garmin 390 - 395 LM OR 590 - 595 LM zumo series

MileEater

Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Messages
159
Age
61
Location
Ontario, Canada
Bike
2005 ST 1300
Hello ya all,

Who here is using the basecamp software and the new garmin 390 - 395 LM OR, 590 - 595 LM zumo series.

Pros and cons of above?
 
I have the 590, and I'm using Basecamp. The 590 doesn't work with Mapsource. I haven't tried any other alternatives. Basecamp isn't very easy to use, but after using it for, what, four years, I have a better feel for what I can and cannot do with it. The biggest issue I run into is, when I create a route in Basecamp and subsequently load it onto the 590, the routing in the 590 of my loaded route is usually changed from what I had in Basecamp. I have learned that this is due to how the Garmin 590 (and all of Garmins GPS units) calculates/recalculates the routing info., as compared to how Basecamp calculates the route. So, I've learned to be very specific in the routing in Basecamp, by inserting many way-points along my desired route. This helps to prevent the Garmin 590 from "automatically" recalculating the route to its preference.

The upside of Basecamp is, I can easily load a route onto either the SD card or the internal 590 memory.
 
Another option (though a bit more work) is a program like GPSBABEL (free) that converts from pretty much any GPS Mapping software to another. Or an older version of MS Streets & Trips that outputs GPX files that the GARMINS can import. I believe some folks have used TYRE as their route planning also.
 
While not precisely answering your question I use Microsoft Streets and Trips for making up routes. I have been using that software for awhile. the last version is 2013 and it was available several months ago on Amazon. Don't know about now.

Since the GPS re-routes the route anyway, you just have to put enough "stops" into Streets and Trips to make sure you go the roads you want. I will continue to use S&T for several yeas because it is so much easier than base camp.

I save the files in GPX and transfer to my 665.
 
I have a Zumo 590 (as well as a 660 on my other bike), and I use BaseCamp.

I wasn't too happy about being forced to go over to BaseCamp - this because MapSource, the predecessor of BaseCamp, does not support the 590 - but after having used BaseCamp for about a year now, I've pretty much figured out how it works. BaseCamp is not one of those applications that you can figure out by intuition, but once you do get it figured out (in my case by watching videos that other users had put on YouTube), it's pretty easy to use, and certainly more powerful than MapSource.

I'm happy with the Zumo 590. The thing was dreadfully expensive, but it is really easy to see in bright sunlight, does its calculations and screen re-draws very quickly, and the Bluetooth, tire pressure monitoring, and phone integration all works well.

Another forum member mentioned (above) problems with the route changing a bit when the route is exported from BaseCamp to the GPS device - this problem can be overcome by ensuring that you are using the same version of the map on both devices, and/or by selecting the option to 'export shaping points' when you export a route from the computer to the device.

All in all, I am satisfied with both BaseCamp and the 590.

If you are in the Toronto area, send me a PM, you can come and look at the setup on my ST1300 and I will give you a quick introduction to BaseCamp.

Michael
 
So if the 590 only works with Basecamp, is it also true you cannot import a .gpx or .gpd from any other source, or like with the 550, shared from an SD card? In other words, are we absolutely forced to use Basecamp?
 
RaYzerman said:
...is it also true you cannot import a .gpx or .gpd from any other source...
Click to expand...

My experience has been that BaseCamp can open both of the above file types. For example, using BaseCamp, I can open files I created back in 2001 using MapSource.

You are forced to use BaseCamp with the 590, not because of file type associations, but because MapSource doesn't work with the 590.

It's a bit of a nuisance to transition from MapSource to BaseCamp, especially if you are proficient with MapSource, but it's not an insurmountable problem. See my remarks in post #5 above.

Michael
 
RaYzerman said:
So if the 590 only works with Basecamp, is it also true you cannot import a .gpx or .gpd from any other source, or like with the 550, shared from an SD card? In other words, are we absolutely forced to use Basecamp?
Click to expand...
I see no reason why the 590 would not be able to open a gpx (regardless of what program it was created in) file that was copied to an SD card but then I don't own one...yet.
 
Thanks.... back to the 550 where you can 'share' a route by saving it to the SD card, then take the SD card to the next 550...... is that still possible with the 590?
If Basecamp is the only program the 590 will communicate with, I guess that means other programs like GPS Babel, or others that create .gpx, are not going to work...... in other words, that means Garmin has determined that you WILL like Basecamp or else?
I really should get on the Zumo forums..... I'm trying to like the 590 (when the price comes down a bit more)........ the 550 though still plugs along as a very functional unit.
 
Ray I have the Nav V, which is basically a 590 in a different box, and I have loaded GPX files that you shared on this forum without issue. I don't know what software you used to create the files but whatever it is it worked. The way I did it was connect the Nav to my computer and then drag your file to the GPX folder on the Nav V. Next time I started the Nav it says there are new routes to import and asks if I want to, it then lets you select the routes you want to import.

I never used any other navigation software other Basecamp so I can't really comment on if it is easier or harder than previous software but I have found it to be pretty straight forward.

Gerhard
 
I have pretty much used MapSource for all my routes, so it all starts out as a Garmin format (.gpd). I just save them with MapSource as .gpx as well for those who need .gpx. However, who knows if Nav V has the same software or if Garmin tailor-made it for BMW units. I understand John's test of Google maps creation/translation, not sure if a MapSource created file would behave similarly. It's all interesting....
 
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