Kenwood DNX9990HD: Loading 2014.30 Maps on Internal Memory - It Works!

**Johnnyair** · 2nd September 2018, 08:55 PM

Good day....

Like post #56, I too have a DNX6180 and need to try to update the mapping. It does NOT have but a USB plug at the back of the unit. I extended it into the glove box when I installed it (as I have several DNX/DNN type units in other vehicles that work similar) which was a life saver.

I followed most of the posts... And would like to note some key facts;

On my USB drive:
/Garmin
- GarminDevice.xml (uploaded from unit originally)
- gmapsupp.img (CN 2019.10 map)
- gmapsupp.gma (borrowed from CN 2017 map I had)
- gmapsupp.unl (borrowed from CN 2017 map I had)
/Garmin/XX
- G2S/ xx.g2s
- JCV/ xx.jcv
- PNX/ (no file)
- SID/ xx.sid (7 files)
- SQlite/ xx.db

All the xx files, were from the splitting of the unlocked gmapsupp.img file via gmaptool.

... worked like a charm!!!!

Thank you all for this forum, and this thread. It sure helped!!!

I called Garmin, and they told me the DNX6180 is no longer supported and last update available was in 2015. That, there is NO WAY for me to update the maps. And I know better, as I've taken a unit like this apart long ago to find the internal micro-SD card... unhide the files, and update the map directly. BUT... it was a pain in the butt. This is SO MUCH easier!!!

THANK YOU!!!

**riderwong** · 23rd September 2018, 11:14 PM

Hi Johnnyair,
Is there somewhere you can direct me to files to download for my Kenwood DNX6180. All the links are broken.
Thanks

**peniko** · 27th February 2019, 01:36 AM

I Just installed the latest map on one unit I got extremely cheap... It's DNX4280BT and this is alpha&omega of what should you do with it in order to update the maps (in this case it's CN Europe 2019.2 NT). The problem was that this unit is not equipped with the mini-USB port for connecting directly to computer, nor it has SD card slot. Just USB-A female port for your USB-A dongle. I think it's the same for any similar device, with possibility to upload JVC, ASR and similar files on some newer devices. So, let's begin:

1. Update Kenwood unit software (in my case, it was to 1.9) and Garmin software (to 4.5 on my unit).
2. You need to collect the device's signature. In order to do that, find some empty 8GB USB and go to Garmin start screen, then "Settings", then "About" and you'll find "Update map". Click on it and the device will ask you for an empty USB in order to sign it. Follow the instructions and, subsequently, remove USB when done.
3. Open Garmin express and perform simple, ordinary map update, so the root of your USB device will have Garmin folder and: GMAPSUPP.IMG, GMAPSUPP.UNL, GMAPSUPP.GMA and GarminDevice.xml inside of Garmin folder (ROOT/Garmin/GMAPSUPP.IMG, GMAPSUPP.UNL, GMAPSUPP.GMA and GarminDevice.xml). Delete GMAPSUPP.IMG and leave everything else intact.
4. Generate the map using your Garmin Map Source software (I'd leave it on around 2.5GB, although GarminDevice.xml says it's got around 4GB free inside). Copy the newly created GMAPSUPP.IMG to the USB where you've deleted the previous file of the same name.
5. Insert the USB to the unit, wait for the device to recognize your USB and starts to search media (5-7 seconds) and go again to "Update map" interface (not that you should ever have left "About page"). It will ask you to update. Click Yes, obviously and wait. It took somewhere about 25-30 minutes to transfer 2.4GB

That's it...

Cheers

**RadiusMP** · 8th April 2019, 03:52 PM

I followed these instructions and it basically works.

However, if I go into the engineering menu and look at the Navigation information, it says that JCV files are missing?

What is the correct method to fix this issue?

Thanks

Edit: I figured it out. The files were missing! Imagine that.

I found the correct files and put them on the uSD card and all is well.

**Stickweld** · 11th September 2019, 11:22 PM

Just successfully loaded into internal memory a 2019.10 north america unlocked map on a DNX5190 that had previously a 2012 map with no options from Kenwood/Garmin for a new map.

First I updated the kenwood DNX5190 with the latest available firmware from kenwood site.

I did not have any sample .unl or .gma files so just made 2 dummy files using MSword and renamed them gmapsupp.unl and gmapsupp.gma

I used a blank thumb drive and let the DNX5190 write the Garmindevice.xml info file to it. To that garmin directory I added an unlocked gmapsupp.img of 2019.10 NT North America (2.802 Gb in size), and made two dummy files using MSword called gmapsup.unl and gmapsup.gma. Once those four files are in the garmin directory, the head unit happily loaded the map from the thumb drive when I selected update on the Kenwood. After completion, i reset the head unit and it now the map info shows it has the new 2019.10 map loaded.

The DNX5190 does not have a SD card slot or rear mini USB. It only has the single USB port on a cable. I was surprised it accepted the dummy .unl and .gma files. I thought they might "brick" it. After loading the new map, the unit has just 296.5mb free space according to the garmindevice.xml file where prior to the 2019 map update it had 1.479 Gb free space.

This site was a huge help in getting this to work and I joined just to post my success and help out by adding one more model to the list of units Kenwood says can't be upgraded, but obviously can if you know how.

**bobjr** · 7th February 2020, 08:25 PM

I just updated my maps on my Kenwood DNX994S. Was on the original 2017 maps and loaded the 2020.30 NT North America maps. Using the method that stickweld shows. I renamed the unlocked map image file to gmapsupp.img and created two empty files: gmapsup.unl and gmapsup.gma. This was all done on an SD card. I did initialize the card on the head unit to create the Garmindevice.xml file. Thanks for posting this information!

Jr!

**kintera** · 9th June 2020, 09:12 PM

I tried this on my 994s and have been trying it for a bit since I got the head unit more then a year ago wanna go into details about what you did?

**Boki** · 26th July 2020, 09:04 AM

Browse Forum. read a lot. All answers are there...
For older devices, only (mostly) NT maps are used, not NTU. Unlocking is another story.

**J Bish** · 26th July 2020, 03:02 PM

I only asked that user because they had same unit... I have been searching n reading for the past day...

Ill continue to do as such...

J Bish

**jollyjohn** · 31st December 2021, 02:10 AM

Hello,
I would like to say this forum is very interesting, this place seems to be able to help people with support for their GPS devices even when the manufacturers stop.

I am trying to update the maps in my DNX6180 like I see many have had success here.
From reading this thread I learned how to update the Kenwood firmware(to 1.9) and Garmin software(to version 4.5) on my head unit.
The next step I did was get an 8GB usb stick formatted in fat32 and got the Garmin Device XML file on it from my head unit. The XML file is all that was created from the head unit.

After that I made two dummy files in Microsoft word, the .gma and .unl and I made sure to get rid of the .docx extensions so that they really end with .gma and .unl

I paid for the latest(2022) North America map from Garmin, but I cannot download it using Garmin Express and my usb stick with the Garmin Device XML because Garmin says it is not compatible and there are no updates.
I'm trying to search through this forum to see what to do next but I don't even know what to search for.

MapSource and Basecamp are installed on my Windows 10 computer if that would help me.
Sorry for being a newb but can anyone steer me in the right direction? I think I am missing something and don't even know what to search for in this forum so I can read further and figure out my next steps.
Thanks for any help anyone can provide.