rwb211

For several years we've been using MS Streets & Trips on a laptop and balancing it on the console with a GPS puck on the dash. Needless to say it is ackward and not as feature rich as the new stand alone units but the router planning on a full keyboard with MS Streets & Trips was very nice.

I'm now looking at the Garmin 660 however I see it comes preloaded with City Navigator North America.

Do I have to do all my route planning on this small unit or is there some way I can put the program on my laptop so we can plan routes/changes on a laptop then move it to the GPS via the SD Card etc?

If so, what program do I use. The only software I see listed for the Garmin 660 is preloaded and I assume I can't copy it from the unit to a laptop.

I tried downloading the manual from the Garmin site however it failed to shed any light on this issue.

Thanks in advance for your help....

Andy

to the site!

The 660 has no route planning function. You can't pre-plan a route, either on a PC or in the unit itself.

You pick a destination set, it creates a route and starts the navigation instructions. While you have a destination, if you look up a POI and want to add it to your route, you can do that, but you are limited to that one stop along the way.

From your question it sounds like the 660 is not a good choice for you. Look at models that include a DVD with map software (City Nav North America). Usually models that include the map software also support planning routes on a PC, uploading them to the device and then navigating along your pre-planned route.

rwb211

Andy,

Thanks for your reply. Now I understand I can add custom POI's if I have the right Garmin software on my PC then upload it via the SD card. If so, can a POI be an address?

Then I could add a number of RV sites or stores I want to visit on the way to my furtherest destination. Does this sound viable?

Ron

Andy

That would be a work-around but you can only pick one POI at a time. You wouldn't really be able to setup a route in the same sense. You could have it get you from POI to POI, with user intervention between each one.

So yes that should work, but it would rely on you creating the POIs you need, picking them one at a time as you drive from one to another. There wouldn't be any way to string them together and save them for future trips or future route modification.

You're adding steps that could be eliminated if you bought a GPS that support pre-planning routes. For my use, when gadgets get complex to setup and use, I don't use them much.

Max

Can't you add a destination, then go 'where to' and add a single via point in there? (to at least get a multi destination going).

rwb211

Andy,

Thanks again. I thought I had done adequate research into this but it appears I overlooked this route mapping feature. The 660 is a done deal as it was too good of a deal to pass up. I'm sure it will do the job for now and when we transition from our 5th wheel to a Class A I'll likely look at the 7500 and then give my wife the 660 to use in her vehicle when doing day trips.

I read the on line manual yesterday, as I don't have the unit yet, and have a bit better understanding of it. As you've said, it appears it's going to be a one at a time entry.

Can I at least manually enter all our usual stops (RV sites etc) as favorites so I can pull them up from a menu list and select it as my next destination so I don't have to type the info in each time?

Max: Is that a GS in the picture?

Max

Yes it is My first bike of this type but once I rode it I couldn't think about anything else.

Do you ride rwb? You've certainly got some choice roads up there to do it on if so. I spent some time working in Vancouver downtown back in 2001 and was dying cause I didn't have a bike with me.

rwb211

Max:

See your PM re BMW.

Andy

That's right, 1 destination with 1 stop or via along the way.

Since the 660 is on the way, you will be able to use the POI function to add your own stops. If you pre-planned a route and noted addresses along the route, you could carry a list of the addresses and plug them in as you go also.

rapriebe

I have a Nuvi 260, and I use the workaround for routing on it. I plan the route and create the waypoints I need using MapSource, then I save the waypoints as a .gpx file and load it as a custom POI file with the Garmin POI Loader. I do it this way to keep from cluttering up my Favorites list. Unless you are planning a fairly complex route, it may only take a few added points to drive a fairly long route. On a 2200 mile trip to Florida from Colorado in January, I only added 5 waypoints to keep on the track through Texas and Louisiana. Once I was on I-10, it was all freeways and the GPS didn't need any extra help. For the return trip this May (more northerly as we don't need to avoid snow), I only need to set each day's destination, and the unit follows the logical route all the way.

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Rick

Andy

Nice job. That's similar to how I use to get turn-by-turn routing out of my 12Map. It was straight from point to point, not following roads so I would set waypoints at each intersection, with the name being what direction to turn. I numbered them so always knew if I had missed a turn or not. It took a lot of planning for long trips. I did this for a nice 4-day motorcycle trip and it worked out quite well.

rapriebe

When I'm naming the waypoints for a trip, I always use a standard naming convention, i.e.: Way 1 - Hwy 287; Way 2 - I-80, etc. That way they are in correct sequence in the POI list, and I can still identify them by location without looking at them on the map if I forget which number I'm supposed to be using next.

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Rick

Andy

That works too if your GPS supports a longer waypoint name. My old one was limited to 8 so it was more of a challenge. It's just too easy nowdays with these modern devices.

shadow98

ALL,
Excellent info... thanks - I hope to contribute something after receiving mine.
I'm interested in LD and day trip planning - and according to info out there, planning on a PC and tx to 600 is possible - just got to go through the motions (and a little $$).... wish it were as easy as Google makes it - after obtaining your route, just drag route changes to desired locations!

-Paul

HumVee

Paul, I just got my z660 and am itching to put it to use! I'm going on another motorcycle ride next weekend - this time from Portland, Oregon down to northern California to ride through the redwoods. If anyone has any suggestions for some good roads for motorcycles down in the southern Oregon and northern California regions, please let me know!

Anyway, a buddy & I just sat down at a bar with free WiFi, and I used Google Maps on my laptop to rough out our trip (we'll fill in the details over the next couple of days, passing the url back and forth). After saving the Google Maps route to myMaps and capturing the url address, I pasted it into TakItWithMe (you must have the Garmin Communicator Plugin installed, and be using Internet Explorer or Firefox). From there, I could download the route directly to my Garmin GPS unit or save it as a GPX file! Give it a try!

Note: I had to uncheck all the Conversion Options except "Point Options: To Route" and when I tried to open the GPX file in MapSource, I got an "not a valid MapSource file" error. I will have to play with it more. I was able to upload the route from my GPS unit to MapSource, and then modify it there and send it back down to the GPS.

Andy

This should cover it.

California Motorcycle Roads & Tours - 400 Best Rides & Maps, 3000+ Pics

HumVee

Once again, Andy, you rock! Thank you - I'll definitely be adding some of those segments to my route!

Andy

Tim (Pashnit) moved his site over to a pay system a few years ago. I don't blame him since it's a huge undertaking to maintain. It would be great if he'd put it all in a book format. But you can at least look at road names on the main page there to get ideas. I hear highway 36 is a super flowing road but I've have been that far north on my bike yet.

shadow98

Andy, Humvee,
You guys are great -thanks for all this HIGHLY useful info ... and Pashnit - what can I say - his site is fantastic!
I have'nt explored all the components of his site - there's so much, but if he hasn't already done so (after you join the pay site), he should offer downloadable PASHNIT customized POIs for Garmins, etc!!


Waiting till next month for all the bills to clear, then I'll purchase the 660 and get down to business. Till then, reading, reading, reading.

-Paul

thanks

HumVee

Paul/shadow98, did you already mention what kind of bike you ride? Perhaps it's a 1998 Honda Shadow? What are you going to do if you get a different bike?

I've got a 2006 Honda VFR800 Interceptor. It's a good sport-touring bike. It has plenty of power to get me into as much trouble as I care for, but with a posture range that allows for longer rides. I'm pretty wiped out from a long day of "Honey Do's" (trying to bank up points for my 3-day getaway next weekend), but if I have the energy, I'm going to work on mounting my zumo 660 cradle onto the bike. It's going to be a custom job, because I can't stand to have the GPS mounted to my handlebars - at least on the sides - and there's no easy way to mount it dead center. I want the display as high up as possible anyway, to allow me to keep my eyes on the road as much as possible. With my z660 mounted immediately above my instrument cluster, I'll be able to scan everything quickly without having to look down too far. I'll try to take pictures of my project and post them when I'm done, in case anyone is interested.

Andy, Hwy 36 in Oregon, cutting between Junction City and Mapleton is already added to my route - but thanks for the suggestion! I use Oregon Motorcyclist to plan fun rides in my state. I wish every state had an MC enthusiast's site like this! I know you mentioned that Pashnit's site used to be free before he went commercial (I don't blame him either - and if I lived in California, I'd be happy to pay $20/year to have access to his data).

shadow98

I probably neglected to specify... it is a '98 Ace Shadow Tourer. Mounting - also not happy using handlebars and prefer putting above/alongside instruments so my eyes aren't diverted from road..
Other issues include power for Garmin and possible addition of CB. I'm very interested to see how your 660 project unfolds.

While i'm not a gadget freak.. I do like some creature comforts... heated grips; Gerbings Heat Troller to control heated clothing; Rivco air horn; 'conspicuity' lighting.
i love the bike - has enough umph to keep things jumping, has performed well, and hasn't needed much beyond routine maint. However, there are some short comings that drive me nuts..... short on power for additional lighting and accessories; small gas tank for a tourer - 160 mi using reserve..... some of my buddies get over 200 on their Road Kings. Lastly, lean angle is shallow, and floorboards only make it worse.

So, regardless of how it is mounted, it will eventually be moved onto one of three bikes I'm considering in retirement(just around the corner).... Goldwing, BWM R1200LT, or Concours. have not test ridden any of them, so I'll be lurking around their forums!
Paul

Andy

I was thinking of highway 36 on Ca. The one in Oregon looks nice too!

Motorcycle Ride Highway 36 - Red Bluff to Eureka, California

Have a nice trip. Make sure you geotag your photos and post em when you get back!

HumVee

Wow, that looks like a great ride, Andy! I'll see if I can't incorporate it into my trip!

About geotagging photos & posting them - I must express my ignorance of the process (for all my enthusiasm, I'm still really new to the GPS world)! Can you give me a quick tutorial? I know how to mark waypoints on my GPS, but the rest is new to me....

Andy

Synchronize the clock in your GPS and in your camera. Keep the GPS logging (tracklog saving points) as you are taking pictures. When you get home, there is software that will read the tracklog time stamps and compare it to the time stamps of each picture and update the EXIF image info with the location.

RoboGeo is one product that does this.
Garmin's Basecamp does this too. You pick a track and in the Edit menu there is a Geotag function. You just point it at a directory of images and let it go.

There was some discussion of Geotagging here also.
Geotagging Pictures

HumVee

Woot! Thanks for the info!