ZUMO memory upgrade

[MarkT]

Garmin's map upgrades - like nearly all software upgrades across the industry - has ballooned in size - with every release it creeps up bigger until now it won't fit in the resident OEM memory of the 650 or 665.  The devices will also not support using the full NA map set in the SD card.  You also have to use a kludge to upgrade the map set on these and several other Garmin GPS platforms - that is assuming it will fit in the resident memory.  Of course you can instead install a map subset to fit it - but their software available to choose the maps is poorly written and likely will leave you with a less than optimum map set.  I tried all the kludges and workarounds known, on the online forums.

The premium ZUMOs, like the 665 are spendy - MSRP around $800 though I got mine at a bargain price of about $400.  Still a substantial purchase, especially considering it includes "Lifetime Maps".  Which is in itself a bogus claim with all their disclaimers and caveats.  They can declare, with little justifiability - that the lifetime of your ZUMO is OVER.  Not to mention, their customer support and software is poor, at least for automotive products - not sure that carries over to their aviation or nautical products where no doubt they make the lion's share of their revenue.  I don't get how anyone without a IT degree makes sense out of their procedures, upgrades etc.  I suspect mostly by frequenting the forums and youtube for help.  FortunatelyI have the background but I do avail of the online sources often.  I have been a Garmin user since before the govt ended "selective avaialability" in May 2000, having owned 5 different Garmin GPS's.

To the point.  I wanted to preserve the value of my ZUMO by upgrading the map set, now over 4GB in size (the limit of the resident memory).  Found an outfit in MN who will upgrade the memory to 16GB for a reasonable price, and quickly.  Also looks for other issues (my onboard speaker had failed, which I didn't notice because I always run it connected to external audio out), and includes installing the latest maps.  Cost me $93.85 for the memory upgrade & service & map upgrade, and $18.95 for the speaker, plus mail both ways.  Well worth it to preserve the ZUMO'S value.

 Short Tronics, INC.
    51612 US Highway 169
    Mankato, MN 56001-6584
    Chris Short, President
    Phone: 612/326-4364
    ips@chartermi.net

[carolinarider09]

Yep, I have had Chris Short repair my 550 (which is still in service in my truck) and upgrade the memory in my 665.

Chris does good work.

I did have an issue the other day (I forget what it was) but I emailed Chris and asked if I sent it to him could he have a look at it. 

He reposted "yes" but then provided me with some suggestions that might fix the issue.  They did.

My point being, he could have just let me send it in and did the simple fix thing and charge me for it.  But he did not.

Always recommend him if you want your Zumo fixed. 

I have not sent him my 660 for a memory upgrade.  Will probably do that this winter.  Just did not want to take the chance of having an issue with the 665 on the road.

[scooperhsd]

I currently have 2 Drive 50 LM, a Nuvi 50 LM, a Nuvi 2597LMT, and a Zumo 396.

The Nuvi 50 and the Drive 50's all need (and have) the SD card to take the current US 49 state maps.

The Zumo 396 has 16 GB of map memory, no problems fitting current maps. I even have some MP3s stored on that for use with the Media player app. It's a good thing, as the micro SD card for my Zumo doesn't work.

The Nuvi 2597 - the latest update exceeded the builtin map storage. There is a micro SD card in it, but the Garmin Express S/W used for updating says it is incompatible (gr - it's the same SD I card used in the cheaper 50 series). So, I just settled on using US and Canada maps (no Latin America) until I decide to replace it with a DriveSmart model (one of which was stolen from my (at the time) unlocked car). There had been a similar glitch on the update before this, but then I went back and was able to fit it completely.

[carolinarider09]

As I remember it,  the 665 did not have enough internal memory to load the lower 49 states on internal memory so you had to (again going on memory) split it or load all onto SD card.  This worked but was a little slow in how the unit responded. 

With the upgraded internal memory, the unit starts faster and all the maps can be loaded there leaving the SD card for music, books, whatever you would like.

The 550 does not have enough internal memory and I don't think it can be upgraded but there is a sort of simple fix that allows me to load the maps on the SD card (have to make the program think the SD card is the 550) and then you change some extensions on the map files and you have it. 

Part of the issue is that I use a Mac for this stuff. And while my Mac does allow me to emulate a "normal" PC running Windows, I use an older version of windows and that also makes things a little "different".

[MarkT]

As I remember it,  the 665 did not have enough internal memory to load the lower 49 states on internal memory so you had to (again going on memory) split it or load all onto SD card.  This worked but was a little slow in how the unit responded. 

With the upgraded internal memory, the unit starts faster and all the maps can be loaded there leaving the SD card for music, books, whatever you would like.

The 550 does not have enough internal memory and I don't think it can be upgraded but there is a sort of simple fix that allows me to load the maps on the SD card (have to make the program think the SD card is the 550) and then you change some extensions on the map files and you have it. 

Part of the issue is that I use a Mac for this stuff. And while my Mac does allow me to emulate a "normal" PC running Windows, I use an older version of windows and that also makes things a little "different".

Yeah the 550, you can trick it into using the SD card for the maps.  Not so on the 665.  Or at least I couldn't find a procedure for it, and the gurus on the gps sites said it couldn't be done with this one - so did Short.  So I'm puzzled with your comment.  Maybe confused with another model?  Because I tried all known workarounds until I gave up and had Short upgrade the memory.  The NUVI  I bought the wife, uses the SD card for the maps.  There's a handful that won't.  And a handful that you have to use a kludge to update the maps.  Crappy software shop.  Glad I didn't work there.

[carolinarider09]

I was reading this thread on the Zumo forum and was following along and when they mentioned that aGarmin program could be use to load maps on the SD card it appeared that there was not a Mac equivalent available. 

But in looking again I could not find that information so.....  I might have been in error.

https://www.zumouserforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1279&start=30

The maps do still load on my 660...

[scooperhsd]

I've tried (using a Windows 10 computer) to simply copy the map files from one GPS to another - when booting the target GPS , what I get is an error message "Unable to unlock maps" - and what you get is basically a blank screen as far as streets, etc. are concerned. So, the process is more "complicated" than a simple copy.

[Wizzard]

about 2 years ago i did the memory trick on my 550 and been doing it ever since. Full map set works

[Jersey mike]

Yep, I have had Chris Short repair my 550 (which is still in service in my truck) and upgrade the memory in my 665.

Chris does good work.

I did have an issue the other day (I forget what it was) but I emailed Chris and asked if I sent it to him could he have a look at it. 

He reposted "yes" but then provided me with some suggestions that might fix the issue.  They did.

My point being, he could have just let me send it in and did the simple fix thing and charge me for it.  But he did not.

Always recommend him if you want your Zumo fixed. 

I have not sent him my 660 for a memory upgrade.  Will probably do that this winter.  Just did not want to take the chance of having an issue with the 665 on the road.

My Zumo 450 had what was called sudden death syndrome, I believe it was these Guys who fixed it as well,as servicing the buttons.