Lowrance Baja Elite 5M - Page 2

kknuth · 05-04-2011, 09:20 PM

ban: PM sent.

ban · 05-04-2011, 09:24 PM

zecatfish can type faster than I can!

I found one if his old post and I contacted him. He help be get started making the lcm maps. I have only started to "scratch the surface".

ban · 05-04-2011, 09:51 PM

Two emails sent!

Zecatfish · 05-05-2011, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ban

Two emails sent!

I didn't get yours?!?!
Be glad to send you an lcm map file I generated from gpsmapedit.
I'm curious how it displayed on KK's device.
I know what it looks like on my XOG.

ban · 05-05-2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zecatfish

I didn't get yours?!?!.....

I sent two emails to KK with ".lcm" files. They were street maps created with GPSMapEdit. One map was based on a map from Ibycus and the other map was based on OpenStreetMap.

Do you want me to send the files to you too?

xymotic · 05-05-2011, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ban

I sent two emails to KK with ".lcm" files. They were street maps created with GPSMapEdit. One map was based on a map from Ibycus and the other map was based on OpenStreetMap.

Do you want me to send the files to you too?

Did they work

kknuth · 05-10-2011, 05:16 AM

ban: I didn't get any files from you.

Zecatfish: I did get the Arkansas map from you,

I loaded the .lcm file onto my microsd card into a /maps folder and popped it into the Baja. Nothing. Said no SD card found. Max size is 2 gig. Well my card was 4 gig, so that was a bummer.
So I found another 1 gig card and loaded it. Nothing.
Then took the .lcm file out of the /maps directory and placed it in the root directory instead
Bingo! It loaded.
But....what loaded was unusable. The streets were not drawn out as lines on the map. They were just text. So for example Main St. was:

MAINST MAINST MAINST MAINST

..over and over again along the path that the street followed.

ban · 05-10-2011, 10:09 AM

Do you want me to resend the files again? Can you check to make sure they were not blocked by your spam filter?

kknuth · 05-10-2011, 06:35 PM

Sure, feel free. I'll try any kind of file people have got.

ban · 05-10-2011, 07:12 PM

Email sent again, it is 3 megabytes.

supergper · 05-22-2011, 07:48 PM

In that size of unit, try the HDS-5 Baja. IMO, that size is a bit large for a bike, but you are correct in that the screens are incredible. The HDS-5 is the standard for a lot of the Baja/KOH racers (cars/trucks, not bikes). They may not do routing because Lowrance is generally not a Joe Schmoe GPS. They are primarily air/sea units with a few products that can be used effectively on land. In air/sea navigation, the route is generally a straight line

Cavernous · 11-22-2011, 02:28 PM

I purchased the Lowrance Baja because I found non hand held Garmin units to be useful mostly on paved roads and I wanted something geared toward offroad.

As several people have mentioned, topo map data is available through a Lowrance subsidiary: LEI.

MapCreate 7 is a DVD based topo data program that's been discontinued; they are rare but can still be found. There are quite a few 3rd party vendors that supply USA topo on SD card(s) for states. Here's something to seriously consider as they're rare, rare, rare: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lowrance-Map...ht_2317wt_1361

Here is one such vendor: http://www.pjsperformance.com/

I think these guys are where I obtained the western USA (contact them for quote): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Map-Create-T...#ht_500wt_1376

Here is one that may be worth looking into, but not sure if the topo data can be used with Baja units (from Lowrance): http://www.mapselect.com/

No turn by turn nav so these are really designed for off-road use; although they do display POI, city street, etc., data.

I hope this is helpful. I think someone should start a Lowrance Baja thread to share ideas. Lowrance has notoriously poor customer support so it would be good to have user coloboration.

Philo99 · 02-08-2013, 06:09 PM

Hey folks. After trying several GPS units and doing some extensive research I am going to buy the Lowrance 5M Baja. I have been considering the the Elite 4M as well but want to put my hands on one first and see if the the display is large enough as the website says it is only 3.5". I decided to resurrect this thread as Lowrance has added offroad mapping capability with topography to the Elite 5M Baja that some of you were working at getting some time ago. Evidently Lowrance listened to the complaints (Garmin take note!) and now there are two offroad map micro cards available, starting this month. One for west coast US and the other for Eastern two thirds of the US. West Marine sells the unit for 499! Another benefit I like enables my other addiction, fishing! They have inland lake fishing card the provides bottom topography and shoreline contours as well as access routes so I can ride there swap the card and pick my spot.

Philo

HogWild · 02-08-2013, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philo99

now there are two offroad map micro cards available

What's on them that isn't on Garmin topo maps? What's "offroad" about them? And besides being too big for most bikers, what does the Lowrance 5M Baja unit do for bikers that current Garmin handhelds don't do?

05-04-2011, 09:20 PM	#16
kknuth ^OP Up Nort! Joined: Oct 2008 Location: Twin Cities Oddometer: 177	ban: PM sent. __________________ Minnesota ADV Riders Meetups *Trans-Minnesota Adventure Trail* Minnesota Rider Emergency Email List *Minnesota ADV Blog*

05-04-2011, 09:24 PM	#17
ban Adventurer Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Land of Lincoln Oddometer: 26	zecatfish can type faster than I can! I found one if his old post and I contacted him. He help be get started making the lcm maps. I have only started to "scratch the surface". __________________ Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference. - Mark Twain Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. - Dan Stanford

05-04-2011, 09:51 PM	#18
ban Adventurer Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Land of Lincoln Oddometer: 26	PM received Two emails sent! __________________ Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference. - Mark Twain Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. - Dan Stanford

05-10-2011, 05:16 AM	#22
kknuth ^OP Up Nort! Joined: Oct 2008 Location: Twin Cities Oddometer: 177	ban: I didn't get any files from you. Zecatfish: I did get the Arkansas map from you, I loaded the .lcm file onto my microsd card into a /maps folder and popped it into the Baja. Nothing. Said no SD card found. Max size is 2 gig. Well my card was 4 gig, so that was a bummer. So I found another 1 gig card and loaded it. Nothing. Then took the .lcm file out of the /maps directory and placed it in the root directory instead Bingo! It loaded. But....what loaded was unusable. The streets were not drawn out as lines on the map. They were just text. So for example Main St. was: MAINST MAINST MAINST MAINST ..over and over again along the path that the street followed. __________________ Minnesota ADV Riders Meetups *Trans-Minnesota Adventure Trail* Minnesota Rider Emergency Email List *Minnesota ADV Blog*

05-10-2011, 10:09 AM	#23
ban Adventurer Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Land of Lincoln Oddometer: 26	Missing email Do you want me to resend the files again? Can you check to make sure they were not blocked by your spam filter? __________________ Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference. - Mark Twain Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. - Dan Stanford

05-10-2011, 06:35 PM	#24
kknuth ^OP Up Nort! Joined: Oct 2008 Location: Twin Cities Oddometer: 177	Sure, feel free. I'll try any kind of file people have got. __________________ Minnesota ADV Riders Meetups *Trans-Minnesota Adventure Trail* Minnesota Rider Emergency Email List *Minnesota ADV Blog*

05-10-2011, 07:12 PM	#25
ban Adventurer Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Land of Lincoln Oddometer: 26	Email sent again Email sent again, it is 3 megabytes. __________________ Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference. - Mark Twain Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want. - Dan Stanford

05-22-2011, 07:48 PM	#26
supergper Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2009 Location: SLC, UT Oddometer: 136	In that size of unit, try the HDS-5 Baja. IMO, that size is a bit large for a bike, but you are correct in that the screens are incredible. The HDS-5 is the standard for a lot of the Baja/KOH racers (cars/trucks, not bikes). They may not do routing because Lowrance is generally not a Joe Schmoe GPS. They are primarily air/sea units with a few products that can be used effectively on land. In air/sea navigation, the route is generally a straight line __________________ http://www.anarchysports.com

11-22-2011, 02:28 PM	#27
Cavernous Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2011 Oddometer: 140	I purchased the Lowrance Baja because I found non hand held Garmin units to be useful mostly on paved roads and I wanted something geared toward offroad. As several people have mentioned, topo map data is available through a Lowrance subsidiary: LEI. MapCreate 7 is a DVD based topo data program that's been discontinued; they are rare but can still be found. There are quite a few 3rd party vendors that supply USA topo on SD card(s) for states. Here's something to seriously consider as they're rare, rare, rare: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lowrance-Map...ht_2317wt_1361 Here is one such vendor: http://www.pjsperformance.com/ I think these guys are where I obtained the western USA (contact them for quote): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Map-Create-T...#ht_500wt_1376 Here is one that may be worth looking into, but not sure if the topo data can be used with Baja units (from Lowrance): http://www.mapselect.com/ No turn by turn nav so these are really designed for off-road use; although they do display POI, city street, etc., data. I hope this is helpful. I think someone should start a Lowrance Baja thread to share ideas. Lowrance has notoriously poor customer support so it would be good to have user coloboration.

02-08-2013, 06:09 PM	#28
Philo99 n00b Joined: May 2009 Location: Sunny San Diego Oddometer: 9	Resurrection! Hey folks. After trying several GPS units and doing some extensive research I am going to buy the Lowrance 5M Baja. I have been considering the the Elite 4M as well but want to put my hands on one first and see if the the display is large enough as the website says it is only 3.5". I decided to resurrect this thread as Lowrance has added offroad mapping capability with topography to the Elite 5M Baja that some of you were working at getting some time ago. Evidently Lowrance listened to the complaints (Garmin take note!) and now there are two offroad map micro cards available, starting this month. One for west coast US and the other for Eastern two thirds of the US. West Marine sells the unit for 499! Another benefit I like enables my other addiction, fishing! They have inland lake fishing card the provides bottom topography and shoreline contours as well as access routes so I can ride there swap the card and pick my spot. Philo

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