Access to Garmin 8616 SD CARD on my Fishermen 257 F

[DaveG]

Question. My Garmin 8616 GPS sonar was installed at the dealer and I need to access the SD Card Slot which I can only access through the battery compartment. Is there any information out there in how to. I know that the battery panel comes out but there is a wire harness terminal above it but wondering if that comes out. Thanks for any suggestions !

 

[Hookup1]

Take the unit out from the front. Install a SD Card Reader. It can be behind the unit somewhere. Leave your Active Captain card in one slot and use the other for data transfers. Works for me with 8612 and 8610 units that I can't get behind.

Garmin Usb Card Reader W/Usb-C Adapter Cable

Garmin USB Card Reader wUSBC Adapter CableUSB Card Reader with USBC Adapter CableSave space on your helm with the compact, waterresistant SDtrade card reader It holds two fullsize SD cards for quick access to charts, software updates, and Act...

www.hodgesmarine.com

 

[DaveG]

I cannot not access anything from front. it is hard mounted to console. only access is from inside

 

[Hookup1]

I cannot not access anything from front. it is hard mounted to console. only access is from inside

it is accessible. Take the trim strips off and unscrew the 4 screws. The unit will come out. Your MicroSD cards are on the back of the unit. This is a terrible location for them. But you can install a SD card reader off the back and put it somewhere you can get to it. Exactly what I do and it works perfectly.

 

[BillyBob]

I am in the same situation. I have a GW Fisherman 230 and recently had my yard install a new flush-mounted Garmin 8616. When I went to activate Active Captain and update my charys and system software I was dissapointing to learn the SD slots are in the rear of the unit. I have gone ahead and ordered the SD card reader and cable and a set of plastic pry tools to remove the trim pieces. I plan to run the card reader so I can access it easily through the battery compartment door. I think Garmin should have a more prominent warning about this in their installation manual and include the card reader with the unit as I trust most of these are installed flush-mounted.

BillyBob

 

[DaveG]

Yes. It seems to avoid any Garmin updates for firmware specific. I actually called Garmin and they sent me a free reader for unit. try that first calling support and state your case. They will send you a reader kit on house. I just accessed from inside head area and be careful pulling if you have any wires behind. its pretty simple. once in there look up and you will see bottom of unit. I tried even putting a blank sd card in other slot and was a pain. garmin sucks for that and over the air updates.

 

[Hookup1]

Add the card reader and put a SD card in it for misc stuff like screenshots and saving/uploading waypoints.

Put a 16gb or 32gb SD card in the back of the unit and forget it's there. It will hold all your Active Captain data as well as your map subscriptions. I have two 8612's but only one has a Active Captain SD card - the other unit shares.

Make sure you have a Garmin.com account with user-id and password. Check that all your devices and map subscriptions are correct.

Setup Active Captain on a mobile pad device - better than phone but phone will work. You have to switch pad network between home and boat often while using Active Captain but it's a great tool. It can update software and it is the only way to update maps.

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

My Canyon came with the Garmin SD Card Reader already installed and it makes changing cards for Updates easy.
Chris

 

[Twist]

My Canyon came with the Garmin SD Card Reader already installed and it makes changing cards for Updates easy.
Chris

Same for my Freedom. It was installed in the partition behind the helm. I had to get down and lay on the deck to see it. It takes a maximum of a 32GB card which is a bit archaic - you don't find those in stores around here. I have a bunch of sports cameras and the smallest card I had was a 128G and largest is 400G. Fortunately Amazon delivered one same day for me when I went to do my first update. My 8616 was delivered to me with no card in either slot.

 

[Hookup1]

Same for my Freedom. It was installed in the partition behind the helm. I had to get down and lay on the deck to see it. It takes a maximum of a 32GB card which is a bit archaic - you don't find those in stores around here. I have a bunch of sports cameras and the smallest card I had was a 128G and largest is 400G. Fortunately Amazon delivered one same day for me when I went to do my first update. My 8616 was delivered to me with no card in either slot.

All my Garmin units came with SD cards. 2gb. I replaced with 32GB cards. I upgraded built-in base maps to Garmin Navionics charts and added US East and South Garmin Navionics Vision+ for the shaded relief. Those charts load to the Active Card card. Only using 8gb.

Chart cards don’t need to be left in the unit. Active Captain installs the areas you want on the Active Captain card. All done from your subscription information on Garmin.com.

My SD card reader is not mounted. It’s tucked in behind the radio and 8610 in the upper electronics box. If I need it I reach in a pull it out. Only used for loading/savings sets of waypoints for NJ or FL depending on where the boat is. Also screenshots I take are saved to this card. The Active Captain card in the back of the unit is never touched.

Active Captain is a key part of Garmin’s system going forward. You really have to get comfortable using it.

 

[Twist]

The unit installed in my boat is the 8616xsv unit that comes with Navionics+ installed. Still it would have been nice to have included a 32G SD card with the delivery. They're only about $12 and it would have saved me some hassle when my GPSMAP told me it needed an update.

 

[Hookup1]

The unit installed in my boat is the 8616xsv unit that comes with Navionics+ installed. Still it would have been nice to have included a 32G SD card with the delivery. They're only about $12 and it would have saved me some hassle when my GPSMAP told me it needed an update.

That seems odd to me. I can't use Active Captain without a SD card in the unit. You can do a software update without Active Captain by using Garmin Express application on a PC. But map updates require Active Captain.

Not sure what where/what kind of fishing you do but the shaded relief charts on the Vision+ are very good. Similar to CMOR if not the same.

 

[Twist]

I downloaded the version 36.0 update on my desktop and put it on the SD card - way faster than trying to get it with my cell phone. I put the card in the adapter and then proceeded with the update from Active Captain. Worked like a charm, once I had a proper SD card.

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

That seems odd to me. I can't use Active Captain without a SD card in the unit.

Yep, same here, my 8412 complain that no AC card is found.

It takes a maximum of a 32GB card which is a bit archaic - you don't find those in stores around here.

Garmin write that 32GB is max, however 64GB works too, even bigger probably too but never tried it. At least to download software updates and install it from there instead of using AC for that.


Chris

 

[Hookup1]

With my older units I used the SD card for everything. With the new units I do everything with Active Captain. My boat sits outside my window on the trailer in NJ. Similar setup in FL. I sit at my kitchen island with home wifi and ability to connect to the Garmin boat network. The software update doesn't bother me - it's the chart downloading from Garmin then uploading to my unit then waiting for them to install. When you first go to the Vision+ charts it can take a few hours. Unfortunately there is no way to do this with an SD card - Active Captain is the only way. Once over the initial hurdle it's easy and fast to update.

 

[Twist]

With my older units I used the SD card for everything. With the new units I do everything with Active Captain. My boat sits outside my window on the trailer in NJ. Similar setup in FL. I sit at my kitchen island with home wifi and ability to connect to the Garmin boat network. The software update doesn't bother me - it's the chart downloading from Garmin then uploading to my unit then waiting for them to install. When you first go to the Vision+ charts it can take a few hours. Unfortunately there is no way to do this with an SD card - Active Captain is the only way. Once over the initial hurdle it's easy and fast to update.

I have a transom mounted GT56 transducer that I'm told needs to be in the water to keep it cool when it's on. It's my understanding that it can be turned off through the Garmin MFD but I drop the boat so that it's wet when I'm messing around with the nav electronics on my boat.

 

[Hookup1]

I have a transom mounted GT56 transducer that I'm told needs to be in the water to keep it cool when it's on. It's my understanding that it can be turned off through the Garmin MFD but I drop the boat so that it's wet when I'm messing around with the nav electronics on my boat.

Potential damage to a transducer when running out of the water | Garmin Customer Support

Garmin Support Center is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products.

support.garmin.com

Yes there is a way to turn them off thru the menu. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't! I have a GT51M-TH which is 500 watt so it should be ok. Your GT56 is 350 watt.

 

[Sardinia306Canyon]

I have a transom mounted GT56 transducer that I'm told needs to be in the water to keep it cool when it's on. It's my understanding that it can be turned off through the Garmin MFD but I drop the boat so that it's wet when I'm messing around with the nav electronics on my boat.

Yes, it can be turned off thru the menu but some people forget and fry the transducer.

For a trailered boat i would install a illuminated switch to kill all power to electronics, at least to the depth sounder.

Chris

 

[Twist]

OK, I found the selection on the 8616 to turn off all transducers. Good to know and thanks for the tip.