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My-Route app?

5K views 85 replies 20 participants last post by  LennyO 
#1 ·
#2 ·
#5 ·
I use “inRoute”. I’m not kidding about this - last night I made a 200 mile route start to finish with 20 waypoint/via points while in the, ahem, “powder room”. Then air dropped it to my “MyTriumph” app and this morning transferred it from my iPad to my Garmin Nav.
 
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#11 ·
How is it compared to Furkot? I don't travel enough to warrant paying a monthly fee. I find Furkot with Google Maps provides everything I need to plot a multi-day trip with some pretty complicated and specific site targets. Me hitting them is a different story. Still annoyed that I turned 30 feet too short for the Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracks road in the wee hours of the morning.
 
#12 ·
I’ve used Basecamp since it first came out and it has always worked well for me. I plan all my routes on my computer then transfer to my GPS or BMW app. I decided to try MyRoute to avoid having to take my computer on trips (in case I wanted to create new routes). I now use Myroute for route building. I like having the multiple maps, including satellite view. I build routes in TomTom and send those to my BMW app, knowing what I build is what will show up on the bike. If I had my choice I would have preferred that the RT TFT would have had Garmin built into it, but I find MyRoute the best way for me to interact with the connected app. I bought the lifetime gold subscription during an early promotion and IMO was very reasonably priced.
 
#15 ·
@jjscsix Jim, thanks for the input. I’ve been threatening myself to play with inRoute (@Rambler358 recommended) for some time. I’m mostly happy with BC, so I’ve been putting it off. In the big picture, BC is straight forward, powerful and very easy for transferring routes to the Nav/XT.

But I’m curious as a BC backup. I like playing with new stuff, just because. For whatever reason, InRoute is more more interesting to me than MRA. Maybe because it’s Apple based, and I’m in the Apple universe. I’ll pull the trigger and get to it soon.
 
#16 ·
Once you start using inRoute you’ll scratch your head wondering why Basecamp is so difficult. Admittedly, my problem with Basecamp is that I typically only use it once a year. But I’ve been using it for many years. But that does not excuse its difficulty. And I’m far from alone. I see an awful lot of people on forums who feel the same way.
 
#19 ·
I started with Mapsource and moved to Basecamp when it was first launched. I used it extensively until the time came to move on, IMHO Basecamp is "One dimensional" in that it plots a route and that is that, for some that will be all they ever need. MRA is much more advanced and some of the additional features are listed below:

1. Routes can be plotted using Tom Tom, Here and Open Street maps. So that covers Tom Tom and Garmin users.
2. You can drop a layer over the map such as Google, I use Tom Tom maps with Here overlay because the Here maps are nicer. I can drop a Michelin layer on my route if I want to check out scenic roads.
3. You can add traffic info to your map.
4. You can compare how Garmin and Tom Tom will plot the route, for example I can see how Garmin will plot my route and add waypoints to ensure any Garmin mates I share the route with will stay on the same road as me,
5. You can drill down to street level to see what the road looks like and again fine tune the route if there are roads you do not like.
6, It supports Shaping and Waypoints.
7. Using Open Street maps you can vary the type of route you want between waypoints e.g. I want a fast road out of town, then between two waypoints I want a twisty section, then I want a fast section etc.
8. It supports GPX 1.2 format for more advanced features for Garmin devices e.g. Waypoint colour and pausing at waypoint e.g. lunch or fuel stop.
9. There is a large library of routes in the library added by subscribers who want to share their routes,
10. You can expand or split your route e.g. someone sends me a route with 60 waypoints, the CA supports 50 waypoints so I can split the route into say a section with 40 waypoints and a section with 20.
11. Its easy to use on your phone and transfer routes to the BMW CA. and there are good video's on YouTube.
etc.
 
#20 · (Edited)
@DavidMcK David, Most everything useful you reference is part of my Google Maps (GM) route planning in conjunction with BC that I previously described. GM presents maps in different layer views that are sometimes useful. The layer I use most is satellite, that tells me everything I want to know about any road/highway and the surrounding terrain.

I do all my own routing, and pick my own roads/routes between waypoints. I'll usually pick roads that navigation SW may not even consider. And I guarantee my choices are better. (y) If I'm concerned about traffic, it's when I'm leaving/approaching the vast metropolis called Los Angeles. I not only need to know traffic, but what my best alternative is for snaking through the giant rat maze. That's when my static XT routing is turned off, and the Google Maps dynamic routing on my phone turns on -- there isn't a superior alternative for presenting real-time information.

You call Basecamp "One Dimensional", and in many ways it is. But if you've thoroughly done all your pre-trip planning before leaving, that's exactly what you want. Once you start the trip, you want directions displayed and voice prompts for reinforcement. If you need more while you're riding, you didn't do your job upfront.

There is enough good press on MRA to support that it's a great candidate for the CA/TFT environment. It accommodates the needs of both Garmin and Tom Tom users, which can be useful if you need that duel flexibility. But if you're still working with the Nav/XT as your presentation layer, Basecamp is king.
 
#30 ·
@jjscsix Intentionally or not, you're giving me too much credit. Just ask my wife... :D

I too struggled with Basecamp for a couple of years, and did everything I could to avoid it. For a long time I used Google My Maps to create routes and export them as *.KML files. I then used BC to import the KML file for processing. I had no idea what I was doing other than the easy steps of converting the KML to a BC route, and then transferring the route to my Nav. When done, I couldn't close the BC program fast enough. I was that intimidated.

Still, it bothered me that I couldn't grasp how to create BC routes within the program. So I watched a few recommended YouTube BC tutorials that took a total of about 45 minutes, and I was on my way. The problem the whole time was that I wasn't learning correctly. The basics of creating an everyday route (Start, End, and shaping/via points in-between) are very straight forward. Yes, there are advanced techniques and other BC features I'll never bother to learn, but I don't need them. I'm getting too old to clutter my head with stuff I'll rarely (or never) use.

I'm not trying to get you to revisit BC. That horse has left the barn, and you're clearly happy with inRoute. I'm not convinced that I won't lose routing detail in an inRoute created GPX transferred to my XT, but I won't know until I try. I will give inRoute a fair chance, and report the good, the bad and the ugly. Hopefully, it's more good than anything else.
 
#34 ·
@jjscsix Intentionally or not, you're giving me too much credit. Just ask my wife... :D

I too struggled with Basecamp for a couple of years, and did everything I could to avoid it. For a long time I used Google My Maps to create routes and export them as *.KML files. I then used BC to import the KML file for processing. I had no idea what I was doing other than the easy steps of converting the KML to a BC route, and then transferring the route to my Nav. When done, I couldn't close the BC program fast enough. I was that intimidated.

Still, it bothered me that I couldn't grasp how to create BC routes within the program. So I watched a few recommended YouTube BC tutorials that took a total of about 45 minutes, and I was on my way. The problem the whole time was that I wasn't learning correctly. The basics of creating an everyday route (Start, End, and shaping/via points in-between) are very straight forward. Yes, there are advanced techniques and other BC features I'll never bother to learn, but I don't need them. I'm getting too old to clutter my head with stuff I'll rarely (or never) use.

I'm not trying to get you to revisit BC. That horse has left the barn, and you're clearly happy with inRoute. I'm not convinced that I won't lose routing detail in an inRoute created GPX transferred to my XT, but I won't know until I try. I will give inRoute a fair chance, and report the good, the bad and the ugly. Hopefully, it's more good than anything else.
Thanks for a very nice reply. 👍
 
#33 ·
The ONE BIG NEGATIVE with the Basecamp (that My Route addressed) is the ability to actually SEE the road as in Google maps with the "yellow man" :)
But Google is so slow to update the maps when you send the correction to them.
Some rant here: :)
Here in Northern Florida we have TONS of developments and dozens of new roads being created.
They are not reflected on the map, and some of them are very important pieces that connect roads now, saving us from going around to get to the destination.
What I don't get about Florida (at least in my neck of the woods) is TONS of roads / streets that are not paved at all, though they are fully occupied.
They are just $#%^@ing sand!
Or better yet, you ride on paved road and at some point the pavement ends even though the road continues.... WTF, Florida?????
The worst thing is that such roads are not always show on the map as unpaved. Usually they are narrow, making a U-turn a task!
 
#35 ·
The ONE BIG NEGATIVE with the Basecamp (that My Route addressed) is the ability to actually SEE the road as in Google maps with the "yellow man" :)
But Google is so slow to update the maps when you send the correction to them.
Some rant here: :)
Here in Northern Florida we have TONS of developments and dozens of new roads being created.
They are not reflected on the map, and some of them are very important pieces that connect roads now, saving us from going around to get to the destination.
What I don't get about Florida (at least in my neck of the woods) is TONS of roads / streets that are not paved at all, though they are fully occupied.
They are just $#%^@ing sand!
Or better yet, you ride on paved road and at some point the pavement ends even though the road continues.... WTF, Florida?????
The worst thing is that such roads are not always show on the map as unpaved. Usually they are narrow, making a U-turn a task!
You can do that using Google Earth. I do it all the time. Elevation profiles as well.
 
#37 ·
@jjscsix I installed inRoute on my MacBook Pro last night. Like most things new, it looked a little odd at first. inRoute uses different terms than Basecamp (BC) does for stopping points and shaping points, which threw me off for a bit. But that passed quickly and I was able to create a few quick routes with a mix of waypoint types.

My first impression is that it's remarkably similar to BC in the way you construct a route. With inRoute, you drop pins for your Start/Dest waypoints, add waypoint pins in-between in the correct routing order, identify each pin as either a Stop or a Via shaping, and that's basically it -- the same approach I take in BC. The mechanics for adding waypoints and reordering are remarkably similar to BC too. Like Basecamp, inRoute provides a folder structure for storing created routes. You can just leave all the routes randomly in the Favorites root, or create sub-folders for better organization.

Mind you, I was only able to play/experiment for about an hour. There are tons of features yet to be explored. On the surface, I really liked the search function. It's also cool the way you can Reverse a route to hit it from the other direction.

Again, I'm just starting, and I'm resisting the urge to make any sweeping conclusions. I guess I was hoping that inRoute incorporated some of the Google Maps features that I find indispensable for route planning, but it's too soon to judge. I'll have a better feel for the program as I use it over the Summer.
 
#39 ·
I appreciate you following up. I think the answer might be along these lines….for people like me who don’t need all the “power” to do advanced things as you alluded to in a previous post, inRoute is good for people like me who hate studying and just want to create simple routes.

I also like the fact that I can use inRoute on an iPad or iPhone while I’m out on the road. It is simple to use it for the “My Triumph” app that pairs with my bike for turn-by-turn instructions. Or I have a cable I can use to transfer a file from inRoute on my phone or IPad to the SD card that I use in my Garmin navs. To my knowledge I can only use Basecamp on my laptop (Apple in my case).

I have told people for years I like having friends who are smarter than me because I learn from them. I think you earn the same respect from me. Thanks!
 
#41 ·
@LostAndRoaming since you're a California guy, check out the follwong website:


Most everything you'd want to ride in our state is documented here. I'm a SoCal guy (even though I grew up in Pacifica), and I pride myself on knowing the local terrain. Still, I'm amazed at how much I've picked up from the Pashnit site. Use this site as a guilde, along with the Butler Motorcycle maps for California, and you'll never want to rely on the Cheesy "curvy road" decisions from Navigation SW again.

Good luck with your adventures in routing using MRA. From everything I've read, it's a solid program, and integrates well into the CA/TFT environment. Most of us with K1600 2012-2021 bikes live in the Garmin world, and Garmin Basecamp is still the gold standard for creating complex routes for Garmin Nav/Zumo XT devices. The integration is flawless. All other non-Garmin routing programs by definition inject compromise. It all comes down to your requirements for navigation.

Anyway, check Pashnit out. It's worth the time.
 
#55 ·
I am also a fan of MRA Route Planner with a lifetime gold account. It has useful features that other planning apps don’t have. I also use REVER, Kurgiver and a few other route planners as reference tools to find the best roads. Once done with my route, I export it as a .gpx file and upload it to my Zumo XT (I replaced my NAV VI and got an adapter to fit it in the same slot).
 
#57 · (Edited)
@jjscsix if you transfer a route from Basecamp to your GPS it will recalculate on the GPS to be exactly the same, assuming the following:

1) The maps on Basecamp and the GPS are the same.

2) The same route preferences are on Basecamp and the GPS. For instance, if Basecamp uses “curvy” and the GPS uses “Fastest”, you’re likely to get a different calculated route.

These are the only things that can make the routes different. I don’t know where else to point you. Sorry.

I am curious though about what’s different BC and the GPS route versions. Can you expand on that?
 
#58 ·
Beyond the most likely issues of matching versions of maps and route preference, I wonder if jjscsix could possibly be accidentally selecting the wrong option after selecting "Go" when the Garmin GPS then asks where you would like to join into the route? The wording of the question on the Nav6 is less than intuitive (to me), and on a couple occasions I have accidentally selected the final destination and at some point along the way I start to wonder why the Nav6 isn't faithfully following the route I imported from BC. The XT asks the same question after selecting "Go", but it is worded a bit more clearly (to me), and the XT2 words the question even better, so I'm unlikely to make the mistake again.
 
#62 ·
You guys keep guessing at what I’m doing wrong. As I said a couple of posts back, the ship has sailed. I simply have never had a problem with inRoute and don’t have to spend literally hours fighting it every time I create a route. InRoute has transferred as I want it to every single time.
 
#64 ·
John, that’s what I have been saying all along. Don’t forget that this thread was started by someone inquiring about alternatives to Basecamp. My responses were all about my experience with an alternative to Basecamp. I never asked for help With Basecamp.
 
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