New GPS

[LoveToFish]

My Lowrance Expidition is starting to act up so I think I am going to have to replace it. I would like my current Lake Master micro chips to work in the new unit. It looks like Lowrance quit making hand held units. I use the GPS for camping, hiking, and fishing in the summer, Hunting in the fall/winter, and ice fishing all winter (needs to hold up in the cold, LOW Baby). It gets used a lot. It seems like a lot of web sites brag up the Garmin Oregan 550T. Any Ideas?

Thanks

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Can you get a used Expedition?

[Tom7227]

Lake Master doesn't sell chips that work with Garmin any more. At least that's what I've read and if you go to their HSOforum they only mention Hummingbird.

[LoveToFish]

I thought about sending the unit in to be fixed or find a used one, but I hate to spend $100 to $150 on old technology when there is probably something better out there that doesn't cost that much more. Maybe no one makes a unit to use like I use mine, I don't know.

As far as Lake master chips I already have them, just wondering if the new units will read them.

[Whoaru99]

I'd check with Garmin about those maps. Spendy, but considering a Garmin Montana 600 myself because it also does map routing for your car/motorcycle...

[MN Mike]

My Lowrance Expidition is starting to act up so I think I am going to have to replace it. I would like my current Lake Master micro chips to work in the new unit. It looks like Lowrance quit making hand held units. I use the GPS for camping, hiking, and fishing in the summer, Hunting in the fall/winter, and ice fishing all winter (needs to hold up in the cold, LOW Baby). It gets used a lot. It seems like a lot of web sites brag up the Garmin Oregan 550T. Any Ideas?

Thanks

Unfortunatly, you're looking at new data cards even if you went with a new Lowrance. I would just sell what you have and move on.

The Garmin 550t should be a great device, Cabelas has them on sale at the moment amoung others. Garmin makes the Upper Midwest Fishing Guide data card for bringing lake contours to your Garmin device, from what I have seen, it is identical to the Lakemaster data that I have, I've run the 2 chips side by side and there has been no difference, nice thing is the UMWFG also includes multiple states unlike the Lakemasters where you had to buy each one you wanted to fish.

There are a lot of free downloads out there too for the Garmins, especially TOPO. Garmin makes a Birdseye product which will bring Satellite images into your Garmin device, it runs about $30 per year, I've used it and have been happy with it.

Good luck!

Mike

[LoveToFish]

Thank you for the insight. That is what I was afraid of but at least I know.

[fasternu]

Lowrance does still make handhelds, my Father-in-law just bought one last week. It does use the SD Microchips, if your chips are reasonably new they will work. The large chips didn't fit, but on my new Rainy/LOW chip the small micro chip pops out of the regular size chip and fits it just fine. You don't necessarily need new chips. I don't remember the model he got, but it was pretty nice and comparable to my H20.