frustration #6 - My GPS memory is
full - Now what?
Time to clean it out. It's a good idea to start each ride
with a clean GPS memory. Using City Navigator, open a blank file.
Connect your GPS to your computer with a USB Cable. Download all
your tracks, routes and waypoints from your unit. Then save the file
with a name like "JUL11 Dump." Now load just the routes,
tracks and waypoints you need for the next journey.
Frustration #7 - My maps are out of
date.
With your GPS plugged into your
computer, go to the Garmin website and download the tool that will
sniff both your software and GPS to see what version maps you have.
If they are out of date, update them. If they ask you to pay to do
that, buy the Lifetime subscription which only costs a few dollars
more. You can roll it over to another unit later if you upgrade.
While you're at it, have the site
check your firmware and upgrade that as well if needed. That's free.
Frustration #8 - I created a route,
but it didn't route as planned when I hit the road.
Depending on what software and unit
you use this can happen, and when it does it's not nice. To insure
you know what the original route you planned in the computer is, use
a third party software like WinGDB to rip your routes to tracks
(with a max of 500 track points).
Then be sure to upload those into your GPS at the same time you
upload the routes. Color code your new tracks differently from the
routes. If the routes are magenta, use blue for the tracks. When
there's a difference in the routing, you'll know just by looking and
can follow the track rather than the changed route.
Beginning in August 2011, all the GPS
file disc we create now have both routes and tracks included.
Got more confusion about GPS?
Email
us your questions and perhaps we'll run a part two.
SR!/Summer '10, updated Summer '11 |
