Lowrance MapCreate Review

Lowrance was the first manufacturer to offer a GPS receiver with uploadable maps. (For you trivia buffs, it was the GlobalMap100, which first came out in April, 1998.) The company continues the electronic map tradition with its current line of iFINDER handheld GPS receivers; which use memory cards to store maps.
If you own a Lowrance GPS receiver or are considering purchasing one, here are the map products you can use:

• MapCreate: MapCreate is Lowrance’s primary map program for creating GPS receiver maps of the United States. In addition to street maps and points of interest, MapCreate also has an extensive database of navigation aids, wrecks, and obstructions for marine use. One nice feature of MapCreate is that you can select polygon map regions to upload, which maximizes map storage space. Although MapCreate currently doesn’t offer autorouting and turnby-turn directions, Lowrance does plan to offer this feature in the future. Several versions of MapCreate are available. If you’re using an iFINDER GPS receiver, be sure you get Version 6 or later.
• FreedomMaps: In addition to maps on CD-ROM, Lowrance also offers the FreedomMaps product line, comprising memory cards preloaded with maps of the United States, Europe, and Canada. Regional maps come on 128MB and 256MB memory cards that you just plug into your GPS receiver; no software or CD-ROMs are required.
  
• Navionics charts: Navionics (www.navionics.com) is one of the largest producers of electronic nautical charts. Navionics Gold and Classic charts and fishing HotMaps are all available on MMC memory cards and are also compatible with the iFINDER Pro GPS receiver.