Living With The Garmin Zumo Xt2

Discussion in 'Clothing, Gadgets & Equipment' started by Android853sp, Sep 16, 2024.

  1. Got there in the end.
    Not the way Garmin said.
    Only took half a day. Had to download Europe again..
     
  2. Glad you got it sorted in the end. I totally agree with you that the Garmin software (especially on a Mac) is rubbish.

    I use MRA for all my planning now and just use Garmin Drive to transfer the gpx files to the Garmin
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. Yes, mra works well. In fact I already had a route on there, which looked all present and correct….until I clicked update!
    In many ways Garmin operate like Microsoft used to with Windows. As in, not actually new versions, just patches on patches, on patches. Until they have built in so many problems you spend half of your time removing the last (latest, fix-all) patch to make it work again.
    Tbh, why I now use Mac. Not that I think too much of Apple either. But it is more reliable.

    Garmin though, and to an extent Tomtom. Their hardware is antiquated and over priced. If you consider a fairly cheap and basic smart phone will run a satnav programme. Only issues being screen brightness in bright light and heat from charging. Both of which would be an easy fix in a bespoke unit that is running solely navigation…
    The software side of things, Tomtom is more reliable and less prone to complete failure after updates. Garmin has (imo) a better user interface when operating the unit on the bike.
    I dont feel that either manufacturer cares too much about the customer, with Garmin being especially poor in sending out products knowing there will be issues with required updates.

    If I was buying a unit to mount on the bike and set off a few days later to Europe, it would be the Tomtom. Because it is simpler to set up, update, and less likely to have connectivity issues for essential operating updates. Fortunately, as an ex Garmin user I gave myself just over a month.

    A shout out for the Tomtom app on the phone. i still have it, it is excellent. Mra routes download and are usable/accurate. But which phone you use and ambient temperature can affect (phone) performance..
     
  4. Not tempted by a CarPlay unit then? All the benefits of choosing which navigation app you fancy using, plus the bright, readable screen and no overheating issues.
     
  5. No. Because it relies on the phone. If I am carrying two items then I want them to be independent of each other. I tend to do long trips and need reliability with peace of mind. Phone issue = carplay issue. Maybe a bit overkill on my part, but the carplay unit is a display only, the phone is still doing the donkey work, so charging and heating can still be an issue..
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  6. Absolutely. Single point failure is, IMO, a recipe for anxiety and frustration, both of which you don’t need when riding a motorcycle. I bit the bullet several months ago and bought MRA Lifetime and whilst I’m not totally convinced about using it on a phone, the 4 routes I planned for our Scotland trip, transferred to the XT2 and worked well, except for a couple of road closures with detours from hell. Andy
     
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  7. I have tried many versions of navs and apps over the years. Went away one year with only a Nokia (remember them?) that had navigation on it. Worked fine the first day…then it didnt. Screwed.
    Had Garmin pack in, Garmin that would not switch on or find satellites. Taking an hour of switching on and off, and rebooting whilst riding…not good. Had smart phones overheat, including frying the internals on one on BMW connected cradle. Tomtom rider that thought it was funny to take you down every gravel track in Spain, sometimes with a missing bridge meaning u-turns. Someone needs to explain to them what motorcyclists mean by ‘curvy roads’ !
    Some weird navigational choices with Garmin, Tomtom and GMaps….where the nav is telling you to turn down a side road, you sit there and look at it and think…nah, fcuk that, ignore it!

    Had a strange one in Germany recently. Me with Tomtom app, mate with Garmin, same route downloaded from MRA.
    His would route, my Tomtom app would not. The reason became clear when we followed his Garmin, right to the road closure. Tomtom app is live and ‘knew’ the route was closed…all a learning curve!

    As to routing. My best advice and best results have come from lots of ‘accurate’ waypoints. Make sure they are on the correct side of the road, not side roads. Can be really useful to force the nav to avoid certain sections on the route, and importantly force it on to the sections of road you do want.
     
  8. Yep I agree. Make your first waypoint 50 away from the hotel so it doesn’t keep trying to turn you round and then another WP 1km after every big junction to ensure you are on the right road.

    Those road closures are a PIA and often require a lot of ‘skip waypoint’ prodding!
     
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