Lowrance (www.lowrance.com) has a unique series of simulators for its sonar and GPS products that run on your computer. Just download and run a program from the Internet, and a lifelike replica of the product appears onscreen. The GPS receiver simulators don’t actually track satellites, but other than that, work just like the real thing. Use your mouse to click buttons, and the keyboard arrow and Enter keys to select menu items and change settings.
Although Lowrance designed the simulators as a way for potential customers to become familiar with their products (and for owners to practice with them), GPS receiver simulators are an excellent way to find out about concepts and functions that are common to all GPS receivers, no matter what the brand or model. The user interface and features vary between brands and models, but key GPS receiver concepts such as datums, coordinate systems, waypoints, routes, and tracks remain the same. The Lowrance simulator, shown in the figure here, lets you come up to speed on basic GPS receiver operations without even owning a receiver; plus it’s fun to play with. (If you download a simulator, get a copy of the real product’s user manual so you can understand and try all the features. These can be downloaded from the Lowrance site as well.)
To download Lowrance simulators, go to
www.lowrance.com/software/pcsoftware/demos.asp.
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