Update for navigator 3?

[jgp]

I have just bought a used navigator 3 which i believe is a rebranded Garmin 2820 model.The seller told me that the unit needed to be updated and on using it,this seems a good idea as some of the routes it suggests seem a bit strange.
Any ideas as to go about this?.I,m not a very computer savy kind of person. Thanks

 

[Yellow Peril]

You'll have to buy it from Garmin, however I have just updated my unit to the latest maps 2012.1 and it was a real pain, the maps have gotten so large the poor Nav III doesn't have the space any more for full mapping.

Personally I wish I had stuck to my previous mapset at 2011.3.

 

[ChasMill]

When you buy the updated map sets, tick the option to download the maps to your computer only. That way you can choose the maps you want before going on a trip without downloading maps that you don't need. If you are going to France, you really don't need to load Sweeden as well!

 

[Bumpkin]

Any ideas as to go about this?.I,m not a very computer savy kind of person. Thanks

Realistically, I respectfully suggest that you need to upgrade to a Zumo 660 if that's really the case.

As mentioned above the 2820 doesn't have sufficient storage space for the more recent map sets. It's possible to put the majority of Europe, probably all you'll ever need TBH, but it's something of a protracted process. The Garmin updater does offer the option of loading one of a set of pre-defined regions of Europe onto units without the space for the whole lot. However, in my experience, these are not ideal. You can only choose one and ISTR that they bisect Europe in a way that's not ideal for someone in the UK.

Some time ago I asked Garmin to provide a definitive list of what's included in each region. Remember, you can only choose one of these:

1. Alps - Austria, Northern Italy, Switzerland, Eastern France (small amount), Southern Liechtenstein (small amount)
2. Alps & DACH - Austria, Eastern France (small amount), Germany, Liechtenstein, Northern Italy (small amount), Switzerland
3. BeNeLux - Belgium, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Western Germany (small amount)
4. BeNeLux & France - Belgium, France, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Western Germany (small amount), Corsica region, Saint Barthelemy, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, French Gulana
5. Central & Eastern Europe - Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegowina, BULGARIA, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, republic of, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine
6. Central Europe - Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eastern France, Germany, Italy (about ¾’s down to the top of the boot heel), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Slovenia, Switzerland
7. DACH & CZ - Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland
8. DACH & Eastern Europe - Albania, Austria, BELARUS, Bosnia and Herzegowina, BULGARIA, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy (about 90% doesn’t cover full southern part), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, republic of, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine
9. Full Europe - Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azores Islands, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Channel Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Martinique, Madeira, Moldova, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Saint Barthelemy, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, Nordics, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Northeast Europe, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, LATVIA, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Northwest Eastern Europe, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Northwest Europe, Andorra, Azores, Belgium, Canary Islands, France, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Ireland, Luxemburg, Madeira, Martinique, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Spain, UK, Southwest Europe, Andorra, Austria, Azores, Canary Island, France, French Gulana, Guadeloupe, Italy, Madeira, Martinique, Monaco, Portugal, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Western Europe, Andorra, Azores, Belgium, Canary Islands, France, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Ireland, Luxemburg, Madeira, Martinique, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Spain, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland

You should save the update to your PC as well as that will allow you to plan routes on your PC which is where the real strength of the Garmins comes through. Once you've done this you can create your own custom map set with the bits of Europe you need. Unfortunately getting this mapping from your PC to the GPS might well require a bit more mucking around with files both on your PC and on the GPS than you comfortable with. Additionally I think you'll need Garmin Mapsource on your PC before you save the mapping update there, did the 2820 come with any disks? If not then you've got even more mucking around with the PC to do.

Added to which, if not done already, the previous owner will need to re-register the unit with Garmin and you will then need to set-up a myGarmin account and register the 2820 in your name before you can start to obtain updates. Without this recognised change in ownership you'll be stuck with what you have now.

Part of the web update service will look to see if the firmware is current, if it isn't that might improve the routing but I doubt if it will have much effect to be honest. The device is pretty dumb and can only work with the mapping data, which is fairly rudimentary TBH, and it's routing algorithm to calculate a route. As I say above, route planning on the PC is the real advantage and where the Garmins knock spots off the other makes of GPS.

The A- B routing isn't always going to be that logical in the real world. It can look at distance and the road types/speeds in the data and decide a route based on your preference for fastest or shortest route. You set the latter in the menu on the GPS, fastest is usually best as shortest will take you by any old goat track (some here prefer that).

 

[Yellow Peril]

Hell that was some answer Bumpkin, just to update you, since the inclusion of 2012.1 there are other map sets including western europe which is all the majority would want or use, however it includes Norway, Sweden and Finland which is just enough to stop it fitting on the poor old Nav III.

Personally I ended up sending the unit to Garmin after completely messing the unit up and they loaded the maps for me except the above mentioned Nordic Countries.

I still rate the Nav III it is a good unit and it lots of respects more reliable than some of the newer stuff, it just doesn't have a big enough memory which I am sure Garmin could change if they really wanted too.

 

[Bumpkin]

since the inclusion of 2012.1 there are other map sets including western europe which is all the majority would want or use, however it includes Norway, Sweden and Finland which is just enough to stop it fitting on the poor old Nav III.

Sorry, should have said that list was provided as I was purchasing 2010.1 on a onetime update.

I still rate the Nav III it is a good unit and it lots of respects more reliable than some of the newer stuff, it just doesn't have a big enough memory which I am sure Garmin could change if they really wanted too.

I have an SP2720, still a great navigator though now relegated to back-up, and SWMBO guidance, duties. Should my bikeised Nuvi 765 fail me I can plug it straight back onto the bike.

 

[jgp]

Realistically, I respectfully suggest that you need to upgrade to a Zumo 660 if that's really the case.

As mentioned above the 2820 doesn't have sufficient storage space for the more recent map sets. It's possible to put the majority of Europe, probably all you'll ever need TBH, but it's something of a protracted process. The Garmin updater does offer the option of loading one of a set of pre-defined regions of Europe onto units without the space for the whole lot. However, in my experience, these are not ideal. You can only choose one and ISTR that they bisect Europe in a way that's not ideal for someone in the UK.

Some time ago I asked Garmin to provide a definitive list of what's included in each region. Remember, you can only choose one of these:

1. Alps - Austria, Northern Italy, Switzerland, Eastern France (small amount), Southern Liechtenstein (small amount)
2. Alps & DACH - Austria, Eastern France (small amount), Germany, Liechtenstein, Northern Italy (small amount), Switzerland
3. BeNeLux - Belgium, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Western Germany (small amount)
4. BeNeLux & France - Belgium, France, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Western Germany (small amount), Corsica region, Saint Barthelemy, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, French Gulana
5. Central & Eastern Europe - Albania, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegowina, BULGARIA, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, republic of, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine
6. Central Europe - Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eastern France, Germany, Italy (about ¾’s down to the top of the boot heel), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Slovenia, Switzerland
7. DACH & CZ - Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland
8. DACH & Eastern Europe - Albania, Austria, BELARUS, Bosnia and Herzegowina, BULGARIA, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy (about 90% doesn’t cover full southern part), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, republic of, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine
9. Full Europe - Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azores Islands, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Channel Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Martinique, Madeira, Moldova, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Reunion, Romania, Saint Barthelemy, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, Nordics, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Northeast Europe, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, LATVIA, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Northwest Eastern Europe, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Northwest Europe, Andorra, Azores, Belgium, Canary Islands, France, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Ireland, Luxemburg, Madeira, Martinique, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Spain, UK, Southwest Europe, Andorra, Austria, Azores, Canary Island, France, French Gulana, Guadeloupe, Italy, Madeira, Martinique, Monaco, Portugal, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Western Europe, Andorra, Azores, Belgium, Canary Islands, France, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Ireland, Luxemburg, Madeira, Martinique, Monaco, Netherlands, Portugal, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Spain, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland

You should save the update to your PC as well as that will allow you to plan routes on your PC which is where the real strength of the Garmins comes through. Once you've done this you can create your own custom map set with the bits of Europe you need. Unfortunately getting this mapping from your PC to the GPS might well require a bit more mucking around with files both on your PC and on the GPS than you comfortable with. Additionally I think you'll need Garmin Mapsource on your PC before you save the mapping update there, did the 2820 come with any disks? If not then you've got even more mucking around with the PC to do.

Added to which, if not done already, the previous owner will need to re-register the unit with Garmin and you will then need to set-up a myGarmin account and register the 2820 in your name before you can start to obtain updates. Without this recognised change in ownership you'll be stuck with what you have now.

Part of the web update service will look to see if the firmware is current, if it isn't that might improve the routing but I doubt if it will have much effect to be honest. The device is pretty dumb and can only work with the mapping data, which is fairly rudimentary TBH, and it's routing algorithm to calculate a route. As I say above, route planning on the PC is the real advantage and where the Garmins knock spots off the other makes of GPS.

The A- B routing isn't always going to be that logical in the real world. It can look at distance and the road types/speeds in the data and decide a route based on your preference for fastest or shortest route. You set the latter in the menu on the GPS, fastest is usually best as shortest will take you by any old goat track (some here prefer that).

Thanks for that,wish i'd bought something else!.

 

[jgp]

Hell that was some answer Bumpkin, just to update you, since the inclusion of 2012.1 there are other map sets including western europe which is all the majority would want or use, however it includes Norway, Sweden and Finland which is just enough to stop it fitting on the poor old Nav III.

Personally I ended up sending the unit to Garmin after completely messing the unit up and they loaded the maps for me except the above mentioned Nordic Countries.

I still rate the Nav III it is a good unit and it lots of respects more reliable than some of the newer stuff, it just doesn't have a big enough memory which I am sure Garmin could change if they really wanted too.

How did you go about sending the unit to Gamin and what was the cost?. Thanks.

 

[Bumpkin]

the previous owner will need to re-register the unit with Garmin

Sorry, a typo; that should read de-register.

 

[Yellow Peril]

I phoned them up trying get the maps on with no success and I think I fustrated the guy on the end of the phone so much he said send it back so gave me a returns number and all done on warranty which ain't bad for a 4 year old unit.

So my only cost was the price of postage for the return. There and back in 7 days which for me was lucky as I am off to Spain/Portugal in 2 days time.

 

[jgp]

Thanks for all the advice.Just been to belgum,Germany and austria and the unit seemed to work very well.Got to Hull and the unit started to give weird and wonderfull ways back to scotland.