Drivesmart 66 76 English Voices

And will it then work? There is a possibilty that just the file for Zoe is corrupted.

The Zoe voice is what I want on my next Drivesmart. Zoe file had nothing to do with the failure of the Drivesmart 65. I took the Drivesmart 65 apart and broke a connection on the circuit board. I just want to know if the Drivesmart 66 or 67 has Zoe as a voice as a option.

Had I known you took the unit apart and damaged it I would have likely offered different advice. I was trying to ascertain if the device worked with ANY voice because that would have told me the device was functioning.

The link at https://menga.net/garmin-drivesmart-66 is a review of the DS 66. If you scroll down almost to the bottom, the reviewer states

There are two types of voices on Garmin devices; what Garmin calls "Real Directions" and "Garmin Real Voice". Devices with Garmin Real Directions provide spoken instructions using not only street names but also recognizable landmarks, buildings, and even traffic lights. This helps minimize the need for you to find and read street name signs.

As an example, without Garmin Real Directions: "In 500 feet, turn right at Metcalf Avenue."

With Garmin Real Directions: "In 500 feet, be in either of the two right lanes, then turn right at the stoplight." FYI, "Zoe" has Garmin Real Directions only. American English - Jack is another American voice that has Garmin Real Voices.

Lists of both types of voices are at https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=1kJfN01V516L4R9WgTF9TA.

DS66

https://support.garmin.com/en-CA/?faq=1kJfN01V516L4R9WgTF9TA...

DS 76

https://support.garmin.com/en-CA/?faq=1kJfN01V516L4R9WgTF9TA...

For both:

The Following Voice Languages have Garmin Real Directions Only:

American English - Jack
American English - Zoe

Thanks that is what I needed to know. I'm going to get a Drivesmart 66 since it has Zoe.

This thread has resulted in an update of my English language FAQ, but I have some additional questions. If someone with the Zoe voice could check their device and let me know which version the Zoe voice is, I'd appreciate it so I can add this to the FAQ.

Also, should anyone with Zoe add all English language voices to their device via Garmin Express, Tools&Content, Utilities, Language Files, English, I'd like to know what voices are added. It's possible that Serena and Sangeeta may no longer be added.

Rather than post here, you can send your results to me via my User Account Contact link. Thanks in advance.

My updated FAQ:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42708

I tinkered with my two newest Garmin devices, a nuvi 3597 and DriveLuxe 51.

On each, the available English language voice versions remain as described in the FAQ in the previous post.

I connected each device to my PC and again installed the English language optional voices. It went very quickly which may indicated that the download saw that I already had the voices installed. After disconnecting and powering up the devices, each showed the same English voices and versions as before and there was no new Zoe. Serena and Sangeeta did not disappear. I also used my DriveLuxe 51's internal Wifi access to check for updates and it reported no new map or software update was available. Lastly, I also tried Garmin's old WebUpdater software and it had no new voices or voice updates for either device.

My DriveLuxe 51 did flash an alert that a voice update was available. It said to sign into my.garmin.com for the update. As far as I can tell, the my.garmin.com site is defunct and when signing into the Garmin.com site, although it acknowledges my devices, there's no place to find voice or other software updates. If my DL 51 does have a voice update available, Garmin has no place available to download and install it to the device

It does appear that the newer DriveSmart 66 and 76 have different voices including Zoe and maybe without the others mentioned in the FAQ. I haven't found any info on voices available for the DS 66/76. It remains to be seen what additional voices a DS 66/76 can obtain from GE's Utilities, what version Zoe is, when Zoe was introduced, which new devices have Zoe, and whether Zoe has ever been updated.

If you can confirm anything above or offer additional info, please do.

I can confirm you all the new model got JOE voice

I did test with DS 66 & 76 and 86; even the model Drivecam 76 has JOE too.

To me JOE is not really different to old model and in US it has only one choice of JOE.

Tried download other voices but none of them are good enough for English or French.

Hope this help!

-Do you mean ZOE?

-Just to confirm...you found that the new models, at least the DS 66, 76, and 86 sold in the US only offer one voice. Correct?

Since you've downloaded the additional voices, have you tried Australian Karen?

I second the Karen recommendation.

Dear CraigW, your nickname is so familiar in other gps forum if it's yes

- Exactly it's Zoe, NOT JOE; since pandemic, I used to talk in the way of agencies won't target me then I find out most people don't follow it; surely it's American ZOE and it's big file. I don't know if we can download it compared to old model; but I did update it via Wifi and of course there's many spy packets as always; then I could find version via About; it shows Audio Version 2.30 (American English-Zoe)

- I do have only US model and I can confirm it's ONLY one voice for each language such as English in ZOE, Amelie in French and Paulina in Spanish; what's really sad when old model got more voices than newest one.

- As someone mentioned before; I do love Karen; especially clarity in many road spelling

But yours might vary because other download voices the file very small; less than 100 MB then it won't guide you exactly at each corner; meaning won't tell you more details such as there's Shell Gas station on the left or right before you can turn left or right.

Hope this help!

Thanks for asking this question.

I didn't even know that my DriveSmart 65 had Garmin Real Directions. Samantha can provide this, but after your praise of Zoe, I'm going to download Zoe and give Zoe and Real Directions a try.

Here’s a sample of the Zoe voice.

https://youtu.be/JYAw4dkZSr0?si=VpDOETFblwhNRIUw

It's a clear and understandable voice. Thanks. Also, the YouTube shows that these DriveSmarts still do offer additional English voices so I need to revise my FAQ again.

Thanks for finding a YouTube with Zoe. It's helped a lot!

There does remain a discrepancy in this discussion regarding how many English language voices come with these three DS models out of the box and whether they can accept the additional English voices offered through Garmin Express.

…just trying to help if I can. I like the Zoe voice. But, it's not available for my DS 55.

Cool, I learned something.

I did get a Drivesmart 66. It did have Zoe but it also only had two route preferences Fastest & Straightline. On my other Garmin's I like having the option of Fastest or Shortest Route. The DS 66 does not have the Shortest Route option. I sent it back because it did not have the Shortest Route option. I use the shortest route most often because the fastest route will take you miles out of your way to get to a freeway. So now I'm back on my DriveSmart 55 without Zoe.

I would think most people use the “fastest” option as opposed to the “shortest distance.” I for one found out the hard way that “shortest distance” option doesn’t work well. I had a TomTom originally and while on a trip it went up in smoke. I pulled into a store and picked up my first Garmin. Not being familiar with it I selected shortest distance. Then I had to travel from Schenectady NY to a Philly suburb. The GPS took me through the heart of Princeton NJ at about 4 PM on a Friday. It probably was shortest distance but certainly not very efficient!

I can count on one hand the number of times since 2009 I used "Shorter Distance" on a GPS. It's not even because the routing might be wonky. I just like to get to where I'm going as quickly as I can.

I agree that the fastest is what to use in areas that you are not the least familiar with. In a area where you have a general "Lay of The Land" knowledge I usually use shortest. It gives me options along the way that I wouldn't get using fastest. I can always drive to the freeway on my own. There are situations that taking the suggested shorter route for a portion of the trip is faster than driving a few miles out of your way just to get to the freeway.

I usually find shorter distance to NOT be as gas efficient as faster time, and in this economy that makes a difference. At the same time I don't always need the GPS, especially if I know where I'm going. I still have it running at these times so it can track my travels: I don't use it for routing however.

Some things to understand about automotive GPS devices.

There is som evidence that the early systems used by UPS tended to favor right hand turns which statically have lower accident rates. In addition right hand on red turns may enable a reduction in route time.

Something I’d like to share; my first GPS wanted to take me to my office via what I considered to be a strange routing. I really thought it weird but on allowing it to have its way, I found the routing to trim a few minutes off my route.

How do i download Zoe to my DriveSmart 65? I currently have Michelle & Samantha. Samantha wil give me Real Voice & Real Directions.

I cannot find a way to add Zoe to my list of voices.

I haven't seen any suggestion that the DS65 can use Zoe.

Here's a FAQ showing how to enable all available voices to your Garmin GPS using Tools & Content option in Garmin Express:

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/42708

If you can't use Zoe, try using Karen and see if you like her voice.

No sign of Zoe, but there seemed to be an English voice update. I made the update, but still show Samantha, but no Zoe. I,m sure you're right that Zoe isn't available for the DS65.

Thanks

Thinking about Zoe, please don't over think about that.
Compared to older voices, it's really not better than SAM

If DS65 won't let you installing then you won't be able to do it without pressing out to the outlet of Garmin to hope new DS 66, 76 or 86 having your new voice with Zoe to bring happy in life. Of course NOT!

Shed more several hundred bucks to have new unit and don't have enough bulletproof for technologies in 2024 then it's a bad idea.

Most new units DS or Drive cam with last digit 6 have several issues:
- Bad quality unit by unit, but of course 76 better quality than 66 inside out, then it still have some bad chip inside and out.
- Software sluggish and slow, that's not acceptable comparing to phone now.
- Most of new techs, just more annoying warning without real help on the road.
- New unit strip out many options, and it's very useful in older model such as:
* You have only fastest mode in default instead of 3 mode in the past such as: Fast, Short and Eco. Still remember many new units lately got strip down only 2 as Fast and Short and now is only 1 Wishing Garmin won't strip all of them then we have no idea later!
* 86 got very slow and intermittent laggy with short trip, don't count long trip you need lot of time to wait until it's finishing the road estimation. Small photo at highway exit compared to the whole big screen.
* Most don't have digital weather without internet while older model just be fine. Interesting why we need to use data to have nice weather when the older one don't need, but still show weather information without any cost of data used.
*New model trend to take you new approach routes not as old units but surely taking lot of bad ideas running around never stop.
*POI in new unit just garbage such as old one. Since many years I need to do update on my own for POI address because every time updating the Garmin, they just got less the POI data, even new unit won't help you out. This is a such bad idea to implant POI or not in old or new unit. Most of time I need to open internet to find the place on my own then enter manually the addresses, even so Garmin still stuck with new zip code in North American.
* For new Bad zip code not recognized by Garmin, you need to find the place around to come then find the real house later, trust me, this the bad idea but this is the only way to fix with new unit out there.

Of course lot of more information, just hope to have time to share
Good luck and best wishes! Yours

Bad Quality: I find the DriveSmart series to be no better or worse than past units. Although my DS65 doesn't have a case that literally disintegrated like my 1300LM.

Software: My biggest complaint with the DriveSmart software is the software error that causes the DS to spontaneously reboot. It IS sluggish compared to smartphones, but do we really need a buttery-smooth screen with a dedicated GPS receiver? As for the other items you mention in the software, Ecoroute was discontinued in 2015, so that's a specious argument. Garmin does still have faster time and shorter distance options available for routing, unless Garmin yanked them with the DriveSmart 66 and later.

Weather: Weather (and traffic!) using the Drive app is leaps and bounds better than weather through the power cable. It also eliminates the biggest issue with the FM receivers: limited utility. FM reception was limited to select cities and was never truly nationwide.

Routing: On the first try going to a specific place I have found that the Garmin routing is a little odd. Subsequent trips to the same location with the Garmin up don't have this issue.

POI: Calling them "garbage" is rather strong. Yes, they could be more up to date, which makes me wonder what Garmin is using for its sources, but both TripAdvisor and Foursquare help offset this. You must be going to some really esoteric places to not have them in the Garmin database. Though at the same time, Foursquare hasn't updated their database to include the new location of the local WalMart despite that WalMart having been open for quite some time now.

Zip Codes: Wait, what? I never have to search by zip code.

The DriveSmart series isn't perfect by a long shot. I won't deny that there are some things that Garmin can improve. It's clear to me you are not a fan of the DriveSmart series. But I don't believe the DriveSmart series is as bad as you make it seem.