If you plan on purchasing any of the Lowrance Airmaps just be warned that the mapping of Canada is almost non-existent. Totally useless for any sort of ground navigation! Base mapping has no roadways, railways, towns marked on it so you'll find yourself still using a paper map to get exact fixes. I wouldn't recommend buying one until they upgrade the base map and improve their customer service. Many of my emails have gone unanswered and charging extra to provide basic mapping is ridiculous. If the unit is sold in Canada why do they include mapping software for the states and not here? Beware of dealers who also have custom maps installed on their demo units like the dealer on Steeles Ave near the 400 in Toronto does. Not once during the purchase process did the salesman ever mention that it was custom made for the display model and all their sales are final so your stuck with it once out the door. The software they tout as being included has no detail what-so-ever on Canada only the states.
My cheap Garmin E-map is more usefull to me than this unit and a heck of alot cheaper.
Took a chance on Lowrance but never again...Garmin from here on in! R.W. will also never see me again, thanks for the very misleading sales job guys!
Pissed off…you bet I am!
Heads up on the Lowrance Airmaps!
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog
Heads up on the Lowrance Airmaps!
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
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Cat Driver
- Top Poster
- Posts: 18921
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 8:31 pm
I have been using the Airmap since 1996 and have owned two of them.
Presently I use two anywheremap's on two Ipaq's one 3650 and one 2210 with a bluetooth remote antenna.
My Lowrance Airmap is still the best for flight planning due to its using great circle point to point measurements of distance.
Another feature that Lowrance has thea is very useful is go to courser for quick changes in routing.
As to terrain mapping you can buy cartridges that are very, very accurate....I have all of europe and the meditarredanaen plus I also have southern Canada...they are very accurate.
Cat.
Presently I use two anywheremap's on two Ipaq's one 3650 and one 2210 with a bluetooth remote antenna.
My Lowrance Airmap is still the best for flight planning due to its using great circle point to point measurements of distance.
Another feature that Lowrance has thea is very useful is go to courser for quick changes in routing.
As to terrain mapping you can buy cartridges that are very, very accurate....I have all of europe and the meditarredanaen plus I also have southern Canada...they are very accurate.
Cat.
The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
Cat the biggest complaint I have is that they sell this unit as being a Air/Ground GPS yet there is absolutely no coverage for Canada at all. How are you supposed to navigate roadways in your vehicle if there is no road information in the unit? It's also nice when you’re flying a route VFR to be able to look down at the ground and reference a feature shown on the map for precise situation awareness. What if a control tower asks you to report over a certain town or hi-way, you’re screwed with this unit. Sure you can buy Freedom maps for it but at $100.00 US (check the Lowrance website if you don't believe me) a pop, for complete coverage of Canada you're looking at an additional $1,000.00 US! The obstacle mapping is poor on the base unit and I wouldn't trust it. I have flown over towers that are not marked on it.(unit is up to date too) I honestly don't think you could ever get me to buy Lowrance again. They dropped the ball big time on this unit. They should atleast offer a updated base map for Canadian units at no charge displaying the same detail as the states or at the very least exchange the mapping software for units sold in Canada with a Canadian version. As for the rest of the unit I have no complaints but to advertise it as a moving map GPS is very misleading, they should call it moving grey scale GPS because there is no detail to see up here in the great white north on their maps.
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
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Cat Driver
- Top Poster
- Posts: 18921
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2004 8:31 pm
N2 :
You have very valid points.
I bought the South west Canada map and it cost about $115.00 USD. it covers the south west over to around kenora.
But you are right, if they showed you a unit with mapping software in it and did not explain it was an extra I would take it back and ram it up his ass.
Have you thought of writing to the president and asking if that is company policy to sell products based on deception?
Cat.
You have very valid points.
I bought the South west Canada map and it cost about $115.00 USD. it covers the south west over to around kenora.
But you are right, if they showed you a unit with mapping software in it and did not explain it was an extra I would take it back and ram it up his ass.
Have you thought of writing to the president and asking if that is company policy to sell products based on deception?
Cat.
The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
After over a half a century of flying no one ever died because of my decision not to fly.
Cat I just emailed the manager of the shop where I bought the unit from. If they don't offer to at least upgrade the mapping software I am prepared to take them to small claims court over this one. I am tired of being ripped off which I feel like I have been. I will not publish the name of the dealer however if they don't make any attempt to rectifie the problem I will splash it ever where I can so that others don't get caught like I did. I have even offered to trade it back for a Garmin 276C straight trade which is cheaper than this unit. After spending over $1,000.00 on a unit the last thing I wanted to do was start paying to upgrade to a usable level right off the bat!
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
N2 - I don't know squat about aviation GPS units. That said, they way in which they sold that unit to you patently dishonest. Rather than small claims court, I'd suggest setting up a sit-down with the store manager to explain your concerns (tape recording it might be an idea...) and if that doesn't resolve it, inform him that you'll be talking to the Better Business Bureau, and informing the Canadian distributor for Lowrance about how he does things.
I've had a bit of experience getting recalcitrant companies to back up their products. I recently had a bad experience with a Compaq laptop. It took three months of e-mails and wrangling, but the end result was a cheque for 85% of the initial purchase price - enough to purchase a brand new laptop with enough power to blow the old one out of the water (given that it was 12 month old technology).
Being a stubborn, persistent, albiet reasonably polite consumer will often produce results, and is way less hassle than small claims court.
I've had a bit of experience getting recalcitrant companies to back up their products. I recently had a bad experience with a Compaq laptop. It took three months of e-mails and wrangling, but the end result was a cheque for 85% of the initial purchase price - enough to purchase a brand new laptop with enough power to blow the old one out of the water (given that it was 12 month old technology).
Being a stubborn, persistent, albiet reasonably polite consumer will often produce results, and is way less hassle than small claims court.
Please don't tell my mother that I work in the Oilpatch...she still thinks that I'm the piano player at a whorehouse.
Here's an update for those interested. I did receive a email from the sales manager of the store I bought it from. Of course there was denial on his part that any of his sales team would purposely misrepresent the product even thought I had someone with me when I bought it that can back me up.
In all fairness to him I can understand his position and I too would most likely back up my guys if someone made a claim against them such as this. However with that said he is going to talk to Lowrance Canada today about what can be done. Either a refund or provide mapping for Canada as they supply their units in the states.
I think everyone who has purchased a Lowrance Airmap should be mad as hell that we go out and buy these units only to have to pay immediately to upgrade them to a usable standard. They sure provide good coverage in the states so why not us too? They make money selling the units up here too do they not? We should demand that the software included be of Canada not the states! Write to Darrell Lowrance and insist on this change for the Canadian units and too exchange our Map Create software for a Canadian edition!. Just another example of Canadians getting ripped off by US firms. You'll never catch me in a Wal Mart! Buy Canadian support our own!
In all fairness to him I can understand his position and I too would most likely back up my guys if someone made a claim against them such as this. However with that said he is going to talk to Lowrance Canada today about what can be done. Either a refund or provide mapping for Canada as they supply their units in the states.
I think everyone who has purchased a Lowrance Airmap should be mad as hell that we go out and buy these units only to have to pay immediately to upgrade them to a usable standard. They sure provide good coverage in the states so why not us too? They make money selling the units up here too do they not? We should demand that the software included be of Canada not the states! Write to Darrell Lowrance and insist on this change for the Canadian units and too exchange our Map Create software for a Canadian edition!. Just another example of Canadians getting ripped off by US firms. You'll never catch me in a Wal Mart! Buy Canadian support our own!
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
Here's the offical response from Lowrance! Typical eh.
We do understand your frustration at the level of service received at
the retail level when making your purchase. You are correct that had the
individual selling you the product made you aware of the level of the
base map and that what he was demonstrating was indeed the optional
mapping, that would have given you more a basis to make a more informed purchase. Unfortunately we are in a position whereby we cannot simply offer our consumer a free upgrade to the mapping as they can in the US since there are fees that are paid to mapping companies to obtain the mapping for Canada. We will make our sales manager aware of your
experience and address this issue with them.
There you go people, you make up your own minds whether or not you would purchase a GPS from a company like this. They should label the boxes "Contains no mapping information outside of the USA" Not one bloody road or town in Canada is displayed. IF they can't supply the mapping then tell us up front! The Canadian editon of Map Create doesn't even exsist yet. POOR POOR POOR!
We do understand your frustration at the level of service received at
the retail level when making your purchase. You are correct that had the
individual selling you the product made you aware of the level of the
base map and that what he was demonstrating was indeed the optional
mapping, that would have given you more a basis to make a more informed purchase. Unfortunately we are in a position whereby we cannot simply offer our consumer a free upgrade to the mapping as they can in the US since there are fees that are paid to mapping companies to obtain the mapping for Canada. We will make our sales manager aware of your
experience and address this issue with them.
There you go people, you make up your own minds whether or not you would purchase a GPS from a company like this. They should label the boxes "Contains no mapping information outside of the USA" Not one bloody road or town in Canada is displayed. IF they can't supply the mapping then tell us up front! The Canadian editon of Map Create doesn't even exsist yet. POOR POOR POOR!
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
I'd also suggest that "all sales final" is a pretty crappy thing to do to a customer - it's not as if you were buying software and copying it. A lot of places apply a 10-25% restocking charge on electronics, but unless you bought a discontinued or clearance item, there shouldn't be an issue with a return, provided that you have the original packaging and reciept.
Once again, if you weren't informed during the demo that what you were recieving was NOT what you were being shown (i.e map database contents), then the unit was sold to you under false pretenses, and you are due some recompense. I would suggest that a return might be easier to achieve than getting free mapping software.
Once again, if you weren't informed during the demo that what you were recieving was NOT what you were being shown (i.e map database contents), then the unit was sold to you under false pretenses, and you are due some recompense. I would suggest that a return might be easier to achieve than getting free mapping software.
Please don't tell my mother that I work in the Oilpatch...she still thinks that I'm the piano player at a whorehouse.
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mikegtzg
- Rank 5
- Posts: 306
- Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2004 12:05 am
- Location: 1000' & 66 kts. above Manitoba
I too purchased an Lowrance Airmap 100. I liked the price and the features. But was very disappointed when I realized the map feature stopped just North of Selkirk, Mb. And since I don't believe the update will have that info any better, they won't get any further sales to upgrade the database.
There are also quite a few aerodromes that are in the CFS around Manitoba that aren't in the database. (Shoal lake, Lundar, Ste.Rose, Pine Dock to name a few)
The only other negative of the unit is that it's a battery hog. I had a Magellan GPS Pioneer before and it would run for 20hrs. on 2 AA's. The Airmap eats 4 AA's in less than half of that.
There are also quite a few aerodromes that are in the CFS around Manitoba that aren't in the database. (Shoal lake, Lundar, Ste.Rose, Pine Dock to name a few)
The only other negative of the unit is that it's a battery hog. I had a Magellan GPS Pioneer before and it would run for 20hrs. on 2 AA's. The Airmap eats 4 AA's in less than half of that.
I've never looked at the 100 series before (the one I purchased is the 5" screen 1000 series) but this seems to be Lowrances style. Give as little as they can get away with. I am writing to Darrell Lowrance to tell him that Canadian consumer’s feel ripped off by his company. If they want to sell a GPS up here in Canada why not include the mapping software as he does for his US customer. Once again the Canadian consumer gets it in the rear from our buddies south of the border.
Let's break down some numbers here and see if they can justify not providing us with the same level of mapping as they do in the US.
Garmin 196 American price = $999.00 Canadian = $1199.00
Lowrance Air Map 1000 American price = $799.00 Canadian = $1050.00
It is obvious that Lowrance is charging us full price for a unit that is deficient in our region, while Garmin isn't. I also noticed that Aviation World doesn’t have a unit setup with extra mapping software that could mislead the consumer Had I of asked for a demo of their unit I would have seen the real deal. Their pricing is as good as anyone else’s I found in the GTA on GPS units so I would deal with them before this other shop that I dealt with.
Let's break down some numbers here and see if they can justify not providing us with the same level of mapping as they do in the US.
Garmin 196 American price = $999.00 Canadian = $1199.00
Lowrance Air Map 1000 American price = $799.00 Canadian = $1050.00
It is obvious that Lowrance is charging us full price for a unit that is deficient in our region, while Garmin isn't. I also noticed that Aviation World doesn’t have a unit setup with extra mapping software that could mislead the consumer Had I of asked for a demo of their unit I would have seen the real deal. Their pricing is as good as anyone else’s I found in the GTA on GPS units so I would deal with them before this other shop that I dealt with.
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
N2, I agree with you that if the salesperson did not tell you they had an optional map in the demo unit, that is wrong !
But take a quick look at Radioworld website, look up the specs for the AirMap® 1000 and it's clearly defined
The store where you bought the unit should give your money back... since they misreprensented the product...
Benwa
But take a quick look at Radioworld website, look up the specs for the AirMap® 1000 and it's clearly defined
So I don't think Lowrance is guilty of anything other than trying to sell a GPS made for the US market in Canada... It's always your responsability to know what you are buying !Built-in, custom continental U.S. and Hawaii background map with major highways, interstate exit services, and enhanced coastal/inland waters detail
The store where you bought the unit should give your money back... since they misreprensented the product...
Benwa
Ok first off the US detail map they are talking about is a highly detailed map with POI include and the such. That is not what I was concerned about what I was after is that the unit contained basic mapping of Canada. Basic mapping one would think includes citys and town, major hiways etc although not in great detail.
My point being is that when they load optional street ware mapping into the demo unit they are setting a person up to believe that this is the detail considered basic by Lowrance standards. Not once did they demonstrate the POI capabilities of the mapping in Canada and say that's because it had the upgrade, they just showed basic road mapping. I have always used Garmin products and their basic mapping shows this kind of detail (towns, hiways rivers, railways etc) without the need to upgrade the base map.
Radio world also failed to disclose to us that Lowrance would offer a 30 day return but just informed me of it this morning. Why do they have to be pressured to offer up this information? Couldn't the salesman have told us like VIP does, right up front? On their invoice it clearly states "10 Exchange, No Refunds" Why was I not informed of Lowrance’s policy earlier? They are double talking all over the place. I have purchased Trimble and Garmin products and never once had any hassle, then again they were very upfront about the product. The demonstration units were as the consumer receives them not up graded. If Radio World wanted to show off the capabilities they just had to have a upgrade mapping card there to plug in. That tactic is almost like changing the fuel injection chip on a car to get it to perform better while people test drive it. Not exactly what they will end up with on delivery though. The one good thing that has come out of this is I am a little smarter for the next time I buy something.
Anyways you guys make up your own minds but I will not shop Radio World again nor will I buy any more Lowrance products. Perhaps they can make a fish finder but as far as aviation GPS goes they need to go back to the drawing board and find out what kind of map detail a pilot actually needs.
Here's the actual ad from their web page, notice how it says Mapcreate software included. They don't say Mapcreate software for the USA only! It only states in the ad that the US map is built in when you buy the unit so wouldn't you take for granted it would cover Canada on the included software if it's being sold here? Specially when they demo a unit and it shows Canada on it. Sneaky sales tactics! They will be at the aviation show in YOO, best advice is to keep walking past their booth.
The AirMap® 1000 adds to the AirMap® benefits of reliability, versatility, and value with an all new 5" high-contrast screen. Features Jeppeson® and Lowrance Obstructions databases loaded on one 32MB MMC card, MapCreate™ software, an MMC/SD card reader-writer, a cigarette plug power adapter, an advanced active remote antenna, a yoke-mount bracket, and a wrist strap.
AirMap® 1000 FEATURES:
Display
Sizeable 5" diagonal (12.7 cm) high-contrast Film SuperTwist display
320x320 (h x w) pixel resolution
Adjustable white LED screen backlighting for excellent night-time viewing
High-speed screen updates
16-level grayscale
Mapping
Jeppesen® Americas database with Intersections, NDBs, VOR, Airspaces (class D included), and all Airport Approach Control and FSS frequencies
Exclusive Lowrance Obstructions database with ground obstructions display in AGL or MSL heights
Built-in, custom continental U.S. and Hawaii background map with major highways, interstate exit services, and enhanced coastal/inland waters detail
Accepts custom, high-detail MapCreate™ mapping on MMC or SD memory cards up to 256MB with searchable POI database of hotels, restaurants, shopping, services, and more
My point being is that when they load optional street ware mapping into the demo unit they are setting a person up to believe that this is the detail considered basic by Lowrance standards. Not once did they demonstrate the POI capabilities of the mapping in Canada and say that's because it had the upgrade, they just showed basic road mapping. I have always used Garmin products and their basic mapping shows this kind of detail (towns, hiways rivers, railways etc) without the need to upgrade the base map.
Radio world also failed to disclose to us that Lowrance would offer a 30 day return but just informed me of it this morning. Why do they have to be pressured to offer up this information? Couldn't the salesman have told us like VIP does, right up front? On their invoice it clearly states "10 Exchange, No Refunds" Why was I not informed of Lowrance’s policy earlier? They are double talking all over the place. I have purchased Trimble and Garmin products and never once had any hassle, then again they were very upfront about the product. The demonstration units were as the consumer receives them not up graded. If Radio World wanted to show off the capabilities they just had to have a upgrade mapping card there to plug in. That tactic is almost like changing the fuel injection chip on a car to get it to perform better while people test drive it. Not exactly what they will end up with on delivery though. The one good thing that has come out of this is I am a little smarter for the next time I buy something.
Anyways you guys make up your own minds but I will not shop Radio World again nor will I buy any more Lowrance products. Perhaps they can make a fish finder but as far as aviation GPS goes they need to go back to the drawing board and find out what kind of map detail a pilot actually needs.
Here's the actual ad from their web page, notice how it says Mapcreate software included. They don't say Mapcreate software for the USA only! It only states in the ad that the US map is built in when you buy the unit so wouldn't you take for granted it would cover Canada on the included software if it's being sold here? Specially when they demo a unit and it shows Canada on it. Sneaky sales tactics! They will be at the aviation show in YOO, best advice is to keep walking past their booth.
The AirMap® 1000 adds to the AirMap® benefits of reliability, versatility, and value with an all new 5" high-contrast screen. Features Jeppeson® and Lowrance Obstructions databases loaded on one 32MB MMC card, MapCreate™ software, an MMC/SD card reader-writer, a cigarette plug power adapter, an advanced active remote antenna, a yoke-mount bracket, and a wrist strap.
AirMap® 1000 FEATURES:
Display
Sizeable 5" diagonal (12.7 cm) high-contrast Film SuperTwist display
320x320 (h x w) pixel resolution
Adjustable white LED screen backlighting for excellent night-time viewing
High-speed screen updates
16-level grayscale
Mapping
Jeppesen® Americas database with Intersections, NDBs, VOR, Airspaces (class D included), and all Airport Approach Control and FSS frequencies
Exclusive Lowrance Obstructions database with ground obstructions display in AGL or MSL heights
Built-in, custom continental U.S. and Hawaii background map with major highways, interstate exit services, and enhanced coastal/inland waters detail
Accepts custom, high-detail MapCreate™ mapping on MMC or SD memory cards up to 256MB with searchable POI database of hotels, restaurants, shopping, services, and more
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
I just recently purchased an Air map 1000 and like you was duped by the fact that the screen is bigger than the 196 and at the pilot supply the display model appeared to have better mapping than the 196. Thankfully I asked some questions but I still didn't get all the right information. I was told that the freedom map was the detailed mapping but that it didn't include the aviation database and if I purchased a freedom map all I had to do was call Lowrance and they would explain to me how to overlay the air database that came with the AM100. I called them and they told me that the only way to do what I was asking was to purchase the Jep air database update off the net ($35.00US) So here's the final result, for about the same cost as a 196 've got a GPS that has better terrain mapping in only one province, it has bigger screen and it's easily updateable for a price. I'm trying to tell myself that I made the right choice so as long I never fly out of Manitoba I guess I'll be fine.
I think you should also write to Darrell Lowrance and ask for the Map Create software to be exchanged for a Canadian Version. After all we are paying the same price as our US friends so why shouldn’t we get software we can use? If enough of us ask they may just do it. Aside from that the 196 is still a better deal than the Airmap if you ask me. $1050.00 for the Airmap then another $100.00 US for the Freedom map that only covers a very small area, then another $35.00 US for the Jeppesen update. You still don't end up with near the mapping capabilities of the 196. In my honest opinion The 196 is only $1199.00 now and you don’t have to upgrade it the minute you unpack it.
The 196 is updated as easy as the Airmap and at least Garmin has the mapping software out there now unlike Lowrance. Another plus is that the Garmin mapping software is less expensive too! Using Freedom maps to cover Canada you'd be looking at over $1000.00 US!
I would buy the 196 before the Airmap if I could do it again. Come to think of it when I win the lottery I am gonna time how long it takes for my Airmap to hit the ground from 3000 AGL.
The 196 is updated as easy as the Airmap and at least Garmin has the mapping software out there now unlike Lowrance. Another plus is that the Garmin mapping software is less expensive too! Using Freedom maps to cover Canada you'd be looking at over $1000.00 US!
I would buy the 196 before the Airmap if I could do it again. Come to think of it when I win the lottery I am gonna time how long it takes for my Airmap to hit the ground from 3000 AGL.
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
Another update just to vent my frustration with Lowrance and Radio World. I was told last week by the sales manager at Radio World that he would have a firm answer for me as to when the Map Create CD for Canada would be released. Well I heard nothing from him and this is Lowrances response.
"with respect to the second part of your inquiry,
we do apologize in the delay in answering your original inquiry but as
it stands we are still a few weeks away from the release of the Canadian
Mapping cd's."
This has been going on since I bought the unit in late March. So be warned if you invest in a Lowrance unit this is the type of nonsense you can expect! The very least they should do is supply the purchaser with a Freedom map for their area while they fiddle fart around getting the software out here for us. Seem to be always tomorrow with this company. Notice Garmin already has their software out to support their products!
"with respect to the second part of your inquiry,
we do apologize in the delay in answering your original inquiry but as
it stands we are still a few weeks away from the release of the Canadian
Mapping cd's."
This has been going on since I bought the unit in late March. So be warned if you invest in a Lowrance unit this is the type of nonsense you can expect! The very least they should do is supply the purchaser with a Freedom map for their area while they fiddle fart around getting the software out here for us. Seem to be always tomorrow with this company. Notice Garmin already has their software out to support their products!
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
Another update guys. I finally talked to the sales manager from Lowrance USA today and found him to be very decent to deal with. I explained my problems and he was very apologetic for the run-around that I have gotten so far.. He understood my frustration and also informed me that I could create maps with a little more detail using the map create disks that come with the unit. Why Radio World never told me this from the start is beyond me but I told him I wouldn't deal with them again as I think this is pretty spotty after sales service from RW.
Anyways to make a long story short Lowrance is sending me a Freedom map for my area free of charge, so I am pretty satisfied with that. Still a lot of frustration for something RW should have told me right from the start.
Anyways to make a long story short Lowrance is sending me a Freedom map for my area free of charge, so I am pretty satisfied with that. Still a lot of frustration for something RW should have told me right from the start.
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
Well to be honest I still think the Garmin is a hell of a good unit. With that said now that my Airmap is up to snuff I think it will work just as well for me. Too bad I had to go through the BS like I did but hey live and learn. Also for those who don't know you don't have to buy an up date Jepp card to load a custom map onto your unit. Simply put the new map file on the Jepp card and it works perfectly. It would have been much easier for someone at Lowrance Canada to contact me rather than having me write to the owner like I did.
Putting money into aviation is like wiping before you poop....it just don't make sense!
FYI
N2,
Just for your information...
I too was looking to buy an Aviation GPS a few months back and had a heck of a time deciding between the Lowrance you purchased and the Garmin 196.
I dealt with the Calgary Pilot Shop and found the sales guy there to be fantastic! At one point I had actually decided on the Lowrance, which is when he piped up and mentioned the non-existent mapping of Canada. He said you could buy the cartridge for your area but it was extra.
With that info, I went with the Garmin 196.
I'm very happy with the 196, but hind site being 20/20, for road mapping in Atlantic Canada, my 196 is not worth a pinch of coon $hit. I contacted Garmin about the inaccuracy of there road mapping and they conceded that the mapping was “not as good as it should be" but that I could purchase land maps for the unit that were fantastic.
This kind of puts me back in the same boat with you and your Lowrance. We both have to purchase additional maps to make use of the land mapping feature.
Personally, if I had to make the purchase again, I may go with the Lowrance as the Garmin Land maps are pretty much useless anyway and the Lowrance has that beautiful big screen. I also understand that the airspace mapping is better on the Lowrance.
Regards,
Crispy3M
Just for your information...
I too was looking to buy an Aviation GPS a few months back and had a heck of a time deciding between the Lowrance you purchased and the Garmin 196.
I dealt with the Calgary Pilot Shop and found the sales guy there to be fantastic! At one point I had actually decided on the Lowrance, which is when he piped up and mentioned the non-existent mapping of Canada. He said you could buy the cartridge for your area but it was extra.
With that info, I went with the Garmin 196.
I'm very happy with the 196, but hind site being 20/20, for road mapping in Atlantic Canada, my 196 is not worth a pinch of coon $hit. I contacted Garmin about the inaccuracy of there road mapping and they conceded that the mapping was “not as good as it should be" but that I could purchase land maps for the unit that were fantastic.
This kind of puts me back in the same boat with you and your Lowrance. We both have to purchase additional maps to make use of the land mapping feature.
Personally, if I had to make the purchase again, I may go with the Lowrance as the Garmin Land maps are pretty much useless anyway and the Lowrance has that beautiful big screen. I also understand that the airspace mapping is better on the Lowrance.
Regards,
Crispy3M
In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield...W. Buffett
