Garmin Express and Maps Update - 2/25/2018

Garmin prompted me to update Garmin Express on my Mac today. Looks like I got version 6.1.2.0:





After that, it told me that there was an update to the maps. I duly installed it and looked at the details. I'm not sure how important this one's going to be:

Well, if you're planning on riding in Mongolia, Tonga, Fiji, the Turks and Caicos, Chile, Sudan and/or Northern Cyprus and you care about Daylight Savings time, you should install this!

Don't forget about West Wendover, NV (population 4415)...where you can stop by and see "Wendover Will."

It might be worthwhile for users of PC's and zumo models to check for updates also. I had updated my zumo and Basecamp map a few weeks ago to 2019.10, but the map had another small update waiting today. Took about a minute to download with no change in version number. Maybe it only fixes the Wendover time zone?

A few other places too, but only West Wendover in the US. See my initial post above.

Interesting John, how the different interfaces look.

No update to Garmin Express for my "Windows" based system, it is still v6.1.1.0.


So just the Time Zone Map update to v.21.00.

ExGMan said:

A few other places too, but only West Wendover in the US. See my initial post above.

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Yeah, I knew I should have been more specific. Sorry about that.

I've never before seen a reference to a stand-alone Garmin "Time Zone Map". I've only ridden in North America, so the only Garmin map I use or update is City Navigator North America NT, current version 2019.10, which does not include the roads of Mongolia, Tonga, Fiji, the Turks and Caicos, Chile, Sudan or Northern Cyprus. If you rely on Garmin maps to get to dinner on time in any of those places, you'll need to check for your own updates.

Another(!) Garmin Express Update (2/27/2018)

Garmin has sent out another Garmin Express update for the Mac tonight:

I just updated Garmin Express this evening. I updated the map on my Nuvi and am now updating the map on the Nav V...this on a Win 10 machine.

This is the release note for Express 6.2.0 on PCs:

Garmin Express Release Notes Today, 10:35 AM

Garmin began rolling out Garmin Express v6.2.0 for the PC today. If you would like to update to the latest version, please visit the About page within the Settings of the Express application and select “Check for Updates to Express.”
This version includes the following changes:

• Users can now add a Monterra to Express if there is a SD card inserted.
• For Approach S1 users, we fixed an issue that would not allow the user to change courses following an update.
• Helped address an incorrect cycle map part number being installed to the Fenix 5x for AU/NZ users.
• Other minor bug fixes and improvements.

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Anything else other than Basecamp?

I have only heard horror stories about Basecamp. The complaints are that it seems to be very buggy, Garmin is not really supporting it and may discontinue the program and that it gets very Squirrley when you’re using it on the road.

Are there any other travel planning program I can use on my BMW Garmin V?

Thanks

Maybe it's me but I find Basecamp to be quite good once I got the hang of it. That did take a bit of time and effort however, so there is that learning curve.
You have to be precise when laying out a course/route so that your waypoints don't end up taking you in circles and detours. You have to zoom in close enough to see that you're on the correct street/road and not on a driveway etc prompting course corrections.
The latest map update made the screen of the NAV VI much more readable too IMHO. Is it perfect? No, but close enough and that is why I take paper maps with me too. AAA sends them for free with your membership and they are a great backup and route planner. YMMV

RIDERR1150GSADV said:

Maybe it's me but I find Basecamp to be quite good once I got the hang of it. ...

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Me thinks they improved it. I used it two weeks ago to pre-route some locations and all I had to do was enter the location name and voila, BaseCamp found it. (example: Kansas Chalk Monument). Used to be I had to use Google Maps to locate, then match the BaseCamp map to that location.
BaseCamp's definitely gotten better with age.

I'm glad to hear that you are getting better results with Basecamp, but there have been no recent changes to the program. There have been updates to Garmin Express, GPS firmware and maps, but not Basecamp. The current Windows version (4.6.2) was released over two years ago. The Mac version (4.6.3) is only a month newer. The Garmin rep at the SLC rally said that development has stopped and he had no information on any plans for a replacement.

I really have not found Basecamp to be buggy, just consistently hard to understand. It really needed official documentation explaining how the programmers expected it to be used. Instead we just have the results of multitudes of experimenters, presented in forums and YouTube. I guess if Garmin never stated how it is supposed to work, we have no grounds to say it does not work. I use it mainly as a database to store points, routes, and tracks, with a very occasional fine-tuning edit. Actual planning is much easier with Furkot. They have a very good Help section and many YouTube tutorials.

Thanks for the responses.

Thanks for the responses. While I am not computer illiterate, I am not comfortable trying to plan a 2 to 3 week trip on Basecamp and then have it fail. I have spent some time with Furkot and it seems to be a more user friendly application.

My trip would start in Connecticut, then briefly to an area north of Toronto and then west to various national parks. The trip would end in Denver and I would ship my bike back to Connecticut.

If there is anyone out there who is willing to help me plan my trip via telephone/computer I would be more than willing to pay for that help. But one thing I could not figure out with Furkot is whether or not I would get verbal commands via my Sirius radio.

I am a disabled Vietnam veteran (Purple Heart/Bronze Star) but not disabled enough to not be able to ride a motorcycle for long distances. As I get older, I realize that I better do this trip soon or it will never happen.

jdparks1 said:

Thanks for the responses. While I am not computer illiterate, I am not comfortable trying to plan a 2 to 3 week trip on Basecamp and then have it fail.

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No matter what you use, you can make a route for each day instead of making one route for the entire trip.
I never plan an exact route on our long trips because I change my mind too often.
Each day when I decide where we want to go I just enter a few towns into the GPS as we go.

jdparks1 said:

Thanks for the responses. While I am not computer illiterate, I am not comfortable trying to plan a 2 to 3 week trip on Basecamp and then have it fail. I have spent some time with Furkot and it seems to be a more user friendly application.

My trip would start in Connecticut, then briefly to an area north of Toronto and then west to various national parks. The trip would end in Denver and I would ship my bike back to Connecticut.

If there is anyone out there who is willing to help me plan my trip via telephone/computer I would be more than willing to pay for that help. But one thing I could not figure out with Furkot is whether or not I would get verbal commands via my Sirius radio.

I am a disabled Vietnam veteran (Purple Heart/Bronze Star) but not disabled enough to not be able to ride a motorcycle for long distances. As I get older, I realize that I better do this trip soon or it will never happen.

Click to expand...

I'd plot the entire trip out on paper maps and, bring them too on your trip. This way you can use a highlighter to mark where you are going and transfer that information onto your GPS more easily.
This eliminates the use of Basecamp. You can input waypoints in the GPS and let it figure out the route, and you can either use curvy roads, fastest time or shortest route on the GPS...
The paper maps make for a great memento down the road when you tell the grandkids where you were long after the GPS has disappeared.
I still have all my old maps and look at them from time to time...YMMV

Lee said:

No matter what you use, you can make a route for each day instead of making one route for the entire trip....

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Ditto. It also has the huge advantage of showing you your day's destination without having to locate that particular days ending waypoint.

Here's another tip ... I enter the destination (hotel, city, etc.) then just head that general direction. The GPS will of course keep recalculating but at every recalc you can see your arrival time. This makes backroad exploration more enjoyable without worrying about being lost or late.

jdparks1 said:

Thanks for the responses. While I am not computer illiterate, I am not comfortable trying to plan a 2 to 3 week trip on Basecamp and then have it fail. I have spent some time with Furkot and it seems to be a more user friendly application.

Click to expand...

Start now to experiment by planning short trips and riding (or driving) them before planning your long trip, whether you use Furkot or Basecamp or whatever. It's the only way to be sure you understand how the various applications work with your GPS. If you don't, I guarantee you will be confused and frustrated. Your initial routes can be short, but plan routes that wander all over, so that you learn what is necessary to force the route to your wishes.

But one thing I could not figure out with Furkot is whether or not I would get verbal commands via my Sirius radio.

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Furkot does not give commands, at best you can print out a list of directions. Furkot does not determine your position or provide real-time navigation instructions. Furkot is strictly for planning, it creates and exports a file containing the points that become your route. That file is then loaded into your GPS. It's up to your GPS to provide the guidance and verbal directions based on it's interpretation of the file data.

If fastest/shortest routes are OK, just have a list of destinations and enter them into the GPS as you need them. On a motorcycle, my main interest is in taking particular roads, and the destination becomes secondary. For that, advance planning and understanding of the interaction between GPS and planning software becomes essential. I've been experimenting for a few years now and I still find myself making the occasional U-turn.