Computer maps

(because you already know where you're going).

Not always - but as my Yogi quote previously says - you might wind up somewhere else.

Thanks for the tutorial. I will try to find time to delve further into BaseCamp with the Garmin connected.

Once I do sort of know where I am going by putting in a search point I do try to let the computer find a route. But if I don't like the route I can then start to refine it by putting in waypoints to force the route to go the way I want. I also use this if someone tells me about a route they use and I want to clarify the exact route with all the turns before attempting to drive it.

Another use of "pinpoint" waypoints is when we need to find our way around a town that has very narrow streets. The computer may take us through town and we want to force it to take the preferred ring road - bypass - periferico - loop – libramiento - circunvalacion.

This can also be used to add stops to a long route. An example is halfway (more or less) between Laredo and San Miguel de Allende is a very large Pemex travel plaza in the middle of the highway - restaurants - hotel - truck parking - etc. I can show this on my route and if asked I can post the route showing the Lat Lon of this location for others to use. (NOTE - we do want to 100% support RV parks but in Mexico that is not always an option so we do sometimes use a Pemex for a one night stopover).

Here is another example of a route we have done a few times. This is a town we pass through between Patzcuaro and Valle de Juarez – we can be going east or west – this shows east to west. The town is very tight and RVs do not want to go through town. Navigation programs do not know this so the route must be forced by adding waypoints. I learned this the hard way by going through town. Then I was told the correct way to go through by someone who knew. This is the way the trucks go. So here are three different maps from computer programs all of which have limitations.

OLD S&T ROUTE – before getting to town from the east we turn up a road named CIRCUNVALACION (think circumnavigate or ring around) – but the route does not show there is now a new road so it takes us through town anyway. I put in waypoints to force this route.

Click For Full-Size Image.

MSN MAPS CALCULATE shows the way the computer thinks we should go but this will not work. We can see there is a new road added since the S&T map which is the way to go – to the left of the map we see the new sort of diagonal road is named CALTZONTZIN. The problem with these MSN MAPS is I can’t figure out how to put in waypoints to create the correct route.

Click For Full-Size Image.

NAVIGATOR – complex and confusing and difficult to use (so far) – but waypoints show the new and best route. Now I can share this with others to show the secret any RVer should know if they happen to want to take this route. I could add the Lat Lon numbers to these waypoints but it is time consuming so I left them out.

Click For Full-Size Image.

My Garmin is not available at the moment but later on I will try to figure out how to do this route using BaseCamp and my Garmin.