Routes & Tracks

Ran out of track memory? However you are saying NO Tracks...do you have a prompt on the 855 to turn off tracking? OR if your memory was full from previous trip..

Nice trip!

I also have an 855. There is no interaction between the use of routes and the creation of tracks. On some Garmin models it is a user settable option whether the creation of track log continues once it is full thus overwriting the oldest data, or stops pending your clearing. Might want to check the settings.

Not sure about the 855 but on newer Nuvi models older tracks get placed in a folder called Archives. Look in the GPX folder on your Nuvi and if there is an Archives folder in there then that maybe were your missing tracks have ended up.

I checked my 855. The only setting I could find that is relevant is at Tools|Maps|Trip log.

And the two options are simply Hide or Show. I did not find an option regarding over-writing, so infer it does it all the time.

Any chance it was set to Hide?

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What is a trip log and how does it work on a nuvi, LIVE, or zumo device?
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08/20/2013
Trip logs are points automatically stored when the GPS device is locked onto a satellite signal and moving. It is the electronic equivalent of laying down a "breadcrumb trail" to mark the path that has been traveled.

A nuvi, LIVE, or zumo device can store 10,000 points before it begins the process of archiving additional logs.1 Beyond 10,000 points the device moves the oldest trip data into an internal archive file. Up to 20 archive files can be stored internally on the unit. This means, depending on space available, the device can store over 200,000 points of trip data.

Archived trip log information is not visible on the device itself, but can be used and seen with Garmin's MapSource or BaseCamp programs.

To open and view individual archives:

Open the Garmin drive
This is located in Computer or My Computer on Windows
This is located on the Desktop on Mac
Open the Garmin folder
Open the GPX folder
Open the Archive folder
Each archived GPX file can be opened in MapSource or BaseCamp.

These can also be opened as individual archives from within BaseCamp by following these steps:

Connect the device to the computer
Open the BaseCamp program
Click on the device or Internal Storage, under Devices
Click on an active route
*Note: MapSource will not install without a previous version of MapSource mapping already installed to the computer. If mapping software is not available, BaseCamp would be the application to use. The mapping applications can be downloaded from this link: http://www8.garmin.com/support/mappingsw.jsp

1The Archive file feature can be found on all nuvi, LIVE, and zumo models EXCEPT the following:

nuvi 200 series
nuvi 300 series
nuvi 600 series
nuvi 700 series

The Hide setting only toggles the cyan colored trip log line on the map screen from displaying or not. The Nuvi will continue to store tracks no matter what this setting is set at.

I can only speak For the 1450/1490 but your logs are saved (or suppose to be saved) in the folder Archive which is a sub-folder under GARMIN. There you should find files with a rising number and an extension of gpx.
These are not gpx files butcan be read as text files. If you drag them to a folder on your computer (So you wont corrupt the ones on the Garmin) and then change the extensions to txt you can open them in Notepad. My unit only writes logs if you set a course.
You will get a reading as below which is telling me that my Garmin was at a position in California, 7-25-2013, Time 9:21, and a certain elevation. If your trip was long this sentence would be very long.
If you wear a tin foil hat, you can delete these files from your Garmin or for saving space.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no" ?>Garmin International2013-07-25T19:40:45ZACTIVE LOG: 22 JUL 2013 09:21465.90

I cleared the log before I left

No Archive on the 855 that I can find; certainly not in the GPX folder.

I'll prob try some short routes around Ottawa and see what happens.

Tks all

Just how did you do that? While some other Garmin models have that option in the regular user interface, I don't spot it on the 855 screens. Just possibly the method you used may have had the side effect of disabling either further logging or display.

Can you use the search mode on your computer to see if there are any gpx files on your Garmin. Type *.gpx in the search box and highlight your Garmin.

On the 8x5 you will find it on Tools > My Data > Clear Trip Log.

Thanks--failed to think of looking there.