Finally getting used to Basecamp

[johnlt]

After having it for 6 months and not liking it very much, I'm finally getting used to it. The file management is completely different. The display is much better than Mapsource because it shows more detail in a zoomed-out level. Other than a better display, it's not really an improvement in my opinion, just different. I do a lot of "test routes" that I don't save, I just look at the specifics and in Mapsource, if you don't "save" the file, it is deleted automatically. In Basecamp, you have to actually delete the lists or they will be saved automatically in whatever folder you were working in.

[Bill_Walker]

There are a number of useful BaseCamp tutorial videos on YouTube. I looked at some and learned about a number of BaseCamp features that weren't obvious to me.

[hopz]

Basecamp is beginning to feel more comfortable to me too, but… and its a big butt.

 

The instruction videos "seem" helpful to me but my usual questions are always more obscure than their tutorials. It remains a struggle and frankly Mapsource was easier and more effective for me.

 

 

[johnlt]

Basecamp is beginning to feel more comfortable to me too, but… and its a big butt.

 

The instruction videos "seem" helpful to me but my usual questions are always more obscure than their tutorials. It remains a struggle and frankly Mapsource was easier and more effective for me.

 

 

yep, I agree Hopz, I have both loaded and use both now. I'm trying to learn Basecamp better but still revert to Mapsource frequently. Also, my older set of Garmin Topo maps will not display on Basecamp, only Mapsource. All the other versions of City Navigator work ok on Basecamp. I will frequently lay out a route on Mapsource and then change the maps to Topo and it overlays on the Topo. I can print that out and use it. I can do the same thing on my GPS units. The reason it works is that the maps and routes are layers. You can "auto route" in City Navigator but not Topo so using layers works great.

[Nathan Margolis]

Basecamp is not user friendly at all. It seems like all the people I know that have mastered it (and just a handful) are retired IT professionals with too much free time on their hands.

 

Actually do not have lots of problems programing simple routes on the Garmin itself. You have some stops or cities for a Sunday ride. Locate the resturants, small cities, and other things using Points of Interest or Intersections, save them in the Directory (or Saved Points or whatever it is called on Garmin), and then go to Custom Routes. Then just put them in order in Custom Routes and using the Directory as a "fishing hole". A simple map will help you get them in order.

 

Best,

Nathan

Houston, TX

[marcopolo]

Well, I'm not even close to an "IT professional" and I think Basecamp works just fine for me and prefer it to Mapsource. That said, I had no choice but to switch because I made the move from PC to Mac in 2010 and there was only Basecamp for Mac. If you keep running both Mapsource and Basecamp you'll never master Basecamp. From what the GPS "gurus" over at ADVRider have to say, only Basecamp takes full advantage of Garmin's newer GPSs (just don't ask me to explain why ) Maybe the Mac version is more intuitive, and that's the only one I've ever used.

[w2ge]

The reason that BaseCamp takes "full advantage" of the newer GPS's is really two reasons (and neither mean much in my book)

 

1.) The new 3XX series will not be able to accept a route from Mapsource as they are not seen as "Mass Storage Devices".. and use Media Player as the means to transfer data (But... this can be altered by going into the diagnostic menua and changing settings so that they will be seen as a "mass storage device".)

 

2.) BaseCamp has the command to change via-points to be announced or not announced, Zumo 6XX and earlier 5/4XX series does not have the internal firmware to "read" this commands, but that may change with future updates..(knowing Garmin, probably not ;-P) and besides if a via-point is going to be flagged, it means that there is probably an issue with it anyway and I feel it should be fixed properly.

 

I am a BC and MS instructor... FWIW.

 

BaseCamp is more feature rich.. but has issues, (I don't like the way it transfers routes and the find feature is lacking) Mapsource is easier but has had a number of crashing issues in the past few years and is no longer supported.

 

[dirtrider]

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BaseCamp is more feature rich.. but has issues, (I don't like the way it transfers routes and the find feature is lacking)

 

Morning w2ge

 

The latest Base Camp 4.2.5 has added back the MapSource route transfer up arrow/down arrow buttons in the top bar. If your latest iteration of Base Camp doesn't show those transfer buttons you might have to right click on one of the other icons (buttons) at the top then put a tick in the "Device Transfer" box.

 

[Nesbocaj]

I was going to say I was happy it wasn't just me making the sometimes difficult transition to Basecamp, that may be mean.

 

I deal with loads of software, no not IT. This software is difficult, non-intuitive, and after 3 or 4 tries not in my comfort zone, yet. I'll keep trying.

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Nesbocaj

 

Base Camp really isn't that bad once you figure out all the little short cuts & oddities. Just make sure you have all the tools you need turned on & showing in the top bar.

 

Now that I have used it for years I really prefer it to the old MapSource as Base Camp has much better track handling abilities & way better route joining/ sectioning/ tweaking.

 

I also like Base Camp way better for it's individual settings for different vehicles or vehicle usages. You can set one up for dirt & off road but still have one or more set ups to avoid dirt, gravel, & other non pavement roads.

 

Even the file handling is not that bad once you get the hang of it.

 

[w2ge]

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BaseCamp is more feature rich.. but has issues, (I don't like the way it transfers routes and the find feature is lacking)

 

Morning w2ge

 

The latest Base Camp 4.2.5 has added back the MapSource route transfer up arrow/down arrow buttons in the top bar. If your latest iteration of Base Camp doesn't show those transfer buttons you might have to right click on one of the other icons (buttons) at the top then put a tick in the "Device Transfer" box.

 

Evening DR,

 

BaseCamp has had the MS up/down transfer tool for a few versions now.... That is not the issue.

 

The issue is that BC has a mind of it's own where the route may/will end-up after being transferred, It MAY be found in Custom Routes, or you MAY have to import it... It is willy-nilly in it's behavior (and NO, it is not dependent on whether it was created on an older/different/samw mapset than what is installed in your GPS.) This is a known "issue"..

 

I have more confidence in transferring routes via Mapsource. I may create my routes in BC, but then I'll export them and transfer in Mapsource. PIA, but RELIABLE.

[dirtrider]

Evening Phil

 

That is a strange one. I have multiple GPS units myself & am usually the GPS uploader person when we have group trips so install canned routes to a variety of GPS units & so far have had no problems sending to the correct drive & location in any of the GPS units using Base Camp as long as I double click on the device shown under "devices" in the upload window then pick the correct drive to upload to.

 

Obviously different GPS units handle the imports differently with GPS units like the Z-550 requiring an import.

 

 

Added: what model GPS are you having issues with, I will pay more attention next time I load a similar unit.

[w2ge]

DR,

 

This is on my Z660... Others have noted this too, on ZumoForums. (Perhaps it is mentioned on Garmin Forums but I rarely go on, except to talk to FALAGAR [bC developer] directly)

 

Some routes will be found right away in Custom Routes whereas other times (with no rhyme or reason) they have to be imported. I find MS to be entirely consistent with no need to import routes, they are found in Custom Routes always.

 

With BC I've experimented with dragging/dropping to internal memory, using the route transfer tool, etc.. and just have no confidence in the way it handles transfers. It is just "temperamental"..

 

Certainly with differing mapsets (date versions) between PC and GPS you will often get the recalc/import issue; but on routes created on your own PC using the SAME mapset this should not be an issue, yet it is.

 

Are you sure that your really seeing consistent results or have just been "chalking it up" to differing mapsets, GPS's etc..?

 

[dirtrider]

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Are you sure that your really seeing consistent results or have just been "chalking it up" to differing mapsets, GPS's etc..?

 

Morning Phil

 

No I'm not 100% sure as different GPS units import the routes in different ways & into different places. So far I have had no problems finding them once sent to the GPS units.

 

One thing that might make a difference is I usually name the canned routes something like 001a1, 001a2, 001a3, etc so they go to the top of the GPS routing list. Maybe the short names have some bearing.

 

I will have to start paying attention to the Z-660 & where the routes are going to see if all the units do the same thing.

 

Are you building your routes on the Mapsets stored on your computer or using the mapsets from your 660?

 

[w2ge]

DR,

 

I always download my mapsets both to PC and Device (currently using 2104.3) SO, I'm using stored mapsets.. No need to plug in a GPS and wait for BC to read them, as you know.

 

I posted this for my club, BTW, a tutorial for downloading mapsets onto Device and Computer: (also a tip on using JaVaWa GMTK tool)

 

http://www.newswedenbmwriders.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=242

[dirtrider]

Morning Phil

 

I do the map update/install slightly differently as I only upload the new mapping to my computer first (none to any of my GPS's).

 

I then split the mapping going to my GPS's with the mapping of seldom used areas going to the SD card & the most used areas to the GPS's main drives, plus I also add in some of the local 24K topo to the main GPS drive map sets & the rest of my 24K & other topo's to the map set going to the SD cards.

 

I then clone the computer map set & put that on my other computers (saves a lot of download time).

 

I also have some older map sets like NT 2008, some 2010.XX, 2011.XX 2012.xx,& 2013.XX on some spare SD cards so I can use those to see if my routes have issues with older mapping ON THE GPS.

 

For building routes for just myself it is always on the latest mapping I have in my computer/GPS but for general group rides (especially convoluted & complicated routes) I try to find a common ground map set works best with the GPS/mapping of the majority of the group.

 

I have been working with some of my group members the last couple of years on using more tracks or at least verifying that the furnished routing on their GPS totally matches the tracks I furnish.

 

Unfortunately some users GPS's can't handle preloaded tracks & using tracks is still above some riders pay grade.

 

Then just to make sure things don't go smoothly all the time I do a lot of dirt/off-road routes with a mix & match of routable on-road, some routable off-road, & lots of non routable roads/trails mixed in.

For the long time off-roaders that are up to using tracks really no issues but for some that try to use a non track handling GPS like the Z-550 it is like herding cats.

 

 

[w2ge]

Morning Phil

I then clone the computer map set & put that on my other computers (saves a lot of download time).

Afternoon DR! (I feel like I'm copying you!!!)

 

I'm only doing on-road now (Ride-Captain for our club, and VP, and newsletter editor... Sheesh) so not dealing with the various routing types..and tracks

 

Anyway for moving your mapsets to multiple computers have you tried the JaVaWa GMTK tool? It makes it a total no-brainer. Can't be any easier. http://www.javawa.nl/gmtk_en.html

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Phil

 

No, I haven't used JaVaWa GMTK tool, it looks like a nice program though. I have been transferring Maps (with unlock codes) between computers for so long now that JaVaWa GMTK tool wasn't around way back when so I am using a custom program written for me by one of my IT friends years ago.

 

Might have to try the JaVaWa GMTK tool one of these days, but once I have something working smoothly, & something that I'm familiar with, it is difficult to deviate.