Lowrance Suggestions

I tell you what, I really love my Lowrance Electronics. I remember back when they came out with their first “Mapping” units that had basically the same simple background as the default on many of their units today. I remember thinking, boy won’t it be great when they finally put contours on the background of their GPS? Well, the day came quicker than I ever thought it would and I tell you what, if that’s all the further ever went, I would be happy…but that’s not the way things work. There will always be a progression.

So, I’ve sent a few emails to Lowrance on what I would like to see out of their next generation of units. What would you all like to see? Maybe we can get Wayne to get the list to Lowrance.

My List (off the top of my head):
1. A latch for the cover (what’s the sense of having a cover if it’s not designed to be mounted while towing?)
2. More fishing orientated icons. They have an extended hunting set, why not an extended fishing set? I want to know what my mark is just by looking at it.
3. On the same note, how about custom icons?
4. How about adding sensor data to GPS waypoints, i.e. when you set a waypoint, it will capture all connected sensor data i.e. transducer temp, barometer, air tem…etc.
5. How about a user database with an interface to store typical waypoint data, i.e. species of fish, size of fish, structure etc. For example: If I catch a fish, I would set a waypoint and a menu would immediately pop up allowing me to save data related to this waypoint, so, I would click, waypoint type = caught fish, then knowing that it is fish data it would pop up fishing related data entry options like species = walleye, length = 17″, lure = taildancer, structure = reef, the list could go on and on and should be customizable to a point. The would make logging your fishing experience much easier.
6. Customizable user interface. Humming bird has this with they’re user programmable quick buttons, how about custom menus or customizable menus? Have you ever noticed how silly the Cancel Navigation menu item is to get to?
7. Fish counter
8. User API where users can create their own applications to control the functionality of the unit.
9. If the custom stuff is there a touch screen would be nice.

How about more waypoints? You should be able to store more than 1000 on a unit with a harddrive shouldn’t you? And how about being able to lay out a trail and then have the trolling motor steer or follow that trail.

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How about more waypoints? You should be able to store more than 1000 on a unit with a harddrive shouldn’t you?

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Sounds like a no-brainer to me

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And how about being able to lay out a trail and then have the trolling motor steer or follow that trail.

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While doing a patent search one day, I found that a guy patented this for trolling motors so I’m guessing he must want too much for the rights. I’ve wanted that one for a while!!!

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And how about being able to lay out a trail and then have the trolling motor steer or follow that trail.

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There is a product called a TR1 Autopilot which does this exact GPS trail trolling. If i remember right the price range is $2,500-$3,000 for the unit so it is fairly complicated. Someone once described a TR1 Autopilot “like a buddy who comes along to drive the boat and doesn’t drink any of your beers.”

All great suggestions…I think Lowrance should hire you in their product research and development department.

I’m sure touch screens are coming down the pike. They are really taking off in the industrial controller market, only a matter of time for the technology to trickle down to us.

#4 is pretty much there if you record the sonar using SD cards or directly to a computer.

Pretty good list. I would like the networking capabilities expanded to using any transducer attached to the network. I’m waiting for more functionality of networking before I upgrade.

Good suggestions!

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#4 is pretty much there if you record the sonar using SD cards or directly to a computer.

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Is it linked to a waypoint? If it is, that would be great. For example: when I’m on Mille Lacs on a mud flat and I look at a 3 year old waypoint, I would like to pull up the sensor data with the waypoint.

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I think Lowrance should hire you in their product research and development department.

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I think they should too!!!

Close as I could get to autopilot is my Pinpoint trolling motor, works great…but the displays are…well…black and white..grayscale, very poor GPS…..Now if I could just hookup my Lowrance network to the Pinpoint network I’d have the best of both worlds and be able to look at the sonar picture on any display anywhere in the boat.

I solved #1 with a Velcro strap I found at Fleet Farm.

It’s almost like it was designed for my purpose.

Sold in packs of 3.

All great ideas/suggestions by the way.

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I solved #1 with a Velcro strap I found at Fleet Farm.

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I did the same thing just a bit different but I like your version better. Nice job, thanks!

While searching for fish you have your gps trails turned on. Then all of a sudden you find the fish, you want to save just that trail, not all of the trails from earlier just that one. So if you could highlight and select a trail or a group of trails, that would be nice.

Jami

Nice idea, Dandorn!

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While searching for fish you have your gps trails turned on. Then all of a sudden you find the fish, you want to save just that trail, not all of the trails from earlier just that one. So if you could highlight and select a trail or a group of trails, that would be nice.

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You can do this by selecting which trail(s) are active and shown (denoted by the checkmark next to the trail name in my trails). You can even customize how the trails are shown (color line type etc).

great list NSD, #7 is my favorite

if i had one suggestion it would be to feild test there products, and quit using customers as lab rats.

but then again what do i know?.

Great idea’s! Sure would be nice if Lowrance was reading your post. If you don’t mind I would like to take a copy of your wish list to the Minneapolis boat show and give it to the Lowrance rep. Could do some good.

I sure would like to see programable keys. For example I could toggle trails off and on with one push of a button. Everyone could select what they wanted them to do.

Overall I am very happy with my X-25, sure makes navigating our Canadian fishing lake, Lac Des Mille Lacs a breeze. The Navionic chip let’s us run the lake with no worry of rocks! Before all of this technology it was hold your breath and hope you keep your lower unit on.

Great brainstorming

Please do! I figure the more people that ask for it, the quicker it will happen…and the quicker I can upgrade!