Nivi 5000 - Mini USB's

dbalmer · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 10, 2009 Posts: 10

At the risk of looking like a complete pillock, can anyone tell me what the function of the Mini USB ports is?

There is one on the back of the unit which I have used to download a map update that came with the unit, but the one one the rear of the mounting cradle doesn't seem to do anything.

I have got a 12 volt Mini USB - mains adapter that fits into both USB's, but I am not happy about using it until I know what their function is.

The Owner Manual throws no light whatsoever on these, apart from identifying it on the layout diagram as a mini USB connector.

Is it me!!!! Confused

banger9365 · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:58 pm Post subject:

it's a way of charging the unit up ,fiting tmc thing to it connecting to pc ,mini usb will become the standard conection for small thing by 2012 like mobile phone ,gps ect
i think

dbalmer · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 10, 2009 Posts: 10

WobblyJim · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 03, 2009 Posts: 2

Just got a Nuvi 5000 in the post today.
I'm just playing with the unit and finding my way around it, this is what I found out so far today:
The mini USB cable is needed when you are using the Communicator plugin for your web browser. It is used when the plugin goes onto the internet to download stuff for you, the download is first placed on the PC hard drive, then transferred/installed onto the Nuvi, over the mini-usb cable.

A second use for it, is to "mount" the internal Nuvi storage onto your PC desktop as a USB drive, accessable directly from the desktop (all operating systems)

There are two mini-usb sockets available, one on the back of the Nuvi, dead center, which is revealed when the cradle is removed and a second one on the side of the cradle itself. Both seem to have different functions and do not operate in the same way.

With the cradle removed the Nuvi usb socket allows the nuvi to be mounted on a desktop as a usb drive. The Nuvi's display shows an icon of a computer connected to a sat-nav. So the PC is supplying power to the Nuvi unit but will not allow access to the usual menu and options - it won't work as a Sat-Nav system, so you cannot access set-up etc.

With the cradle fitted it only allows storage/disk access via a desktop, the nuvi display is off.

If you connect the in-car power lead to a 240V - 12v cigarette lighter adaptor you can then acccess the full range of Nuvi functions as per normal in-car use, if your Nuvi can see some satellites from your office desk, otherwise the nuvi freezes until it sees the satellites - saves faffing about in the driver's seat while you go up the learning curve.

dbalmer · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 10, 2009 Posts: 10

Thanks for getting back.

So, the two mini USB's have a similar function, with the cradle removed data can be downloaded, but with the cradle attached it allows access, but doesn't supply power - have I got it?

I rang the Garmin UK help desk today and asked what the two mini USB connectors were for - the Garmin techie did not know about a mini USB connector being on the back of the mounting cradle and asked me to send him photos of it by email, he also asked for a photo of the back of the unit with the cradle removed.

The plot thickens!!!

I'll post details of the response from Garmin.

I have a 240v - 12v cigarette lighter adaptor and it works fine and this arose because bought a charger off eBay, said to be suitable for the 5000, but it wasn't. It had a mini USB connector, but was only 5 volt output and the 5000 requires 12 volts.

You would think that Garmin would produce a user manual that covered the product, my previous satnav, a Via Michelin had reams of information, albeit online.

Thanks again.

WobblyJim · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 03, 2009 Posts: 2

Tech support have asked for a picture ?? so they don't have units for hands on use ? not very inspiring, they usually get pre-release units to play with at the very least! Suggests that they will be operating in blind-callcenter-script-only mode. (eg you are on your own)
In fact, the owner's manual clearly shows the mini-usb skt on the back (see link below) so tech support seem to have neither a unit to have & to hold or the owner's manual to refer to - typical call-center blag mode.

Seems that the mini-usb is used for setup, updates and upgrade modes and has no purpose when the unit is in sat-nav/operational mode.
When the cradle, power lead and mini-usb are used together you can use the tools like Mapsource, WebUpdater, MapInstall and POIloader to configure the nuvi.
If the cradle is removed and the mini-usb is used alone, this only allows read/write to the Nuvi storage and or SD card and no access to the setup/config of the nuvi.

There is another type of 240v - 12v power lead with a flat plug that looks like the in-car power lead supplied with the unit available on Ebay (but with a std a/c plug instead of the cigarette lighter plug). I've ordered one today. £21.00
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370239348605&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Or a 240v - 12v adaptor that allows you to use the original supplied power cable
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120454174871&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

My unit was supplied with a garmin GTM 21 power cable which it turns out is also the FM traffic data lead, so this will be installed and left in the car.

Owner's manual (pdf) is available here http://www8.garmin.com/products/manual.jsp?product=010-00639-10

Just to pass on some good pricing info, I only paid £199.00 for this unit
with European maps, FM Traffic cable and a free upgrade to City Navigator 2010, which seems to be a very good deal as most GPS sellers price this unit around the £300.00 - £390.00 mark.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290328260561&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

dbalmer · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 10, 2009 Posts: 10

The Garmin folk have got back and tell me that the USB Connector on the back of the mounting cradle is inoperative - it is not connected and was designed to accept some future development that is now abandoned.

dbalmer · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jul 10, 2009 Posts: 10

Bought my Nuvi 5000 in early July and it came with a 30 day free trial of their speed camera facility that could be downloaded.

My 30 day period has now finished, but the speed cameras are still displaying, I assume that the facility will continue, but without the ability to update.

I want to subscribe to the database available on this site, but don't want two systems running so,

If I take a subscription to the Speed camares database from this site will I have to delete the one mentioned above, if so, how?

dales · Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:55 pm Post subject:

Well if it's anything like my nuvi255, it's easy.

I press Tools...Settings...Proximity Points...Change, and then turn the Custom POIs ON and turn the Garmin Safety Cameras OFF.

Dales.

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