MicroSD for Garmin

[Barkoff]

I'm pretty green on the new tech stuff, where it says my Garmin HCx uses a MicroSD card, can I make any mistakes when purchasing a card of that type?

 

Is there only one type of MicroSD but different brands? I will be good to go with any MicroSD card in 1gb or 2gb, any brand?

Are there some brands of cards I should stay away from.

 

Thanks for fielding all the rookie questions.

 

Is this the one?

 

Cnet

Edited October 8, 2007 by Barkoff

[+oisact]

Pretty much any card should work fine. It is possible that the card might be formatted with a filesystem that the GPSr can't read, but that can be remedied by reformatting the card in a PC or laptop that can read SD cards.

That is a good price for that card.

 

Dan

[+RobAtSGH]

 

This is a MicroSD, what is the bigger one, some sort of adapter card for a different device?

 

 

The larger part is an adapter that allows the micro-SD card to fit into a standard SD slot on a memory card reader.

 

As far as types, you really can't go wrong. For size - what kind of maps, and how many are you loading? Topo maps don't take up a lot of memory (you can cram quite a bit onto a 512MB or 1GB card), but CityNavigator maps with routing data and a POI database will be much, much larger. How much map data do you need to tote around with you in the field, and how infrequently would you care to load that data.

 

If your unit isn't going to be used for auto-routing navigation, and your caching is confined to a few well-defined areas, then you don't need a big memory card. If you travel a lot and cache in various far-flung geographic locations, you may want to load a larger topo map set that covers a large swath of landscape or many individual areas.

 

For example, the complete USGS 1:100,000 topo maps for MD, VA, DE, WV, and a small bit of NJ fit into 64MB.

[Barkoff]

 

This is a MicroSD, what is the bigger one, some sort of adapter card for a different device?

 

 

The larger part is an adapter that allows the micro-SD card to fit into a standard SD slot on a memory card reader.

 

As far as types, you really can't go wrong. For size - what kind of maps, and how many are you loading? Topo maps don't take up a lot of memory (you can cram quite a bit onto a 512MB or 1GB card), but CityNavigator maps with routing data and a POI database will be much, much larger. How much map data do you need to tote around with you in the field, and how infrequently would you care to load that data.

 

If your unit isn't going to be used for auto-routing navigation, and your caching is confined to a few well-defined areas, then you don't need a big memory card. If you travel a lot and cache in various far-flung geographic locations, you may want to load a larger topo map set that covers a large swath of landscape or many individual areas.

 

For example, the complete USGS 1:100,000 topo maps for MD, VA, DE, WV, and a small bit of NJ fit into 64MB.

 

I hear you, but for that price I might as well grab the 2gb.

 

I can see myself with the road info, and topo being used on the same trip, along with some marine info...might as well grab the high capacity at that price.

 

Thanks.

[SiliconFiend]

I'm pretty green on the new tech stuff, where it says my Garmin HCx uses a MicroSD card, can I make any mistakes when purchasing a card of that type?

 

Is there only one type of MicroSD but different brands? I will be good to go with any MicroSD card in 1gb or 2gb, any brand?

Are there some brands of cards I should stay away from.

 

Thanks for fielding all the rookie questions.

 

Is this the one?

 

Cnet

There are reports of incompatibilities with the SanDisk Ultra II cards, although that may be mitigated with firmware updates. I seem to recall in the changelog that they worked on some compatibility issues.

[+Zanobio]

I'm pretty green on the new tech stuff, where it says my Garmin HCx uses a MicroSD card, can I make any mistakes when purchasing a card of that type?

 

Is there only one type of MicroSD but different brands? I will be good to go with any MicroSD card in 1gb or 2gb, any brand?

Are there some brands of cards I should stay away from.

 

Thanks for fielding all the rookie questions.

 

Is this the one?

 

Cnet

 

I loaded the entire mapset of North American 2008 City Navigator which took 1.6GB, so that card will do fine.

[+aclays]

you might as well save a few bucks and get the Kingston brand:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-2GB-microSD...1984&sr=1-2

 

I'm using that card on my Vista HCX with no problems. Kingston is one of the largest memory manufacturers in the world too. They make great products.

[+Sputnik 57]

There are two types of cards to avoid: SanDisk's "Ultra II" micro SC cards, and their "SDHC" 4GB cards. Other 2GB and less cards seem to work fine.

 

From a post in another thread:

There are mixed reports with 4GB micros. Some apparently require a hardware configuration which Garmin GPS units don't have. I would proceed with caution on any chip bigger than 2GB.

 

Not all devices support microSDHC 4.0GB cards. Please contact your device manufacturer for details. To ensure compatibility, look for the microSDHC logo on the product or packaging of your new phone or PDA.

Edited October 8, 2007 by Sputnik 57

[+dropthehammer]

I'm going to hijack this post a little...

 

I just installed a 2GB microSD in my new Vista HCx... and installed a bunch of mapsource maps on it....

 

My ? is: Is there a way from the menu to see that the card is installed and how much space is consumed/left on it?

[+UncleJimbo]

When I bought my Vista HCx in July, someone on the phone at Garmin told me that it would take up a 2 GB microSD card. I bought a 2 GB microSD card (Kingston), and it seems to be fine.

 

There are two types of cards to avoid: SanDisk's "Ultra II" micro SC cards, and their "SDHC" 4GB cards. Other 2GB and less cards seem to work fine.

 

From a post in another thread:

There are mixed reports with 4GB micros. Some apparently require a hardware configuration which Garmin GPS units don't have. I would proceed with caution on any chip bigger than 2GB.

 

Not all devices support microSDHC 4.0GB cards. Please contact your device manufacturer for details. To ensure compatibility, look for the microSDHC logo on the product or packaging of your new phone or PDA.

[dogwalkers2]

I'm going to hijack this post a little...

 

I just installed a 2GB microSD in my new Vista HCx... and installed a bunch of mapsource maps on it....

 

My ? is: Is there a way from the menu to see that the card is installed and how much space is consumed/left on it?

Page 38 of the manual:

 

To view information for the microSD card:

Press MENU prior to opening the USB Mass Storage page and, select Card Info

 

In other words,

 

Main Menu>Setup>Interface>Menu Button>Card Info

 

It shows you % Full, MB used by each of Maps, Tracks and Miscellaneous, Free Space (in MB) and Total Used (in MB).

Edited October 9, 2007 by dogwalkers2

[+dropthehammer]

I'm going to hijack this post a little...

 

I just installed a 2GB microSD in my new Vista HCx... and installed a bunch of mapsource maps on it....

 

My ? is: Is there a way from the menu to see that the card is installed and how much space is consumed/left on it?

Page 38 of the manual:

 

To view information for the microSD card:

Press MENU prior to opening the USB Mass Storage page and, select Card Info

 

In other words,

 

Main Menu>Setup>Interface>Menu Button>Card Info

 

It shows you % Full, MB used by each of Maps, Tracks and Miscellaneous, Free Space (in MB) and Total Used (in MB).

 

Many Thanks. I saw that in the manual but couldnt get it to work b/c of operator ignorance. Now I've got the menu button figured out. I never used it on my vista, but on the vista hcx I need it. I was using the click stick and page buttons to select the main menu.... duh

 

Next sorta hijack ? within the context of this thread....

 

I didnt read up on this but was hoping that with the 2GB microSD card that i could put multiple maps on the card without overwriting the last one uploaded like on my old vista. Apparently not. I have metroguide and topo 2008.... I was hoping i could put selections from both on the same SD card, but last night when i tried i noted that each seperate upload overwrote the previous.....

 

IS there a way to put selections from both on the same card or do i need to get a second card, one for each mapset.???

[Barkoff]

There are two types of cards to avoid: SanDisk's "Ultra II" micro SC cards, and their "SDHC" 4GB cards. Other 2GB and less cards seem to work fine.

 

Well I already ordered one of the SanDisks 2 GB, not sure if it is one of the ones you speak of, not sure if it an ultra, what do you think?

 

Purchased SanDisk

[+Sllim Chance]

I bought a Lexar 2GB and it did not work. Has anyone else had luck with a lexar 2GB card? SDMI2GB-695 Rev A

[+Sllim Chance]

Update: I reformatted the card, updated the Rino firmware and card now works. I loaded all of city navigator on it as a test. Took near 2 hours to load.

 

 

I bought a Lexar 2GB and it did not work. Has anyone else had luck with a lexar 2GB card? SDMI2GB-695 Rev A

[+res2100]

 

I didnt read up on this but was hoping that with the 2GB microSD card that i could put multiple maps on the card without overwriting the last one uploaded like on my old vista. Apparently not. I have metroguide and topo 2008.... I was hoping i could put selections from both on the same SD card, but last night when i tried i noted that each seperate upload overwrote the previous.....

 

IS there a way to put selections from both on the same card or do i need to get a second card, one for each mapset.???

 

I too would like to know how to put multi map products on a card. I just bought a 2GB microSD card yesterday for my Legend HCx.

[+Grinch & Gremlin]

 

I didnt read up on this but was hoping that with the 2GB microSD card that i could put multiple maps on the card without overwriting the last one uploaded like on my old vista. Apparently not. I have metroguide and topo 2008.... I was hoping i could put selections from both on the same SD card, but last night when i tried i noted that each seperate upload overwrote the previous.....

 

IS there a way to put selections from both on the same card or do i need to get a second card, one for each mapset.???

 

I too would like to know how to put multi map products on a card. I just bought a 2GB microSD card yesterday for my Legend HCx.

 

You just have to select them all at once and download them at the same time. In MapSource, choose one of your map sets and select the segments you want download. Don't do the download yet. Then use the dropdown menu to choose the other map set and select the ones you want to download. You'll see all the map segments you've chosen from both sets in the maps list. Now choose 'send to device' and it will build a single image file with all of your map segments from both sets and download it to your GPSr.

Edited October 13, 2007 by Grinch & Gremlin