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[Twolanerider]

Just opened a box that I'd not been inside of for a long time.  For prologue I knew I had two Zumo 590s.  Have mounts for them on all three bikes.  Obsolete hardware that still works great, still updates, and works great for the applications I have them on.  So a backup is a good thing.

Then I found this box.

Now I have two Zumo 590s and a Zumo 595.  Yeah me !

Looks to be new or almost new in the box and was something I bought and forgot about it.  I've certainly never set it up.  Have no recollection of ever seeing the thing before.  None of that has anything to do with my question though; I digressed.

Does anyone know if the USB cables for updates for these things were in some way quirky/proprietary for Garmin?  All the units are Garmin branded rather than Harley RoadTech branded (if that made any difference).

Reason I ask is that either I have a drawer full of charging only non-data USB cables or those there is something odd about the one and only one cable (1 out of that works with the Zumo 590s or 595. 

Seven different cables here will charge all three units.  Only one will allow any of them to be recognized as a USB device by the PC and manage updates. Six of those seven other cables do transfer data to other devices though. 

Garmin doesn't (at least currently) show a USB cable on their site.  Only more current USB C stuff.  But these things are old now so potentially obsolete from the OEM.

If no one has a good idea will end up ordering a few different options at Amazon to see if anything else will work.  Would just like to have more than one functional cable if I'm going to keep the units in service.

[Bungy]

My old 660 has a “mini” USB port.

[Twolanerider]

My old 660 has a “mini” USB port.

The 590 and 595 units do also.  But either I've got a whole bunch of cables that carry data for every other device but these or Garmin has done something just a little proprietary with the port on the 590 and 595s.

Strictly in the "For What It's Worth" department I've used my friend Google a little more since first messing with these today and posting the question here.  Hadn't found anything really on point to begin with.  Since, however, found a couple old threads of the same thing being discussed.  If they are to be believed apparently at least some of the 590 and 595 series did need a USB cable that was just a tiny bit different than what the rest of the world used.

Fortunately I've got one that works.  It's been in the box I store the two 590s in that I've used for years.  Probably is the cable that came with one of them (the other was a used eBay purchase that I do remember).  In any case would hate to be locked out of future map updates for a failed cable so will try to find something that will also magically work.  That is unless the all-knowing FireDood enlightens more eloquently and effectively.

[Fired00d]

Sorry to say I have no clue... I'm still on a (now obsolete/no more update) Zumo 550.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Twolanerider]

Sorry to say I have no clue... I'm still on a (now obsolete/no more update) Zumo 550.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

Well..... bumblefrumpingshattingbangers.

It's ok, you're still super-awesome. 

[Eqcons]

I'd be your Zumo expert, Don. 

The only proprietary cable is the one when you use the car mount.  Otherwise most everyday cables should work. (Some won't, as you have noted.) Trial and error required.

Your 590s can be upgraded to 595s if you so choose too.  (Including, for anyone that has one, the RoadTech 590, which allows TPMS and still keeps the audio interrupt with directions on the HD audio systems.)

And, despite it always having been said to be impossible, you can indeed customise the 590/595 splash screen:

[Twolanerider]

Thanks Jim.  I found another box of mixed up USB cables later last evening.  Out of 10 more old cables had two that would work for data for the Zumos.

Now to the interesting stuff.  I'd read previously that the 590s could be updated ot 595 capability. I even remember thinking about doing it with my what was then my first one.  Then I'm sure I got distracted by something (women, bike parts, something?) so never followed up.

With the TPMS sensors now obsolete is there any other benefit to the change?  And what's involved in the update to the splash screen?  Just a graphics file to edit or something more involved?

[Eqcons]

Hi Don, the majority of cables usually work, so you're being a bit unlucky there I think.

As I already had the TPMS sensors (can still get them used of course) for the Garmin 590, but I wanted the audio interrupt, my second 590 is a Roadtech one (dealer demo model, no lifetime map updates, only 4GB RAM, but there are ways and means....  )

No huge advantage in the 595 over the 590, but some improvements, so I still reckon it's worth doing.

The splash screen - I'm pretty certain I'm the only person ever to have managed it on a 59x Zumo, took a lot of research!   You need a clean MicroSD card. Extract the necessary (I can provide it, but would need to know your Zumo's hardware ID -  see https://www.gpspower.net/garmin-tutorials/339363-how-find-your-garmin-devices-hwid.html ) zip file to it. After extraction to the card, the root directory should contain 16.bin (the logo file) and the Garmin folder only. Ensure the Zumo 595 is fully off, and insert the microSD card, then turn the Zumo on. [if battery is not well-charged, connect to a charging source not PC USB port and it will turn itself on]. 'Loader' should appear on the screen then it will reboot once it's finishing copying and flashing and you should see the HD start-up logo.  I could do you a splash screen like mine, or just the usual HD one that's on the RT version of the 590.

[Twolanerider]

Hi Don, the majority of cables usually work, so you're being a bit unlucky there I think.

As I already had the TPMS sensors (can still get them used of course) for the Garmin 590, but I wanted the audio interrupt, my second 590 is a Roadtech one (dealer demo model, no lifetime map updates, only 4GB RAM, but there are ways and means....  )

No huge advantage in the 595 over the 590, but some improvements, so I still reckon it's worth doing.

The splash screen - I'm pretty certain I'm the only person ever to have managed it on a 59x Zumo, took a lot of research!   You need a clean MicroSD card. Extract the necessary (I can provide it, but would need to know your Zumo's hardware ID -  see https://www.gpspower.net/garmin-tutorials/339363-how-find-your-garmin-devices-hwid.html ) zip file to it. After extraction to the card, the root directory should contain 16.bin (the logo file) and the Garmin folder only. Ensure the Zumo 595 is fully off, and insert the microSD card, then turn the Zumo on. [if battery is not well-charged, connect to a charging source not PC USB port and it will turn itself on]. 'Loader' should appear on the screen then it will reboot once it's finishing copying and flashing and you should see the HD start-up logo.  I could do you a splash screen like mine, or just the usual HD one that's on the RT version of the 590.

That sounds like a fun little project.  Just for the grins of doing it.  Now have another chore to mess with over the Christmas/New Years break !

[Bungy]

The 590 and 595 units do also.  But either I've got a whole bunch of cables that carry data for every other device but these or Garmin has done something just a little proprietary with the port on the 590 and 595s.

Strictly in the "For What It's Worth" department I've used my friend Google a little more since first messing with these today and posting the question here.  Hadn't found anything really on point to begin with.  Since, however, found a couple old threads of the same thing being discussed.  If they are to be believed apparently at least some of the 590 and 595 series did need a USB cable that was just a tiny bit different than what the rest of the world used.

Fortunately I've got one that works.  It's been in the box I store the two 590s in that I've used for years.  Probably is the cable that came with one of them (the other was a used eBay purchase that I do remember).  In any case would hate to be locked out of future map updates for a failed cable so will try to find something that will also magically work.  That is unless the all-knowing FireDood enlightens more eloquently and effectively.

Hmm, I use a non Garmin one that found in a drawer somewhere, must have got lucky.

[longlast]

I had one,  an oldie that I had dug out from my old man's closest think it was from 99 or 2001/2 .

I couldn't use the charging cable to update it and the screen  said I   had to use a upgrade/ dating USB cable. So that i did ,...

Well Don to cut an long story short (after days of searching and messing about)   when i plugged it all in and got the screen up to upload i was well chuffed with myself i had sorted it out. (Computer wiz I'm not)

After 20 or so minutes of uploading the screen informed me in so many not exact words the best it could do would get me around the block and the unit I had has a to low a memory for the new updated version.

That was the end of it.  I now use an app on my phone called "Waze" it's free off play store you put in your destination it'll give you 3 options of the rout.
It gives fueling. Eating. Rest stops Voice directions and more.  It has good road lane direction as well and self updates

I've had no issues with it.

[Twolanerider]

I had one,  an oldie that I had dug out from my old man's closest think it was from 99 or 2001/2 .

I couldn't use the charging cable to update it and the screen  said I   had to use a upgrade/ dating USB cable. So that i did ,...

Well Don to cut an long story short (after days of searching and messing about)   when i plugged it all in and got the screen up to upload i was well chuffed with myself i had sorted it out. (Computer wiz I'm not)

After 20 or so minutes of uploading the screen informed me in so many not exact words the best it could do would get me around the block and the unit I had has a to low a memory for the new updated version.

That was the end of it.  I now use an app on my phone called "Waze" it's free off play store you put in your destination it'll give you 3 options of the rout.
It gives fueling. Eating. Rest stops Voice directions and more.  It has good road lane direction as well and self updates

I've had no issues with it.

My Road Glide is soooo old it predates even the odor of Anroid Auto and I just never liked hanging the phone on the handlebars.  The Road King and FXR of course don't even have radios.  On the RG and RK I've got windshield based mounts for the Zumo units whose idea I "borrowed" from the old CVO Convertibles.  They ended up being really convenient mount systems.  On the FXR it's just the Harley mount on the mirror clamp. 

More often than not the Zumo units are glorified MP3 players with some headphones.  The FXR never gets far enough from home to need a GPS and the Road King rarely does.  But I've got the things, they actually work well, they have "lifetime" map updates available (that so far are still within their offered lifetime), so I just keep on keeping on.  The bikes are old.  I'm old.  So it's a good match as we roll on.

[Eqcons]

That sounds like a fun little project.  Just for the grins of doing it.  Now have another chore to mess with over the Christmas/New Years break !

Just shout if you want the splash screen stuff.   

[Twolanerider]

Just shout if you want the splash screen stuff.   

Will do Jim.  And I may have an idea why your experience with the cables is different.  You and Pete both probably had better experience.  Over there the data has to go up and down the other side of the cable.