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Nav V in Canada

fletchdude

New member
Does the Nav V work across borders? I live in the US and am planning a trip to Ontario and Quebec. I seem to remember the old Garmin gps would stop navigating as soon as I crossed the border.
 
There should be no problems as long as your Nav V has a map that includes Canada. You can verify that from home.

Your previous problem likely was caused by having a US-only map, and then riding out of that area.

A Nav V will provide your coordinates anywhere worldwide, and can follow a track, as long as it receives a GPS signal. It needs a map of the area to illustrate your position and provide routing.
 
In addition to Canada, I have used mine in Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany. You just need the proper map coverage loaded. In Europe I used OSM maps with great success.
 
If you haven't already updated the map in your Nav V, probably you should consider doing so. The current version is called City Navigator North America NT 2018.2, and for routing purposes it should be on both your computer and the Nav V.

There's a very good chance that there are minimal updates from the 2 or 3 earlier versions, and it's something of a struggle to update, but maybe there are some useful "stability" updates included - that's what I hope for anyway.
 
Does the Nav V work across borders? I live in the US and am planning a trip to Ontario and Quebec. I seem to remember the old Garmin gps would stop navigating as soon as I crossed the border.

Yes, but it depends on your map package. I have the North American map package on mine, so it works on either side of the border. Also the Nav 5 allows you to switch to metric when you enter Canada to make navigating easier.
 
Thanks folks. I put in Montreal and it gave me route from MD. Then I tried Mont-Tremblant and I got a route. Your right, my old Garmin must have only had the US map set. I'll check and see what version I have.

How is the routing program? I was going to use google maps from my phone. Having routing on the Nav V would be better since my cell service would be on a temporary data plan for Canada.
 
Of course your Nav V will create routes, and you will be able to navigate those routes, though it's generally easier to create routes on your computer and then transfer those to your GPS. How long have you had your Nav V? New, it would have come with City Navigator North America maps pre-loaded. It also came with lifetime map updates, which are released quarterly. As pointed out, the most up-to-date version of maps is 2018.2, and can be downloaded to your GPS by using Garmin Express (either Mac, or PC). It's free software from Garmin.
 
How is the routing program? I was going to use google maps from my phone. Having routing on the Nav V would be better since my cell service would be on a temporary data plan for Canada.
The PC based routing program is Basecamp. It can be downloaded from the Garmin website for free. It allows you to create a route on your PC and then easily transfer to the Nav V. It is powerful and with that power comes complexity so there's a pretty steep learning curve. There are quite a few excellent tutorials on YouTube. The time invested in learning the software will pay dividends.
Google maps big advantage is that it's an online service and updates regarding traffic, constructions zones is in realtime. You don't get that in Garmin. You can download regions to your phone if you can't get a good internet connection before you make the trip if coverage will be spotty. I like to use Garmin when I'm out in the countryside and traffic isn't an issue but I will use the phone if I'm traveling through a major city (for traffic info). Garmin will give you traffic conditions for an additional fee but I haven't found it to be that useful.
 
Does the Nav V work across borders? I live in the US and am planning a trip to Ontario and Quebec. I seem to remember the old Garmin gps would stop navigating as soon as I crossed the border.
As Larry and others have mentioned, all you need is the maps for the area you are wanting to travel. I too have used mine in several countries (10+).

What likely happened with your old Garmin is that it did not have sufficient internal storage to hold the entire Garmin North American Map.

My recollection is that all Garmins I've had (over many years now) have come with the Full North American Map installed when new but, especially on the older ones like my old Garmin 2730, as there has been more data added to the maps with virtually every update, they grow in size and then you (or the previous owner) get a message while attempting to do a map update that the unit does not have sufficient space. That leaves one with two options, remove enough redundant files from the unit (unused language files etc.) if that will free up enough storage or, Garmin Update will offer you the option to only install portions of the full NA Map. IIRC, the options were typically, install by Country (Canada or the US) or by region such as North-Eastern North America, etc. You could also get down to picking and choosing by sections.

The newer Garmins have enough to hold the current maps without issue, plus there are ways to move some of your data onto an SD card to free up space if needed.

A good point was made to do your updates before you travel to make sure that the system is up-to-date as, unlike map updates, system updates are cumulative and so can take extra long to complete if the most recent version isn't installed.

Thanks folks. I put in Montreal and it gave me route from MD. Then I tried Mont-Tremblant and I got a route. Your right, my old Garmin must have only had the US map set. I'll check and see what version I have.

How is the routing program? I was going to use google maps from my phone. Having routing on the Nav V would be better since my cell service would be on a temporary data plan for Canada.

As Mark and Steve identified, you can do much more precise routing with BaseCamp, however, using the Trip Planner on your Nav-V will get you exactly where you want to go as well, it simply doesn't have the ability to provide the depth that BaseCamp does, but, on the flipside it is much easier to use with a far simplier learning curve.

For me, the beauty of a dedicated GPS and BaseCamp or Trip Planner over a phone app is the ability to set my trips up with departure/arrival times, set durations for my waypoints and to set shaping-points vs way-points, which I've not found on a phone app yet. Add in the ability to pull up Exit Services, etc., input detours, etc., on-the-fly makes for the best flow of info vs input that I've found.

My vision isn't great and I'm sensitive to bright light so it is possible that is what makes a phone useless for me, but I find that my phone screens are viewable in direct bright sun with sunglasses on while riding. Even the Nav-V was difficult for me so I bit the bullitt and bought a Nav-VI which does help viewability significantly for me, but still isn't ideal for my limitations.
 
Just be sure to hook your GPS to your computer and update whatever they show as available for updating. It may take more than one time if you haven't done this for a while. Then your Nav will work fine for all of North America.
 
Just be sure to hook your GPS to your computer and update whatever they show as available for updating. It may take more than one time if you haven't done this for a while. Then your Nav will work fine for all of North America.

Be sure to update Garmin Express software first: the cog wheel for settings, then "About" and choose to update the software.

Harry
 
Ugh

I think every time you scroll across the Canadian border using Garmin GPS you still have to present a passport and make customs declarations. :)
 
Thanks for all the advice. I loaded base camp and updated the maps to 2018. Now I need to learn how to use it šŸ˜

I'll get a roaming plan as a backup. A cheap Sirius plan will keep me amused on the trip. I really appreciate all the pointers. Jim
 
Tons of really good videos on youtube. I prefer to use google maps to create the map as I can easily drag and drop the route to my liking. Then I convert the map to a format that garmin can import using this website.

Many times you'll be frustrated that your Garmin will recalculate a route when it is brought up. In order to force it to maintain your planned route you'll need to add "via points" along the way. Again, google is your friend when it comes to learning the software, but once you've figured it out, it's a powerful tool.
 
... Many times you'll be frustrated that your Garmin will recalculate a route when it is brought up. In order to force it to maintain your planned route you'll need to add "via points" along the way...
These are also known as "Shaping" points (different from Way points) and are very useful for ensuring that you travel the course you intend to.
 
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