Maps & SD Cards?

[Gareth Sefton]

Hi All,

I'm confused, please advise.
I live in the UK & want to roadtrip several states in the US in a couple of months & have a few questions:
1). My TomTom Go 740 doesn't have much memory space left so I need to know a simple way of putting the US map on there? (& I mean simple as I'm a technophobe)?
2). Can I fit an SD Card or Micro SD Card in it, if so will I then be able to download (at a cost of course) the US Map?
3). Once bought, can you just store it easily on your computer, so is it worth storing my UK & Europe maps on my PC then downloading the US maps straight to the device.

Thank you in advance for reading, & any future help.

 

[Gareth Sefton]

Sorry forgot to ask, can I still buy a SD Card that has US maps on it & just pop that in?

 

[Arno]

I have to let others answer if your 740 takes a full size SD card, as my older 930, or if it can take the newer micro SD cards. If the latter I'd suggest a 16 GB one.

No, you cannot buy a pre-installed map on an SD card, you must download it while connected to HOME.
Once you download the the map, you can leave the card installed as you can switch maps via the Settings menu.

It is good practice to make a complete backup of your device to a new folder on your PC via Windows Explorer rather than using the built in backup utility of HOME.

 

[canderson]

Your GO 740 uses a uSD card (micro SD). You can install the card, and do an online purchase of a North American map using Home and have it stored on the uSD card. I don't know how big they've gotten (NAM for this model was pushing 2GB last time I checked), but to avoid 'zoned' maps, I would recommend you use an 16GB card . You'll have no problems fitting everything, and many of us keep all of our maps on the uSD card, leaving the device memory for other things.

 

[Gareth Sefton]

Many thanks all, appreciate your time & advice.
Have a great week.

 

[canderson]

If you do decide that you would like to migrate both of your maps to the card, let us know and we'll help you work through that, too.

 

[Gareth Sefton]

Hello,
Couple more questions if I may.
1), I have now purchased a 32GB Micro SD Card for my TomTom 740 Go Live. I am going to the States for Road Trip in May, if I purchase the U.S. Maps now, will it I be able to do a free upgrade before I go? I was just thinking it gives me plenty of time to get the maps on there if I do it in the next week or so, & do any messing about I need too
.
2), When I do purchase the new map, how easy is it to transfer, I don't want to buy it & then lose it somewhere, or can I just Log On to my TomTom account & it'll still be there always?

3), Do I then have my U.K. Map & my U.S. Map on the Micro SD Card together, or do I seperate & leave the U.K. map on the hard drive of the TomTom & then put the U.S. Map on the Micro SD?

I'll be buying from the U.K. on TomTom.

Thank you, have a good day.

 

[dhn]

Free upgrades are only for the maps originally on the device. However, the latest map is 960 and 965 is due within a week or so. Therefore, wait till 965 is announced and then purchase it.

You can have one map on internal and another on a sdhc (not sd) card. To go between maps, on the device: manage maps-->switch maps.

Also, be aware that live services you get on the device in the UK will NOT be available in the USA. Different telecom providers for the sim cards.

 

[Gareth Sefton]

Ok DHN, thank you for your feedback. Have I bought the wrong Micro SD Card then too. I notice you refer to a SDHC (not SD), I don't know what that is?
Thank you

 

[dhn]

I suspect yours would be a microsdhc card. Hopefully class 10 speed.

 

[Gareth Sefton]

Hi,
Yeah you've just made me double check actually, I don't know how I didn't remember I spent about 2 hours learning the different ones, shows I didn't take it all in!
The one I got is 32GB Micro SD HC1 - Class 10

 

[Gareth Sefton]

Also I have a couple of months yet, is there going to be a 966 released before May do you know. How do I find out when they're being released like you do?

Thanks

 

[dhn]

Maps are released every 3 months. February, May, August and November. It is never clear on what date of the month they are released but often around mid month. No promises. So, I presume 970 will be released sometime in May.

 

[Arno]

Gareth, based on the above you will have to make a decision about when to purchase the map. 965 in a few weeks or 970 in May (their numbers in Europe and North America usually jumps by 5).
If you leave late in May you could wait but if leaving early you may want to update sooner.

If late May, you may want to use Google maps to plan all your known destinations and distances now. That way you will be able to create your Favorites without delay once you get the new map.
If early May and you get the new map in the next few weeks you have plenty of time to do it directly on the device.
That said, I never fail to use Google maps to plan a longer trip to not very well known areas. The overview on that map has made me decide on some very pleasant deviations in the past.

 

[Gareth Sefton]

Thank you so much for the advise, it's been really helpfull. I appreciate it.
I am leaving on the 11th May so I will buy the map that is released in a week or so, just because I want it all sorted & I would have thought that things aren't going to change to drastically in the next 3 months, what's the worst that can happen, I go 10 miles the wrong way, I on vacation.
I have already detailed a lot on Google maps but it means printing reams of paper & doesn't update if you take a wrong turn like the sat nav. I estimate I'll be doing about two and a half thousand miles.

Once again thank you so much, although no doubt I'll be back on here in a week or two because I can't sus out how to load the maps lol.

Regards

Gareth

 

[Gareth Sefton]

Hi All,
Thanks for the advice.

Canderson, earlier in the threads you said you could walk me through it, does you offer still stand please?

Does anyone know if my my TomTom Go 740 is compatible to recieve the new 9.65 version of U.S. Maps, I want to load up ready for my holiday soon?


Many Thanks

Gareth

 

[canderson]

Yes, the 965.7250 USA& Canada map is available for the 740. However, the full map IS now showing as 2269.9MB (a fair bit over 2GB internal memory size!)
Do you have a map subscription for your European map? That will decide how all of this finishes up.

If you wish to put all of your maps on the uSD card as some of us do as a matter of course, you'll want to first get all of the maps on the unit (somewhere).
Your card (The one I got is 32GB Micro SD HC1 - Class 10) is a whole lot bigger than you need, but should pose no problems. Be sure that the device, if previously used in another device, shows up properly in your 740. That will tell us that it is properly FAT32 formatted. You can do so my inserting the card into your 740 and using your PC to look at it as yet another external drive. Any prior files that remain should be evident. If you do find photos or other files there that you still want, be sure to copy them off to your PC and remove them from the card.

Each time Home comes up, it should now also show two storage locations: "Internal Memory" and "Memory Card".
NOTE >>> Let's start by asking how much "Free Space" Home reports for each of those storage locations.

Go ahead and select "Internal Memory" to start. You'll need to wait for Home to go through its usual gyrations. Go ahead and install any pending updates.

Once that's complete, the answer to two questions will decide the remaining path for install of the US map. Again, it may make more sense to have them both on the uSD card.
1) What version is your Europe map now? Any map subscription available for Europe? Do you intend to update Europe at some point? Is your Europe map already a 'zone' subset of the original from a prior update?
2) How much free space now for internal and external?

 

[Gareth Sefton]

Hi
Ok, I may have been a little premature & jumped ahead.
I have updated my european maps, & backed them up to my computer.
I have a brand new SD Card, I have put that into my TomTom & put it in the craddle. I have just gone on HOME to buy the USA map, it asked me to put in my device so I selected TomTom GO740, when I selected it the site said unable to download maps to this device, I'm assuming it because it's a 'Live' service but I don't mind about that. I just need the maps so I have some idea of where I going?

Any thoughts or advice please?

 

[canderson]

Something odd going on there. It shouldn't have asked you to specify your device type, I don't think. Home should have recognized your 740 in the dock and sorted that automatically in its communication with the TT server.

I have a 740 handy here, so let me see what happens if I do the reverse -- attempt to purchase a new European map for it (it also has card installed) to refresh my memory regarding how Home presents these cases.

OK. Fired up Home. Selected 'Internal Memory" (doesn't really matter for these steps). But your device should show both Internal Memory and Memory Card available. Does it?
Picked up the odd update for the device while I was there (QuickGPSfix and Map Share).
Selected Purchase Maps.
Selected View - All to bring up all available map products
Selected Western Europe (which wouldn't fit in my internal memory, either) and Buy
Got a bit of a warning regarding "Fitting this map onto your navigation device" even though I've got an 8GB card installed (with W.E. already installed) and 1/2 of it remains unused.
Selected Continue
Selected Checkout.

After clicking on the "I agree" box, I'm pretty sure we'd have just bought a map.

Now, how did your experience go as compared to the above?

 

[Gareth Sefton]

Hi,
Thank you, by stating the way you did it, it made me realise I was doing it wrong. I was trying to buy the maps through the TomTom.com site, thats why it asked me my device, after reading your way I then did it through my device. It took a while but I have now successfully downloaded & stored the USA Maps to my SD Card.

Thank you so much your help has been invaluable, don't think I would have done that without you.

Thank you have a great rest of the day.

Gareth