Lowrance Lakemaster Promap help needed!

[Hap Shaughnessy]

I just purchased the Lowrance Lakemaster ProMap of Minnesota. It boots up and works in the Ifinder Hunt GPS, but when I load it into the tray of the LCX-15MT, it wouldn't boot up. I am running software version 3.6 in the LCX-15MT. Any body been through this one before?

[walleyehawk]

I would contact Lowrance or use the search option on this site. I seem to recall discussion of the software not working on the 15MT. Might be a software upgrade issue as I could not get larger capacity MMC cards to work on my I-Finder until I upgraded the unit.

[Hap Shaughnessy]

I spoke with Lowrance the past few days. They suggested I send the x-15 in for a look. I prepared it for shipment, and out of curiosity, looked in the card slot with a flashlight. I counted 7 pin contacts, and said "hmmm". My I-Finder hunt has 9 contacts for the card. So I googled SD cards and MMC cards to learn all about them. The MMC's are a single channel serial card, whereas the SD has 4 serial channels. Reading further, I learned that the SD Card readers, are backward compatible with the MMC cards, but the SD cards cannot be read in a MMC reader.

Now my LCX-15MT is an early production unit. I called Lowrance again today, and asked if the card reader being an MMC was the problem. The guy I spoke with checked in to it, and found that the early units are not SD card capable. Lowrance later made an enhanced card reader for the SD cards. He identified mine as a early unit by the serial number.

Now to resolve the problem, I am sending the ProMap SD card to Lowrance, in exchange for an MMC card with the ProMap. He also stated that the stores should have the ProMap in both the SD and MMC formats. He also said Lowrance would be going only wth the MMC format in the future because of the backward compatiblity issue.

So if you have a Lowrance unit from say 2001 or earlier and you want the ProMap, look at the card slot and count the contacts. 7 = MMC only, and 9 means MMC or SD.

I'll report when I get the new ProMap MMC card.

[Bagley]

Hap,

Just wondering if you got the new Promap MMC. Does it work with your unit.

The reason I ask is because:

I have a 2002 LCX-15 (3.6 upg). I bought the promap chip today. When the chip is in the machine and I go to "browse MMC files" it will say there is no chip recognized. The chip I have says on the label:

Lakemaster

Promaps

Electronic

Charts

(MMC/SD)

LKPM-MN

Minnesota

051-2578-00

The chip I have has nine contact points also. Can you buy promap mmc chips in stores yet.

Any Help from anyone is appreciated. Does anyone else have this same chip and use it with a unit that is older than 2004.

Does the lowrance HSOforum tell you what chips work with what units. (I couldn't find this info any where.)

[Hap Shaughnessy]

Open the tray of the X-15 and shine a light inside. Count the contacts.

7 contacts is for MMC only.

9 contacts is for MMC or SD.

I got a 7 pin MMC MN Lakemaster chip direct from Lowrance. It worked fine in the unit. I've since sold the X-15 and moved up to the LCX-110C, which is super!

[Bagley]

Hap,

Yes, my unit only has 7 contacts. I've called Lowrance about five times. They aren't much help they just tell me that the chip I have should work. They think my unit is broke. It reads every other chip I have just fine. I asked if I could exchange my chip for one with 7 contacts, They tell me that isn't possible.

Who did you call to get help with your unit. Was it a different number than the 800 help line. Is there a place I can go to find out what Promaps are compatible with certain plotters.

Your help is appreciated.

This chip is turning into a real hassle.

[gofishingtom]

your units aren't broken..the new chips that they came out with wont work in the 15's unit thats why they came out with the 17 this year so it would be compatible to the new chips that are for the color units..You would have to find the older version of the chips to have them work in the 15..This made alot of guys poed that bought the 15 last year and werent told this was going to happen..I dont think you can get an upgrade for this problem either..It's just another way lowarance has in getting guys to trade in there units to upgrade to a better one..The 17 is compatible with the color chips they have out...Surprised that lowarance wouldnt tell you guys this but they probably dont want to get everybody all mad..They didnt even tell the stores that sell the units last year till they new about the 17 coming out.Hope this might help you guys out

[dockehr]

Bagley, try contacting Waypoint Technology in Little Falls. They are the developers of the Lakemaster GPS products. I believe they may have a chip with the correct contacts.

320-637-6300. Or do a Google search to get their HSOforum.

Good luck and let us know if this works out as others may be in the same boat.

dockehr

Dr. Roland E. Kehr, Jr.

Lindy Tackle Company

[Hap Shaughnessy]

Lowrance did resolve the problem for me, by sending me the 7 pin MMC card. But this took much doing. The first several people I talked with did not know of the problem, and all wanted me to send in the X-15 for repair. I then learned about the differences in the SD Card and the MMC card, and was called Lowrance again. I talked with about two or three techs, and finally got one to hear me out on the SD MMC differences I found. He spoke with a engineer who confirmed my story. I was then told to send in the SD card, and they would send me a Promap in the MMC format. I returned the card, and then they promptly put my returned SD card on some desk and forgot about it! I called to follow up on the missing card, and found a rep named Debbie? I think, and she corrected the problem, and had the new MMC format card Fedex'd to me overnight. The MMC card did work fine in the X-15, and works really fine in the LCX 110. The rep did say that Lowrance was going to discontinue distributing the Promaps in the SD format due to the problems of the SD's not being backward compatible with the older X-15's and the like. She said that the stores should have them, and that the store personnel should know about the backward compatiblity issues.

If you call Lowrance, know your facts, and be persistant, as some of the techs are quick to dismiss your problem as an equipment failure.

Bagley, if you are really desperate for a MN Promap in the MMC format, I have one in hand, and would trade it straight up for a SD card MN Promap.

Hope this helps,

Hap.

[Bagley]

Thanks guys. I got it taken care of. After about five calls, Lowrance still didn't understand what was going on. I ended up calling Waypoint Technologies. They heard me out right away. I sent My SD to them and they are replacing it with the MMC version.

Thanks again

Bagley