Loading a route to a Garmin 62s is just straight lines between waypoints
 

So I've got this little unit to use on the little bike for off road navigation and such.

I created a route in RoadTrip on the laptop (since it is the only computer that has "full" maps on it). I then took the .gpx and imported it to the desktop where I have BaseCamp and California Topo loaded. The route came up perfect on the BaseCamp machine- just like in RoadTrip.

However, when I load the route to the 62s, and go to view it, only straight lines between waypoints show up. The reason I'm confused is that the maps I'm using on the 62s are also the California Topo ones (loaded from the very machine I use BaseCamp on).

I know this is something simple, but since the mapsets on both the 62s and Mac are the same, the route should come across and follow the trails/roads in parallel. Or at least I would have thought so.

This is the process I've been following for many years with the Garmin GPS on the other bike with no issues, so I don't get it. I also used the 62s earlier this year and took a track log from the internet, turned it into a route in BaseCamp, and then sent it to the 62s and it worked just like that.

What did I miss?

Should I just add a bunch more waypoints for it to become sensical?

The part I don't get is that in BaseCamp it shows the mileage and everything. However, when I look at the route on the 62s, it shows just the mileage "as a crow flies" between the waypoints. AND the roads and trails that the route would follow are showing on the GPS as well. :huh

Check to see which maps are active on the GPS. Unselect all but the topo and see what happens then.

Or turn the route into a track in Basecamp and load that to the GPS.

Just tried that and no dice

I was thinking of trying this to see if it worked. I'll do that and report back.

EDIT: I can't figure out how to turn it into a track?

read your gps manual on how to "calculate" a route as opposed to a "direct" route...your manual is your friend....

Just came to that in some research. Thanks! Getting closer...

So I made the change in settings to "On Road for time" or the like. Still a straight line. I deleted the route and then created it with the waypoints. A straight line. I'm totally lost now.

Ah, I got it! And not by making all the changes and such.

When I just created the route and said screw it, let's see what happens, I get the error: "Route Calculation error. Maps do not have routable roads in this area."

That really sucks. So in order to make use of the ability of the 62s to be able to calculate a route as opposed to it being direct, I need to buy the Garmin maps? Lame.

To add insult to injury, I have to change it to Off Road to even get to navigate the route. Kinda pisses me off, but I understand why it is the case.

mr garmin needs to buy the maps too

Not exactly, in order to navagate, you need navagatable maps from any one. The GPS is not mind reader it needs maps why is that a Garmin problem?

Most people use the small screen GPS for shorter dirt rides and use Tracks instead of routes. No routable map required.

osm maps are free and routable.....
but City navigator maps from garmin is worth the price to get the full use the gps capability
the CN maps also do quite well on the smaller dirt roads in many areas

Fair enough. I guess I'm just frustrated (a number of other stresses coming out on this).

And that is precisely what I'm using it for. Only problem is that I have a specific route I wanted to take in Death Valley, and it would either be hunt around and find the correct track on the varying websites that have them, or just create my own in my spare time. Obviously I chose the wrong way.

So getting back to navigable maps, where are some sources other than Garmin for that? If I were to just get a decent portion of the Western US, I'm looking at over $400, from Garmin and that seems a bit steep.

I know you said "other then Garmin" but IMO they have the best maps set for their products.
CityNavigator is routable and has any (and then some) route which is legal in DV, also a great POI file.
Add the 100k TOPO (has a great geographic POI file) and you have the whole of the US for under $200.

Or go with one of the open source maps, nothing lost trying them but they were a disappointment for me.

Bruce

I know how good their maps are and I really like them, just being whiney since I'm getting nickel and dimed for a bunch of stuff lately and it's getting hard to justify costs to the boss (and to myself for that matter)...

You may think so, but the use of Tracks over Routes for dirt riding is at least 1,000 to 1. Basically only a couple of guys n this board use Routes for dirt riding. With hand held on dirt bike Tracks are the way to go, with big screen on highway bike, Routes are he way to go.

You can't trust Routes, your GPS will recalculate them every time you open it. Tracks NEVER change, and you don't even need a map under them.

Second point, I have tracks for every legal road in Death Valley on GPSXchange.com. Just start cutting and pasting and you have your tradcs for the day. Even if I didn't them, is so easy to hand draw tracks for some place like Death Valley you could do what ever you want in an hour which is less time than you have spent asking questions here.

If you really want to make life easy, just come on one of my Death Valley rides. 3-day on Feb 16 or 2-day on Mar 9. I will download tracks to your GPS and you go ride. See DualSportWest.com