Upate questions Z550 & Z595

[BillL]

Hello all,

It’s been a while since visiting here.

I’m a long-time Zumo 550 owner and a much shorter time Zumo 595 user.

Yesterday I came across discussion of the abilities MapManager to pick and choose certain map areas to install on a device. Particularly the 550 with its limited storage capabilities. I have long used this ability to maximize what I want on the 550.

I am a MacOS user that doesn’t embrace the “latest and greatest” of OS versions. Yesterday I had to update MapManager because the version that I had installed does not run on 10.15.7 Catalina. Last time I updated maps, I was at 10.14.6 Mojave.

MapManager warned in not-precise terms that the pick-and-choose capability had been removed.

After some study of topics here on the matter it seems that is so. Can anyone here confirm this?

Can I preserve the ability with a computer with the Mojave OS and the previous version of MapManger to install bits of maps from 2024.10 to the 550?

I also read with some interest discussion of map file format changes between the needs of the 550 versus the 595. Past experience for me seems to be that I did not need to be aware of this. My practice being updating maps on both devices in series at essentially the same time.

Admins: Please move if I have posted in the wrong area.

Bill

[MSTOCK27370]

Bill

I can't answer your Apple OS questions. But, I use a Zumo 550 (and 450) and a Zumo 590. I updated all my devices to the latest map update. I did not have to make any allowances for each device. I load the map (entire USA) to my computer, and then I use MapInstall to load the maps to the Zumos. With the 550, I am able to load the entire USA map to the installed SD card. There are some steps that I take to insure that each GPS had its unlock codes created, so that the maps are viewable on the GPS. Let me know if you want the step by step.

[electro_handyman]

Bill, in regards to the SD card, Garmin says 4Gb is the limit, however many here have used card larger. 8Gb and 16Gb are quite common and I personally use a 32Gb in mine. It will hold all my maps in their entirety as well as a large selection of Music(should I need it).

[BillL]

Bill

I can't answer your Apple OS questions. But, I use a Zumo 550 (and 450) and a Zumo 590. I updated all my devices to the latest map update. I did not have to make any allowances for each device. I load the map (entire USA) to my computer, and then I use MapInstall to load the maps to the Zumos. With the 550, I am able to load the entire USA map to the installed SD card. There are some steps that I take to insure that each GPS had its unlock codes created, so that the maps are viewable on the GPS. Let me know if you want the step by step.

Michael,

Thank you for your reply. I would be interested in you procedures. I have written some of my own but, someone else's perspective is always informative. My past practice has always been to try and stuff all of the North America maps on a card as I possible can. Theory being that more is always better. I like to have southern Canada available. I store all maps on the card in the 550 and none in internal memory. This maximizes space for track logs on longer trips.

I get around to map updates maybe once a year or so. In that time, my brain loses the details of the procedure, which prompts writing each time I do it. Introduction of the 595 in my collection has made that worse. 595 seems to manage memory differently and MapManger seems to work differently with respect to whether maps get put on the card or internal storage. My 550 has an 8g card in it. MapManager sticks with the 4g limit when writing to it. As I recall, MapManager won't allow selecting the storage location on the 595. That hasn't been a big deal as it carries more internal storage than the 550.

Bill

[BillL]

Bill, in regards to the SD card, Garmin says 4Gb is the limit, however many here have used card larger. 8Gb and 16Gb are quite common and I personally use a 32Gb in mine. It will hold all my maps in their entirety as well as a large selection of Music(should I need it).

Thanks for the reply. Are you saying that you can get maps beyond the 4g on the 550? Or use the leftovers past 4g for other stuff.

BTW, does your handle imply electrical industry experience?

Bill

[electro_handyman]

The single file size limit of Fat32 is still 4GB.
Garmin North American maps are still less than 4GB size, their European maps are split into multiple files as a single map would be over the 4GB limit.
Unlike the newer XT that allows you to have multiple maps in the unit and allow you to select which one you want to use, the 550 still only boots with 1 map file.
Yes you can load part of the map to the internal memory, and the rest to the SD card if you wish, or just load the entire map to the SD card.
I use the extra space of the card for MP3 music files(up to the 1000 MP3 file limit for the 550)
At the time I purchased the 32GB Micro SD card, it was less expensive than the smaller 8GB SD or 16GB Micro SD cards.
I carry 1 card with the Garmin map in the 550, and I have an extra "backup" card with OSM maps on it.

Yes, I have 40+ years in electrical/maintenance field, the last 28 years in healthcare electrical maintenance.

[jfheath]

Version 4.00 of the system software for the Zumo 550 added the ability to use SDHC cards which "have capacities greater than 2Gb"

https://www8.garmin.com/support/ch.jsp? ... 0-00616-00

The last reported software update for the 550 was version 5.60