My Roue App (MRA)

Tony Smith

de-Smiffy
UKGSer Subscriber
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Hi,

I have had a BMW Nav 5 for years and used MRA successfully all over Europe in the main with some minor glitches.

I realised that I was creating the route in Google Maps Default Gold and saving as a GPX1.0 file and exporting it to Tracks on my Nav 5.

I watched the MRA tutorial and can see that I should have used HERE MRA Navigation Garmin Gold map to create the route and export the route via BMW Motorbike (GPX 1.1).

I then realised that the export facility goes to my Nav 5 into Tracks and not Trips directly, then you convert it to Trips.

So I created several routes for last weekend trip away, but it deviated continually from all my routes????

Absolute nightmare, I followed the instructions to a T and have watched it again several times over to check, all the routes are still in the Nav 5 as Tracks and Trips with all the way-points I put in???

It just makes it's own mind up and does not follow the route at all.

I have checked my device to see if there is anything in the settings that will make it deviate, but nothing obvious "like drive where ever you want regardless of the route" or "avoid following the actual route" but nothing I can see.

I was going to Widemouth Bay from Tewkesbury junct 9 via Tiverton Junct 27, Barstable, Bideford and Bude, but it decided it wanted to go via Exeter, Oakhampton and Holsworthy, nothing like to programmed route.

I rode my route, but it never recalculated (as it would normally do) and never got back on the original track until at 5 miles out I stopped it and I put the destination postcode in.

Any ideas what could possibly be wrong before I revert back to my old method?

I have also asked MRA, but they are notorious for not answering, a bit like their program.......

Smiffy.
 
If My Route can’t or won’t help you, we can only try.

To start, it would be really helpful if you could share the track that My Route creates for you, which (when it it converted into a route within your Nav V) is completely altered. That way, people can see if they can replicate your problem and / or work out a solution. Use something like Dropbox to share the track with us or any similar file hosting website.

There was a similar problem posted a couple of months ago, where a possible reason and solution was found: https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...-a-Nav-VI-running-a-route-created-in-My-Route but your problem might well be different.
 
Thank you for getting back so quickly, appreciated.

I need to be at home to reply accurately, so it'll be later this week.

Just to confirm, the route on my laptop and NAV5 are identical.

The problem is that it does not follow the route in the NAV5, it deviates from it, almost as if it has something ticked in the settings that say avoid motorways, toll roads or something that is causing it to make alternative routes and ignore the route in it's memory completely.

Unfortunately, I'm not particularly IT literate so putting images on here with Dropbox means I need to find out how that will work, but I understand maps and GPS's just confused after religiously following the tutorial has totally failed by comparison with me doing it the way I use to.

Very odd, I'll be back.

Cheers,
Tony.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
 
OK, I'll PM you my email address.

Send me the MyRoute file / track via email. I have a Nav V, so I'll see if I can replicate the problem. I'll also share the file in this thread, so that others can play around with it, too.

No steaming hurry, as I am away until the middle of next week, at the earliest.

The most common reason for a huge recalculation is settings and then the lack of data, from which the humble Nav V creates its routes. Though why this might suddenly have started is a mystery. My honest suspicion is that the problem lies in MyRoute..... but we shall see, hopefully.
 
The first issue is, GPx 1.1 doesn't work correctly with Nav V or Nav VI, it is something to do with the specific BMW Navigator. It usually just gives you a straight line route. There are work arounds. But the only difference between 1.0 and 1.1 is 1.0 gives you waypoints and 1.1 gives you shaping points. You can adjust the route as you want by edit in the device, so I never bothered with 1.1. I create all my routes using HERE maps and exporting via the export tool via gpx 1.0, then take out waypoints and make them shaping points as I want. Never had a failure in 5 or so years. MRA support is very good, go onto the forum or just raise a case, they always get back and offer help.
 
Looks like we may have an answer already, thanks to casbar.

Try as suggested in the post above. It sort of links with my guess / observation that it's a MyRoute / data problem.
 
I use MRA , quite abit too , as mentioned when saving, do so as GPX 1.0. It also says in the tuition videos to turn off auto re calculations, not sure if you did that.

So....with auto calc off, write your route, save as a GPX1.0, send to device. Check through the route on the device. Turn on auto calc ( if you prefer that ) and off you go .

Do a trial Route of local roads for a few miles ,see how it goes. Deliberately ride off the route too, too see if it auto calculates
 
As Wapping knows i had major issues with MRA too, in the end i couldn't resolve it and stop using it.

In the end i went back to Base Camp and it worked perfect.
This to me, was proof it wasn’t the BMW Garmin at fault or the setting in it.

As already suggested the only way is to create a local circular route and test it.
Check it sticks to the route and also check if the auto recalculate works.

To be honest this is what I need to do too, but just haven’t fully tested it, I just used basecamp for the last few months.

Just in case you don’t already know.
Before you launch your route from the app section of the GPS auto calculate needs to be turned off
Don’t do what I did a few months back and turn it off after you load the route, it’s too late lol
 
As Wapping knows i had major issues with MRA too, in the end i couldn't resolve it and stop using it.

In the end i went back to Base Camp and it worked perfect.
This to me, was proof it wasn’t the BMW Garmin at fault or the setting in it.

As already suggested the only way is to create a local circular route and test it.
Check it sticks to the route and also check if the auto recalculate works.

To be honest this is what I need to do too, but just haven’t fully tested it, I just used basecamp for the last few months.

Just in case you don’t already know.
Before you launch your route from the app section of the GPS auto calculate needs to be turned off
Don’t do what I did a few months back and turn it off after you load the route, it’s too late lol

That is not proof its not the Garmin that is at fault, it is proof that Basecamp is just a mirror of the Garmin. Its proof that the user doesn't understand how the different apps work. There are 1000s of MRA users who experience no issues. The gpx export 1.1 works fine on some garmin devices, just not the BMW Nav. But there is a work around if you insist on using 1.1 But as explained export 1.0 works every time. Not sure about the recalulation comment, I don't bother switching this off when I use a MRA route, this only becomes an issue if you go off route and then it only re-routes you directly to the next waypoint. You can always get to the next waypoint and then restart the route, picking the next waypoint. Of course if you switch of recalculation and you leave the route, you have to then get yourself back onto the route without any help. So both work. One of the main benefits of MRA is being able to plot a route and then overlay using both Tom Tom and open source maps as well as Garmin maps, so if sharing with a group you can ensure everyone gets the same routes. If you are also a Gold subscriber, you get fantastic support, something with Garmin do not provide for Basecamp. But its like everything no matter what, apps will suit some and not others, that is why we all have a choice :)
 
I exported the MRA route as gpx 1.0
One using Garmin maps
One using Tomtom maps

I sent the file to my Nav6 and to my mate who in turn put it on his tomtom Rider 5
We both got lost, but not the same wrong routes, both different.

When the GPS recalculated it didn’t recalculate to the next waypoint, it recalculated the whole journey to the destination.
So if you miss a turn or go off route for fuel the route is ruined.
So in my case the lovely B roads I had planned suddenly turned into the M6

It also re-routed randomly without missing turns, I guess it just thought it found a better route.
To be fair it never worked with calculate off either, which is why I stopped using it.

What I ended up doing is following the fine black line on the map the original track made
There is no instructions to follow, you just need to keep an eye on it.

Ultimately it doesn’t matter if its MRA fault, Garmins fault or my fault…. The fact is MRA gets me lost, so why keep using it.
It’s a real shame because creating routes is very easy on it and the option of all the different maps including google is brilliant.
I really wanted it to work 
 
I exported the MRA route as gpx 1.0
One using Garmin maps
One using Tomtom maps

I sent the file to my Nav6 and to my mate who in turn put it on his tomtom Rider 5
We both got lost, but not the same wrong routes, both different.

When the GPS recalculated it didn’t recalculate to the next waypoint, it recalculated the whole journey to the destination.
So if you miss a turn or go off route for fuel the route is ruined.
So in my case the lovely B roads I had planned suddenly turned into the M6

It also re-routed randomly without missing turns, I guess it just thought it found a better route.
To be fair it never worked with calculate off either, which is why I stopped using it.

What I ended up doing is following the fine black line on the map the original track made
There is no instructions to follow, you just need to keep an eye on it.

Ultimately it doesn’t matter if its MRA fault, Garmins fault or my fault…. The fact is MRA gets me lost, so why keep using it.
It’s a real shame because creating routes is very easy on it and the option of all the different maps including google is brilliant.
I really wanted it to work 

You hit the nail on the head, if it doesn't work for you, use something that does. Like I have said before, I have used MRA for 100s of routes in the UK and Europe and never experienced what you did, the routes have never got me lost or off route. I have provided routes to others when we have been away, some have used phone Nav apps and some used Tom Tom, they have all been able to take turns leading and again never had any issues. There are 1000s of MRA users who also do not experience any issues. You have found a solution that works, which is great, I don't have shares or any connection with MRA, so not really bothered who does or doesn't use it. It happens to work for me and I have not ever bothered with Basecamp after having a look at it and getting frustrated. But if you bother to learn it, it is also a great route planning tool for Garmin :)
 
I know, but i hate the fact i didnt get it working, its now a challenge lol

i might plan a route to Darwent Dam at weekend (made famous by the Dambusters) through windy roads and try MRA again
at least if i get lost i know where i am lol


to the OP

Plan your route with HERE maps and export as gpx 1.0 to your GPS

Once your device converts it to a route, edit and alter waypoints to shaping points where needed.
Go into settings and turn OFF auto recalculations
Load your route.... visually check its looking like what you planned.

now at this point, some people turn calculations back ON and it works great. Not for me, but don't let that put you off i am special :D
 
casbar, Barnoe (and indeed myself) are two sides of the same coin. We all seem to like our GPS units but each prefer our own methods and software to create the routes. casbar likes MyRoute and understands it, whilst Barnoe doesn’t like it. I like BaseCamp but haven’t yet tried MyMap, though I can understand why it is popular. I can also understand why its use sometimes brings with it some misfits with Garmin devices, evidence of which, along with cures (or at least explanations as to the likely causes of the misfits) we have seen in other threads and posts. These misfits can fall, in part at least, into two camps:

1. The two systems are not always completely harmonious. For example, it’s better to use v1 to export, rather than v1.1. Similarly, as my opening post shows, there can be replication errors of some sort. These might be small and simple (as my example showed) or maybe catastrophic.

2. A basic lack of experience or knowledge as to how a modern Garmin GPS device actually works. They are simple, almost dumb, devices. But, at the same time they are very powerful, particularly the latest devices which have some operating procedures that are very different in the way they work from those of their older brothers and sisters. Mistakes made with the operation of the device will, almost inevitably, result in problems out on the road. If these mistakes or misunderstandings are then multiplied through the use of two separate pieces of software (MyMap versus BaseCamp) then real problems - such as we have seen - can start to appear.

The good thing is that we all have a choice. Similarly, we are lucky to have people from both camps, who are prepared to help others as best they can.

Maybe the best advice is the simplest:

1. Use a route creation software that is best for you.

2. Get to understand it AND your Garmin device, the two are inextricably linked after all.

3. Always check the route(s) you have created or received BEFORE you set off and correct any foibles then and there. The alternative is to find yourself at the side of the road, scratching your head or shouting at a dumb black box, which will always remain frustratingly silent. Checking might take five minutes, whilst the side of the road might cost you your hair and your sanity.

Richard
 
Anyway, back on topic…..

Let’s see how the OP gets on with casbar’s suggestions as to how to cure his problem.
 


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