Logging Charts, Emulators, and the SonarViewer

Welcome to the new world of high tech fishing electronics. Once upon a time the Lowrance Green Box was high tech. Now we have color GPS with depth contours, color sonar, and mapping software programs that display depth contours on a computer. We could spend all our minnow money quickly. It is about time we get something free.

Lowrance has a website that you can download free software for your personal use. The Emulator is software that displays an exact replica of your Sonar and/or GPS model on your computer. The SonarViewer is software that displays chart recordings. Go to www.lowrance.com and click on emulators or SonarViewer in the right column to download the software. It is easy as they give step by step instructions.

So, why is this important? Sonar and GPS have many useful functions that are difficult to master by reading a manual, going to the boat, and trying to remember what to do. We get frustrated, give up, and go back to fishing. I believe learning your electronics is winter work. Use the Lowrance Emulator on the computer away from distractions and your skill level will increase rapidly. Repetition and undivided attention are important for learning. Four hours on the Emulator instead of on the TV will give you the skills to catch more fish and impress your friends. The best way to learn is to have your Lowrance model’s manual open while you work with the Emulator. You operate the Emulator by using the cursor as your finger
The Emulator is very useful in adjusting the settings. You can play with the sensitivity and colorline (grayline if you have a black and white model) to learn the best settings to see bottom content, fish, baitfish, and weeds.

In addition, it allows you to display many details including the water temperature, your speed while you were recording, and more. The Emulator automatically plays demo charts. You can use them to fine tune your skill at adjusting settings. Going thru the menus and settings before you get to the water allows you to fish and not be frustrated with your electronics.

What’s more, you can use your own chart recordings from your favorite lake. The Emulator allows you to use a split screen and display your position on the plotter screen. This gives you a better idea of where the chart was recorded. As you view the chart, you can create waypoints on interesting spots. All you have to do is push the waypoint button twice. The trail is also saved. The waypoint and trail can be loaded to a MMC/SD memory card and transferred to your Lowrance model. As I said earlier, winter work!
Recording charts are easy. Using a blank MMC/SD memory card in your Lowrance Sonar/GPS model, go to log chart menu on the sonar menu, select log chart, press enter, and you are recording. I recommend that you use a 64 megabyte card or larger and leave the settings on high quality. The chart is recorded onto the memory card. Next, take the memory card and place it a card reader attached to your computer. The Emulator and SonarViewer will read the chart from the memory card.

The SonarViewer is another free software program from Lowrance that plays charts. It loads to your computer when you load MapCreate. MapCreate comes on a CD with your Lowrance GPS. You can also download the SonarViewer free off the Lowrance website.
The SonarViewer plays your charts like the Emulator but gives you some different options. It can fast forward, pause, and go backwards. The colorline, sensitivity, surface clutter, and other settings can be adjusted just like the Emulator.

The chart you play has stored data that is very useful. It records the time, water temp, speed, latitude and longitude, and much more. You can easily display the data by placing the cursor on the chart. If you place the cursor on fish, a pop up box will display the latitude and longitude of the fish.

I will give you an example of how it will help catch more fish. I record my entire day on the MMC/SD memory card and play it at night. The ability to fast forward the chart allows me to review everything quickly. I always find something I missed as I am not able to record in my brain every fish I see during a 10 hour day but I won’t forget the 2nd time I see them on the SonarViewer and now I have the option to drive back to the exact spot. I take the latitude and longitude of the places that had the most fish, put them into my GPS as waypoints and drive back to the fish.

You can also put those waypoints in mapping software like LakeMaster, Fugawi, MapCreate or others and see how the waypoints sit on the map. LakeMaster has many lakes with surveyed depth contours. I know this is difficult to visualize but once you do it you will be hooked!

If you use computers the SonarViewer and Emulator are easy. If you don’t have computer skills, ask your children or friends for help. You can also call the Lowrance customer service.
The above tools are invaluable and I highly recommend them.
Doc Samson has a Comprehensive Lowrance Instructional DVD available at www.hightechfishing.com

For technical support call or check out their websites.

Lowrance Electronics www.lowrance.com Customer Service (800) 324-1356

Fugawi www.fugawi.com (416) 920-9300

LakeMaster www.lakemap.com (800) 540-5747