The Garmin does do what you want. You just didn't do it the way Garmin made it work. When you load your route on the Zumo 590/595 you select the first waypoint, not the end destination. Then it will route through them in order. They did it this way so that if you deviate from your route, you can always select a waypoint so that you can pick your route back up.
I use Mapsource or Basecamp, putting waypoints along the way. The Zumo routes me perfectly, waypoint to waypoint from start of the ride to the finish. Just came home yesterday from a 5,000 mile trip to Glacier National Park. The zumo routed me along my pre-programmed routes flawlessly. BaseCamp is very powerful and has a steeper learning curve than MapSource, but both worked.
Thanks for this tip Jim B, I just recently upgraded from a Zumo 660 and was having similar problems, but with your simple tip I am now optimistic of this unit which I am very happy with in other respects will now work for me 100%
I have a Garmin Zumo and have experienced the same issues. Base Camp is a debacle. I love the comments that say I shouldn't expect it to be this intuitive. It can and should be intuitive, like you say very well. I shouldn't have to watch videos and google to use this feature. I don't think it is unreasonable in this day and age to expect a web-based map sourcing program that can connect seamlessly and wirelessly with my motorcycle GPS. It used to be that we had a Palm Pilot, Phone and GPS. Now it's down to 2 and soon will be 1 but we are not there yet unfortunately. I've owned several Garmins over 10 years of motorcycling and Garmin is off track in my opinion. Anyway, thank you for the great review as always and please keep up the good work!
I have had the Garmin Zumo for 4 years. You are absolutely right on your comment about the loaded trips. You can load a predetermined route but If, for any reason deviate from this route, then the device does not get you back to this initial route but it does recalculate a completely new route to get you to your destination. This has happened to me in every single trip that I designed in my pc. It was impossible to get back to the original route. if you have any comments on the tomtom I would like to hear them
There is a video on here showing how to get google maps into a Zumo 590, done by Jo Byrne (I think that's his name) looks complicated but it works. I had a Zumo 550 which used the older route planning software that was far easier to use and Garmin changed it to Basecamp a few years ago ( not very easy to use until you have some experience with it. I upgraded to the Zumo 590lm and was initially very disappointed (no security screw to lock it in the mount / no PIN number to prevent just anyone using it / more complicated menus) However it does work really well. In your video you mention starting a Scotland route and it asking you where do you want to start. It does this because you are not at the start point, and the answer is the first point it mentions and then it will run the route from there no problems. A small tip is if you import a route and the device states something like, "route created on older maps, newer maps available, do you wish to recalculate?" ALWAYS SAY NO!
I'm thinking it could be a setting issue. I don't know how different the navigation software compared to Nuvi's are. When I create routes in BC I start out with one point at a time and make sure it is the road I want to be on and correct any swaying from one point to the next, then move on to the next point and so on until I am done creating my custom route. At this point I will check the map route in detail because I noticed that sometimes if you zoom in on the road and follow it from point to point you may find discrepancy's where it appears to look like it may have gone into a driveway or a "T" in the road that can mess your ride up and then you will have the device telling you to go back to that spot before it lets you continue. I had this happen to me on the road. I memorized the spot on the map then went back to BC to check what happened and sure enough it was there and needed to correct it. So my next step is to go the properties and see the list of all the points and rename them all e.g. START, POINT 2, POINT 3 and so on till END Point. remember to only rename the highlighted points not the via turns. So when you pull up the custom route on your device it will ask which point do you want to start your route (it will show you all your points in a list) pretty stupid if you ask me, I want to start from Start point of course so I click the first point because I named it START. This feature is only actually good if you happened to be casually near one on your custom routes and and want to go to it without going to the START POINT because your actually near one of your other points on your custom route e.g. you may be near POINT 4 as your closest point from where you are. Since I have done this I don't have any issues on my custom routes and it does not recalculate. I hope this helps. I am bidding on a Zumo 590LM as I write this comment. HD Ultra Limited Nuvi 2589LMT
Fantastic video, and thank you so much for the whole series! As a new Tracer owner I'm looking to do some touring this summer too. For GPS I have also been using my phone so far, and it's working pretty well so I've not been sure about using a dedicated GPS. This is the kind of review that is so important and cannot be found elsewhere very easily. So the features that have let you down would exactly be the ones I would want too. I have a Sony phone which is waterproof, so I'm not really worried about rain on the phone. I look forward to seeing your review of the TomTom when it arrives.
Thanks for doing this review, I was thinking of upgrading from my 660 not now. loading my own routs is one of the main reason i use a gps on a motorcycle. I cant believe garmin took that capability away doesn't make sense. 660, montana and even the older 60cx has the capability that you want and most of us want, to plan our own routs. Are you sure on the 590 you had rout recalculation mode set to off when you were using your custom routs?
I'm sure I did everything correctly. I also have a Garmin for my MTB and it has a similar setting menu, and there it worked fine. But the motorcycle version doesn't support it!
Like you I always make my routes in detail. When I switched from a zumo 550 to a new zumo, I discovered that the new zumos use totally different nüvi algoritms, causing problems like you describe. I discovered that it makes a big difference if you use "hard" or "soft" waypoints. Unlike you, I do not have the device asking me again and again for the next waypoint. I choose the next waypoint once and then it works fine. I also find that i have less problems if i convert a gpx route to a track in basecamp and export that to the device. I do have problems when i am off my route and want to continue my route. It asks what waypoint I want to go to, but often I do not know, because i don't remember what streetnames and crossings I have already passed. When I am riding a route, I always have recalculate off.
Thanks, you're just proving that I'm not crazy. The fact is that I'm a Garmin fan, and this zumo sucks. I'm using a TomTom now because Garmin f-ed up. Period.
Thanks for the input. I am in the market for a motorcycle GPS and I will definitely use your experiences to help me decide which I want. I have a tendency to buy the most expensive item and assume it will do what I want. I will have to do my research on this one and find a different device.
I recently bought a 595 as an upgrade for my 660. The only feature I have used with the 660 is loading GPX files that I have previously made on the laptop. Just follow the route, it was easy. Tried everything with the 595 but it does not work. Really disappointed with the 595. It is basically a brick to me...
I'm very surprised of this limitation of the Garmin unit. You saved me and others. By the time I figgered this out, it would have too late to return the unit.
I understand your concern about creating a route. I create on the devise NOT on the computer. I select starting and destination. While still on that page I select search again and ad VIA points. These VIA points do act like way points. I will select DONE and save this route, then when ever I want to ride the route I select it from the route storage. The frustration I have is that the devise will tell me I have a low battery if I remove it from the cradle. I design while sitting on the bike. Hope there is an answer to make the 590LM charge it's battery. Mike Hilton, Louisiana
The solution I use on my Garmin is that when I use a custom route, I simply deactivate the Automatic Recalculation Route on the GPS.. the downside is that if I take a wrong turn, it does not recalculate the way to get back to the route.
have you marked those intermediate points as shaping points? as by default all of them are stop over if you import them from google maps to gpx or simply when you use basecamp. Shaping points will cause navigation routing to stick to the route you planned but also will allow you to skip it if you took detour. It will not ask you to go back to ride it through. Stop over point will ask you to go through all of them and don't you dare missing one of them, otherwise you will have to return! 😀
+Pawel Kisiel I didn't, but that's the point: I don't have to do that with the TomTom or any other software, why is Garmin different (read: more difficult)?
Did it rain much on your tour with the TomTom? I've heard that (not sure if it's correct), someone complaining about rain on the screen being mistaken for finger presses causing problems?
Thanks, otherwise, have you been happy with the TomTom? Screen size, readability in sunlight and keeping you on your defined track or getting you back on it if you deviate from it?
The TomTom is good in all those aspects. The only thing I don't like is how late it gives the indications: sometimes it shows the junction still ahead and you already went by it. I make a lot more U-turns with the TomTom than I ever did because of how late it is to show your position. It's probably a matter of getting used to it, but I don't use it enough to "calibrate" my perception. I never have this issue when using my car navigation or my phone.
The trouble is that you've bought a very accomplished GPS device with a broad range of features. Garmin have, IMHO, given the the inherent complexity, made a good job of the UI and ability of the user to manage these. This will take a little time and effort to learn, even for seasoned Garmin users such as myself as the new UI brings benefits but is different to earlier models such as the Zumo 660. Contrary to your opinion I believe that Garmin have motorcyclists as part of the development team and the Zumo range does a fantastic job satisfying the needs of a diverse spectrum of users. Expecting to fit one of these to your bike and have immediate, first ride, satisfaction of your specific requirements without thoroughly investigating the depth of functionality is expecting too much. The breaking up of routes at each way-point is frustrating at the first encounter doesn't make sense. That's until you consider how routing has always meant to work with Garmins: Way-points are must visit places, not just convenient points to influence the path that your route follows. Your Garmin will insist that you visit these, which makes sense if you limit these to locations such as meeting points, food stops, hotels, ferry ports etc. It's also sort of logical to break the route up at these though making this optional might be advantageous I'll admit. On previous Garmins the segmenting of the route didn't occur and that worked well. However on the 590, and I presume later models, there is the ability to choose to view time to final destination or to the next way-point which is also a positive. Swings and roundabouts... There is a special type of way-point specifically intended as a means to influence the course of your route. This is called a shaping node and is one of the reasons why Garmins make a better GPS for the type of navigation that motorcyclist favour above any other. Traditionally these shaping nodes were only available if you used Mapsource or Basecamp so using a third party route planning app such as TYRE or ITN Converter meant that you were compelled to visit each way-point. On the 590 and other current Zumos allow you to convert, using the menus on the GPS, way-points into shaping nodes. Shaping nodes, older Zumos, were still announced as you passed over of near them despite this not being necessary. A few years ago Basecamp had an update that set these as silent, and also allowed way-points to be silenced, though the Garmins at that time didn't honour that setting. With the 590 and others of that generation this setting has come of age and does what it says. Shaping nodes, if routed around (not visited) whilst riding, might ask you to return to them once or twice but will give up and recalculate the route to the next shaping node or way-point on your route. Adding plenty of shaping nodes, especially as they are now silent, will maintain your route. You can add only 31 way-points to a route but you can add over 100, though that's majorly excessive, shaping nodes between each way-point. Changing way-points to shaping nodes on the 590 is achieved by loading your route in the 'Trip Planner' app, then in the menu (top left 'hamburger'), then 'Edit Destinations'. Now tap the orange flag, to the left side, of any of your way-points. A confirm prompt comes up, click 'Yes'. Once done converting click 'Save', you're done. You can also convert shaping nodes to way-points if you wish. The above functionality makes using third party route planning apps, or using routes created by others, a better experience. Bear in mind that third party route planning apps tend to use the Google Maps API and as such the coordinates of way-points may differ from those of the mapping data in you Zumo. I haven't had any on the road issues with that but reputedly it can happen and cause routing anomalies. Fairly new to the 590 myself, will add a video or two to my channel, including one on shaping nodes, once I get around to it.
That's all very nice, but reality is that I go online and download a GPX, and can't follow it with the Zumo! Even worse, it works perfectly well with my Edge! (bicycle navigation). So it's not me that can't use it, it's the device that doesn't support it!! And in my book, that's stupid.
I agree with both of you. It's nice to hear there is a workaround but in reality it should be simpler to import and follow a GPX file. I also have an Edge GPS for my bicycle and it's simple to import GPX files (although I have to turn off rerouting on that). The coding exists at Garmin to make this better and it is frustrating knowing that an expensive piece of equipment is lacking available functionality through a simple process. It must not be so simple since I haven't found a perfect unit yet. What's even worse to me is google maps is free and the maps are updated constantly (and we all have phones already). I've read that Garmin offers Lifetime maps on their MC GPS (not their Montana for some reason and not when you buy their maps on SD cards) but once the unit has passed their serviceable market life (not supported by Garmin), or the maps Garmin provides no longer work with your unit, then you can no longer get your lifetime map updates and you must buy a new unit. They want to keep that buying cycle going....but I digress...
It works perfectly on my new 590LM. Only thing i find annoying, is if you start in the middle of a route - then you have to tell it which route point it should begin start navigating from. On my old 765 it would just continue from the point i reached first - the 590LM will navigate to the first point in the route, even you are much closer to one in the middle. Very annoying and should be fixed by Garmin.
The best GPS is you. On trips to the eastern USA, I normally lead other riders based on my memory of Google Maps. I get lost less than 10% of the times but when this happens, I either wave a fellow rider with GPS to confirm the next turn or we all stop, take a break, and figure out the correct route. I'm not criticizing you at all. These problems with Garmin GPS are why I have never invested in a motorcycle GPS. My point is getting lost and finding your way is part of the adventure. Strangers in cars will often stop and offer assistance. We may ask them for directions or locations of nearest gas station or great place to eat. It's all part of the journey. One of friends has the Garmin Zumo 660 and it doesn't have this problem but I understand your situation.
I have owned the Zumo 660 for over 3 years and it has the same problems that Critical Rider said about making your own routes. The Zumo will always recalculate and mess up the route I made in Garmin Basecamp. It also has the same problem if I create the route in the GPS as well. I am going to research the Tom Tom.
I use 660 with pre planned routs using base camp or map source works fine. are you sure you have recalculation mode turned off if not thats why your losing your preplanned custom routs.
well, you certainly started a debate there! I'm familiar with planning routes but trying to get my 595 to stick to them is proving difficult. The 595 is trying to do to much for too many, they need one that works like a yacht GPS, that just follows the pins and leaves a trail to follow on your return. I hate Garmin with a passion. Why did I buy another?
you absolutely can follow the route u want. 1. disable "recalculate route" in German version "Neuberechnung ausschalten"... than the device stops crashing your routes. 2. the question for the starting point is easy to handle. Select your route and choose: s.th. live "preview". than navigate manually until you are on the track. Than start the route and select the last point of the assorted samples
i have just watched this video with much interest.I have a zumo 660 wich i have had for a few years and used all over europe with no problems.As you say you can plan a route on map scorce and it will take you there .I moved up to this from streepilot 111 and it was great.But alas the Zumo 660 has developed fault and now is no good.So what to do next is a problem i thought the 590 LM would be the obvious move but judging what you say i think not.Oh and by the way i cant get it repaired.Thanks for the video i certainly learned somthing i needed to know.
Yes, the TomTom is working perfectly like I want it. I design my route and save in GPX, load to the TomTom, and it just follows the route perfectly as I designed. Very good.
Yes, although they recently changed their software and I had to spend an hour trying to figure out how to work around their changes. It's amazing how these companies just don't get the concept of "keep it simple, stupid!"
I think you're doing something wrong. If you start a route, its always asking you where you want to start it. Just select the first waypoint (this is the starting point of your route). The rest is automatic, its guiding you through al of the points you've made.
But it didn't guide me to the points via the road I defined!! It selects its own route. I don't want it to do anything automatic, I want to define the route myself! And that's not possible.
I make lots of routes and never I had this problem. Are you sure that you had all the settings wright? In our biker club we have all kind of garmins, old and new, nobody have these problems.
You can't plan a route on one system (Google maps) and expect it to work on another system Garmin/Here. If you get "myrouteapp" you can compare a route in the different maps. You'll quickly become aware that there are BIG differences in the mapping accuracy. You say you've now bought a tomtom. You'll find that it is even worse than the Garmin. I tried tomtom 410 but sold it on ebay. Utterly useless.
Of course I can! Not only I can, I now do it all the time with the TomTom! I am well aware of the differences in mapping accuracy, but one of them works the way I want, and the other one doesn't. That, to me, has more value than the map accuracy.
garmin all models add as way point. will add the point in the order you input them.... moving to the next point in the order of input.... i think you be better with google map on your phone......with $50 water proff cace, if you think the Tomtom is better unit..i have a feeling your going to be realy upset. tomtom make good adds and garmin make ?????
What you need is a Garmin Montana! Your problems will be solved. The trace route will be planed as waypoints and it will send you to those waypoints as you planed. Search for it. The Zumo is a ROAD GPS for motorcycles and to travel on the roads... TomTom rider is gonna be the same or even worst. Believe me!!! One route on Montana can include thousands of waypoints. I use it to plan routes outside of the roads with a dirt bike... Don't be disappointed. You just choose the wrong one... Regards
This video describes how to navigate a Google Maps route on your Garmin Device. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VMv0yK7XCrY.html. The Google map doesn't match the Garmin map exactly, the Garmin map is actually more accurate. This is what may be causing your issues. Follow this procedure and you are all set.If any of you are really having issues with this we can set up a seminar. I've helped several people this way over the internet.
Thanks for the info. It comes too late for me since I returned the Garmin and got a TomTom instead - which works fine out of the box without workarounds. What saddens me most is to see Garmin completely missing essential use-cases for their products. The technology is there for sure, it's very easy to do this on my bicycle Garmin, so leaving the option out on their motorcycle product is just plain stupid, in my book.
I know fellow motorcyclists that have purchased the TomTom, been equally disappointed with it and returned it for a Garmin. It all comes down to preference and in some cases investing the time to learn how to do things rather than expecting them to be 100% intuitive.
This what happens when people design devices when they don't fully appreciate the activity it will be used for, and are too stupid to consult the audience before releasing a product to market. In the computer software/gaming world products are almost always included in a public testing and feedback period. This can go on for several months, and it has been know to take over a year. The end result is an impressive and natural software interface where even the deep complexities seem very intuitive. Failure to do this on Garmin and TomTom's behalf shows a lack of respect to the customers (buy me now, we might fix it later) or it shows an ignorance to the facts of what people what - which is also kind of insulting to the customer!
Thanks man for your honest review and sharing your experience with us here! I can tell you for sure, I will definitly Not buy Garmin's product! These German companies nowadays are just spitting shit products out like Mercedes, BMW both cars and motorcycles or Leica with the top Shit quality... And they do not even admit the production failure in construction or even try to meet you halvway. They just charge extra for everything. Many Thanks!
basically i want an android waterproof phone with resistive screen and water-resistant connector. Such a device will be ideal GPS navigator in 2017. Because software on garmin is outdated crap. Unfortunately my dream phone doesn't exist.
Critical Rider have a look here Karadar 5 inch Android Navigator Motorcycle Waterproof DDR1GB MT-5001 GPS with WiFi, Play Store APP download, Bluetooth 4.0 s.aliexpress.com/viaUR7Zf?fromSns=Copy to Clipboard
They overheat, you cannot use them with motorcycle gloves and you cannot read them with the sun behind your back. Take them out of any cover and they`re nor waterproof anymore.
: ) Garmin devices are just overpriced bricks IMO. Recalculating ... My favorite word. My fortunately is broken which is just as well because it was not long before I was to send a hammer through it. They are equally useless as a map. One can not see any map details so it is very difficult to use them unless you go from A to B in the way they would like you to go. That's it.
Son of a bitch! I thought that I was the only one with this GARMIN problem... I am experiencing the same issue with the NUVI 1490... I could not send my routes files to the device...
Critical Rider Thanks! I use a Mac and I have watched every video on this file transfer thing... I have spent several hours planning a loop the other day and I could load the files into the device... I need a better device anyway...But I am going to contact GARMIN and I want hear what they have to say first before pulling the trigger on their 595 device...
Correction: I COULD NOT load the files to device... I am going to try this time to load a route loop from BASECAMP (leaving GMaps out) and see what the software does...BASECAMP has never t impressed yet...😐😲
Google - produce a satnav for bikers that is based on Google maps and recalculation can be switched off - Simples! You'll make millions and drive Garmin and TomTom out of business!
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VMv0yK7XCrY.html This is the video showing you how to successfully get you google map routes into the Zumo 590lm without issues. It is a very precise method, and I'm guessing that's because it has to be that exact way to work. Good luck, and don't lose faith with the device. You just need some time with it.
Well, I've returned it and got the TomTom instead, but maybe other people can benefit from my experience and your comment, so thanks for taking the time.
