Anyone Using a Garmin XT?

[Willsmotorcycle]

Separate question. If I want coordinates for my current location, on my 650s I just touch the screen and the information comes right up and allows me to save it. It doesn't work that way with the XT. Is there a way to get current location coordinates on the XT?

IIRC from Home Screen, “track” shows a compass and coordinates and other data if “tracking”.

 

[jfheath]

3 ways spring to mind.

1. Tap the Map. A Blue flag appears (or not). The map changes to an 'uncluttered' view. (If no flag appeared, tap the map again at the point that you want.) Tap the white bar at the bottom.
This shows the coordinates and other details and options about the point as shown below. This method has the advantage of being able to provide coordinates of any point on the map, not just the current location.





2. Use the "Trip Data" display at the side of the screen (landscape view) and configure one of the four 'buttons' to show the current location.




3. Exactly as posted by WIllsMotorcycles to show the current location

from Home Screen, “track” shows a compass and coordinates and other data if “tracking”.

 

[jfheath]

A brief Resume of the good and interesting features of the XT

• Very bright screen.
• Can navigate routes with spoken directions
• Can follow tracks with assitance to show distance and direction to closest point, if you deviate
• Can convert a track into a 'trip' and follow it with spoken directions, will not alter the original, but it will navigate you to the closest point
• Free 'Drive' App links smartphone to Zumo for weather, traffic, various notifications from phone (optional and configurable)
• Ability to email gpx files to the XT via the smartphone. Or drag and drop if using an Ios / android smart device for route planning (eg MRA)
• Built in track recorder (in addition to automatic track logging from earlier Zumos).
• MP3 Player will access MP3 files stored on XT. Also access to extrenal files via Bluetooth.
• PhotoLive images of major junctions on route ahead - see traffic build up.
• Ability to display 3D mapping with satellite imagery.
• The ability to group tracks, routes, Waypoints together into collections and then turn on just the resources you need for one days ride. Helps to keep the screen free of yesterday's clutter.
• When starting a route, the XT has the option of choosing the next destination (from a list of any via points int he route). But it also has 'Closest Entry Point'. Which measn it will find the point on the route that is closest to your current position, plot a route to that closest point and then follow all of the shaping points and via points in order. This is a brilliant feature which means that no matter what the XT throws at you, you can stop the route and restart it, selecting Closest Entry Point.
• Will link to and synchronise with routes, tracks and waypoints created on the Garmin Explore website and Apps.
• Has built in speakers as well as BT audio in and out.
• Switches between landscape and portrait automatically as the unit is rotated.
• Configurable displays and controls on the side of the screen .

At additional cost

• Control wireless camera
• Control Garmin's Power Switch to control power to accessories
• Links with Garmin's InReach device - for two way text messaging, satellite tracking, Interactive SOS. Intended for off road users out of range of phone signals.

'Interesting' features

• Routing seems to require many more shaping points to force routing along the roads you wish to ride.
• 'Faster' routing seems to be achieved by heading for major roads - which may result in a longer time as it may detour to the nearest major road, rather than taking a perfectly good B road.
• It is more likely to recalculate the original route than previous Zumos. It monitors riding style, traffic info (which it can obtain without a smartphone), riding history. Now if it recalculates, it will recalculate every section of route between routing points rater than just the current section. This can take some getting used to.
• Garmin have an on-line mapping roesource - which is nothing like as good as Basecamp or MRA (in my opinion). But it will synchronise almost immediately with the Zumo XT. Put a waypoint onto the Explore site. It appears in the XT Favourites - with the same coloured icons that were used on Explore. The PC based version doesn not yet follow roads, but you can build routes with straight lines, which the XT can process and navigate. The ios and android app versions can now follow roads (and tracks and footpaths) - so you have to be careful with that.
• There are circumstances where the XT can tie itself in knots wif you deviate from the plotted route. In certain circumstances it will insist on going back to the place that you left the route. In other situations it does what I expect - finds a new way to get to the next route point.
• The screen can become very touch sensitive - especially when it gets hot. It may react to your finger before you touch, or it may react to raindrops. For me this has happened a few times, but senstitivity is reduced when the units gets into cooler air, and raindrop issues often seem to be caused by a dirty screen or too many raindrops on the screen. Not a single drop. I have had no problems with the XT mounted on the dash under the screen.
• My experience that BT music from phone is not reliable - it became choppy and kept breaking off. It might have been rogue conenctions from nearby cars. But I stopped using it. The built in MP3 player produces crisp clear sound and you have full control over it. Controls can be shown at the side of the map.

What has disappeared.

• Spotify is no longer available as an app. It stopped working on the 595 and was never fixed.
• Live tracking. The 595 had the ability to send a trace of your progress via your smartphone to a website, which you could share with friend and family. This is not available on the XT, but I am told it is possible if you purchase an InReach device and subscription.
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Cables. There are no input, output, charging cables connected to the XT mount. All connections are implemented using BlueTooth. This means if you have a wired headset, like autocom, you need a BlueTooth Module that can provide stereo out put and microhone input. The Autocom BTM03 is pretty good.
• All phone controls are transferred to the XT - as in earlier Zumos. The Zumo has to be at the centre of the connected devices. If you want rider to pillion and rider to everything else, then I believe that you need a dual channel headset to allow this to happen.

Do I like it ? Yes I do. There are certain behaviours that I would not trust in an area compeltely unknown to me. But it has so many ways of helping that I can live with it.
So now, I plote a route, and I also create a track of the same route. I load them both intot he Zumo and display them both att he same time. If I deviate fromt he route, and the recalculation seems weird, I can follow the track instead.

Did I nearly throw it in the bin ? Oh yes.
Is it still mounted on my bike? Yes it is. But so is my mount for the 590/5 - but I have stopped taking that with me now. I know how to make the XT give me the help that I want.

 

[bdalameda]

A brief Resume of the good and interesting features of the XT

• Very bright screen.
• Can navigate routes with spoken directions
• Can follow tracks with assitance to show distance and direction to closest point, if you deviate
• Can convert a track into a 'trip' and follow it with spoken directions, will not alter the original, but it will navigate you to the closest point
• Free 'Drive' App links smartphone to Zumo for weather, traffic, various notifications from phone (optional and configurable)
• Ability to email gpx files to the XT via the smartphone. Or drag and drop if using an Ios / android smart device for route planning (eg MRA)
• Built in track recorder (in addition to automatic track logging from earlier Zumos).
• MP3 Player will access MP3 files stored on XT. Also access to extrenal files via Bluetooth.
• PhotoLive images of major junctions on route ahead - see traffic build up.
• Ability to display 3D ampping with satellite imagery.
• The ability to group tracks, routes, Waypoints together into collections and then turn on just the resources you need for one days ride. Helps to keep the screen free of yesterday's clutter.
• When starting a route, the XT has the option of choosing the next destination (from a list of any via points int he route). But it also has 'Closest Entry Point'. Which measn it will find the point on the route that is closest to your current position, plot a route to that closest point and then follow all of the shaping points and via points in order. This is a brilliant feature which means that no matter what the XT throws at you, you can stop the route and restart it, selecting Closest Entry Point.

At additional cost

• Control wireless camera
• Control Garmin's Power Switch to control power to accessories
• Links with Garmin's InReach device - for two way text messaging, satellite tracking, Interactive SOS. Intended for off road users out of range of phone signals.

'Interesting' features

• Routing seems to require many more shaping points to force routing along the roads you wish to ride.
• 'Faster' routing seems to be achieved by heading for major roads - which may result in a longer time as it may detour to the nearest major road, rather than taking a perfectly good B road.
• It is more likely to recalculate the original route than previous Zumos. It monitors riding style, traffic info (which it can obtain without a smartphone), riding history. Now if it recalculates, it will recalculate every section of route between routing points rater than just the current section. This can take some getting used to.
• Garmin have an on-line mapping roesource - which is nothing like as good as Basecamp or MRA (in my opinion). But it will synchronise almost immediately with the Zumo XT. Put a waypoint onto the Explore site. It appears in the XT Favourites - with the same coloured icons that were used on Explore. The PC based version doesn not yet follow roads, but you can build routes with straight lines, which the XT can process and navigate. The ios and android app versions can now follow roads (and tracks and footpaths) - so you have to be careful with that.
• There are circumstances where the XT can tie itself in knots wif you deviate from the plotted route. In certain circumstances it will insist on going back to the place that you left the route. In other situations it does what I expect - finds a new way to get to the next route point.
• The screen can become very touch sensitive - especially when it gets hot. It may react to your finger before you touch, or it may react to raindrops. For me this has happened a few times, but senstitivity is reduced when the units gets into cooler air, and raindrop issues often seem to be caused by a dirty screen or too many raindrops on the screen. Not a single drop. I have had no problems with the XT mounted on the dash under the screen.

What has disappeared.

• Spotify is no longer available as an app. It stopped working ont he 595 and was never fixed.
• Live tracking. The 595 had the ability to send a trace of your progress via your smartphone to a website, which you could share with friend and family. This is not available on the XT, but I am told it is possible if you purchase an InReach device and subscription.
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Cables. There are no input, output, charging cables connected to the XT mount. All connections are implemented using BlueTooth. This means if you have a wired headset, like autocom, you need a BlueTooth Module that can provide stereo out put and microhone input.
• All phone controls are transferred to the XT - as in earlier Zumos. The Zumo has to be at the centre of the connected devices. If you want rider to pillion and rider to everything else, then I believe that you need a dual channel headset to allow this to happen.

Do I like it ? Yes I do. There are certain behaviours that I would not trust in an area compeltely unknown to me. But it has so many ways of helping that I can live with it.
So now, I plote a route, and I also create a track of the same route. I load them both intot he Zumo and display them both att he same time. If I deviate fromt he route, and the recalculation seems weird, I can follow the track instead.

Did I nearly throw it in the bin ? Oh yes.
Is it still mounted on my bike. Yes it is. (But so is my mount for the 590/5). I have stopped taking that with me now. I know how to make the XT give me the help that I want.

Nice write-up
I think you can put the Spotify on your phone and then listen through the XT to your headset. I do this with Sirius XM - I use the app on my IPhone and it works fine through the XT.

 

[Grabcon]

One of my other bits of handiwork might become useful - after you get the hardware working.

Zumo XT and Basecamp - Everything That You Need to Know

A series of detailed, illustrated notes that I have put together from my use of the XT. Links to the various sections are given below, and you can navigate b…

www.zumouserforums.co.uk

You may need to set up an account. Since I'm a moderator, if you use your same name that you use on STOwners, it'll help me to recognise you !

One of my other bits of handiwork might become useful - after you get the hardware working.

Zumo XT and Basecamp - Everything That You Need to Know

A series of detailed, illustrated notes that I have put together from my use of the XT. Links to the various sections are given below, and you can navigate b…

www.zumouserforums.co.uk

You may need to set up an account. Since I'm a moderator, if you use your same name that you use on STOwners, it'll help me to recognise you !

jfheath, this is a pretty good site with a lot of good info. Thanks for the link

 

[amorley]

I have succeeded in Basecamp "seeing" my Zumo XT on my new 14" MacBook Pro M1 Max. Up unitil today, while Garmin Express would see and update the Zumo XT on the MacBook M1, Basecamp would not. I had to transfer my routes to my PC and to update the Zumo XT

This is the configuration

• 14" MacBook Pro M1 Max with MacOS Ventura 13.0.1
• Basecamp ver 4.8.11
• Zumo XT software version 6.5
• Zumo XT connected directly to USB-C port on MacBook with a USB-C to USB convertor

1. Quit Garmin Explorer
2. Start Basecamp
3. Plug-in Zumo XT
4. WAIT! It can take a minute or more for the Zumo XT to connect and open in Basecamp
5. Once you have transfere your routes, there is no eject command in Basecamp with the Zumo XT. Just unplug it.

Be happy!

 

[ST-Traveler]

So I just updated my XT to City Navigator 2024 and was informed there is also a 6 GB update available for the Topo maps.
Is there a good reason to update the "TOPO" maps if I am only planning on using the paved roads?

 

[Sadlsor]

Just to throw a wrench in things...

New Garmin XT2

 

[Daboo]

So my riding buddy got frustrated with his Tom Tom and decided to try out using a small tablet for a GPS. On our last ride, it did perfectly. In his case, it was an old tablet, but even new Chinese models can be found on Amazon for between $50-70. I think if I needed to replace my Zumo XT, I'd look into that.

Chris

 

[ST-Traveler]

So I just updated my XT to City Navigator 2024 and was informed there is also a 6 GB update available for the Topo maps.
Is there a good reason to update the "TOPO" maps if I am only planning on using the paved roads?

Bump... anybody know?

 

[sky.high]

Bump... anybody know?

Topo maps are much use when sticking to pavement

 

[STRider]

Just to throw a wrench in things...

New Garmin XT2

I hate you

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Is there a good reason to update the "TOPO" maps if I am only planning on using the paved roads?

If the XT handles the maps the same way as the Zumo 550 and 660 does, I would delete them if you are never going to use them. I would sometimes use them to look for mountainous areas or roads in an area with greater elevation changes because these are more fun for motorcycling. You can do that on your computer at home as part of your trip planning much more easily however.

I deleted them off of the GPS all together to free up some much needed memory. If they were included in your original license when you purchased the GPS, you should be able to reload them in the future if you ever want them. This is what I did.

Caveat:
I write the above based on my experience with Zumo 550 and 660 GPS's, on which I would delete and reload topo maps as I wanted or didn't want them. I have no idea if the way that the XT handles maps is any different.

 

[ST-Traveler]

Thanks,
I was kind of thinking the same but since all updates are free with the XT, wanted some input from other users on what they think about the situation.
The update is 6-GB and not sure if it was needed to support the other map -- city navigator 2024?
I appreciate any and all input I can get.

 

[Shuey]

So . . . the unwanted map data, how to delete them off the XT and Basecamp on the computer. I'm thinking I don't need the topos nor the National Parks maps.

Shuey