Routes/Tracks in Garmin GPSMap62st

Former Member over 11 years ago

Hi - am having a bit of a problem understand & sending routes to my 62st and/or my understanding of the difference between routes & tracks is not as it should be.

I have always been under the impression that a route is something that one creates (e.g. in BaseCamp) which, when sent to the unit, is one that you would wish to follow with the unit giving instructions. On the other hand, however, a track is a series of breadcrumbs that the unit creates and saves as you follow the aforementioned route.

OK, having said all that, here is the problem that I am having. If I create a route in BaseCamp and send it to my 62st, after locating it on the unit followed by 'go' the shown route appears nothing like as it did in BaseCamp. In fact it is just a series of straight lines that jutt out from an undefineable shape. If, on the other hand, I create a track from the route in BaseCamp (or create a track right from the start) and send this to the 62st I can locate the track on the unit with once again the button 'Go' appearing underneath. With this method though I don't get any instructions but simply have to ensure that I keep the breadcrumb track that the unit creates on top of the track that I sent to the unit earlier.

So this is essentially where my problem/understanding of terms is confusing. By affording me the button 'Go' I am essentially now following a track whereas I was always under the impression that one could only follow a Route.

Any advice greatfully received. Thanks.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

There's another reason to use "Direct" routing in MapSource/BaseCamp. I linked to my post about that earlier in this thread.

Routes and the Oregon x50 (and other?) models

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

Yes I hear what you are saying SUSSAMB but for me there seems very little point in having (buying) a routable map and then just seeing a series of straight lines between any two points. By having a clearly marked out route I know from the word go what distance I have to travel whilst still leaving opten the option of diverting off my route and rejoining at a later point. What I mean by that is to imagine a long right-hand curve. At home I have planned the route to follow that curve (non direct as using direct would slice off the corner of the curve) but out in the field I still have the option of taking a short cut and slicing off that curve if I feel like it. In my opinion, having a clearly mapped out and accurate route gives one all possible benefits - a map full of straight lines non at all.

In all honesty though, this was all pretty much made clear in my opening posts but the advice I received was always to use the Direct profile irrespective of whether or not the map was a routable one or not.

0 SUSSAMB over 11 years ago

Reading through I'm not sure that's really what you were told. In any case I wasn't suggesting you MUST use direct routing. Clearly what you do is up to you. I was simply making the point that if you select direct routing on your GPS that's what you'll get. If that's not what you want you need to select something else.

0 BTLAAKE over 11 years ago

I did not write that you had to use the Direct Activity in BaseCamp and on your device for all routes. I originally wrote that a Direct Route created in BaseCamp will always activate on a 62 as a Direct Route regardless of the Activity setting on the 62. This turned out to be incorrect and I corrected the claim in a later post that to use a Direct Route created in BaseCamp on a 62 as a Direct Route you will need to have the Activity on the 62 set to Direct. The choice of Direct or Automated is yours based on the types of maps available in BaseCamp and on your device.

Behavior of BaseCamp and devices are not set in stone. I have observed a few changes with respect to routes on my 62 since its purchase. It is a good idea to do a few tests each time BaseCamp or the firmware of your device updates or you buy a new device. Make a Direct Route in BaseCamp and send it to your device. Activate the Route using Direct Activity and see what happens. Stop Navigation and change the Activity to something else, activate the Route again and see what happens.

Try the same thing with an Automated Route created in BaseCamp on a routable map, but also see what happens without an active routable map on the device (disable routable maps via the Maps set-up).

Try and create an Automated Route in BaseCamp using the non-routable Global Map. Will BaseCamp allow you to do it? If so, what happens when the route is sent to the device. Will it work with the Direct Activity on your device? How about some other Activity?

It is also a good idea to explore ways of creating routes on your device. Depending on the device, it can be a real pain, but when things go wrong in the middle of nowhere it is a skill worth having.

By all means, use routable features if they are available. But keep in mind that not all places in the world have all trails shown on all routable maps, that the shown trails on maps have not changed, or that all places prohibit cross country travel everywhere. Under some circumstances a simple Direct Route, along with a few tracks of potential paths for visual reference, may be the best choice.

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

Holy cow, man... I just got a couple gps to play with for hunting. Now I feel as if I have to get a Garmin tattoo, learn a secret handshake and spend hours poring over forum conversations just to get clear on what Garmin made confusing.

I'm even quick to learn but hunting requires extra precision. Not that hiking in some crazy backwoods area doesn't require extreme precision, as well, but hunters can go in while its dark and leave when its dark, often with just a little cap light. Also, I just want to get to my stand safely and, if a I harvest a deer, it might be easier to drag it out via a route that is shorter to a main road. So I need to edit maps as precisely as possible where wrong turns with a 150-180lbs buck can get tiring after a while.

I just want to know what I'm supposed to use with my 62stc... BASECAMP, correct? And what settings...? Should I have it leave in shaping points?

So confusing, however, I do have a much better understanding of things after reading this conversation... but im still not sure I'm completely clear.

Thanks,

0 Former Member over 11 years ago

Holy cow, man... I just got a couple gps to play with for hunting. Now I feel as if I have to get a Garmin tattoo, learn a secret handshake and spend hours poring over forum conversations just to get clear on what Garmin made confusing.

I'm even quick to learn but hunting requires extra precision. Not that hiking in some crazy backwoods area doesn't require extreme precision, as well, but hunters can go in while its dark and leave when its dark, often with just a little cap light. Also, I just want to get to my stand safely and, if a I harvest a deer, it might be easier to drag it out via a route that is shorter to a main road. So I need to edit maps as precisely as possible where wrong turns with a 150-180lbs buck can get tiring after a while.

I just want to know what I'm supposed to use with my 62stc... BASECAMP, correct? And what settings...? Should I have it leave in shaping points?

So confusing, however, I do have a much better understanding of things after reading this conversation... but im still not sure I'm completely clear.

Thanks,

Can you explain a little more about what you are wanting to do? In more detail? I think I can help you but I need a little more.

Thanks!

0 BTLAAKE over 11 years ago

@SamFreedom

Recreational profile might be best. Make sure system setup has WAAS enabled and have your unit on for 10-15 minutes before your start. If you create a route to get from home to parking, make sure routing activity is set to Automobile. If you decide to use Direct Routes to get from the vehicle to the trees stand, make sure routing activity is set to Direct.

For Track Log setup, there are the options to not record, record and not show on map or record and show on map. I usually prefer record and not show, which will record you current movements without cluttering up the screen. Should you get lost, you can always choose the last choice.

Saved Tracks can be set to either show on the map or not show and the color of the track can be changed. I think a Track would be best for getting from the vehicle to the tree stand, but a Direct Route would be okay – just remember that a Direct Route is limited to 250 points.

The basic plan would be to create Waypoints at the vehicle, tree stand and nearest deer drop off point. During the day, you can try out and record different tracks to and from the tree stand until you find one you like. Or, you can create a possible tracks/routes to follow in BaseCamp as a Direct Route or a track (choose the footprint icon and either click on the map, hold down the left mouse button and drag the mouse or a combination of both).

To record tracks by walking to/from tree stand, clear the Current Track before you start and save the track when you reach a destination. You can rename them later. When hunting season arrives, have only the track you like visible on the map or use the Direct Route. Use the line as a guide, there is no real need to activate routing for a track, you will have to activate the direct route to see it on the map.

Yes, shaping points would be fine for a Direct Route. Just click on the routing tool icon, ignore the pop-up window or close it (DO NOT check the Do not show again box), and click on the map for each point in order from start to finish.

Remember that the GPS system does not give true positions. So when walking to and from the stand, pay more attention to the surroundings and use the track line and position marker (zoom in) as an indicator only – i.e. you do not have to keep the position marker on the line just make sure it is near by and you are walking into any trees or holes. If you wish to Navigate the track instead, familiarize yourself with the procedure ahead of time – including how to reverse a track. (Note if you use a Direct Route, you may need to create separate ones for to/from vehicle/tree stand as I am not sure that a Direct Route sent to the device can be reversed on the device. Just duplicate the Route in BaseCamp and invert it.)

You should give this a try in daylight to make sure you understand what to do and get a feel for inaccuracy of GPS. And always carry an spare batteries.