~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ BORN2HUNT ~

Unfortunately to avoid sticker price shock, many manufacturers only provide a BASEMAP in their units. These maps allow the user to use the unit as is, but they do not offer a lot of detail on the displayed map. Base maps typically show only major bodies of water, major roads and cities. Small towns, many bayous, canals, lagoons, bays, and small lakes are not shown on the map.

Naturally, if you want to have your position shown on a competent map of the area where you are traveling, you will have to purchase an additional accessory mapping program.

Lowrance offers their INSIGHT and INSIGHT HD mapping programs for $99.00 and $149.99.

In addition, there are several Navionics mapping programs that will work in the unit.

Check out the Lowrance web site at http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Products/Mapping/ to get a better understanding of the available mapping for your unit.

Captain Paul

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ PaPaYakker ~ Emcgurk ~

I am not quite sure what program or device you are looking to purchase for your Lowrance Mark 4, other than getting an easy to understand instruction manual for it.

The Lowrance site that offers free owner’s manuals is at http://www.lowrance.com/Root/Lowrance-Documents/US/MARK-ELITE_SONAR-COMBO_OM_EN_988-10161-001_w.pdf

I suggest that you access the site and download and PRINT out the instructions. That way you can make notes, etc on the pages without damaging the original manual that came with the device.

If you were to contact me, I could give you some instructions via the telephone or if you are interested, I provide seminars on the “Why” and “How to” on GPS. I ask that those attending bring their GPS unit and batteries or a means to connect their unit to a 12 volt DC power supply. A spare cable with a 12 volt male cigarette lighter plug that connects to the unit will normally do, as I provide several 110 volt AC to 12VDC converters in the class room.

I normally give three to five such seminars per year at various businesses, meeting rooms or KC, VFW, American Legion halls in the metro area. These seminars are limited to about 25 attendees. However, because of health reasons, I have had to curtail these larger gatherings. I do however offer a limited attendance for one, two, or three attendees at a mutually agreed location.

If you are interested, I am in the Slidell, Louisiana area right off of I-10 by the Oak Harbor exit.

Captain Paul
Captainpaultgps@gmail.com
985-847-0536

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Fishpuncher ~

You are right. I have a copy of the Garmin US Waterways and Lights, and I would not part with it.

Although some of the older well heads man no longer be at the indicated location, there is usually debris around the sites. And, in some cases the site was “Cleared” by removing the structure to a certain depth below the water level. A substructure may be 30 or 50 feet below the water.

The bottom line is all of the sites are decent fishing locations. Use your Depth finder and scan the area around the indicated site for any type of structure. If you find any, fish it. That would include irregularities on the sea floor.

Log in the sites and transfer them to the internal waypoints in your unit and then back them up. You have a very valuable fishing tool.

Captain Paul

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ Big Moroo~

Thanks for the kind words. It is my goal to try and assist our readers to understand and use their GPS equipment for their many fishing and hunting endeavors.

As for your question, the Garmin GPSMap 541 comes loaded with Garmin “Coastal Maps” and the GPSMAP 421 does NOT come with preloaded maps. Both units can accommodate the Garmin Blue Chart g2 and the Blue Chart g2 Vision via a memory card that is inserted in the Secure Digital (SD) card slot.
Many manufactures to avoid sticker shock on the total price only include a basemap in their units. This map at least gets their customers out and using their units. However the base map is what the name implies, a basic map. This basic map may cover the entire U.S. coastline. These base maps do not show the detail that their accessory maps have. Base maps do not usually show the many small bayous, rivers, lagoons, lakes and canals that make up the coastal Louisiana marches.

Ultimately their customers upgrade their mapping by purchasing one of the many outstanding maps that are available for the units. Garmin’s top map at this time is their Blue Chart g2 and their BlueChart g2 Vision. The g2 Vision includes corrected aerial images that can be viewed as a map in some of their units. I believe that both of the units you listed can use the BlueChart g2 and g2 Vision mapping offered by Garmin.

So, if one unit has only Coastal Maps and the other has a BlueChart g2 or g2 Vision program installed in the SD card slot, they obviously will not display the same map images on the two separate units, However with the both having the same g2 program, the images would be NEARLY the same.

I say nearly because the GPSMAP 541 has a 5.0 inch diagonal screen with 234x320 pixels and the GPSMAP 421 has a 4.0 inch diagonal screen with 240x320 pixels. That means that the smaller unit will have more pixels and would produce smoother images on its screen. Most users would not even notice the difference, but there is a difference.

So the bottom line is if they both have the same map program installed, they should display nearly an identical image of the maps.

The BlueChart g2 and g2 Vision are sold by regions. One g2 Vision Region covers from Mobile Bay to Lake Charles and lists for $321.42. You can check it out at the Garmin web site at https://my.garmin.com/mapCoverage/coverage.faces?line=BlueChart+G2+Vision+Cards&country=en_US

A standard g2 chart covers all of the US and lists for about $160.70 from the Garmin web site at https://my.garmin.com/mapCoverage/coverage.faces?country=en_US

Captain Paul

~ Captain Paul's response to: ~ RANDAL ~
Thanks for the Kudos, and thanks again for letting our readers know that one of the prime advertisers in the LOUISIANA SPORTSMAN MAGAZINE, SEA-TRAC repairs certain problems in GPS units.

SEA-TRAC is located at 114 Hickory Ave, New Orleans (Harahan) LA 70123, telephone 504-737-0591, 1-800-899-0591.

I strongly suggest that you consult them before trashing your unit as it may be repairable. At least give them a call to see if they could help.

Thanks again Randal, I am glad that the repair worked out for you. Now don’t forget to back up all of your data.

~ Captain Paul ~