5
Another portion of the unit's onboard memory is devoted to recording
GPS navigation information, which includes waypoints, event marker
icons, trails and routes. This lets you look back the way you came. Think
of this data storage like the hard drive memory in a computer or a tape
in a cassette tape recorder. You can save several different GPS data files,
erase 'em and record new ones, over and over again. Like any computer
file, these GPS Data Files (file format *.usr) can be shared between
other Lowrance GPS or sonar/GPS units and even personal computer.
Your unit has one more thing in common with a personal computer.
Just as computers have a floppy disk drive for storing and exchanging
files, this unit has a slot for an MMC (MultiMedia Card) or SD card
(Secure Digital card) flash memory card. These solid-state memory
devices are about the size of a postage stamp, but can hold data ranging
from 8 MB to 1 GB in size (Compare that to a floppy disk's 1.44 MB
capacity!). The unit uses all that MMC space for two key GPS purposes
(You can also use the MMC to record sonar logs.).
First, you can backup your onboard GPS Data Files by copying them to
the MMC. Since the MMC is removable (like a floppy disk or a cassette
tape), you can store these GPS Data Files on a personal computer
equipped with an MMC card reader (Or store them on a pocketful of
MMCs, if you don't have a computer.). Our MapCreate mapping software
can save, edit or create its own GPS Data Files, which can be copied to
the MMC and then loaded from the MMC into the unit's memory.
The other key GPS use for MMCs is storage of special high-detail, custom
maps, which you can produce on your computer with our MapCreate
software. These MapCreate custom maps contain more detail than the basic
background map. These Custom Map Files (file format *.lcm) can also be
shared between other Lowrance GPS or sonar/GPS units and personal
computers (For example, the exact same MMC, custom map files and GPS
data files can be used interchangeably between your gimbal-mounted unit
and the hand-held iFINDER
®
GPS receiver.).
The unit automatically reads Custom Map Files directly from the MMC
or SD card. To use a custom map, all you need to do is slide an MMC
containing a map into the unit.
Introduction to GPS and WAAS
Well, now you know the basics of how the unit does its work. You might
be ready to jump ahead to Section 2, Installation & Accessories, on page
9, so you can mount your unit and plug in the power. Or you might
want to see how our text formatting makes the manual tutorials easy to
skim. If that's the case, move on to "How to Use This Manual" on page
7. But, if you want to understand the current state of satellite
