How To: Google Earth waypoints onto your Lowrance FF via SD card

How to export Google maps kmz files waypoints to Lowrance .usr file. SD card type FF needed.

1. http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/convert_input

choose GPX output format
browse for your google maps .kmz file
leave everything as default
convert

2. Your .gpx file was created.
click and download your .gpx file.
save to your desktop.

3. http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/gpsbabel/
input: scroll down and select GPX XML
output: scroll down and select Lowrance USR
browse for the .gpx file you created on your desktop
no - create zip file
yes - output all types of data
leave advanced option alone
hit - convert the file

4. Load the .usr file onto your micro sd or whatever card you have for your Lowrance.
Under the waypoints options on your fishfinder- load the file from card.
Select your .usr file and load.
All done go fish.

This is a very basic method to get your waypoints onto your FF. There are other methods to get your waypoints with different types of icons, routes, etc., but that will be another post in the future. I hope that this helps you guys out. ~ Mike

Great info!

Thanks!

~Bill

I've got a Humminbird with dual slots, although I've never looked into the route for entering waypoints I might have to dig into the manula it and see how (or if) it would work on mine.

Thanks for the info.

The links I listed will pretty much convert any format to almost any format.
So I'm sure the maps file format for Hummingtird is an option there somewhere. ~Mike

awsome thanks for posting 

Had been trying to backup the data on my Lowrance Eliete 4-DSI, and found an article like this on how to use the data with Google Earth.  However I found out in the manual that the FF only accepts up to 2GB MicroSD cards, which I couldn't find anywhere for sale in store. 

The solution is to reformat a larger card down to 2GB, which I found in this tutorial for digital cameras: http://timescience.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/how-to-downsize-a-4gb-compact-flash-card-to-2gb/ 

Then, once I had my card all ready to go, I noticed the SD slot is corroded, and I haven't been able to get it to recognize the card...   Looks like it will have to be sent in for repair.

Great info!
Why would you want to import kmz files into your FF though? Wouldn't it normally be the other way around? Seems like it would be more practical to export the usr file then convert to kmz so you could view your track/waypoints in Google earth.

Well, you can do both Pat!  Putting in waypoints is a pain on the FF itself if you wanted to say mark an MLPA zone. Pulling them off a FF manually is also a PITA!  Now i'm just wondering when they will start using Bluetooth for the data transfers to make it all a whole lot easier 

Sin,

Sorry just looked for this thread to forward it to someone else, but to answer your question...

I am using Google Earth to find bottom structure, reefs, valleys, holes, etc., (yes on the ocean floor, it's there really). I know that most fish hang around or near structure so I find and mark them in GE. I then name them accordingly by area (Place_Depth_ID#_fish + a rating on how productive 0, 1, 2 or 3. An example would be TC North_73ft_37A_lings+3. Once I have all these great looking spots on my master Google Earth file (.kmz) I then convert as I described and load into my Lowrance. I go fish them and add data (species and rating) based on whats happening with that way point. Done and done, so easy a caveman could do it.

When your fishing a species tourney like RTM Classic, this info becomes crucial especially after fishing the same spots over and over and narrowing it down to particular species. Let's say you have a nice ling (not hard to find) and a nice red(can be hard to find) in the boat and you need a cab with 2 hours to go. I can tie on a cab bait, add a little ab guts and go fish the cabbie way points with confidence. Works for me.

Sorry if this was overkill,
Mike