Lowrance electronic 6 - Manual (Page 16)

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cause it allows you to match your map's file size and detail level to your
card's memory capacity and your travel needs.
NOTE:
Due to software requirements in the GPS units, MMC or SD cards
can hold a maximum of 32 different files at one time for the
Lowrance iFINDER

and 1,000 different files for all other
Lowrance or Eagle GPS receivers. The total amount of information
cannot exceed the MMC size capacity, no matter what the number
of files is. For example, an 8 MB MMC in an iFINDER could hold
approximately one 7.66 MB file, or 32 files, so long as the 32 files
totaled 7.66 MB or less.
Other brands of GPS units use direct serial cable connections to trans-
fer high detail maps from a computer to the GPS device. Lowrance and
Eagle switched from this traditional method to removable memory
cards for several reasons. A USB card reader can transfer a large cus-
tom map to your unit 30 times faster than a serial cable connection.
Removable media means you don't have to take a computer and cable
with you to load a new map in the field. If the unit is mounted in a ve-
hicle, there is no need to dismount it and carry it to a computer. The
effective mapping memory capacity of your GPS unit is restricted only
by the capacity and number of memory cards you want to carry with
you, up to the five-card limit. This is a handy feature for long journeys
or for users who can't lug a laptop computer along.
Four factors control Map File size: 1. map detail level option settings,
2. the number of map feature categories turned on, 3. the amount of devel-
oped or naturally occurring features in the area and 4. the amount of terri-
tory, that is, the number of square miles or acres in the area.
Detail Level Options can be set to high or medium. The higher the
level of detail, the bigger the file size.
There are dozens of Map Category Options that you can turn off and
on. They include natural features — such as rivers — and man-made
items such as roads, businesses or other points of interest. The more
categories and subcategories turned on, the bigger the file size.
The amount of development in an area is something you can't con-
trol. For example, one square mile of city streets will make a larger file
than one square mile of wilderness with a few hiking trails.
The amount of territory you include in a map is a major factor. The
more square miles or acres you include, the bigger the file size.
The lessons in the manual were written using MapCreate's default set-
tings, with high detail and all categories turned on. If your first maps