Doc's Advanced Electronics Tutorials

Doc's Advanced Electronics Tutorials - Session 1

**Lowrance Advanced Electronics Series: Parts 1,2 & 3 are just part of a continuing series in the Walleye In-sider.

Session 1 Logging Chart Data

I have always been looking for a better mousetrap to find and catch fish. I have spent many years searching for the best minnow, color, lure, map, eddy, etc. That search continues. Technology has become very influential in how I approach fishing. Being able to visualize the lake bottom in 3D using my sonar, much like a bat “sees” with its sonar, gives another piece of the puzzle to catching fish. My sonar displays the information in 2-D on a screen and I use all the tools available to me to interpret the screen in 3-D. The bat may get a direct connection to its brain, but second best is still a good choice. Here are the other tools I use to help visualize in 3-D.

1. Sonar for depth below the boat
2. GPS for accurate position
3. Maps for accurate position
4. Lowrance unit to log chart data

This is where my brain comes in. I accumulate data and piece it together to visualize in 3-D. It’s just like learning to type. First you have to concentrate on your fingers and the keys and then it becomes automatic. Now I can think 3-D whenever I see a sonar display.

When I am on the water I save sonar memories of good fishing spots in my brain. However I can’t remember everything that was displayed on the sonar for the whole day. We don’t throw the map away after reading it once, why not save the sonar data? Logging chart data provides you with an important permanent record of depth reading which GPS accurate are. I save the good data and give the bad to my brother-in-law or the trash can.

Session 1 will show you how to record chart data.
Session 2 will show you how to review it

You will need a Lowrance sonar unit that logs chart data (records sonar graphs).

Lowrance can log chart data in a digital file which can be replayed later on your unit, Sonar Viewer, or an Emulator. The digital file is like saving a paper graph recording. However, much more information is saved. Examples include time of day, longitude and latitude, and water temperature.

Example 1 is the LCX-19 display chart data I have recorded.

Example 2 is the Sonar Viewer display of the same data. The yellow pop-up box displays the information that was recorded wherever you place the cursor.

Now let’s step by step record and save the data. Power up your unit, insert a MMC/SD memory card into the tray, and highlight the Sonar Chart window (box) if you are using the split screen. Pressing the PAGES button twice changes which window is highlighted. In example 1 the sonar window is highlighted in blue. Press the menu key once, then press the down arrow until the Log Sonar Chart Data is highlighted, then press enter and the Sonar Chart Logging window appears as displayed in example 3. The Start Logging is highlighted. If you press the ENTER button, the window will close and you will start recording. To stop recording you have open the Sonar Chart Logging window again and the Start Logging will have changed to Stop Logging. Press enter and you are no longer recording. The data is saved to the memory card as Chart1. You can record one minute for 1 megabyte (MB) of memory. Lowrance supplies 16 MB cards when you purchase your unit. 16 minutes isn’t enough time so purchase another card with at least 64 MB. I use a 256 MB card so I can record data to play at my electronic seminars. Now let’s go back to the Log Sonar Chart Data window and play a little. When you are ready to name your file, press the down arrow to highlight the File Name, press enter to name the file. I name them after I review them. If you record again, the next file will automatically be named Chart2. Next, press the down arrow to highlight MMC Card. Press enter and then press the down or up arrows to highlight the card you want to record on. Example 4 shows this window with 2 card choices. This window only identifies the cards by showing how much free memory is available.

If you have a Lowrance that has a 2 slot tray for cards you must be careful which card you record on. Lowrance 2 slot tray models can have a Navionics card or a MapCreate map card in one slot and a blank card for recording in the other slot. You do NOT want to record on the Navionics card. If you ever erase this card, your Navionics card data is lost and $200 is down the drain! If you are not sure which card to select, press EXIT and use the arrows to highlight Browse Files. Press ENTER and the MMC Cards will be highlighted as shown in example 5. Press the right arrow and the second card will be displayed as shown in example 6. The Navionics card will have a file name ending in .001. Never delete or record on this card! The other card has files ending in .slg which are chart logs. Notice that under MMC Cards it displays how much MB is free. Use this to identify the card and press EXIT. The example 4 window will now be displayed. Select a card, press EXIT, highlight Start Logging, press ENTER, and you are logging.

Now back to the Log Sonar Chart Data window in example 3. Highlight the chart quality. You can change the quality with the right and left arrows. You can then record longer on the card by decreasing the quality. I use high quality as low quality is not good enough for reviewing charts. Test for yourself. In example 2 I am playing back a chart recording with the cursor on a fish and the pop-up box showing the time and date I was recording. Most importantly is the longitude and latitude are displayed. Write them down, make a new waypoint, and drive right to the spot! Refer to your instruction manual if you need help on making waypoints. The fish might not be there but fish tend to return to good spots. We call those spots community holes. My next tutorial will demonstrate how to play the charts on the Sonar Viewer and your unit. If you want to practice this session you can download a Lowrance demo (Emulator) from www.lowrance.com. This software plays on your computer screen a replica of many Lowrance models. To play, place the cursor on a button, click, and you get the same result as pressing the button with your finger. Example 4 is a LCX-19 Demo on my home computer. I would recommend practicing now since fishing season is coming and we have more important jobs when we are in the boat! If you don’t practice at home, copy these instructions, and take them in the boat.