Lowrance HDS10 questions

[jignminow]

I just had the new HDS10 unit installed on the boat and took it out yesterday. GREAT NEW TOY!!!!!
I am curious about something though. I purchased the auxillary GPS head because I will often have my top set up which I was concerned about obstructing the built in GPS. I noticed in the book that it mentions something about being able to hook up an auxillary head through the network system. Mine is not connected that way and now I am questioning which head I am actually getting the signal from or how to select it.

Does anyone know how you can tell if the auxillary head is the source? I have looked through the book and tried to determine this through the settings but I cannot figure it out.

Also, with the "insight" mapping built in, I guess I was expecting very high detail including local street info. My old LCX28chd showed my street when I was sitting on the driveway, this one does not. Should it?

And finally, when you insert an SD card into the unit, the door does not close all the way. Should it? It sure seems like it should!

Thanks for the help.

Steve

[DaveP]

How is the external antenna connected if it is not through the network? I have the same setup and the external antenna is connected to the NMEA2000 bus. I have not found where to tell which antenna the unit is reading from but I know my unit is set to auto. Go to the Network menu and select Data Sources. Then drill down on the GPS section and it should say Auto iGPS or something like that. And yes the door should close. You need to push the card all the way in until it “clicks”. When you want to remove the card you have to push in again and then it pops out.

Sorry but I can’t help with the mapping since I did not get the insight mapping.

[jignminow]

Dave, mine is also conected to the nmea port on the back of the unit. I thought the "I" in iGPS meant "internal". ??? Have you tried an sd card in your unit yet? I realize that you have to push it in until it clicks but it still will not close.

Thanks for the help.

[DaveP]

I’m not sure where I heard it but somewhere along the way I learned that the units were set to automatically detect which antenna was picking up the best signal. I assumed that was the setting since it says 'auto' but cannot be 100% sure. I am able to get the door closed with the SD cards and I have 3 different types. Not sure what to tell you there other than take your card to a store that sells the HDS and try it there.

[jignminow]

Dave, I figured out the door closing problem. The card that was causing the problem was the old mmc card that I hae had going back 3 unit changes. They must bit slightly longer then the SD cards. I checked with a navionics card and they fit fine. I guess I will just have to copy the data to an sd and go from there.

Thanks. I will be on the horn to lowrance today to answer the other questions.

[jignminow]

Dave,

O.k., here's the scoop from Lowrance regarding the LGX-4000 external GPS antennae........If you do not have it conected through a network, it is not working. You are getting your reading from the internal or, IGPS. According to Lowrance, the external antennae must be powered seperately through the network just like the SIRUS will have to when it comes out.

You will need 12455 network starter kit and a 11978 to make it work. They mention nothing about this on-line or in their literature. I am going to make this a general post as well because I bet there are some more people thinking that their GPS is working.

Steve

[DaveP]

Jig,

Thanks for checking on this. Mine is connected through the network and I have other devices on it that are working. It is listed in the device list as well so it is definitely “there”. Did they tell you if there was a way to check which one it was reading from or do we just have to take a leap of faith?

Thanks again for the input.

[jignminow]

They said it will read from whichever one has the strongest signal. I bought mine because I sometimes have the top up which would probably cause a problem.

[Reels]

Put the 28 back on and send that one to me in Iowa...