BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

I've long struggled to master Base Camp with hours spent on Youtube videos and fiddling with the program to create routes to download to my Nav VI. Then I found that the U.S. based BMWMOA offers up Tourstart - accessed online and with a phone app. This is a breeze to use. I can very easily plan a route online in minutes and download it to a nav unit. I just planned a trip to a known point where Base Camp didn't even show roads that exist in the area. The phone app will give you turn-by-turn audio but will not allow you to send to a GPS which would be a plus. But for me this is a huge leap in usability. This along with Butler paper maps makes planning a trip a pleasure.

Has anyone here had a similar conversion??

There was a long thread not long ago about different options to Basecamp (do a search). Personally I have been using My Route App for years, which is also very good, haven't tried Tourstart.

Paul Andrews wrote:Has anyone here had a similar conversion.

This thread discusses route planning software, viewtopic.php?t=3

Paul Andrews wrote: .....  Tourstart - accessed online and with a phone app.  This is a breeze to use.  I can very easily plan a route online in minutes and download it to a nav unit......  The phone app will give you turn-by-turn audio but will not allow you to send to a GPS which would be a plus.  But for me this is a huge leap in usability.  This along with Butler paper maps makes planning a trip a pleasure. 

I've made a couple of attempts at getting to grips with BaseCamp too and have given up.  I should have a look at Tourstart. 
As I understand it, I download an app to my phone, plan a route on it then download the route to my Nav V. 
1.  How does that happen ?
2.  Turn by turn audio is what I get at the moment from my Nav V - isn't it ?
3.  "... will not allow you to send to a GPS" - What does that mean ?  Isn't the Nav V a GPS device ?


I look forward to reading more on Tourstart.

Paul Andrews wrote:I just planned a trip to a known point where Base Camp didn't even show roads that exist in the area.

Was this whilst being zoomed in to the "Highest" map detail on BC. If necessary, I usually use Google Maps for a comparison when more detail is required.

Sorry for the newbie mistake of not searching for this topic.  I'm unused to forums, so I'll take that to heart and end this with answers to questions/comments above:


To gogs01; I was unclear on the process.  If you want to download a route to your GPS it must first be built online - not on the phone app.  The app syncs with the online version and vice versa, so you can use the phone to get turn-by-turn directions if, say, you didn't have a stand alone GPS. 


And to David; yes, this is while zoomed in on BC.  It simply doesn't have the database detail of Tourstart. 


Now as David suggests, I'll be moving over to /viewtopic.php?t=3 for further research.

Thanks for that!

This is the same as most online route planners, MRA included. You build the route online, then either export to the Nav (GPS) or if using their mobile app you can download to the phone app.

Casbar wrote: This is the same as most online route planners, MRA included. You build the route online, then either export to the Nav (GPS) or if using their mobile app you can download to the phone app.

I took a look at MRA.  It seems to be designed more for commercial purposes like package delivery.  But hey, whatever works.  Actually I found a tip that makes BC easier for me, but still find that Tourstart is far less complicated and has a much better database.  I'll likely use both depending on the complexity of the route and the need to find backwoods roads and villages for which Tourstart is much better.

Paul Andrews wrote:Actually I found a tip that makes BC easier for me.

May I ask what that tip was?

David. wrote: May I ask what that tip was?

Delete it from his computer 

The tip was to simply use the waypoint tool to pick the start and end points, select both, alt-click to choose "create a route".  Using the select tool, alter it by alt-clicking on the path,  choose "insert route point" from the menu and pick a drag the line to where you want to go.  This works - sorta - most of time.   

Paul Andrews wrote: I took a look at MRA.  It seems to be designed more for commercial purposes like package delivery.  But hey, whatever works.  Actually I found a tip that makes BC easier for me, but still find that Tourstart is far less complicated and has a much better database.  I'll likely use both depending on the complexity of the route and the need to find backwoods roads and villages for which Tourstart is much better.

MRA designed for package delivery - don't think so, I can recommend a better app for that. MRA is developed by the guys who were involved in Tyre, which was a pretty good app. I use MRA for trip planning and don't deliver any packages

I've tried BC... Pfft!
I signed up and used MRA since it changed from Tyre. Easier to plan and use than BC
Now use Tourstart.org.  For me, the easiest and most simple to plan, use and certainly the most reliable out of the lot. I know if I take a detour with this, it will put me back to MY route, not where it thinks I should go to get to the end point.


It really is a case of try them and see what works for you.