This will be my first time in the mountains with a car with NAV system. Does anyone from last year know if the Mini factory NAV works?

 

Why wouldnt it? GPS are satellites, Cell phones are towers

XM/Sirius will work too.

 

And both are "line of sight" so like Cell phones, Xm went in and out whilst driving the Dragon last Summer in a Solstice with OEM XM.
IN the Valleys there is a posibility that your "real time tracking" on the oem Nav might go in and out

 

I dont think that compares to the fact there are no cell towers ... ergo no service. Trees getting in the way ... thats life. cut them down and make some firewood

 

I am well aware that there are no cell towers

 

my wife has a Magellan 760 roadmate and we just came back from Savannah Georgia last week and it did not work very well there. It was of course flat there, but lots of beautiful live oaks towering and often canoping the roads. So that made me ask this question.

 

Some car makers use a metallic compound in the glass, which interferes with the GPS signal

 

but, it works great everywhere else, so I gotta think it's more the line of site thing

 

just to be sure, get a good paper map

 

We've used the OEM nav in places where there is no cell, etc and it has worked fine

 

I've not yet been to Deal's Gap in the Mini (with factory Nav) but I've been in my previous car in which I used a Garmin iQue. The Garmin would lose reception there. I think you are right that it is a line of sight thing. The Garmin does not work indoors, in parking garages, in tunnels, etc. The little voice would just say "lost satellite reception" until the signal was regained.

Same with XM. And cell phones, as you've noted.

Not sure about factory nav or why it would be any different. Personally I'm not counting on the GPS. The good news is that there's not that much around there to get too lost (one road, small towns). And trust me, I have the WORST sense of direction

 

If you have the Magellan, you need to get the outside antenna and put it on the roof. The difference between the external antenna and the little itty bitty thing inside the car is enormous.

If you got the Magellan, you know the signal strength is color coded. Stick the external antenna or and it will be blue while inside maybe yellow to green. Big, big difference.

 

I can only tell you that even the older factory CD nav continued to work in our trip across country thru many mountains/ranges (including inside a the portion of a deserted mountainous Yosemite we went through) where there is 'no line of sight'. Parking garages are another matter as they have multiple concrete & steel rooftops over the car, the mountain ranges did not seem to interfere with hookup to satallites

 

Dont forget there are like 24 birds up there and you only need 3 to get a fix. More are nice for better accuracy but that a whole lot of birds.

 

Keep in mind that the factory nav also ties in to wheel sensors (and a compass I think), so it can somewhat keep track of where you are, even if it doesn't have a GPS signal.

When I was at MOTD last year, I recall seeing the error message that the map may not correspond, but yet it still did a good job of figuring out where I was for the most part. It was pretty neat.

 

You were in an area were there was probably 2 or more satellites "more or less" directly above you. So hence GPS coverage

Were as in NC/TN mountains with the narrow roads and high face's on both side of the road, there is a possibility of not getting GPS lock....

 

My Garmin 2610 works pretty well in the area of the Dragon. In a couple places on Hwy. 28, between Fontana Village and Hwy. 143 (on the way to Robbinsville), it cuts out a bit, but it mostly works in the general area up there.

 

I don’t have the factory nav system, but have used a Garmin Street Pilot for several trips to the Dragon. The drop outs I have encountered are very few and extremely short. I mostly happens in very tree covered areas.

All in all I’d have to say the factory nav should do just fine there.

 

thanks for the input everyone. I'm gonna have my mapquest print-outs anyway, but I like using the NAV when I can

 

enough to allow me to 'borrow' a copy of an (03, CD based) NAV disk that I can use while at, in or around the Dragon? As you know, I only get the Western US, and Interstates in the other areas. But no local roads. I would be happy to trade some Moose Drool (from the beer swap, hey - those guys will have plenty of beer) or some other item of value.

Thanks, this may help me see my way...

JPS

 

My Pharos GPS worked all over the Dragon and the entire area. I even, on a easygoing trip noted I could see the upcoming turns and such on the screen as I cruised the Dragon (days earlier, empty road, sedate pace).

Then again, I found the Pharos even works IN my HOUSE! Not just in the room with the skylight ether.

 

Don't listen to the static...my factory nav took me straight to Fontana Village last year without problem

In fact, I've got several places marked from the last trip...don't need no stinkn mapquest...

 

That's what I wanted to hear!!

Thanks!

 

My Nav CDs for that region are too old, and dont even show most roads.

 

Factory nav worked great on the dragon - gave me really good location information and when I could briefly take my eyes off the road it would show me the next upcoming curve - very helpful for the first time driver