How do you download more than one region onto a sd card for use in 550?

[Bud]

I seem to remember there was a thread that had a tutorial on how to do that but I can not seem to find it.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

[dirtrider]

Morning Bud

 

Best (simplest) way is to JUST download the entire map to your computer then use MapSource or MapInstall to put what you want on the GPS main storage drive then do a second upload of the remaining map to your SD card.

 

OR, if your SD card is large enough just pick the SD card instead of the GPS as a drive then initially download the entire map directly to the SD card (you will need your GPS hooked to your computer to do this though)

 

 

[Bud]

Thanks DR

 

Is there a limit on the size of SD card that the zumo will recognize?

[hopz]

Of course, as usual Dirtrider got it right... but the fundamental issue is having an SD card large enough to hold what you want.

 

IIRC My 550 had all of the United States and I think I recall correctly it was only 8 gig. Today's state of the art in SD cards is incredible but no-doubt there is a limit of what will work in the 550... which is getting pretty elderly. They used to say the 550 had a limit to the size of the SD card but it was clear that the 550 system handled far more. What the top size turned out to be escapes me but a visit to the website... zumoforums may be helpful to you.

 

and as an additional tip... download and use Garmin Express. A handy tool... makes device updates as well as map updates easy.

 

[dirtrider]

Morning Bud

 

Yes, no, maybe so--

 

It sort of depends on the card used & the firmware installed in your GPS.

 

If you have the latest updates in your Z-550 then most that I have worked with will easily recognize & use a 4gb card.

 

The majority seem to work with OK with an 8gb card (non photo seem to work best) & some will work with a larger card but I wouldn't bank on that.

 

 

 

 

[greiffster]

Bud,

I will add that the latest lower 49 mapset from Garmin is still under 3 GB (I think). So you could just load up the map on a 4GB SD card and use the internal memory for routes and such. That's the setup I use on my 450. FWIW, I have a 16 GB SD card in mine and it works fine.

 

 

[Bud]

Thanks for all the responses.

 

 

[dirtrider]

Bud,

I will add that the latest lower 49 mapset from Garmin is still under 3 GB (I think). So you could just load up the map on a 4GB SD card --

 

 

Morning greiffster

 

Should go on easily & have room to spare.

 

I just looked at the entire 2017.1 map including a bit of South America, some of Mexico, Canada (& surrounding northern), & the included islands. (all the 2017.1 map that I could grab)

 

I looks like the entire 2017.1 map is 2.41gb.

 

 

[Bud]

So after 3 hours down loading the lifetime map upgrades, the program failed to install them to my computer. Grrrrrrrrrrrr

[Bud]

i went to garmin express and it only wants to update the East section of the us and won't give me a chance to pick any other.

 

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Bud

 

You might bring up Base Camp or Map Source & see if the 2017.1 map is on your computer.

 

First time I down loaded 2017.1 it gave me that same error message but the map was the computer.

[Bud]

Thanks DR, when I opened map source 1017.1 map is now on my computer.

 

But I'm darned if I know what I need to copy to the SD card to make it work in the zumo.

 

Thanks for all your help.

 

I'm a Zumo NOOB

[Bud]

Mucked around and think I found out how to do it using map install.

 

We will see an a couple of hours

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Bud

 

Using MapSoure--

 

Make the entire map is small enough to ALL fit on the screen-- then use the MAP tool (either at top of screen OR under TOOLS)--then lasso the map parts that you want to send to the SD card (those parts will change color)-- then click on SEND TO device & make darn sure that the SD card is showing in the send to (device) box.

 

Then I usually use the (receive from device) button (MAPS) & bring the map from the SD card back into MapSource to verify that the mapping I sent all ended up on the card.

 

 

[Bud]

Thanks DR

[Skywagon]

SD Card size. Garmin said either 4GB or 8GB is max size, just don't remember which. I have a 32GB in my 550 and it has had no issues. I just uploaded the latest on to the SD card. I use mapinstall. I load on to the pc first with Garmin Express, then use mapinstall to load to the sd card. It really is best if you don't use your pc during this time as I have had the program hang when I do. So I put it on the pc which happens pretty fast, and then before I head off to bed I used mapsinstall to transfer to the SD. The next morning all is good.

[Bayou Red]

FWIW: I am currently in the learning curve regarding planning routes in Google Maps (easiest), saving as a GPX with http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/convert_input, and transferring that to a Garmin Nuvii 500 via Garmin BaseCamp. Cumbersome, I know, but I'm comfortable with it.

 

The Nuvii only had internal storage so I added a micro-SD card. Found information on the web stating that the max size the Nuvii 500/550 can handle is 16 GB. I have added tracks and routes and they show up fine in the GPS.

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Bayou Red

 

That works good on simple routes but can mess you up when you are trying to make intricate routes follow the exact path that you have planned as the maps are very seldom the same in different programs. Even if you re-calculate the route into your GPS it can still change the route to match it's internal map set.

 

Tracks are tracks so those made on any source should work with any map set in your GPS. (as long as you don't change them to routes to import them)

 

I didn't think that a Nuvi can take tracks from external sources (are you saying that you have put usable tracks on your Nuvi made on Google maps?) OR did you change the tracks into routes to put on your Nuvi?

 

[Bud]

Thanks everyone who helped.

 

I now have a 16 GB card in my Zumo with the most recent NA maps on it!

 

 

[Bayou Red]

Hi Dirtrider,

 

Yes to routes and tracks and I have no clue.

 

I have been using this Nuvii for years in the cage and on the bike for "normal" directions. Now that I'm exploring more backroads I am trying to get longer segments in. Originally I had been putting in individual start/stop segments which works well on simple routes as you know. But now I'm trying to get the whole 300-500 mile trip into one map to share with some friends.

 

I updated everything software and map wise. I am using the same map set on the Nuvii and in Basecamp. I've tested a few shorter runs and it works after a fashion. The Nuvii breaks the longer track/routes into shorter segments, but keeps all the points in order. So a route with 5 "Markers" goes from segment to segment. So, it does the same thing I was doing manually, but keeping all the side roads and small preset re-calculations.

 

More frustrations and testing is still in order before I am satisfied, but It works for me now.

 

I have found that in cases like this I have probably messed up something and it works so I just continue making the same mistake.

 

Tony