Streetpilot 2620 Microdrive failure
grumpy44134
The drive has failed. I'd like to replace it with solid-state memory.
Has anyone done this?
Any suggestions?
Gene E. Bloch
Regular CF cards should be compatible; the only compatibility issues I have
seen is that Micro-Drives may draw too much current for some readers, but
you're going the other way.
But you'll have to find out or figure out how to open the case, and you
have to hope that the drive is plugged into a regular connector, not
soldered in or using a proprietary connector.
How about the contents of the existing drive? Can you restore them to a CF
card?
I have a USB key with a microdrive inside, and I have wanted to disassemble
it to see if I could remove the drive and use it as a CF card - just never
got around to it :-)
Based on your idea: maybe I could use the housing as a CF card reader too
(I bet it's USB-1, though).
--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom
grumpy44134
the drive is connected with a flat cable -
dont know if its proprietary -
I can send u a pic.
Gene E. Bloch
and post the link here.
A cable sounds proprietary, unless it has a regular (male) CF connector on
the end.
grumpy44134
Gene E. Bloch
You didn't show a picture of the connector on the drive, which is what we
*really* need to see...I have no idea where the wires in pictures 1-3 go.
But from what I can see, it looks like a regular microdrive with
proprietary connections. Especially on picture 4, with the 5-wire cable
that makes me think it's a serial interface of some sort.
Actually, as I peer at picture 4, I'm beginning to think that cable is the
same one as in figure 2, but the scale makes it look like 5 wide
conductors. So I'm back to thinking it's a regular CF/Microdrive interface
with funny wires soldered in, instead of the standard connector.
Now if there were a connector at the end of that flat cable, not visible in
the photo, but which is plugged into the drive, and if it was almost as
wide as the drive, and had two rows of 25 pins each, matching holes in the
edge of the drive, I'd guess that any CF card would work.
On Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:24:29 -0800 (PST), in alt.satellite.gps.garmin you
wrote:
B-Negative
Hi there,
sadly it is not a CF/Microdrive interface. It is an interface created
by Cornice themselves which as far as I know none one else uses. The
ribbon cable is fixed to the drive itself and is single sided with 20
tracks. This is the best info I could find,
http://www.hjreggel.net/hdtechdat/hd-cornice.html
Best regards.
Gene E. Bloch
Thanks for the interesting info and link (which I bookmarked).
Unfortunately, it's a good reason for the OP to be grumpy44134 :-)
grumpy44134
So where does that leave me?
S.O.L, I suppose . . . . . . lol
John
Peter H. Coffin
> That IS what I have - except mine is 2GB.
>
> So where does that leave me?
> S.O.L, I suppose . . . . . . lol
Or... I just retired a 2620. Make an offer. Your call whether you want
to try moving the drive from one to the other or just use the "new" one.
--
"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another,
'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!'"
--C.S. Lewis
grumpy44134
You >would< do this to me now (lol)
I've been wanting to get a GPS that would also show weather radar -
very usefull on a motorcycle -
this seems like a good time to do it -
... now you make me this offer . . . . <sigh>
John
Peter H. Coffin
> DARN!!!
> You >would< do this to me now (lol)
> I've been wanting to get a GPS that would also show weather radar -
> very usefull on a motorcycle -
> this seems like a good time to do it -
> ... now you make me this offer . . . . <sigh>
Muahahah! I curse you with more options!
(Honestly, the new one I replaced it with is REALLY much nicer, so if
you can find one you like at a price you're happy with, jump on it. If
there's nothing out there right now, I'd probably take $40 to dump it
into a flat rate box with its power cables and beanbag mount and get it
out of the house to someplace where it's useful.)
--
Better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. And if he can't
be bothered to learn to fish and starves to death, that's a good enough
outcome for me.
-- Steve VanDevender
B-Negative
options are you try to locate a drive, get a second unit or buy
something else.
Garmin themselves cannot help as I have already tried :(
Drives themselves are few and far between. They are not all the same
either.
Most of the ones available do not come with the required cable which
was permanently
fixed to the originals. There is also the possibility that the larger
drives may not be
compatible.
I have two 2620's with drive problems :( looking for spares to.
Cheers.
grumpy44134
same problem when I put it on my motorcycle. The ideal solution would
be to replace that drive with solid-state memory.
John
B-Negative
in that case you will need to get someone to make you a customized
interface that
converts the drive of your choice to a Cornice interface.
Have a look here for similar devices
http://www.hdd.ji2.com/products/accessories.html
Best of luck but as you will see from the prices a new unit may be the
answer.
Cheers.