Thread: Sd card reader to work with HB Si info

One of the few times that we recommend by brand name anybody else’s product is with the memory cards. Cane Pole has some good advice and we recommend the SanDisk brand of memory cards because they follow the SD card Manufacturer Association’s specs for memory cards. So we know that they work with our products because we designed them to work with these specs. Some of the off-brands may or may not work correctly.

The speed of the memory card should be determined by what you are going to be using it for. The Extreme III models are great for fast picture taking in cameras and so are the best for making sonar recordings and screen snapshots with our units. The Ultra II’s are a little slower and while they will work for sonar recordings and screen snapshots they will not do so as fast. The standard speed SD and SDHC memory will work for these things also but at a noticeably slower rate. I would not recommend them for sonar recordings if you want any detail in the data you are recording. The standard speed cards will work fine for software updates though.

Card size is a matter of just how much you want to dump onto the card or if you want to have multiple memory cards or just one. In theory our units can use up to a 32GB SDHC memory card (not sure if these are even out yet) so you should not have to worry about getting one that is too big. If all you are going to do is use it for software updates, even one of the old 8MB MMC type memory cards has more than enough storage space for this. Going to take a bunch of screen snapshots? Get at least a 1GB so you can save a tom of them. With the prices of 2GB cards this holiday season I would look at getting at least a 2GB if not larger SDHC memory card. Making sonar recordings? Go for a 4GB or larger memory card.

You can use a single memory card for everything. Some like to use a separate memory card for software downloads and that’s fine. Some even have a separate memory card for each lake they fish. Just be sure not to have more than one on the memory card at a time when you insert it into the unit though (software update files for different unit models on the same card are okay though as each unit will only recognize and attempt to load its own software file).

I really like the idea of having 2 cards.....because I may have screencaptures or recordings on a card that I haven't had time to work with .....while still needing to update my unit using the 2nd card....

Next question about SD cards.....

When and why should a SD card be formatted....??

I only format them when they don't work with a unit/camera/PC.

Just thought about this: make sure you are using an SDHC capable card reader with your computer. The older SD card readers do not always work with these higher capacity cards. Also, not all software in PC's will work with SDHC cards either when you format them. I've got a link on my work PC to some free software that was written to format the larger SDHC cards. If you don't use the newer software you could turn an 8GB SDHC card into a 2GB card...

After I get updates from HB and get the update downloaded onto the SD card...

I'm supposed to insert the SD card into the slot, power the DF unit 'on', and follow the prompts on the DF unit.....

During the data transfer process of updating the DF unit from the SD card...

Does the data get 'wiped / deleted' from the SD card or is the data merely 'copied' to the DF unit leaving the update data on the SD card....??

Originally Posted by rnvinc

After I get updates from HB and get the update downloaded onto the SD card...

I'm supposed to insert the SD card into the slot, power the DF unit 'on', and follow the prompts on the DF unit.....

During the data transfer process of updating the DF unit from the SD card...

Does the data get 'wiped / deleted' from the SD card or is the data merely 'copied' to the DF unit leaving the update data on the SD card....??

I'm supposed to insert the SD card into the slot, power the DF unit 'on', and follow the prompts on the DF unit.....NO---New way of doing it is to first power on HBDF, reset to factory defaults then with HBDF on then install the SD card in unit--not before, then follow the prompts...
No the card does not get wiped U can do that by placing back in card reader & deleting the info on card no need to reformat, follow Humminbird_Greg 's instructions.

Originally Posted by jaxsprat

I'm supposed to insert the SD card into the slot, power the DF unit 'on', and follow the prompts on the DF unit.....NO---New way of doing it is to first power on HBDF, reset to factory defaults then with HBDF on then install the SD card in unit--not before, then follow the prompts...
No the card does not get wiped U can do that by placing back in card reader & deleting the info on card no need to reformat, follow Humminbird_Greg 's instructions.

Didn't I read somewhere that I'm supposed to 'reset to factory defaults' before and after the update install..??

Then would the sequence be...??
First power on HBDF, reset to factory defaults then with HBDF on then install the SD card in unit--not before, then follow the prompts (to install the update), then reset to factory defaults again...??