zumo 550 question

[steadysteve]

Are the maps and updates stored on the sim card in the 550 or an internal memory?
Just bought a faulty 550 with 2015 maps. My current one is on 2008 maps so i want to know if its as simple as swapping the cards over.

I could swap the cards over but the faulty one keeps freezing, could this be due to a bug in the updates or more likely to be the hardware?
Not too bothered if I cant swap them over because the main reason for buying the faulty one was the mounts and other bits it came with, but it would be a bonus.
Thanks.

 

[leedude03]

Maps can be stored on either, updates, if you are talking about firmware and voices and the likes they are on the units internal memory, maps are coded to the unit so you can not swap from one to another, unless it is a hacked map or a purchased sd card with maps on.

 

[The Grey One]

You can download openstreetmaps maps here. The latest versions, called "new style", are really good. Much better in my opinion than the Garmin versions. You can update these as often as you like at no cost. Start with just the UK ones to test them out, once downloaded and loaded onto your computer they will show up in Mapsource or Basecamp and can be used in exactly the same way as the Garmin ones. You will need to transfer them to your 550 and select them as the active maps.


John

 

[Wapping]

It might not be as easy as just swapping the card over, as leedude has said.

More often than not, Garmin maps are coded to a specific device, so they won't necessarily work if you switch them to another device. There's a thread on the site where a bod made that mistake, buying a secondhand set of South American maps on a card. Drop the card into your device and see what happens; it won't break and you might get lucky. If nothing else, it's free to find out.

Lifetime maps with unlimited updates with are (reasonably) cheap to buy direct from Garmin, via a download and you can get all of Europe (if you need it) in one go, which will save you loading maptiles. Or you can easily find ripped-off Garmin copies on the net or you can go to Open Street Maps; the choice is yours.

 

[steadysteve]

Thanks for the replies- going to try it 'as is' to see how bad the fault is, (it keeps freezing apparently) and then will change the sims and see what happens.

 

[steadysteve]

Changed the sims over and both devices work but the problem has transferred over also. Switch them on, the first screens are the same on both but the faulty one says "cant load maps" , I can clear the screen by tapping OK and then select a destination, it then proceeds to a blank screen, with the little motorbike rider icon at the bottom, the voice gives directions and then after a couple of minutes the map appears and works normally after that. Have used it 4 times now and it hasnt crashed or frozen yet.
It seems to take bit longer,only 10seconds or so, to re calculate tthe route but other than that its fine..
The old sim is on 2008 maps, the faulty one is 2015 maps.

 

[iand46]

Faulty SD card?

 

[Wapping]

Faulty SD card?

That's my guess, as it seems to be the only common item shared between the two separate devices.

I presume you are not carrying out your investigations indoors, with the two devices using their limited processing powers to locate (invisible) satellites at the same time as trying to load maps from an SD card?

 

[steadysteve]

That's my guess, as it seems to be the only common item shared between the two separate devices.

I presume you are not carrying out your investigations indoors, with the two devices using their limited processing powers to locate (invisible) satellites at the same time as trying to load maps from an SD card?

All testing done outside, no problems locating satellites.

Could be faulty card, I havent been able to try it on anything other than local roads and other routes were I know where I am going but set the nav anyway to try it out.

Bloody ironic I drive for a living and could give it a few thousand miles fairly quickly but not allowed satnavs in the cab...
It could be that the foreign stuff doesnt work at all.

Incidentally I tried updating my original unit from the garmin site but it would not update. Not sure if that was the unit or my ten year old pc not playing.
Not too bothered either way but thought I would share my findings. Soon gonna have to make a major executive decision, keep the 2008 version or the potentially dodgy 2015 one. No pressure.
Thanks

 

[AberdeenAngus]

That's my guess, as it seems to be the only common item shared between the two separate devices.

There's the files on the card too.
Might just be a corrupt file.

 

[steadysteve]

There's the files on the card too.
Might just be a corrupt file.

Can I do anything to find and fix the potentially corrupt file?

 

[iand46]

Format the card to Fat32 after saving to BaseCamp anything on it you don't lose ie favourites & routes. You'll have to reinstall the maps registered to the device using Garmin MapUpdater

 

[steadysteve]

Format the card to Fat32 after saving to BaseCamp anything on it you don't lose ie favourites & routes. You'll have to reinstall the maps registered to the device using Garmin MapUpdater

Thanks Ian. The updater might be an issue - pc is old. Will give it another go, or speak to a man wot can.

 

[steadysteve]

Seems like the foreign maps are okay up to a point-- I set a random location in Portugal and the nav only calculated 45% of the route before saying insufficient memory to calculate route( or words to that effect).

Its an 8gb card, does this sound right running out of memory so easily?.

The maps on it are Uk, spain,portugal and nordics so not a massive amount .

I am getting the feeling it is the card thats fubar, so.... next question, how do I transfer the maps to another card? By using the method suggested by iand46 ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Tomcat]

I am getting the feeling it is the card thats fubar, so.... next question, how do I transfer the maps to another card? By using the method suggested by iand46 ?

Thanks in advance.

Try JaVaWa GMTK from here: http://www.javawa.nl/gmtk_en.html. It is specifically written for backing up and moving Garmin maps around. FOC and works very well in my experience.

 

[leedude03]

you will find that calculating a route of that length on most garmin devices will come back with that exact error, do the route in smaller sections. maybe 2 or three sections. its nothing to do with the card its a limitation of the unit.
with reference to map transfer to alternative card create a folder on your pc or mac drag ALL items off the card into it and then drag all items out of the folder to new card, this presumes you have some form of card reader,

 

[er-minio]

Seems like the foreign maps are okay up to a point-- I set a random location in Portugal and the nav only calculated 45% of the route before saying insufficient memory to calculate route( or words to that effect).

As leedude03 said.
That is perfectly normal on a 550. It doesn't have enough (RAM) memory to calculate really mid-complex routes.
I had to chop down into 4 different routes my way back from Italy a few years back. It was custom made in Basecamp, but the 550 will not be able to calculate, say, London to Rome by the fastest route (my 2007 30 quid Tom Tom can...) as it is too long and complex to manage.

 

[leedude03]

not to sure on this point and never tried it but i think i have read it, if you leave the long route that it can not calculate in the unit it will calculate as you travel the route as it becomes shorter, like i said never done it but believe it works like that.

 

[er-minio]

Yeah, but mine started calculating it wrong. It was drawing straight nonsensical lines between waypoints in every direction.
It wasn't a massive problem, first because I started breaking down longer international routes in several bits, and second because I managed to short it under torrential rain one year after. Replaced it with a 660 that resolved that problem: it is not even able to show you the map on the screen as you progress Go Garmin!

 

[leedude03]

Yeah, but mine started calculating it wrong. It was drawing straight nonsensical lines between waypoints in every direction.
It wasn't a massive problem, first because I started breaking down longer international routes in several bits, and second because I managed to short it under torrential rain one year after. Replaced it with a 660 that resolved that problem: it is not even able to show you the map on the screen as you progress Go Garmin!

as i said above never tried it so was unsure if that way would work, for you it did not work, maybe for others it did, or maybe i just got it wrong.