Some cool Garmin GPS customizing DIY tutorials!
OK here is a little DIY stuff for folks using a non_BRP GPS.
Or even if your using a BRP Garmin GPS you can mod your GPS and tailor it to YOU!
This works for my Garmin Nuvi 775T and should also for a Zumo 660.
It also should work on any Nuvi GPS.
Doing ANY of this (mod boot screen, voices, vehicle icon) should NOT damage your GPS in any way!
But to be careful you should backup your GPS.
Backing up:
1) With the GPS off, plug your GPS into your PC with the USB cord.
2) The GPS will power up in a special PC connection mode.
3) Windows will bong and find the new device. Let it install drivers which is should do on it's own.
4) First time hooking to the PC the GPS may reset and windows may disconnect. It did to me.. If it does just unplug it, power off the GPS, and do it again.
5) Once windows is done, open your "My Computer" and you should now see a removable drive called "Garmin". Double click on this.
6) Now select everything in this drive and copy it to your PC. It may take 30 minutes or more depending on how many maps you have.
You are now backed up so any changes you make can be undone!
First cool thing is to add the Spyder as a vehicle icon on your map.
Download this file:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dh...m9pl8pSKRLYJy2
Unzip this and you will have a file called Spyder_RT.srf
Let's install it which is super easy.
1) Like above for backup, connect your GPS to your PC.
If you have never done this before read the above for backup to get it installed opn your PC.
2) Once you see the Garmin drive in "My Computer" open it.
3) Now open the folder Garmin folder and then the vehicle folder. You will see other xxxx.srf files in there.
4) Now just drag and drop (copy) the Spyder_RT.srf into the vehicle folder.
5) Unplug the GPS from your PC and restart it.
6) Go into the GPS system menu and change your vehicle to the spyder!
Done and enjoy!
Next cool thing. Change the boot up splash screen to any picture you want even a picture of YOUR spyder!
Now for best results your picture needs to be resized.
I don't know what kind of picture programs you have available on your PC so I am not going to go through how to use your picture program. You do not have to resize a picture but it works best if you do.
For 4.3" wide screens the picture needs to be resized to 480 pixels wide by 232 pixels high.
It also needs to be in .jpg format.
So do what you need to do that. Note that if when you resize your picture and it looks squeezed, try cropping it to a "wide" screen look.
So lets put your picture on the GPS and set it up as the boot screen.
1) Like above connect the GPS to your PC.
2) Like above, open the Gamin drive on your PC and then open the folder JPEG.
If you do not see this folder on your Garmin drive, create it. It must be JPEG in all capital letters.
3) Drag and drop (copy) your picture into this folder.
4) Unplug your GPS and reboot it.
5) Go into the tools menu, then the into the picture viewer menu.
6) Find your picture you added and press on it.
7) Press the "info" button.
8) At the bottom is a check box for "Use this photo as the default splash screen". Click the check box.
9) The picture will display and just press the picture again.
You will be back to the previous screen and the box should be checked now.
10) click back and then power off the GPS.
Now next time you power on the GPS, your custom picture will be displayed!
ENJOY!
Next fun thing! Change what the GPS says!
Tired of what it says for say "recalculating"?
Want it to say something funny or whatever you want for just about anything?
NOTE: Your GPS must support TTS voices. What does this mean?
It means that it can say street names and not just "turn left" etc.
There are 2 kinds of voices. TTS and non-TTS. But we can change both of these.
This first tutorial will explain how to change TTS voice phrases.
1) Go here and download this TTS voice editing tool.
Don't worry there is no SPAM or anything with this program. In fact you don't even install it you just use it!
http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/TTSVoiceEditor
2) Unzip the tool and put it in a new folder on your PC.
I suggest a new folder as we will be putting the voice file from your Garmin in the same folder to edit it.
3) Like above, hook your GPS to your PC and open the Garmin drive on your PC.
4) Open the Garmin folder, then the Voice folder. In here you will see many xxxxx.vpm files.
They also may or may not have matching .sum files. Doesn't matter if they do or not.
5) By default most the GPS use the voice English_American_Jill.vpm if your using some other voice then we will need that file.
Copy the voice file you want to modify from your GPS to your PC and put it in the same folder where you put the TTS voice editing tool.
BIG NOTE: Make an extra copy of this voice file so you have it! We will be editing it and replacing it on your GPS. So make a backup copy of this file so you can go back!!!!! You have been warned!
6) Run the voice editing tool.
7) The tool is real easy to use! At the bottom you see a list of phrases. Just click on one you want to edit and type the new text.
8) When done editing use the tool to save the voice file.
NOTE: It must be the same file name as the original voice file.
9) Now open your GPS drive again and copy this edited file from the tool folder into the Garmin>Voice folder replacing the one that is there!
10) If there was a matching .sum file delete it! So you know this is a checksum file and because you edited the voice file this file is no longer valid. Delete it and your GPS will make a new one.
Your done! You now have custom phrases the GPS will say!
Editing non-TTS voices
As I said above some GPS' don't support TTS voices. That is they cannot speak the street names.
GPS that support TTS can also use non-TTS voices. BUT if you use one of those, your GPS will no longer speak street names.
Now there are several options for making non-TTS voices some even made by Garmin themselves!
Garmin FREE non-TTS voices:
https://www8.garmin.com/vehicles/voices/
At the bottom of the list are FREE ones. I really don't like any of them myself.
Now there are 2 ways to install the Garmin free voices.
1) Use the garmin tool on their web site (click the install to the device" button and follow the instructions).
2) Download the voice and unzip the .vpm file. Install it to the garmin>Voices folder on your GPS as explained above. This is how I prefer to do it.
Make your OWN non-TTS voices!
Garmin makes a tool to record your own non-TTS voices. Just go here and get it.
http://www.garmin.com/us/products/ontheroad/voicestudio
Use the tool to make .vpm files and like above put them in your garmin>Voice folder on your GPS.
Buy funny or celebrity non-TTS voices
This site and possibly other sell custom voices. Remember before you buy them they are NOT TTS voices and thus will not say street names if your GPS supports that.
http://www.pigtones.com
Edit any stock or custom non-TTS voices
The same guy that makes the TTS voice editor tool also makes a tool that will allow you to modify non-TTS voices.
Get it here:
http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/NonTTSVoiceEditor
It pretty easy to use!
Finally some other hacking or modding tools for your GPS.
The same guy that makes the above voice tools make many other tools for modding your GPS.
BE CAREFUL THOUGH! The ones that mod .rgn files (your firmware) can be dangerous and BRICK your GPS (kill it).
Your on your own with going further than modding pictures, icons, or voices!
http://turboccc.wikispaces.com/
Enjoy,
Bob
