converting a GPS

[oldseaox]

Does anyone have any information about using a "street use or automotive" type GPS on the waterways. Putting aside the claims about water-resistant and shock absorbing design, can this be done? Is there a web-site about this? Or has anyone done it?






"A manual is a terrible thing to waste"

 

[dwhite1031]

Re: converting a GPS

Does anyone have any information about using a "street use or automotive" type GPS on the waterways. Putting aside the claims about water-resistant and shock absorbing design, can this be done? Is there a web-site about this? Or has anyone done it?

As for purchasing one right out of the box, Lowrance makes a multi-purpose unit for street/trail/marine use, the XOG. There are several combo handheld units on the market as well. I'm not familar with all of them though.​

As for "converting" a unit like a TomTom for marine use or trail use, that may pose a problem.​

In generic non-technical terms. While all GPS units use the same technologies, it is the software for that unit that makes it work in the manner it does. For instance TomTom units have their propietary software (on an embedded "chip") that takes the GPS information and makes it usable for the driver, as do other automotive use units. The software is on that embedded chip, not on a disk like on a computer, and it can only be written to by specific processes, so changing that operating software is not something that can be done at the user level. And as I mentioned, the software used by each company (such as TomTom) is propietary. While there may be other maps available to add via an SD card or internal memory, it is still the propietary operating system software that makes those maps useable.​

I work for a Texas government agency and we use GPS units to monitor wild animal rabies cases, human disease cases and outbreaks of all kinds, and use the automotive types in our state vehicle pool. We rely heavily on GPS units everyday.​

 

[dingbat]

Re: converting a GPS

What brand and model of GPS are you considering modifying?

 

[mcgonegalm]

Re: converting a GPS

This is something I have been curious about for some time as well. I have a Garmin 260W and was aware that Garmin sold marine maps. So I emailed Garmin and their response was that while you may lose some depth contours the maps would work it just depended on the device. I'm not sure whether this is due to a limitation of the display in how much detail it will show or if the software on the auto units themselves limits the device. Either way I'm curious and have not yet tried any of the marine maps myself. It didn't sound like this was something Garmin had tested much themselves and I'm sure they would rather you just buy one of their more expensive marine units.
If anyone has tried it I would love to hear your experiences.

 

[oldseaox]

Re: converting a GPS

Now, thats what I'm thinking about. Has anyone taken their automotive GPS on the water and tried to navigate and what were the results.
I'm sure the manufactures would rather sell their high dollar marine units but I believe someone has tried and succeded in using one the water ways.
Speakup guys.

 

[oldseaox]

Re: converting a GPS

After further thought let me reword my request.
Can I activate my roads and highways GPS ($150.00) when I leave the dock and hit the ICW for 12 miles to the inlet and go out 17 miles to the reef and expect my GPS to show a return direction?

 

[clarkbre]

Re: converting a GPS

You might be able to do that with your GPS. It's in the settings. I have a Lowrance iway 250C and it has a setting for street directions or point A to point B routing. This will either give you turn by turn on the street one or just a straight up "the way the crow flies" direction to a destination. Hope this helps.

 

[captain_frostbyte]

Re: converting a GPS

I was wondering the same thing myself... street GPS units have dropped considerably (sub $100 in some cases) I just got into boating/back into fishing, and was thinking it would be a good way to track good fishing holes. I didn't spend much for my boat and most of the marine rated GPS units are worth more than i paid for my boat..

Looks Like I'll just have to give it a try, been thinking about one for the car anyway.. now i double the excuse

On the same note, I've heard that the microsoft streets and trips handles ports of call, anyone give it a try with a laptop out on the water?

 

[Big Keepers]

Re: converting a GPS

My buddy bought a Garmin Etrex a few years ago and used it on his boat. He found marine software on a CD-Rom that was made for the handheld and uploaded it to the thing. It worked great for many years.

I have a Magellan and it also has software I can buy to upload marine data.

 

[jkust]

Re: converting a GPS

I tried it with my Garmin Nuvi. You have to download Garmin MapSource and I found a site on the internet that walks you through it. I just could not get the Mapsource to work properly and got frustrated and never revisited the process. My computer has since crashed and I lost all the links and software but I know it it possible for some units not meant for marine use. I generally go on the same lakes now so haven't made it a priority to try again.

Edit: oops scratch that, that was for adding snowmibile trail maps to gps not contour maps.