lowrance 480M

[hitthebricks]

I just bought a lowrance 480/ gps and I'm looking for advice on Navionics preprogramed MMC cards and other types of mapping programs were you can download the maps you want. HTB

[Double Barrel]

Have you fished with your 480 yet? Just curious if you've had any problems?

[Paul Waldowski]

DB,

What kind of problems??

------------------
Paul
Drake Motel

[email protected]
Marcum
Otter Outdoors
JR's Tackle
Lakemaster Lake Maps

[hitthebricks]

I just bought a lowrance 480/ gps and I'm looking for advice on Navionics preprogramed MMC cards and other types of mapping programs were you can download the maps you want. HTB

[hitthebricks]

who carrys the Nav. premium I only have seen the gold and classic but Gander M. said there is a new package on order. I mostly fish the St. Croix but maybe 2-3 times a year I'll go to Rainy. Lake of the Woods , or Kab/Namaken, Mille Lacs. Would these lakes be on there and how detailed if they are? I havn't fished with the 480 yet but I bought it from a friend who couldn't read the screen on the water and found the whole thing too complicated. What kind of problems are you talking about? HTB

[Double Barrel]

HTB
The depth finder freezing up? The GPS will work great,but every once in awhile the depth finder will freeze up. If you shut the unit off and then on again, it works great again. It frooze up on me 16 times in a weeks worth of fishing. This is the second unit I had do this. Sent the second one back and Lowrance said it had old software in it. Could not figure that one out,supposed to be a new model number in 04 ?? Although I will say Lowrance stands behind their products and are nice people to deal with!

[hitthebricks]

did a software update take care of the freeze up problem? do you have a Navionics map program of any sort and whats your opinion of them.

[Double Barrel]

So far the new software hasn't acted up,but I only have used it for 2 hours. I haven't used any map chips,but from what I understand the info on them is very reliable. It's too bad they don't make the chips for a single lake!

[hitthebricks]

my understanding is that they do make the chips for the bigger lakes but they are still $130.00 ea. or a bunch of smaller lakes for the same price. Are the maps detailed enough to throw out my paper maps (hot maps)or are they only good for navigation. I knew it would be expensive from the start so I just want to be educated and buy the best poduct for my needs without wasting my limited time on the water with bad products, so any help is appreciated. thanks HTB

[PRO-V]

I have 20 days this year on my 480. GPS works great but my sonar locks up all the time. Scroll rate seems to slow down at times too. They told me to send it in when my fishing slows down. Glad to hear the software fix works.

[Double Barrel]

Pro-V, I'm glad to hear someone else is having problems with the lms 480,I was beginning to think it was me. I've only got 2 hours on the new software,so i'm not sure it is fixed yet? Lowrance told me that there is 100 of them out there that has this bug. Well i've had two of them.

[PRO-V]

Double Barrel, how long did it take to send in and get back? I can't live without it for long.

[Mykal]

Hey guys, I have a 480m. First one blew fuses out when connected to the LGC 2000 module. Had a bad connector on it. The replacement has about 20-30 hours on it and no problems at all next to an x97. I loaded the software upgrade off the Lowrance HSOforum right away with a blank MMC and scanner I bought from BB. As far as the MMC chips, I have been in touch with Lakemaster and I was told they do plan to start marketing surveyed single lake chips for more of the lakes starting this summer. Also they are currently surveying LOW and will have that ready by this winter. I didn't want to pay the 200 bucks for 4 lakes of which 1-2 I would probably never fish. I am waiting for the right chip.

[This message has been edited by Mykal (edited 07-07-2004).]

[Double Barrel]

First one I sent in ,took 1 1/2 weeks second one took about 4-5 days.

[hitthebricks]

Hey Guys, I finally got the 480 completly installed, the lakes are very generic. I need better Info/software Navionics sounds like a good way to go, but Mykal mentioned Lakemaster Maps, do you need to download info onto programable MMC chips with these and where can I check these out at. Did you download the new software because of freeze ups and do you need the card reader to do this with. HTB

[Mykal]

Hitthebricks,

My bad, I have the 4800m GPS unit no sonar not the 480m.

You can buy a cheap MMC/SD reader at BB for about 20 bucks. Download the software from Lowrance site to your computer then load it onto the chip. Drop the chip in and it will self install when you power up. I don't know if this helps on a "freeze up" but it does some minor screen adjustments and voltage changes.
Yes, the maps are not all right on, but many of them are as far as shoreline countors. I used it on LOW in June and it had the NAV bouys built into it. It does have every lake in the US and Coastal waters on it which is amazing, but to get contours you will have to get the MMC chips.

No, you cannot download contours to your unit. You can download GPS coordinates, trails, etc. from the CD roms.

Check out the Lakemaster HSOforum for updates or this site to purchase current chips. I have heard that the Hotspot maps #10 Minnesota is OKAY but not near as accurate as the Lakemaster chips in 1-3 foot contours. I guess it depends on how much accuracy you want/need.

[This message has been edited by Mykal (edited 07-08-2004).]

[hitthebricks]

Mykal thanks for the time and help. What is and were is BB? The programable chip and card reader sounds like a nessacary tool. My understanding is that the new upgrades will solve the glitches. I'm glad to hear you get navigation markers with the basic unit, that will help alot on LOW and Rainy. Lakemasters always has great contours but how are their packages/chips setup? ie. what lakes and how much and how manylakes as opposed to Navonics premium pkg. which is a new but undistributed product so far. thank for your input so far. HTB

[Paul Waldowski]

BB = Best Buy

[magnum165]

My 480 froze constantly when I first bought it,so I called lowrance customer service.The lady told me that my software needed to be updated to 1.3.0 from 1.0.0.She sent the chip and it took about 20 seconds to download and I have'nt had a problem since.I also just bought the new navionics premium region 10 mmc and think it is an excellent choice,to find any hump or bar just follow the arrow and then plot trail around the breakline(scarey easy).Lake Winnie comes in one foot contours.Hope this helps anyone interested.Thanks!

[hitthebricks]

Finally had a chance to try the Low. 480 out today on the St. Croix, froze up a lot until I turned off the Garmin 240, big diff. on what was picked up. The Low. was great! Mag165 The upgrade sounds easy enough if you just have to call cust. serv. for the upgrade. What lakes are included in Nav. Prem.? It sound like what im looking for and can you play with this on a computer using a card reader. Fishing on the river was slow for me this morn. but I only had live bait rigs, left all the trolling gear home and only had limited time to fish but of the 4 caught I kept a 19"er for lunch

[magnum165]

Hitthebricks,I bought my nav prem. through Reedssports.com.The price was 199.99 and I ordered it online and it only took two days to get it.The lakes included are in one foot contours:Gull,Winnie,Leech plus three others.23 lakemaster lakes.FHS lakes about 28 including Bowstring,Sand,St. Croix River,Pike Bay,Pelican.The additional lakes included are lakes Rainy,Pokegama,Rainy,Pokegama,LOW,Cass and eer plus others.This comes to about 90 lakes total.I'm not sure about using a card reader to display the maps on your computer, but Lowrance shows info on installing drivers for map reading that involve cd roms.I'm not really sure, maybe someone else could answer that question.Thanks!

[hitthebricks]

Magnum 165 the 1ft. contours sounds great. I ordered the software upgrade to 1.3.0 today and I just need to pick a lake program to add to the package. what is the fhs program with the St. Croix on it? After you get a chance to use yourprogram let me know the results and thoughts about it!!! thanks for the info HTB

[magnum165]

HTB;All lakes listed are part of the premium package.The only one that I have used so far is the winnie 1 foot one.It is amazingly accurate with graph on split-sonar and map-you can predict humps upcoming and watch them show up on sonar.In two trips, I have caught and released 32 walleyes myself and kept a total of 6,effective results thanks to technolgy.(also shows the importance of slot limits to protect the fishery).I
would suggest it to anyone interested.Thanks!

[hitthebricks]

Thanks for the reply and info Magnum, I've been unable to find Nav. Prem. in the cities so I'll have to order it from Reeds. Sounds like Winni. is real hot right now. Thanks again HTB