garmin updates
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 318
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From: NC
garmin updates
I've had a Garmin Zumo 550 for a couple of years now and I just started getting emails about map updates for a low price of $49.99.
Anybody done this yet? Good or bad experience with it?
Thanks in advance
Ride Safe
Anybody done this yet? Good or bad experience with it?
Thanks in advance
Ride Safe
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 318
Likes: 0
From: NC
Thanks for the answers, but let me clear up the question, my fault. I wasn't really asking about the money part of it.
What I want to know is.... has anyone heard anything about the updates causing any problems with the unit itself. I was thinking I had heard somebody updated theirs and it never worked right again.
Ride Safe
What I want to know is.... has anyone heard anything about the updates causing any problems with the unit itself. I was thinking I had heard somebody updated theirs and it never worked right again.
Ride Safe
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 222
Likes: 3
From: London, England
No problems, updates are very straightforward, but you may find the device's internal store may not hold the updated maps for the whole region & you'll need an SD card.
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 583
Likes: 2
From: Eaton, OH
I have updated my 550 several times for firmware (the software that actually runs the unit) as well as maps. I purchased the lifetime updates a while back and think it's a better deal.
I have never had any issues with the unit, either as purchased or after any updates.
I log onto Garmin's web site periodically to check for updates for both my 550's firmware as well as maps. Most of the time I will get emails from them announcing updates but not always. They also have a software program you can install on your computer that will automatically check for updated maps.
As someone else mentioned, the map files are larger now than the ones on the unit when purchased and you can no longer install all the US maps onto the unit as they take more space than is available. I purchased an SD card and erased all the maps on the unit and re-installed them on the SD card. Instructions for doing this are on the Zumo forum, www.zumoforums.com. The easiest way I've found for me to do that is to download the updated maps to Mapsource on my computer and transferring the maps for all the US onto the SD card. If you do not use an SD card, you can only put sections of the maps on the unit. Once you put the maps on the SD card, any updates overwrite the old versions with the new ones. Favorites and routes are not affected by the updates.
If you have a SD card slot on your PC, it's faster to remove the card from the Zumo and insert it into the card slot and do the transfer that way rather than leave the card in the Zumo and transfer the files through it.
I also have MP3 files on the SD card and there is still lots of space left.
I would suggest you consider going ahead and putting all the maps on an SD card as you can get everything on there. I think it's much easier that way especially if you want maps for different parts of the country.
Hope this helps.
I have never had any issues with the unit, either as purchased or after any updates.
I log onto Garmin's web site periodically to check for updates for both my 550's firmware as well as maps. Most of the time I will get emails from them announcing updates but not always. They also have a software program you can install on your computer that will automatically check for updated maps.
As someone else mentioned, the map files are larger now than the ones on the unit when purchased and you can no longer install all the US maps onto the unit as they take more space than is available. I purchased an SD card and erased all the maps on the unit and re-installed them on the SD card. Instructions for doing this are on the Zumo forum, www.zumoforums.com. The easiest way I've found for me to do that is to download the updated maps to Mapsource on my computer and transferring the maps for all the US onto the SD card. If you do not use an SD card, you can only put sections of the maps on the unit. Once you put the maps on the SD card, any updates overwrite the old versions with the new ones. Favorites and routes are not affected by the updates.
If you have a SD card slot on your PC, it's faster to remove the card from the Zumo and insert it into the card slot and do the transfer that way rather than leave the card in the Zumo and transfer the files through it.
I also have MP3 files on the SD card and there is still lots of space left.
I would suggest you consider going ahead and putting all the maps on an SD card as you can get everything on there. I think it's much easier that way especially if you want maps for different parts of the country.
Hope this helps.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,747
Likes: 1,078
From: N/A
If an update causes a problem(it happened to me once) their tech support will walk you through clearing the unit and re-installing the software. Fixed the issue for me. And +1 on Lifetime Update, it costs just a few bucks more than a one-time update and they're issued 4 times a year.
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 902
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From: Michigan/Florida