Should I ditch my Nav V?

[trebor]

Still using my old Nav V, still doing the job I bought it for, never updated the maps ....

Same here, 11 years old and still going strong. Had to replace the battery a few years ago.

However, it did give me some concern last week when I had to take a trip to my local BMW dealer. On the way there it was fine, but when I fired up the bike to come home the Nav V screen was blank but the Bikes TFT could see it, i.e. I could switch between the TFT and NAV. I tried resetting it and cleaning the contactgs, but still no joy.

I was already considering checking out buying the new BMW Navigator, but when I got home I gave it one last try. Taking it off the bike I held the On/Off in for a short while, this did the trick and it fired up. It's been OK since.

 

[Mzokk]

Same here, 11 years old and still going strong. Had to replace the battery a few years ago.

However, it did give me some concern last week when I had to take a trip to my local BMW dealer. On the way there it was fine, but when I fired up the bike to come home the Nav V screen was blank but the Bikes TFT could see it, i.e. I could switch between the TFT and NAV. I tried resetting it and cleaning the contactgs, but still no joy.

I was already considering checking out buying the new BMW Navigator, but when I got home I gave it one last try. Taking it off the bike I held the On/Off in for a short while, this did the trick and it fired up. It's been OK since.

If the screen goes pop a new one can be obtained for about £30. I replaced one on a Garmin Zumo 390 last year its still going strong. On the Zumo 390 the screen went white but I could see the device when it was connected to the computer. The NAV 5 is a good unit in that it uses current Garmin NTU maps as used with the XT and XT2, but does not have the odd routing logic that has beset every garmin motorcycle navigation device since the Zumo 595/396.

 

[Becksy]

Still using my old Nav V, still doing the job I bought it for, never updated the maps ....

That’s the way to go, don’t update the maps. My issue has only started since I updated the maps to the latest version. This was my first update for about 3 years.

 

[Oldrat]

Had mine since 2017, no probs, but I haven’t updated tye maps either.

I shan’t bother now.

 

[glenn2926]

Not sure which model my Zumo 660 equates to in BMW speak but I’ve had it at least 12 years perhaps longer. It still works as it should. It would appear that the newer units are not as reliable as the older ones.

 

[Mzokk]

Not sure which model my Zumo 660 equates to in BMW speak but I’ve had it at least 12 years perhaps longer. It still works as it should. It would appear that the newer units are not as reliable as the older ones.

The 660 is more akin to the NAV IV and can only take Garmin NT mapping which was discontinued in July 2024 the last map for these devices is 2025.1. They are good units though and work well with Garminised Open Street Maps if you want to keep them up to date. The 660 was originally released in 2009-10

 

[glenn2926]

The 660 is more akin to the NAV IV and can only take Garmin NT mapping which was discontinued in July 2024 the last map for these devices is 2025.1. They are good units though and work well with Garminised Open Street Maps if you want to keep them up to date. The 660 was originally released in 2009-10

I don’t know what NT mapping is but my 660 is still updating and still accepting routes from basecamp so I’m still using it as I have been since it was new.

 

[Mzokk]

NT mapping is a type of Garmin map the latest and last was released in July 2024. Garmin NTU mapping is current and does not work on units designed to use NT mapping on which lifetime mapping has been discontinued. NTU maps are on units released by Garmin since about 2014 up to and including the Zumo XT and XT2.

 

[glenn2926]

NT mapping is a type of Garmin map the latest and last was released in July 2024. Garmin NTU mapping is current and does not work on units designed to use NT mapping on which lifetime mapping has been discontinued. NTU maps are on units released by Garmin since about 2014 up to and including the Zumo XT and XT2.

Thanks, I’ll just keep using what I have and not update it anymore. It’s not like that many new roads are getting built.

 

[Mzokk]

The 660/ NAV IV are good units

 

[Micky]

You simply can't beat an old OS map and and good old fashioned compass ...

 

[glenn2926]

You simply can't beat an old OS map and and good old fashioned compass ...

A little common is also useful. Like knowing North from south and roughly where the sun is.

 

[Micky]

A little common is also useful. Like knowing North from south and roughly where the sun is.

Like in the Altai mountains of Mongolia .... My GPS had gone tits up when the Russians had jet washed the bikes for us, and the only GPS we had was on Sue's 'bike on the top of a lorry

I had to step away from my 'bike and use a compass .... it worked duntya know

 

[Mzokk]

You simply can't beat an old OS map and and good old fashioned compass ...

I love maps Mickey and still take them when I'm away. Must get rid of some I'm not sure that a 1971 Bartholomew atlas of Europe would cut it these days

 

[mw3230]

Some while ago I sold my Nav 5 and bought a Garmin XT to replace it. The main reason was the ability to download routes to the XT wirelessly which works very well - the old MacBook and Nav 5 had stopped talking to each other and despite much advice on the matter I couldn’t resolve the issue

No complaints with the XT, it does exactly what it is supposed to do - I’ve downloaded most of Northern Europe maps to it. I’ve thought about the CarPlay devices (even bought one and sold it before installation). I’m not sure that CarPlay offers anything I haven’t got now, except perhaps the better screen to use MRA … perhaps

 

[Mzokk]

All of my Garmins work well with Microsoft PC's but Garmin's support of MAC OS seems patchy at best.

 

[Wapping]

But you have an added interface and all apps are limited in their functionality by what Android Auto or Apple Carplay allows. I use Myroute app a lot on the bike and to get the best experience using apps on the phone I think a sacrificial rugged phone or small tablet is the way to go, particularly if you don't have remote buttons to control an AA/Apple carplay screen..... just my tuppence worth.

In one.

Apple CarPlay (I am new to it) works fine in a car, whilst Google’s simple A to B routing is hard to beat. But that’s about the limitation of it, as all it is going is mirroring what is on the phone. Remove the convenience of remote buttons and it’s even more of a dumb device and one more interface to deal with.

On my 1600, my set up is very similar to Mzokk’s, except the bike has BMW’s on in-house navigation app (I hear it’s getting better) and no Apple CarPlay. The screen on my sacrificial (IPhone 15 Max) - running MyRoute’s Navigation app - is large enough for most things, likewise the XT’s screen, The TFT screen displaying BMW’s app is potentially huge, though I usefully only display the route in 1/3 of the available space. To run the BMW app, requires me using a sacrificial Android Samsung phone.Like him, I run three, simply as I like to know how they work. What I do miss is the bike’s ability to control the XT via the wonder wheel, which (along with the cubby hole for any BMW branded device back to the Nav IV) was very useful, but hey-ho.

On my Himalayan, it’s an XT and the sacrificial phone only, both running bespoke MyRoute routes.

The sacrificial phones I bought refurbished off the internet, from a reputable reseller. Neither of them has an SIM card, as it’s not needed. Both phones run bespoke routes created in MyRoute and I run the same route via the BMW app. In short, much as is shown in Mzokk’s picture. I have thought about dabbling with tablets and other software but, to be frank, I can’t be arsed.

 

[Wapping]

Garmin's support of MAC OS seems patchy at best.

It used to be tip-top, but no more.

 

[richardbd]

Thanks,

0808 238 0000 works, spoke to a nice lady who said that there had been a significant update in 2023, and that mine (late 2020) predated that, but had been "patched".

She also said that if mine were to display any issues, they would look at replacing it, but if it is working properly (as it is at present) they were not prepared to exchange it now.

"Do call back if you have problems." Which I guess is fair enough.

Is the ghosting an issue that appears after so many hours' use, or is it age related? Mine doesn't get used every day, most of the time it is in its pouch on the shelf in the hall. Obviously if I go on a trip, it goes too. But so far only two holidays and a few days out. Maybe it has had maybe 250 hours' use over 4 and a bit years.

Ghosting is a Nav6 problem, not Nav5 - or has been so far anyway!

 

[Micky]

I love maps Mickey and still take them when I'm away. Must get rid of some I'm not sure that a 1971 Bartholomew atlas of Europe would cut it these days

The roads I like to use predate Bartholomew's 1971 by a few hundred years