Geeky GPS question (PCI card, possibly off-topic)

This is very nice. I wish someone would do this for my Airmap 100. I
missed out on the last databse that Lowrance published before they
dropped support. Sigh.

Darrel Toepfer wrote:
Tina Marie wrote:
I have an old Airmap 5000. It stores the data on a PCI card that
slides into the unit.

My database is now 3 years old. Lowrance stopped providing data
about 4 years ago, and a year ago Jeppson dropped support.

A web search didn't reveal anybody else selling databases.

Now, that data is on the 'net. I'm a reasonably competant programmer,
and I could reverse-engineer the database format, and write code
that would put fresh data back into that format, thus updating my
database.

Here's the problem: I have no idea how to read/write to that
PCI card. Has anyone done this? Is there a driver somewhere, or
am I going to have to write that too? I'd assume there was some
sort of standard "data storage" PCI API, just like there is for
the data storage USB devices.

If I went to all this trouble, I'd be glad to update other people's
cards for shipping costs, since there isn't any other way to get
the data, and I'm guessing there are a reasonable number of these
out there.

Any help would be appreciated!

This guy does exactly this for the older Magellans:

http://home.stny.rr.com/bkw/315

Added new life to my $90 GPS...

wrote:

This is very nice. I wish someone would do this for my Airmap 100. I
missed out on the last databse that Lowrance published before they
dropped support. Sigh.

I always bump into memory limitations, the Magellan POI (Points of
Interest) allow me to select exactly what I want or don't want
(Public/Private/Military Aiports, etc.) to stay within what the GPS can
hold. That might be exactly the problem with the other models mentioned...

I always bump into memory limitations,

I think that is the reason for no more Airmap 100 updates. New
databases wont fit anymore...


Michael Nickolas
www.studionineproductions.com

Michael Nickolas wrote:

I always bump into memory limitations,

I think that is the reason for no more Airmap 100 updates. New
databases wont fit anymore...

If you could select your "POI"s then that might not be an issue. ie.
remove VOR/NDB/ILS/Obstruction/Seaplane waypoints to keep an uptodate
airport reference. This is all easily done with the Magellans upload
software. The GPS might not be as useful, but still useable...