Refreshing a Garmin 2720 (and similar) | GTAMotorcycle.com

Refreshing a Garmin 2720 (and similar)

matthew

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I think I found a way to breath new life into the Garmin 2720 and similar units.

My GPS was suffering from a known issue where the screen would always ask for calibration once it was in direct sunlight and started to get hot.

I did some searching and it turns out the screen digitizer can fail which causes the unit to constantly require calibration.

I bought a new digitzer from ebay search for :
[h=1]Touch Screen Digitizer Glass Replacement for Garmin StreetPilot 2720 2730 2710[/h]

I used the following threads to learn the insides and how to replaces the screen:

http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=858128

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=677552

It's a pretty simple process. Remove screws, carefully remove old digizer with a razor and hair dryer to heat up old adhesive. I used Goo Gone to scrap away at all the old adhesive. The new screen from eBay comes with new adhesive. I connected the new data ribbon and screwed everything back together.

There are 2 gaskets inside which are a pain to deal with so some patience is required.


I also found a thread describing how to update maps for the unit

http://www.gpspower.net/garmin-disc...treet-pilot-2720-a-post656065.html#post656065 (post #3)

The internal storage is 2 gigs. The current 2015 maps from Garmin is 2.3gigs, so they won't fit. If you can find an older mapset for the unit, less than 2 gigs in size, the above method will work.

I hope this info will help people keep their 2720's working

If you have questions, I'll try my best to answer.
 
Hmm...interesting... do you know if the 2610's use the same screen as the 2710's ? If so, I have 2 of the older 2610's that need new screens, I just left them in boxes because they no longer worked (screens).

I replaced the screen / digitzer on my Zumo 450 to get it back in running order.
 
The internal storage is 2 gigs. The current 2015 maps from Garmin is 2.3gigs, so they won't fit. If you can find an older mapset for the unit, less than 2 gigs in size, the above method will work.

I hope this info will help people keep their 2720's working

If you have questions, I'll try my best to answer.

Garmin has a tool (don't remember the name) to select different regions so you don't have to upload the full mapset. My 2720 has 2014 maps, haven't updated to 2015 yet.
 
If anyone wants a Zumo 550 that requires a new digitizer, pm me. I've got everything that came with it, and more (RAM mounts). 100 bucks.
 
Garmin has a tool (don't remember the name) to select different regions so you don't have to upload the full mapset. My 2720 has 2014 maps, haven't updated to 2015 yet.

Garmin Map Install is the one you are thinking of. The 2015 maps I downloaded is only a .img file. I need to add it to Map Source / Install so I can select specific regions. So far I haven't been successful with that.
 
Garmin Map Install is the one you are thinking of. The 2015 maps I downloaded is only a .img file. I need to add it to Map Source / Install so I can select specific regions. So far I haven't been successful with that.

.img is just a container for a bunch of smaller files. I forget how, but you need to extract the .img into the smaller files and rebuild it or something.

I forget the specifics, but it's definitely doable.
 
I had a 2720 working for years, my first GPS. Great unit with many features I miss having that every rider GPS should have (actual push buttons for quick access, one push return to the main map no matter where you are in the menus, pressure screen instead of capacitance) but a heavy brick by today's standards. It's here some where and dead. Won't fire up anymore.

If someone wants it to hack with or for parts, you can have it. I like old gear to get another kick at the can before it ends up as recycled scrap. I have a RAM cradle for it too. Again, some where in my man cave. I'm out near Orangeville though.
 
Update:

The GPS works very well with the new screen. It responds quickly and doesn't need a lot of pressure on it to register an input. Two issues have come up though. I need to find an anti-glare screen for it; the screen is pretty much washed out in bright sun light. The second issue is with the internal rubber gaskets. I'm not sure if their correct installation and water found its way inside the unit during a heavy downpour. I was able to open up the unit, drain the water and dry it out and it still works.
 
Update:

The GPS works very well with the new screen. It responds quickly and doesn't need a lot of pressure on it to register an input. Two issues have come up though. I need to find an anti-glare screen for it; the screen is pretty much washed out in bright sun light. The second issue is with the internal rubber gaskets. I'm not sure if their correct installation and water found its way inside the unit during a heavy downpour. I was able to open up the unit, drain the water and dry it out and it still works.

It sounds like you probably have the gasket reversed. If you look closely at the gaskets, there is a raised lip that fits into a slot. I also recently replaced a screen on one of my units, and yes, it is a little washed out. The one's available on Ebay are obviously not OEM, but work fine otherwise.

I have two 2720's, and I have loaded the latest Garmin maps, 2015.4. The 2720 has a small memory. There is only enough space for 1.7GB map image file. Use Garmins Mapsource to select only enough regions to build an image file up to 1.7GB. I found I could include all of Canada, and most of the USA. I had to leave out Florida, most of Texas, and some other lower US states. No loss, I have no intentions if riding down to any of the regions I left out.

In order to install updated maps, you need to have Garmins Webupdater program. I found the older version 2.4.1.0 to work best.
Here are my instructions which worked for me.

1 connect a USB drive, (or a memory card with a card reader)
2 Start mapsource
3 select newest map product eg:NT2015.nn
4 select maps. Total maps selected must not exceed 1.7GB.
5 click on save to device and find the USB drive. Send the maps to the USB
6 copy the new GMAPSUPP file from the USB drive to C:\garmin. It must benamed gmapsupp.img
7 create a batch file named MAPLOAD.bat file as a TXT file. Add this line to it

C:\Garmin\WebUpdater\WebUpdater.exe /upload_file rgn=49 path= C:\Garmin\gmapprom.img -autorun usb /i

8 Connect the 2720 to a USB port
9 Run the batch file. It will overwrite the previous GMAPSUPP.img file.
The upload to the 2720 will take over an hour. If it fails, try again.
 
1 connect a USB drive, (or a memory card with a card reader)
2 Start mapsource
3 select newest map product eg:NT2015.nn
4 select maps. Total maps selected must not exceed 1.7GB.
5 click on save to device and find the USB drive. Send the maps to the USB
6 copy the new GMAPSUPP file from the USB drive to C:\garmin. It must benamed gmapsupp.img
7 create a batch file named MAPLOAD.bat file as a TXT file. Add this line to it

C:\Garmin\WebUpdater\WebUpdater.exe /upload_file rgn=49 path= C:\Garmin\gmapprom.img -autorun usb /i

8 Connect the 2720 to a USB port
9 Run the batch file. It will overwrite the previous GMAPSUPP.img file.
The upload to the 2720 will take over an hour. If it fails, try again.

Hell of a first post. This is what I did last time I updated my maps (2014) and worked fine
 
.................
In order to install updated maps, you need to have Garmins Webupdater program. I found the older version 2.4.1.0 to work best.
Here are my instructions which worked for me.

1 connect a USB drive, (or a memory card with a card reader)
2 Start mapsource
3 select newest map product eg:NT2015.nn
4 select maps. Total maps selected must not exceed 1.7GB.
5 click on save to device and find the USB drive. Send the maps to the USB
6 copy the new GMAPSUPP file from the USB drive to C:\garmin. It must benamed gmapsupp.img
7 create a batch file named MAPLOAD.bat file as a TXT file. Add this line to it

C:\Garmin\WebUpdater\WebUpdater.exe /upload_file rgn=49 path= C:\Garmin\gmapprom.img -autorun usb /i

8 Connect the 2720 to a USB port
9 Run the batch file. It will overwrite the previous GMAPSUPP.img file.
The upload to the 2720 will take over an hour. If it fails, try again.

Basically that's correct. However there are a couple of typos in that nice little tut which unfortunately mean that the command line will fail as written. The img file MUST be named gmapprom.img and not gmapsupp.img. Certainly gmapsupp.img is the name that the compiled image file will be given by MapSource or MapInstall when it's sent to the USB stick or card, however in these 'region only' older Garmin units gmapsupp.img is held in rgn10 [hex rgn0A] whereas gmapprom.img is in rgn49 [hex rgn31]. Those regions also share space, so it should be remembered that if you already have a gmapsupp.img [supplementary map] onboard it will reduce the space available for your new gmapprom.img [primary map]. In that case, erase any supp map with SendMap20 to crease the maximum space. The existing primary map will be overwritten when you send the new gmapprom.img using WU.

WU will be invoked to flash rgn49 provided WebUpdater.exe file is in the correct place. Being as WU is a program it may have been installed to your PC's Programs Files or Program Files (x86) directory in C drive. If so, you'll either need to change the path in the bat file to conform with that, or copy WebUpdater.exe into C:\Garmin\WebUpdater folder.

A cautionary note regarding using MapSource. It's quite old and unsupported now for some years. MapInstall is its replacement and it's better able to deal with the more complex composition of the modern NT PC installed mapping data. The programs have quite different image creation code. You can still use MapSource, but you may get routing errors when using recent City Navigators simply because of the way it compiles img files: FALAGAR: MapInstall vs MapSource.

Example of a 'short-cut' NA map created by MapInstall from 2016.10 gmap folder PC installation. Purpose was to make an img file to fit on a 512MB datacard used in an old GPSMAP 276c:

MI_AZ_surrounds.jpg
 

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