Lowrance has an upgrade coming out for the hds systems today so they can hold the new navionics mapping cards. I already have the card, and I was just wondering if anybody knows how to go about upgrading the lowrance.

Thanks

Usually you have to download the update to an SD card and then put that card in your unit. It will pull the update from the card.

Don't use your navionics card though to do the update. Writing to those cards tends to make them stop working.

I believe there is an explanation on lowrance's site.  There is a certain order to do it in, I believe you put the card in the unit when it is off, turn it on and it will upload automatically.. but im not sure.  

Go to the link I give here at the bottom, select your unit, and instructions should be on the next page.

http://www.lowrance.com/en/Downloads/Product-Software-Updates/

I believe there is an explanation on lowrance's site. There is a certain order to do it in, I believe you put the card in the unit when it is off, turn it on and it will upload automatically.. but im not sure.

Go to the link I give here at the bottom, select your unit, and instructions should be on the next page.

http://www.lowrance.com/en/Downloads/Product-Software-Updates/

X2, but first check to make sure your unit is not allready running the updated software.

After uploading the software, there are routes you must set up on your unit for it to run the Navionics card. Just plugging it in the unit will not activate it. If you need the routing directions just let me know and I will send them to you.

Thanks guys, but I have an hds-8 and I dont see an  upgrade for that system. When I put the card into the hds-8, it just says to go to www.lowrance.com for more info. It is the preimium hotmaps 2009 chip.

I would call Lowrance. You would think the upgrade would be ready with the other HD units but I just pulled it up and it is not showing available yet.

Finally got ahold of Lowrance, only took an hour of holding. Said it was suppose to come out mid-april. Obviously not, but they are "working thier hardest to make the update". This is the first problem I have ever had with Lowrance.

Looks like Lowrance started selling those units before they were really ready.  From what I have seen in the catalogues and on Lowrance's web site, I am not impressed.  There appears to be an awful lot of clutter on the screen shots they show in the advertising.