PIREP: AirMap 1000 (Long)

7 - "What?!? I can't write to the included SD chip!" I powered the
GPS down and removed the included SD Card, which is only 32MB and much
to small to include the obstruction database as well as a customer
map. Should include a 128MB at minimum to be at least a tiny bit
useful. I plugged the SD writer (also included in the box with the
airmap 1000) into MY PC and tried to write my newly generate are
detail map to the SD chip. It did not show up?!?! "Hmmm that is
interesting." Upon further investigation, I find that the included SD
chip is permanently write protected. Still do not know why, but so be
it... What was more odd is the Map generation program acted as if it
had written the data to the SD chip... No indication that the write
had failed. On top of that, the software requires that you "register"
the SD chip to the software. Well I just wasted one registration on a
chip which can not be used. What a load of horse crap.

Correction here.... the SD Chip writer needed a firmware upgrade...
Once I upgraded the firmware, the chip was writable... What can one
really write to a 32MB chip which already has 14MB used up. That
limits me to 28MB.... That is not a lot of room to put the detail maps
for my area on..... That is the bad thing about So Cal.... too much
data for a GPS chip... :-)


8 - "Fine, I will use my Mega SD chip" I pull out my 1GB SD chip and
then read the instructions. I mean afterall, I only have 4
registrations left for SD chips. Good thing I did.... 256MB is the
maximum size the AirMap 1000 has been tested with. So... I do not
have any other chips I can use at this time... They are all used for
cameras, MP3 players etc.... so exploring detailed maps will have to
wait.



Ok... a little update on the SD Chip thing, and some questions for
those that just might know...

I went and purchased a 256MB chip for this AirMap 1000. I thought this
might just slove my problem.... Here is the deal.... Apparently the
Aviation Database provided is locked to a particular SD Chip and you
can not copy the Aviation Database to the larger chip. It seems the
only way around this is to purchase an update from Lowrance and write
the database file to the new 256MB chip... Seems like a load of crap
to me.... Whatever... So I am either limited to the 32MB chip, which I
did figure out how to write to the SD card, or I can pay the $35 to
get the latest Database and write it to my new SD card.

Grrrr.... This flying habit is getting more expensive every day....

Anyone know a way to copy the database file from the 32MB chip to my
new 256MB chip without buying the update from Lowrance?

Mike Alexander
PP-ASEL
Temecula, CA
See my online aerial photo album at
http://flying.4alexanders.com