Lowrance mapping question

[adventureduo]

Do i gain any more detail if i buy the map software 7 with card reader vs their pre-loaded SD card with a few states on them?

What's the advantage?

The SD card is like $99 and comes with 4-5 states.

The map software is $79 + the card reader (yep you have to use theirs ) is like $99. So almost $200.

Any input?

 

[crawler#976]

The info on the preloaded cards is the same.

I got the CD and a couple 2G cards for more versatility. On a single 2G card I have the entire western US available at topo level - AZ, NM, CO, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, NV and CA are all loaded, and I still have 256K or so available for waypoints and routes.

The card reader isn't needed even tho they say it is. But, it is much faster to use the one provided than the 7 in 1 reader on my 'puter.

On a side note, each card you use is serialized, and the software limits you to 5 total cards. Maps created can only be used on a specific card - I've labled mine 1, 2, 3 and 4, and have saved the maps for each in seperate folders. It's also easy to save map boundaries to be used again to create new maps for each card. The whole mapping ordeal is a bit complex until you understand the methodology, but all in all it's not bad.

Mark

 

[adventureduo]

Crawler, thanks so much for all the inside information. That's good to hear on the card reader.. i didnt think that sounded right. Data is data.. no matter what they say.

So if i buy the software, i can't use my own SD cards? You mentioned the serial number deal on the cards. Can you use any card or you have to use their cards? I have like 3-4 SD cards already.

It also says it supports up to 2gb and over (sounds silly).. so can i use a 4GB SD card?

 

[adventureduo]

Ok, just ordered the West Coast SD pre-loaded card for now. Should work fine for the time being. Thanks again for your insight.

 

[paulj]

Which Lowrance are you talking about? Ifinder, Iway? I have an older Ifinder, so can't directly help. But on GpsPassion there is a Lowrance forum.
http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=163

There they talk, for example about the Iway 250 which comes with its data on a 2G card. It is possible to transfer that data to a 4G, leaving you with lots of extra space for other files.

paulj

 

[adventureduo]

Sorry, the new Baja 540c.

 

[nwoods]

The card reader isn't needed even tho they say it is. But, it is much faster to use the one provided than the 7 in 1 reader on my 'puter.

I am not having any success getting MapCreate 7 to register my cleanly formated (FAT) 1GB SD card using my built in 7-n-1 reader. How did you do it?

 

[mjm]

I am not having any success getting MapCreate 7 to register my cleanly formated (FAT) 1GB SD card using my built in 7-n-1 reader. How did you do it?

This is going to sound like a joke, but it is not. You have to buy Lowrance's card reader to write from MapCreate.

 

[AzRover]

:safari-rig:

The info on the preloaded cards is the same.

I got the CD and a couple 2G cards for more versatility. On a single 2G card I have the entire western US available at topo level - AZ, NM, CO, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR, NV and CA are all loaded, and I still have 256K or so available for waypoints and routes.

The card reader isn't needed even tho they say it is. But, it is much faster to use the one provided than the 7 in 1 reader on my 'puter.

On a side note, each card you use is serialized, and the software limits you to 5 total cards. Maps created can only be used on a specific card - I've labled mine 1, 2, 3 and 4, and have saved the maps for each in seperate folders. It's also easy to save map boundaries to be used again to create new maps for each card. The whole mapping ordeal is a bit complex until you understand the methodology, but all in all it's not bad.

Mark

crawler#976,
Can you write over data on a card?

 

[mjm]

:safari-rig:


crawler#976,
Can you write over data on a card?

Not a problem. I do it all the time.

 

[ntsqd]

I wish some hacker would crack all of this. My antagonism towards Lowrance is well documented, so I'll stop there.

Early on (MC%) you had to use their card reader because the reader apparently did something to either the files or the card, or both. I've noticed with MC7 that this isn't strictly required any more. From what I've experienced, once a card is 'imprinted' (for want of a better term) you can use most any reader.