Thread: Nuvi 255 TTS voices not working?

There are a few quite different versions of TTS voice files for Garmin devices and they aren't interchangeable between many model series (the original TTS aka "TTS1"; TTS2 & TTS3). Certainly, the TTS voices meant for nuvi 1xxx series aren't usable in the nuvi 2x5, they are many times larger files for starters. Using the wrong VPM file can even sometimes 'soft-brick' a device if it attempts to load it on start-up.

If you'd like TTS files for a US/EU firmware 2x5 let me know which ones you need, I have most of them available.

BTW, a Voice file packed into an RGN file can be unpacked using RGN_Tool.exe: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ].

Here are the EN TTS(1) voices: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. They'll work in all US/EU nuvi 2x5 devices. It they don't show up in Tools>Settings>Language>Voice of your 255 it's for some other reason, perhaps a modified region 16.

No Irish sorry (not sorry). Garmin has never made one for any flavour of TTS, surely because nobody outside of Ireland would understand it. So as not to discriminate, there's no Scottish voice either likely for the same reason (D'ye know where the hospital is Jimmy?"). There's just 6 in English - 2 Pommies, 2 Yanks and 2 Aussies - that's it mate.

The Aussie female voice, Karen, (unfortunate name these days, eh?) is the most popular English GPS voice in the world. Karen Jacobsen, in life a pretty blonde with a friendly cheeky smile, also has an angelic singing voice and was paid a pittance to sit in a sound booth for endless hours to record thousands of words and phrases early in her career as a singer and voice-over artist. She's known world-wide as "the GPS Girl" and downunder as the Australian Siri on iPhones. She's also a native of my home State, Queensland, and if you don't choose her as your new favourite GPS voice, you'll be finding dead pigeons in your cistern for the next few years Boyo.
No pressure though ....

Spoiler: Image

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

There were some regional 'specials' that Garmin issued over the years. Many were only altered to reduce the features but not by use of a modded firmware, rather some features could be disabled by altering a region and in the case of earlier devices that was done by them fiddling around with region 16.

First dump your 255's region 16 so i can see what it is. Get a small mircoSD card and freshly format it in FAT32 then extract the attached ZIP file directly to it. Check the card content after, you should have a Garmin folder on it. Ensure the device is fully OFF, not just in Standby. Load the card and turn it on. "Loader" or similar message should appear on the screen and when it's finished it'll reboot. Remove the card and check in the root of the card, next to the Garmin folder there should be two new files, 41.bin and 16.bin. Keep 41.bin safe somewhere, it's a copy of the NV memory. Post the file named 16.bin either attached as a ZIP file or a link to a free hosting site like MegaNZ.

Spoiler: Click to see ZIP

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

PS: Please also check and advise me of the HWID of your 255: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. It will be either 0851 or less likely 1074, both are covered by the SD kit i've provided.