Garmin 660

A couple of updates ago I ran into the same thing on my 660. These old models only have 2GB of internal memory, not enough for the full NA maps.

I ended up buying a 4GB class 10 SD card and installing the full NA maps on it.

See this FAQ http://www.poi-factory.com/node/39231

Last map update I put on my 660 was 2013.20 and there was not much space left after that. So I assume, as Gary A says, an update or two after that would go over the internal capacity of the unit if using all of North America. You should be able to switch the map to a seperate SD card and fit all of North America again. I have seen instructions on this forum how to do that but have not tried it.

Try following this thread as well maybe:
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/39013

I remember my first Garmin being a 660 and really liked that device but since then have bought a few others but still enjoyed the features it initially had.

Fitting "ALL NORTH AMERICA (includes Mexico) on an SD card for a 660 may not be an option soon.
The 660 can only read a map size of 2GB or less, whether on the unit or an SD card.

My 2014.20 all North America on my 2460LMT is at 1,977,888KB (1.88GB). As we know maps size always increases.

I believe there are two "660" Garmins, one for the motorcycle, the Zumo, and a regular one, the Nuvi, which are you referring to, I may be getting a new one for my motorcycle soon, currently use a Zumo 550, and I know the space limit on that is pretty used up. Don't want to spend the big bucks on a Zumo 660 if it's having trouble with space already.

OP, contact site Admin and have your username changed to something other than your email address, unless of course you WANT spam.

As others have mentioned, you will need a SD card to store your maps, but will soon run out of space regardless of the size of the SD card. The 660 I believe uses plain ol' FAT rather than FAT32. FAT has a single file limit of 2GB minus 1 byte. To compound the issue, the 660 I don't believe allows more than one map on the SD card.

@soberbyker: The OP must be talking about the nüvi 660. The zūmo 660 uses a MicroSD card, and therefore would use FAT32, with its single file limit of 4GB minus 1 byte. The unit should also support multiple maps, just like the nüvi units of the same vintage.

You bring up an interesting point.
Indeed the 660 can only read ONE map on the SD card and it must be named gmapsupp.img.

Now to address the Fat vs Fat32 statement.
You cannot install a map into internal memory over 2 GB, since total internal memory on 660 is 1.87GB. The map must be installed on the SD Card.

My two 8GB Sandisk SD cards are both formatted to Fat32. Either card is recognized on the 660.
But it WILL NOT read a map over 2GB.

Is this because an SD Card formatted to Fat32 is backward compatible to Fat allowing the SD card to be recognized? Yet the 660 will not read the map over 2GB because of the FAT restiction of 2GB?.

I guess what I'm saying is the 660 can ONLY read Fat, so it's the Fat restriction that prohibits any map over 2GB.

Backwards compatibility is exactly why the situation you describe exists. I don't pretend to understand every little nuance regarding this, but in essence the 660 can read the FAT32 card but won't see anything more than the first 2GB on the card, regardless of how large the card is. The file system difference would also explain in part why the 200W received an update to be able to read a second map off the card, but the 660 didn't.

The 200W received an update to be able to read two maps on the SD card while the 660 never got this update. The main reason why is that Garmin would have had to completely rewrite the 660 firmware to understand FAT32, and it either wasn't possible due to a technical limitation, whether hardware or software, or wasn't feasible due to the age of the device.

For the 660, the FAT file system plus the size of the map images approaching 2GB plus Garmin not offering an update for the device will eventually prevent these devices from ever having the entirety of North America on board.

The 7XX series was the first to do away with the 2GB restiction. I still like my 660 as a backup, it's simple and always reliable.
The battery is 6 years old and still holds a very strong charge. My 2460's battery starts to lose the full charge in about 5 minutes. So much for new and improved.

You will probably be able to install the full NA map on your 6xx for quite some time by splitting it between the internal and SD memory. Install a partial map in internal memory, then install the remaining regions on SD. That way each file will be less than 2 GB.

Which is a PITA, but you are right about splitting the map.

Good to know-

But considering that the 6xx series is 7 years old and predates the lifetime map subscription offering by 4 years, I think it is a tribute to Garmin that they have kept the compatibility with map updates an option on these old devices at all. True, it is a PITA to split up the map, but at least with Garmin it is possible. Ask someone who bought a Navigon, Mio or TomTom in 2006 what options they have for map updates.

Just wanted to be sure. I bought lifetime maps for my Zumo 550 and as some folks pointed out, the older units won't take the newer maps in whole. I have to split them onto a card, although it still works seamlessly when using it.

I've been running maps off SD memory card in our main 660 for nearly 2 years now...

In fact, I use 2 cards both configured identically... One is the last version Maps and other card is the current version Maps...
When the next version maps comes out, on the older version card I delete the 3 re-named map files, and update just the SD card in my computer, which is faster than doing it via the garmin. (the Garmin directry with ID file is on SD card.)
Then I re-name the files as per the link posted above, and then pull the other SD Card out of the Garmin 660 which now becomes the new Last version maps, and put in the just updated SD Card, and power up....

Works like a champ.... Note that I left the last maps files on the Garmin Itself, so that if I wanted I could Shut it down, pull the SD card out, and power up with REAL OLD Maps from the garmin itself!

WORKS GREAT!

Guess I will soon have to learn how to split maps on my 660.

@JanJ, I like your rotating 2 SD cards idea. Nothing better than always having a known good backup.
The 660 was my first GPS but I no longer update it since I bought a newer GPS with additional features I wanted.
Nevertheless, that's a great idea, simple and inexpensive to implement with 4GB SD cards for well under $10 these days.

When my Zumo 660 (motorcycle GPS) is plugged into a USB port and I do a Properties check, it shows 4GB formatted FAT32. This is the internal storage, yes? 3GB are used; 1GB remains. The 2013.2 CNNA map image is 1.756GB. (I have a separate 16 GB SD card formatted FAT32, which is half full).
Does anyone have any hard reference (or personal experience) that a gmapprom.img > 2GB will not be read?
Thanks,
-cj

A nüvi 660 will have the problem with the 2GB limit, not a zūmo 660. We already established this upthread.

so is that correct that all i have to do is replace my 2gb sd card with a 4 gb so that I don't have to delete all my maps for an upgrade? I don't care to have just certain regions installed.

Using a 4 GB card will allow you to put the full map on the card, but your unit may not read a file larger than 2GB.

Sadly, the nuvi 660 has a much more convoluted way to be able to install City Navigator North America. See:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/34914

The nuvi 660 can only read files under 2GB in size and the current 2014.40 City Navigator full North America map file is about 2.2GB. You will still need the SD card and 4GB is a good size for this task, but the SD card size doesn't overcome the 2GB filesize limit of the old nuvi 660.

A quick summary of what you'll find in the above link--in case I miss a detail, believe what's in the above link. Most of what applies to you appears on pages 2-3 of the link, but you'll want to understand page 1, too:

-you will want to do the 2014.40 (and future map updates) to both your nuvi 660 and your computer.
-the nuvi will not be given the option of receiving the full North America, so you will select a smaller portion of the map and install it to the nuvi. The map file will be called gmapprom.img.
-on your computer using Mapsource or Basecamp, you will select the portion of North America that was not installed to the nuvi, then use MapInstall to install this as a supplemental map to the SD card. The map file will be named gmapsupp.img.

muell9k has offered an image of what your nuvi's Map Info page will look like when you're done:

http://i847.photobucket.com/albums/ab32/muell9k/660%20Map%20...

could you load both portions on the SD card, and just disable access to the real old map on the 660 itself? That's what I'd want to do, so I'd have a map available on 660 should SD card fail (and backup SD card is at home).

If that is the case.... (Both <2Gb pieces can reside on SD card) can someone explain how you'd name the files, and the steps to use, using the recent Garmin Express to do this?

Mapinstall would NOT work for me the last two updates, and Express worked, and this last time (File >2Gb) Express realized it wouldn't work on 660, and suggested USA & Canada as option... Which I gladly selected.

How would I have selected this, then go back and select the remainder of NA (Mexico, islands?) as a second file to download? This is the part I can't clearly understand...

Would I use a second (Not updated) card, and then manually select only the Mexico, Island file when Express says the whole thing won't fit, and then rename it, then copy it to the first card with USA & Canada already on it? Then what would be the naming convention of the two map files on same SD card?

I'm trying to get my head wrapped around the operational steps to download 2 separate files using Express.. For "Next" time....

Thank you

I don't own a 660 so I base my answers on what I've read here and hope that I remember correctly.

1) I think the 660 can have only one map file installed to a SD card and it has to be named gmapsupp.img. If this is correct, the only way to get all of North America installed for use with a 660 is to have some of the map in the nuvi (gmapprom.img) and the rest in the SD card (gmapsupp.img).

2) To install the remainder map to the SD card, you'd use your full North America map installed to the computer, then with Mapsource or Basecamp, select the portion of the map not installed to the nuvi, and install it to a SD card, then insert into the nuvi.

In case I have any of this mixed up, pages 2-3 of:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/34914

as I mentioned earlier, gives detailed instructions and the whys and wherefores of installing all of North America to a nuvi 6xx.

Thanks for clearing that up...

Jan

I think it's time to upgrade

Ever price a motorcycle GPS? $800 for an "upgrade" from the 660.

I have a Zumo 550 motorcycle GPS, the maps outgrew the unit a long time ago. As outlined within this thread I simply download the largest that will fit onto the unit and the rest of what I need onto the SD card. The maps work seamlessly when the unit switches over from the card to the unit and vice versa.

For ho hos, I just updated my old 660's maps to 2014.4 and it took the entire lower 48. Last update it took all that were available.

I had previously deleted all the un-needed voice and help files. There is a list here somewhere of what you can delete.

Be sure to back-up ALL the files on your 660 before deleting. Just in case!

I know I am using a dinosaur for a GPS, but my old Nuvi 660 works fine except that I can no longer get the latest maps to fit on the internal memory of the device itself.

I understand there's a way to put the updated maps on an SD card. What I can't seem to figure out despite reading many posts about this is exactly what files need to reside in the internal memory and what need to reside on the SD card so that the Nuvi 660 will read the latest updated maps from the SD card.

Thank You,

Steve

The easiest way maybe to use Alanb's cloning method. The FAQ with full procedures is at http://www.poi-factory.com/node/39231

IMO, cloning is not the best choice on the nuvi 660 because there is a 2 GB file size limit on that device. So if you want the full NA map, the file is bigger than 2 GB so the map has to be split in two pieces. The best way to do that is to use Garmin Express to install the map to your computer only, then run MapInstall twice ... the first time to put part of the map in internal storage, and the second time to put the remaining regions on SD card.

Alternatively, when you run Garmin Express, you can select a smaller region (like Eastern States only) that will fit in internal storage, but be sure to select the option to install to both device and computer. Then run MapInstall one time to install the remaining regions to SD card.

By the way ... Welcome to POI Factory. There is lots of good information here and lots of helpful folks. Stick around a while.

The nuvi 6xx series is particularly troublesome in obtaining the entire City Navigator NA map for the following reasons: the 6xx series is not automatically given the SD card option,
files over 2GB can't be read, and I'm pretty sure the 6xx series only allows one map filename on the SD card, gmapsupp.img.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/44310
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42561

Here's a link discussing map updates to the 6xx series:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/39013

Basically, the procedure is to:

-when running Garmin Express, choose the optional "Install to device and computer" (rather than the default device only)
-install as much to the nuvi 660 as Garmin Express offers (filename will be gmapprom.img)
-then with a SD card, use the computer's MapInstall to install the regions of North America to the SD card that were not installed internally (filename will be gmapsupp.img).

Because the 660 can not read files over 2GB in size and also can only accept one map filename in the SD card, it's necessary to put part of the map in the nuvi and the rest in the SD card keeping each file under 2GB. Clear as mud? Part of the confusion you report, swaseysd, is that this thread started about four years ago when the full map update was under 2GB in size and the procedure for updating the 660 with all of North America was easier to do and involved fewer steps. But you can still update your 660 with all of North America using this reply or alandb's last reply.

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/31185

[Later: Ha, not only did alandb beat me to this reply of mine, but in going through earlier posts in the thread, I see that I'm repeating myself. I do fully agree with alandb, swaseysd, in welcoming you to The Factory!]

Thank you both alandb and CraigW. I'm glad I'm not totally computer literate or I'd already be at the nearest pub.

I'm sure I will figure it out. The good thing is I'm retired so at least I have the time to play with this.

Please let us know if you were able to update the map on your 660 by splitting the map and putting a portion of the map onto the GPS and in the Garmin directory, it must be named gmapprom.img.

The size of the map for the full North America map is 2794.744KB.
You can transfer around 1GB to the GPS using Mapinstall for the gmapprom.img and the remaining portion (1.794 (Approximently).
This will allow sufficient memory for the GPS to work properly.

Be careful not to duplicate the map are you are creating for gmapprom file as not to have duplicate areas. This can interfere with the search function if duplicate area entries are found.
Be sure to name it gmapsupp.img and must be located in the Garmin folder you must have on the SD card.

I formatted an 8GB SD card as Fat32, created a directory named Garmin on it and copied only the GarminDevice.xml file from the internal memory to the SD card.

I left the 2017.10 edition of the lower 48 map on the internal memory. I disconnected the Nuvi 660 from my computer and started Garmin Express with the SD card inserted in the PC. It immediately recognized the SD card as a connected device and proceeded to download and install the 2018.30 version of the lower 48 states on the SD card.

I renamed the three files changing prom to supp, deleted the GarminDevice.xml file from the SD card and inserted the card into the Nuvi 660. When I booted the Nuvi, it recognized the 2017.10 map. I then went into settings, maps and then unchecked the 2017.10 version and checked the 2018.30 version and the Nuvi 660 appears to read it properly.

I was concerned that it might not since the file size is more than 2 GB and many posts stated the Nuvi 660 will not read files over 2 GB. But so far so good.

I don't think I have rights to the full NA map. I will see about purchasing that and experiment with downloading the full map to internal memory and SD card.

Thanks for your assistance. Much appreciated.

There's a lot in your post that will have us thinking for a while.

A few quick thoughts:

-your goals and usage: if your goal is to install the most recent City Navigator North America map in your the 660 while only using it in the Lower 48 states, you can stop now as you've succeeded. If you plan to travel in NA outside the Lower 48 or if you just want the challenge of seeing all of NA available with your 660, you have more work to do.

-the nuvi 660 was sold in the US with the full City Navigator North America map and unlike some later models that were sold as a Lower 48 State device, your device is entitled to receive all of North America. We assume here that you did buy the numaps lifetime NA map update at some point in the past since the 660 was never sold as a LM (lifetime maps) model straight out of the box. There is no need to look for and buy the full version. Even if still sold, the full North America map purchase would cost more than several new Garmin GPS models with lifetime map updates and would not be a wise decision to buy for an old 660.

-although I don't have and never had a 660, I've read reports here recently of 660 owners succeeding in installing all of North America to the 660 with a SD card, using the procedure described in the previous posts. I'm not surprised that what you tried resulted in only the installation of the newest Lower 48 states. On the positive side, you have successfully used the clone technique to install a map to the SD card and for many folks, getting the clone technique to work is their biggest hurdle. It should be quite easy to now go back and follow the technique described earlier to install all of North America with the current map version splitting the map between the GPS and SD card from the City Navigator NA map which will have been installed on your computer.

I purchased several years ago nüMaps Lifetime North America for both my 255WT.

I used Map Updater for many years & on one update I decided to install a region instead of the entire mapset of North America.

When the following update came along, I reinstalled all of North America as I had always done. All went well until I started using Garmin Express to update my maps.

Now when I use Garmin Express, even though all of North America is installed on my device, it will only install the region that I chose way back then during the download.

SOLUTION: Once the download is finished, I look in the Garmin Express menu and then ask to install all of North America & voila on my second download I get it all

I've had full North America on my 255WT for a very long time now but for some reason or another Garmin Express will only initially update a region.

Hopefully my workaround will also be successful with you.

Cheers

... that's how GE works. Why I have no idea!

Sometimes you have to wonder who Garmin hires for software design engineers! ... or maybe they don't?

That was my first Garmin, I really liked it and it worked well during the time I had it

I haven't updated the maps in my 660 for over a year so I decided it was time. I used Garmin Express (for the first time) and was able to install all of North America on my PC for BaseCamp. No problem, it worked.

All that would fit on the 660 internal memory was the Southern US & Mexico portion. My plan was to follow the instructions above and use MapInstall to install the remainder on the installed SD card. But I'm not familiar with how to use MapInstall.

When I get MapInstall started it shows me a NA map and as I move the mouse over it I see the different areas highlighted in yellow, including the regions already installed as part of the Southern US & Mexico.

Is there an easier way to select "everything else besides Southern US & Mexico?" Clicking on the individual tiny regions could result in misses or duplications.

The 4GB SD card contains my mp3 music files. There is 2.61GB free space on it.

Select one, I normally pick top left, then press and hold shift while you drag the cursor to bottom right. That should now have all tiles selected.

To delete any you don't want it's control plus click.

Doing that duplicates regions I already have.

http://i68.tinypic.com/300d05h.jpg

Same for my 1690 as it only has 2GB of internal storage. Used an external media card to load everything else.

In that case, you may need to reinstall the map file to the 660 as alandb suggested earlier using the technique described in the first paragraph below (the bold added by me), not his second paragraph which is what you've just tried:

IMO, cloning is not the best choice on the nuvi 660 because there is a 2 GB file size limit on that device. So if you want the full NA map, the file is bigger than 2 GB so the map has to be split in two pieces. The best way to do that is to use Garmin Express to install the map to your computer only, then run MapInstall twice ... the first time to put part of the map in internal storage, and the second time to put the remaining regions on SD card.

Alternatively, when you run Garmin Express, you can select a smaller region (like Eastern States only) that will fit in internal storage, but be sure to select the option to install to both device and computer. Then run MapInstall one time to install the remaining regions to SD card.

Selecting regions as alandb suggests in his first paragraph will avoid a gap or overlap as long as you're careful selecting regions.

I am on my third Garmin Nuvi but I started with the 650 and loved it. Now I have the 3597LMTHD and wouldnt want to give it up. Even though it is an older model, I don't think that they make another gps with the great features the 3597 has.

I'll have to play around with your bolded method. It still sounds like a matter of a lot of manual selections of the regions within MapInstall.

If you use the region selection shortcuts given by sussamb, you should be able to select 2 separate and non overlapping segments fairly quickly.

Note that once both map segments are installed on your 660, they will work together seamlessly on your 660, just like you had the full map in a single file.

I must be mis-understanding the "2 separate and non overlapping segments." The light bulb just hasn't come on yet.

The first thing I have to do is rerun GE and install to computer only. Hopefully that will remove (delete) the Southern US & Mexico map currently installed on the 660.