General Tips For Your HDS Unit On June 18, 2013
1. If the only HDS you have is the 5X, which doesn’t have a card slot and you want to load a software upgrade I have an easy way. Call your local sporting goods store and ask them if they have the update. If they do you may be able to bring in your HDS 5X, hook up to their power and connect an Ethernet from their unit to your unit and do the upgrade for you.
2. Do not power off the HDS by pressing and holding the power button. Your HDS is a computer and the correct way to power off the computer and HDS is press the power button once and select Power off.
3. Taking screenshots with the Lowrance Elite models is easy. You must have a blank micro SD card in the card slot and press the power button first and then the zoom in button. This captures the display as a photo to the micro SD card.
4. Screenshots for the LCX and LMS models with the latest software updates.
Our boats have numerous electronics and monitoring the battery is important. I use 2 batteries (Optima Blue Top 31 series for the starting batteries). One battery is only for starting my 250 Verado and one battery is for electronics. I have an isolator that charges both when the Verado is running and the starting battery cannot be discharged except by starting the Verado. I watch the supply voltage overlay on my HDS and start the Verado if I get worried about the electronics battery on the cold fall days. The supply voltage is not the battery voltage but measured internally on the HDS. I use it to give me an idea on the battery voltage and I set the voltage alarm at 11 volts to alert me to a low battery. You can also connect the 2 batteries together without an isolator. One battery for starting a 250 HP motor and running all your electronics is risky.
