Garmin Nav IV - POS

[LotusMartin]

Seriously - could they have made this any more ridiculously unusable? I'm about ready to throw the damn thing out the window

All I want to do is put a few routes on it - E V E N T U A L L Y I got some on by figuring out that you can't just transfer them - oh no, thats too easy, then on the flipp'n device you have to "Import" the data. How hard can that be you're thinking? Firstly if its got more that a 100 or so points - forget it. Secondly the device holds about 10 max. Thirdly, even when you've managed to 'luck' upon the right sequence like some Indiana Jones temple puzzle - then, when you use the route it pops up a stupid message at EVERY BLEED'N navigation point - that you have to click on before it disappears.

Seriously....someone, somewhere should have their balls ripped off for creating such a crappy POS

 

[RedRick Esq.]

You haven't read any of the threads on how to do it have you ?

This may help. It is for a Nav 5 but the principles are the same and dont forget you need a memory card in it as the inbuilt memory is fairly shit

Then check out all of wappings helpful stuff

 

[iand46]

20 routes on Nav IV & dozens more on the memory card

 

[iand46]

Post your problems 1 by 1 in the satnav Zumo 660 section & you'll get lots of help.

 

[Andy63]

I feel your pain ;-) the only thing to do is grasp the thorny nettle that is Garmin and Basecamp and face it head on.

There are great youtube videos for Basecamp, build some test routes to ride make sure you use shaping nodes, tip make sure the maps are the same version on basecamp and your NavIV when you update.

When you test the routes deliberately ride off route to see how the set recalculates get the feel of how it works I also build a track of the desired route for reference and make sure its set to show on the map.

Tip make sure your avoidances are set the same on your NavIV and Basecamp click Ctr O on basecamp go to Activity profile and then click the routeing tab.

 

[Wapping]

Seriously - could they have made this any more ridiculously unusable? I'm about ready to throw the damn thing out the window

Seriously....someone, somewhere should have their balls ripped off for creating such a crappy POS

All you will get in this section is like minded souls bleating about where to buy a bag to go on top of their aluminium panniers or whether their bike really will be faster if they launch it off a hilltop towards Bottom End.

Set your difficulties out in a logical sequence in a post in the GPS section, where you'll find a solution to many of your problems is probably to hand. It's only a dumb device, used - often quite successfully - by hundreds; no logical reason why you shouldn't master it too.

 

[LotusMartin]

To be honest its not Basecamp thats 'the' problem - don't get me wrong Basecamp is also Sh1te but its not impossible to figure out. What is awful is the Nav 4 - only 20 routes - seriously? Terrible UI - unintuitive to the extreme - Can't wait to sell the thing and buy something thats fit for purpose.

 

[Wapping]

The GPS section is not just for BaseCamp problems; there's a sub-section just for the Nav IV / 660, too. http://www.ukgser.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/348-Zumo-660

Oh well, no helping some folk. How are the hand guards going?

 

[The Grey One]

To be honest its not Basecamp thats 'the' problem - don't get me wrong Basecamp is also Sh1te but its not impossible to figure out. What is awful is the Nav 4 - only 20 routes - seriously? Terrible UI - unintuitive to the extreme - Can't wait to sell the thing and buy something thats fit for purpose.

,

The Nav 4 which is basically a 660 is actually quite easy to use I find. Ok you might have to find out how it works first. I handle several most days and almost everyone is happy with them. Last week I changed preferences and loaded routes for a Hungarian guest,the 660 was in Hungarian but I know where the buttons are!

I find those that are not happy often complain that it does not do something they want only to find they have never troubled themselves to find out about the unit. Whinging is far easier! A case in point was a recent guest, an Australian with several months to wander around Europe, who complained about having to put in a full address to get the device to take him to the next city on his hit list. Once I had shown him that if he stopped using the address feature and simply used the city one instead the device would do what he wanted all was well.

20 routes is plenty for most situations and a has been pointed out if you add a card you can store many more. Most people use a laptop or PC to store all their routes.

Find someone who knows how to use the device properly and ask them to show you how it works. Whatever you buy will require a learning curve so why not save money and learn to use the one you have.

I do understand being frustrated with a SatNav. I bought my first one in 2003, for the first month I would have gladly junked the thing. Then I realised that the problem was more with the operator than the device. I read the manual, played with it's settings, tried a few simple routes and have not looked back since.

John

 

[Greenman14]

Should have bought a TomTom. Dead easy to use and works a dream with Tyre route planning software.

 

[The Grey One]

Should have bought a TomTom. Dead easy to use and works a dream with Tyre route planning software.

Each to his own, If I where to be given a TomTom I would sell it on rather than use it myself. I see a lot of these devices too here and I don't find them easier than Garmin, just different and not so adaptable. Also there is a much higher failure rate-mostly the mounts- than for Garmin. The maps used by TomTom are, at least around here, nowhere near as good as the Garmin ones although it has to be said that the Garmin maps are not as good as the openstreetmap versions. The reverse is true in the UK but at the moment I spend very little time there.

Actually using most modern devices like Sat Nav, smart phones, tablets etc requires a certain amount of effort on the part of the user to get the best out of them. And if you nothing about how a motorcycle worked, which controls did what, it would take you a while to master that too. Those who are not prepared to make that effort should think twice before claiming fault in the device itself. Personally I can't be arsed to work with a smartphone so mine is used to make and receive phone calls and texts. If I had a real need for such things as mobile internet no doubt I would invest the time in finding out how it works, until then I am happy with it as a phone.

John