Lowrance BAJA GPS - How do [I]you[/I] use it?

[go4aryd]

Lowrance BAJA GPS - How do YOU use it?

I have had my 480C for several years now. I use it all the time to run trails, monitor progress and elevation, mark waypoints, and store tracks. I have recently begun trying to share GPS data with other hardware and/or software and found more challanges.

I have used MapCreate, Garmin and ExpertGPS software, have added external maps and played with Google Earth. I am not yet really proficient most of them nor found a single point and play solution. MapCreate doesn't like to share data with Garmin, et. al.

Post up what works best for you. Creating detailed routes (MapCreate is not proficient at these types of "tracks"), importing data via the cards, etc. I have been very happy with the unit, just wishing to expand my knowledge and expertise by leveraging what everyone else may already know!

 

[adventureduo]

We are all Mac... so we don't interface our Baja540c with any computers. We buy the map cards that are pre-loaded with like 5 states on them at a time. We have a bunch of waypoints stored in the unit... we enter them manually before each trip as needed through the unit itself. I've become pretty fast with it.

When i use ours i primarily try to see where the waypoint is that im headed and what trail gets me there. I don't make routes or use routes or even tracks. I have a pretty good sense of direction. Sometimes finding out how to get to a waypoint (which is usually basecamp) is half the fun.

I love monitoring my voltage, elevation, speed and seeing how far i am from various landmarks with circular scaling option turned on (whatever its called).

 

[go4aryd]

I love monitoring my voltage, elevation, speed and seeing how far i am from various landmarks with circular scaling option turned on (whatever its called).

They really are great units and, I'm afraid, a bit addicting!

 

[Loober]

Do any of the lowarence baja gps's have the capability of storing actual street maps, and have any route capbilites as far as streets go or is it all just topo and trails?

 

[adventureduo]

The maps have full streets, freeways, trails.. the whole nine yards. Even Starbucks in the POI if you need one. The one thing that separates the Lowrance Baja540c... is that it won't tell you "go left here" or "in 2 miles turn right". It's a no frills, straight to the point computer that does more than most people know how to operate. IMHO i would call it a Pro-sumer GPS vs. a Consumer version like TOM TOM that tells you what to do and when to do it.

 

[Loober]

So it has the ability to do street routing just without the fancy voices, will there be notifications on the screen that tell you when the next turn is coming up etc? or is it just a line on the screen that you follow?

I assume the new HDS models are able to do the same.

The reason i ask is not because i want a gps that i will only use in the city, but usually you have to do some pavement pounding before you get to the trail so id like one unit which can also get me to that trail..

 

[adventureduo]

If you want to go from wherever you are to a POI or a Waypoint, it will NOT route you. You have to figure it out yourself. It will draw a straight line directly to the end point. I may be wrong on this though. I've only tried it a few times for that. Im pretty sure im right.. maybe someone else will chime in.

 

[mjm]

I use ExpertGPS to plot detailed tracks to load into my 540c. It really helps in Colorado, where MVUMs can be a bit confusing while on the trail. I use a fairly large memory card which holds maps of a number of western states and hundreds of plotted tracks to run and actual tracks I have recently run.

The 540c was not really intended to compete with turn by turn GPS units. For years it was tone of a very few vehicle GPS units with topo capability. For off road use, I do not think they can be beaten.

Because Lowrance will not modify their software to save elevation data, I also carry a Magellan Platnium to capture elevations for profiles.

 

[go4aryd]

I use ExpertGPS to plot detailed tracks to load into my 540c. It really helps in Colorado, where MVUMs can be a bit confusing while on the trail. I use a fairly large memory card which holds maps of a number of western states and hundreds of plotted tracks to run and actual tracks I have recently run.

I created some tracks using Expert GPS today. Will try and load and see what I get. I was hoping I could load the track into MapCreate, and load the track with maps at once onto my SD card. Appears that it CAN transfer tracks, but has to do it directly to the card.

 

[mjm]

FYI...You will not need Lowrance software or card reader to load routes, waypoints or tracks. The card reader is only needed to write the maps to the card. I have an SD reader built into my PC, which makes transfering data both ways very easy.

 

[Trail Monkey]

the baja units do not auto route... they originated from marine units, in which routing is useless because there are no roads. that being said i agree they are "prosumer" i like mine alot...

you may want a nuvi or zumo type unit in the same car as your baja unit. this will accomodate using the roads to get to the trails...

 

[obiwanjak]

I have an HDS-5 that I have just started playing with. I got my maps uploaded, and need to transfer my waypoints over from my 276C. I exported the waypoints and then imported them into MapCreate and saved them as a usr file. What do I do from there to upload it onto the HDS-5? I tried just saving the usr file onto the SD card, but none of my points showed up. I haven't found a good users guide for the HDS yet, any thoughts appreciated. Thanks.

Loren

 

[spressomon]

That IS my main and really only issue with the Baja series: It is very challenging, bulky, unnecessarily complicated and slow to migrate data between the GPS and a computer. If they could just clean this process up...they are SO close to the perfect off-road 4x4 GPS!

 

[mjm]

It is very challenging, bulky, unnecessarily complicated and slow to migrate data between the GPS and a computer.

Are you talking about saving a track in the GPS onto a card or loading a saved track into MapCreate?

I have never been able to load my tracks into MapCreate. I gave up and use another software now for that.

 

[go4aryd]

I have never been able to load my tracks into MapCreate. I gave up and use another software now for that.

I have no problems with loading saved tracks from the card into MapCreate - but, overall, the software really is horrible (maps are actually pretty good everywhere I have been). No real compatibility with other gps formats, very limited track creation, practically no editing capability (try to edit a saved track or even re-name after loading it in the software). I love my unit - the software is just so painful to use. It is like using something written 15 years ago by a grad student, not premium priced, current edition, retail software. If only the market for these units were just a wee big bigger, I think these software issues would go away.

Just looking for workarounds. These types of issues is why so many are using PC based GPS solutions, but I really like the Baja, its ruggedness, even the simple menus (although they can be a few layers deep). The reception is great (no matter where I go).