I have a Helix 7 DI SI GPS G4 and today I went to update the software. I went through the proper steps including restoring defaults, powered it back up, put in the micro SD card, and then - nothing.

 

So then I poked around on the Humminbird website and I saw where it says the maximum micro SD card size that can be used is 32GB. That may be the issue as mine is 128GB. But as a computer guy I find this odd. I sent off a message to Humminbird asking if this could be the issue.

 

Digging deeper, the Humminbird site says the SD card should be FAT32 formatted, but that's old technology and has been replaced by exFAT. Windows 10 won't even give me the option of formatting a large micro SD card in FAT32. There's a command line workaround that might work.

 

Anyone else run across this issue? In the meantime, it looks like my best option is to just go to Walmart and pick up a 32GB card.

The files, unless you are updating HB Base Maps, are really small.  I'd bet a 4GB would work.

 

Go to WM, buy a card.  Use it for nothing else. 

 

I've got a 32 SanDisk from Amazon that I've used for years.  Never formatted it or anything else.  Just copied the files and went to work.  I've got 1 - Helix 12, 3 - Helix 10, and 2 - Helix 7 on my various boats.  Use the same card for  all of them.  Never had an issue.

 

2 hours ago, mcipinkie said:

The files, unless you are updating HB Base Maps, are really small.  I'd bet a 4GB would work.

 

Go to WM, buy a card.  Use it for nothing else. 

 

I've got a 32 SanDisk from Amazon that I've used for years.  Never formatted it or anything else.  Just copied the files and went to work.  I've got 1 - Helix 12, 3 - Helix 10, and 2 - Helix 7 on my various boats.  Use the same card for  all of them.  Never had an issue.

 

My guess is that it can't read the exFAT formatting and needs the FAT32 formatting.

I think you can put in a blank card and have the head unit do the formatting. Before I got a zero lines card I looked into it a bit. I might be misremembering but I’m pretty sure that was the case. 

I see the San Disk 32G Ultra for $7.45 on Amazon.

17 hours ago, Koz said:

I have a Helix 7 DI SI GPS G4 and today I went to update the software. I went through the proper steps including restoring defaults, powered it back up, put in the micro SD card, and then - nothing.

 

So then I poked around on the Humminbird website and I saw where it says the maximum micro SD card size that can be used is 32GB. That may be the issue as mine is 128GB. But as a computer guy I find this odd. I sent off a message to Humminbird asking if this could be the issue.

 

Digging deeper, the Humminbird site says the SD card should be FAT32 formatted, but that's old technology and has been replaced by exFAT. Windows 10 won't even give me the option of formatting a large micro SD card in FAT32. There's a command line workaround that might work.

 

Anyone else run across this issue? In the meantime, it looks like my best option is to just go to Walmart and pick up a 32GB card.

 

Yep, just pick up the cheapest <32GB microSD you can find, then WIN10 will let you format it as FAT32, or you can download software that will partition the 128GB to 32GB and format it to FAT32.

19 hours ago, mcipinkie said:

The files, unless you are updating HB Base Maps, are really small.  I'd bet a 4GB would work.

 

Go to WM, buy a card.  Use it for nothing else. 

 

I've got a 32 SanDisk from Amazon that I've used for years.  Never formatted it or anything else.  Just copied the files and went to work.  I've got 1 - Helix 12, 3 - Helix 10, and 2 - Helix 7 on my various boats.  Use the same card for  all of them.  Never had an issue.

 

☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️This is the ticket. I run 4 birds on my boat and this is exactly what I do.