USA map loading

[steveC]

Hi,

I have a rather old nav iii which I bought from this site awhile ago. It was deregistered by the last owner and it has done me proud in the UK.

I may be doing a USA trip this year. From what I have seemed to be able to pick from this forum the device has limited memory. A download of a USA map base is not possible or am I mistaken.

Can you tell me am I right, if so it looks like a few maps will be required.

Thanks Steve

 

[Watty100]

Why mess about trying to load new maps on an obsolete nav?

US Amazon list satnavs from around $90 (£60 ish) with full US and Canada maps, or walk into a Walmart when you get there and pick up a cheap unit. Simples!

 

[steveC]

HI Watty,

As a regular visitor to the USA I already have a Garmin GPS for use in the rental cars I get. Believe me I have never seen a dedicated Motorcycle GPS in the USA for the price you have quoted.

I don't want to go down the route of using my car GPS on my bike, the nav iii owes me nothing and still does it job of getting me around. Obsolete it most certainly is but it is perfect for my basic requirement's.

Now I don't mind spending a little cash to get a USA map download what I really want to know is can it be done on a nav iii.

I am using my own motorcycle so a loan GPS is not possible and at the rates they want you may as well buy a one from best buy and keep it.

So gentlemen can the nav iii cope with this download or is it a case don't even think about it.

I do appreciate the constructive replies.

Happy new year, Steve.

 

[Andy_E]

Garmin don't have the Nav iii on their compatibility list for the City Navigator US mapping so the full map may not fit into the unit. If the mapping itself is compatible it might be possible to load selected portions of the map onto the unit - for example state by state - but this would mean taking the means to do this with you if you couldn't get all the states you needed onto the unit in one go. I don't think you could fit a memory card into the Nav iii which would be another option.

You could liberate space by deleting the uk mapping but that presupposes you had the means to reload it when you got back.

You might also look at http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl for free mapping to try to load - no idea of the quality or compatibility though.

 

[steveC]

I thought as much.

HI Andy E,

I was thinking along the lines of your reply but as I have no experience at all in this GPS field I wished to hear it from someone else.

I haven't even registered the device, just plugged into my bike and input the destination and off I go.

I will have a look into it in the next few days. I will be in the USA next month and am thinking along the lines of getting a used unit from eBay delivered to my hotel and bring it back to the UK.

At least that would get me sorted and I am quite sure a fellow GSer would appreciate the chance to buy a unit like this for a similar trip.

Again Andy thanks for your reply.

Regards SteveC