TomTom 720 SD card

[Apollo10]

Hi all,
I have the new 720, and it seems very good as a first impression.

However, I cannot get it to read any external sd card that I put in it.
It shows a red cross over the blue sd card image when you unplugged from the desktop holder.
Anyone know how to get this to see the external memory?

Thx in advance

Ap.

 

[digital-flex]

What kind of SD card do you have? i.e. brand, size, sdhc?

 

[wlepse]

My TT1 did the same thing until I loaded the files on the SD card. It sounds like teh 720 is similar in that it is an either or not both. I ended up getting a Topram 4GB high speed SD card; plugged the card in, connected the USB cable to the laptop, powered on the unit and had to tell TT Home to switch devices. Then it recognized the unit as "Topram" and I could create a backup of the unit on the SD card.

 

[Apollo10]

The card is only a 16MB Toshiba.
I was using it to test the unit.....

It shows in windows as another drive ok, but if you unplug it from the computer it gives a red cross over the blue sd card image as you do. It then does not show any content on the TT, and worse if you try and start with it fitted it just turns itself off during boot up.

There is something on tomtom site about the card not having the home application installed on the card, but this makes no sense.

Any ideas greatly appreciated

Ap.

 

[digital-flex]

It looks like if an SD card is inserted, it ignores the internal memory.

If you want to use the SD card, you need to copy the contents of the internal memory to the SD card. However, 16MB would be insufficient space. You would need something larger.

 

[MrBeetle]

It looks like if an SD card is inserted, it ignores the internal memory.

If you want to use the SD card, you need to copy the contents of the internal memory to the SD card. However, 16MB would be insufficient space. You would need something larger.

A TT720 does not ignore internal memory.

 

[digital-flex]

A TT720 does not ignore internal memory.

It doesn't? Can you at least be more specific?

 

[Apollo10]

Hi,
It does not ignore internal memory. In the "home" software you get the choice to switch between internal and external memory.
However, when trying the 16MB card with an MP3 file on it, it does not show any file when you view in the software.

Does it need to have tomtom application installed to the card to view files?
If so, what files?
Tomtom do not say this anywhere in the documentation though.

Perhaps, the card needs to be a certain size to work properly. I will try a 1GB card and report back

Thx

Ap

 

[digital-flex]

Hi,
It does not ignore internal memory. In the "home" software you get the choice to switch between internal and external memory.
However, when trying the 16MB card with an MP3 file on it, it does not show any file when you view in the software.

Does it need to have tomtom application installed to the card to view files?
If so, what files?
Tomtom do not say this anywhere in the documentation though.

Perhaps, the card needs to be a certain size to work properly. I will try a 1GB card and report back

Thx

Ap

Thank you for clearing that up.

I wonder how the device handles the SD card. For instance, if your internal memory is filled and you want to place an itinerary but the file is to big, do you just add the SD card and now you can copy the itn in the itinerary folder?

 

[Mnemosyne]

It doesn't? Can you at least be more specific?

It wouldn't make any sense for it to ignore internal memory. The maximum "supported" SD card size is 2GB, which is what the 720 has as internal memory. If it ignored the internal memory when using the SD card, there wouldn't be a whole lot of point in using the SD card in the first place.

Either way, it's a moot point because I have a 720 with an SD card in it and so far it works fine. I'm using a 2GB SanDisk card, and I haven't had any problems. All I have on the card so far is voices though (about 25 of them), but they all work. And I can use the voices that are loaded on the internal memory as well.

I'm not sure if this is what Apollo10 was talking about, but when I start up the 720 with the card in it, I get an animation of the card coming out of the TT and then a red X over the card. At first I thought this meant that there was a problem with the card, but since it works fine, I think it means "Don't take the card out of the TomTom while it's on."

I'm really pretty bummed that it doesn't support SDHC cards though.

 

[digital-flex]

It wouldn't make any sense for it to ignore internal memory. The maximum "supported" SD card size is 2GB, which is what the 720 has as internal memory. If it ignored the internal memory when using the SD card, there wouldn't be a whole lot of point in using the SD card in the first place.

Interesting, because I haven't read anywhere that it supports a max of 2GB. Plus, TT has done it with the TT1 and TT1 XL, so it was reasonable to assume the same thing with the 720.

Anyway, I'm patiently waiting when the 720 arrives in Canadian shops.

 

[Mnemosyne]

Interesting, because I haven't read anywhere that it supports a max of 2GB. Plus, TT has done it with the TT1 and TT1 XL, so it was reasonable to assume the same thing with the 720.

I couldn't find the max supported size anywhere either, so I called TomTom. I wanted to buy a fairly big (SDHC) card so I could load MP3s and stuff on it, but their customer service told me that the largest supported size is 2GB. There's a chance that it's not correct though, considering the other things they told me.

 

[digital-flex]

I couldn't find the max supported size anywhere either, so I called TomTom. I wanted to buy a fairly big (SDHC) card so I could load MP3s and stuff on it, but their customer service told me that the largest supported size is 2GB. There's a chance that it's not correct though, considering the other things they told me.

I would be willing to bet that information is incorrect. The TT1 can use a 4GB (non-SDHC, of course) and the 720 is the considered top of the line. It doesn't make sense if the TT1 can use a 4GB and a TT720 can't.

 

[Apollo10]

Hi Mnemosyne,
Thats exactly what I was talking about, only I have tried a smaller 128mb card just to try it out.

The tomtom does not boot up with the card in it, it starts then just turns off.

Did you add anything else on the card apart from the voice files?

Thx

 

[Mnemosyne]

Hi Mnemosyne,
Thats exactly what I was talking about, only I have tried a smaller 128mb card just to try it out.

The tomtom does not boot up with the card in it, it starts then just turns off.

Did you add anything else on the card apart from the voice files?

Thx

Nope, just the voice files (and their associated bitmaps for browsing through the voices). I'll try putting an MP3 or some photos on there a little later to test it out.

 

[aznkingnivek]

I experience the same thing yuo do. There is an animation of the card coming out of the tt and ared x over the card. I thought it was a sd card problem but liek you say the device works.

I tried a lot of times to reformat the sd card but that screen is still there.
However, this screen only comes up when I disconnect the device from tomtom home and my computer. Normal bootup doesn't bring up the screen for me.

Also i have voices and mp3 and map colors on my sd card and they work fine.

 

[Apollo10]

hi aznkingnivek
what card are you using? size? etc

Are your mp3s accessible when you go to the music on the tomtom?

Thx

Ap

I think somewhere i saw that the amination means do not remove the card, if so thats fair enough.

 

[Mnemosyne]

I would be willing to bet that information is incorrect. The TT1 can use a 4GB (non-SDHC, of course) and the 720 is the considered top of the line. It doesn't make sense if the TT1 can use a 4GB and a TT720 can't.

I think maybe it's just semantics. The SD standard only allows for cards up to 2GB. There are 4GB SD (non HC) cards out there, but they use workarounds to get to that 4GBs, and they don't conform to the SD standard. Hence TomTom only officially supports 2GB cards, but the 4GB ones probably work.

I just didn't want to ever be in the position where I needed tech support from them and end up being told that my card wasn't officially supported and thus they couldn't help me. I did tech support for years myself, and I've had to tell customers that I can't help them with things that aren't officially supported even though I know that they should work and there's probably a way to make them work. It's a really frustrating experience for all involved.

 

[digital-flex]

I think maybe it's just semantics. The SD standard only allows for cards up to 2GB. There are 4GB SD (non HC) cards out there, but they use workarounds to get to that 4GBs, and they don't conform to the SD standard. Hence TomTom only officially supports 2GB cards, but the 4GB ones probably work.

I just didn't want to ever be in the position where I needed tech support from them and end up being told that my card wasn't officially supported and thus they couldn't help me. I did tech support for years myself, and I've had to tell customers that I can't help them with things that aren't officially supported even though I know that they should work and there's probably a way to make them work. It's a really frustrating experience for all involved.

I see your point.

At least now we know that it doesn't disable internal memory and actually adds to the storage, which is great news.

 

[aznkingnivek]

i have a 2 gb sandisk SD and yes the music are accessible