Lowrance elite Help

pabs · 25 January 2016, 22:40

Hello all
Please bare with me with the following questions regarding getting started with my lowrance but I'm a complete novice and need some help.
I've just bought the lowrance elite 4 hdi which came with an navionics small gold card which I have sucsesfully managed to register and download tenby to exmouth.
Question 1, the unit is is only showing american land and I cannot get any joy with setting time or date or gps. Do I need to be out on the water for the gps to find me or should it pick me up in my house.
Question 2, does the transducer need to be pluged in for the gps to find me or is the gps in the unit.
Any help or tips would be grate or a breif explian what to do to get started.
Thanks
Paul

Chris · 26 January 2016, 08:07

The GPS is in the unit. It should find you wherever you are but it can take a few minutes to register all the relevant satellites. It probably won't work indoors...

Fenlander · 26 January 2016, 08:29

I think these units might ship with a very crude USA basemap and that is what you're seeing. As Chris says these units will rarely pick up a GPS lock indoors so at the moment it is showing some random USA location until it gets sufficient signal to know where it is.

I have to put my similar spec Garmin right by the window if using in the home and even then satellite reception is variable.

jeffstevens763@g · 26 January 2016, 08:39

i have the elite 7 pabs set mine up outside chris is right might struggle in the house.you dont need the transducer to work the GPS it has an internal antenna.
select chart data it will be in us mode out of the box, the operation manual is very light on info but i just played with mine soon got sorted.

cheers

Pikey Dave · 26 January 2016, 08:48

Use the cursor to scroll across the Atlantic to the area that you have bought the gold chart for, you should see the chart & be able to zoom in.

jeffstevens763@g · 26 January 2016, 08:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Use the cursor to scroll across the Atlantic to the area that you have bought the gold chart for, you should see the chart & be able to zoom in.

dave.
also you can go into GPS simulator to learn more.

paintman · 26 January 2016, 09:35

Unless you're right next to a window with a clear view of a large area of sky I'd be more surprised to get a GPS fix than not as the signal is very effectively blocked by the building. Even next to a window my handheld isn't happy, 10 yards away up the garden it's fine.
The better the sky view the more satellites the GPS can 'see' and that will give a faster and more accurate fix.

Pikey Dave · 26 January 2016, 09:42

Even with a GPS fix, unless you are actually inside the chart area that you have bought, all you will see is the basemap. You will still have to scroll to see the purchased chartlet.

pabs · 26 January 2016, 18:08

Thank you all for your replies, its good to know if you can't get info on youtube or google at least you guys can help out.
Pabs

Chris · 26 January 2016, 18:09

No Worries, the other option would be to read the manual ;-)

Pikey Dave · 26 January 2016, 18:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

......the other option would be to read the manual ;-)

Nah! Instructions are for people who don't know what they're doing😄

Chris · 26 January 2016, 18:19

Exactly my wife's point when I am assembling Ikea furniture for her. I've explained that I'm trying to create art.... doesn't wash.

9D280 · 01 February 2016, 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

The GPS is in the unit. It should find you wherever you are but it can take a few minutes to register all the relevant satellites. It probably won't work indoors...

My LM420 works inside my "house roof" style garage! (granted with 1/2 mile or so error, but I get a signal!) If you are indoors and first switch - on I'd leave it by the window as mine even knowing where it was can take a good few mins to figure out it hasn't moved if , for example I am using it to check a tide or something.

But any "cold start" on a GPS takes a good few mins as the reciever has a load of info do download off the satellites before the position signals make any sense to it. Once that is done the almanac is in memory and it' s a relatively simple case of find satellites, get signals & do the maths. WhenI took my Garmn handheld abroad it took a good 15 mins to figure out where it was.

Back to the maps, assuming a similar setup o nthe new ones to my old LM if you dive into the "maps - setup" menu, you have to select the one you want to use. (may have renamed it since mine was built) If you had bought the "UK" navonics gold you would see a list of areas to choose from.

Also it will normally show its last known position. If, however, you have scrolled the map you may need to press"exit" to get back to your "live" position.

jyasaki · 01 February 2016, 17:52

Later Lowrance units have it under Chart Info or Chart Data.

Not sure if it's the same on the Elite line, but on the smaller HDS units, it's Menu, Menu, Chart, Chart Data, [select source].

jky

jeffstevens763@g · 02 February 2016, 08:09

there's also lots of info under support in short video's failing that drop lowrance uk an e-mail very helpfull.

Newto · 03 February 2016, 19:14

You do have to select your chart in the settings.

steco1958 · 04 February 2016, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris

Exactly my wife's point when I am assembling Ikea furniture for her. I've explained that I'm trying to create art.... doesn't wash.

Don't see anything wronk there !!