New memory card requirements?
Sun, 09/15/2024 - 12:32pm
     10 years
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I'm not sure as to when this change may have occurred but I happened to notice Garmin content that my nuvi 2689 LMT has to have a microSD card that is 16 GB minimum. Specifically Garmin's site reads "A microSD card with at least 16 GB of space must be used when updating the maps on a device."
Rather surprisingly my old backup device, a nuvi 265 (with LMT) also says 16 GB minimum. At least with respect to that device, I know there was a time when the maximum was 16 GB,
The max card size
The maximum card size changed several years ago to 32 GB. I don't remember much except my 885 could use a 32 GB card. It has to do with a card formatting limitation.
Illiterate? Write for free help.
8GB Memory card
8GB microSD in my DS55 and it works just fine.
Limit Increase
The maximum card size changed several years ago to 32 GB. I don't remember much except my 885 could use a 32 GB card. It has to do with a card formatting limitation.
Garmin changed the maximum again, but only for the current units. The DriveSmart 66, 76, and 86 had that limit increased to 256GB. The Drive 53 is still limited to 32GB.
Any card larger than 32GB must be formatted in the device according to Garmin. I wonder why when ExFAT is a thing?
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Fat32 format limitations are artificial
...It has to do with a card formatting limitation.
For a good video produced by the guy who wrote Windows format see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bikbJPI-7Kg The Fat32 format limitation only exists because of the implementation of the GUI. Fat32 disks larger than 32GB can be produced using the appropriate parameters in the command line. A Windows GUI program that formats Fat32 disks larger than 32GB is available from Ridgecrop Consultants LTD (http://ridgecrop.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm) I've formatted many μSD cards larger than 32GB without any problems (for use with my Raspberry PI).
Mark
Back to my question
The content at https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=UsL6MuMMCM8PpgAhUUCqp7..., and you may have to input nuvi 205W, states that the card size is 16 GB minimum and 64 GB maximum. This is substantially different than when the nuvi “200” series came out. As I recall my 265 was 4 GB minimum and 16 GB maximum but that was back around 2010. So I wonder has the card requirement changed, perhaps because of pending map sizes, is it a misprint, or is it just because you can’t buy an 8 GB card without substantial difficulty?
John from PA
Most likely card size
Minimum brand name card size you can find in a store is 16GB or 32GB. But you can still get 4 and 8GB knockoffs on Amazon.
Amazon, not for me!
Minimum brand name card size you can find in a store is 16GB or 32GB. But you can still get 4 and 8GB knockoffs on Amazon.
Amazon would be the last place I would buy a memory card, regardless of size!
John from PA