Converting Waypoints from Garmin and Lowrance

This article will walk through the steps for converting waypoint data from Garmin and Lowrance units to be able to use on your Humminbird unit. 

Jump to:

• How to convert Waypoint Data
• Converting Lowrance Version 5 Waypoint To GPX Format
• Correcting Corrupt Data
• HumminbirdPC

How to convert Waypoint Data

Video on Converting Waypoints

1. When performing the following task the user must have the Lowrance or Garmin information saved on an MMC/SD card. The user must also have the card placed in a card reader connected to the computer.
2. Open HumminbirdPC
3. Click on File then OPEN
4. The program is now going to ask what to import and where it should look for the data. In the LOOK IN section in the top window browse with the drop down box to select the MMC/SD card (the MMC/SD drive may also be listed as a removable drive)
5. Then go down to the bottom box - FILES OF TYPE - click on the the down arrow it will give a list of all recognizable format. Select the correct format for the file you want converted. Lowrance is a .USR or a LOW file. Garmin files would be a .GDB or a .MPS.
6. Specify which waypoint files you would like to switch to the Humminbird format and the files will be converted automatically. The files will then appear in the left hand column as a .gpx file. It will have the same name as the original file with the .gpx extension behind it.
7. You would then use then highlight the new .gpx file and select the the green up arrow under the image of an SD card to install the file to the SD card. You will get a message to ADD or REPLACE data on the card. Select ADD, unless you want to delete everything else on the card then you may select REPLACE. The new GPS data will then be loaded to the card. You will see a progress bar showing the files being uploaded to the card.
8. Once complete you will then press the RED up arrow under the SD card Icon on the Humminbird PC program and then when it is safe to remove the card from the card reader the SD icon will disappear from the Humminbird PC program. You may then safely remove the card from the card reader.
9. Plug the card into the Humminbird unit while it is powered on and the information will then automatically load onto the unit. It will tell you on the unit that it is Loading Waypoints, Routes, and Tracks and then state when it is complete and how many routes, waypoints and/or tracks was loaded into the unit.

Converting Lowrance Version 5 Waypoint To GPX Format

In order to perform this conversion, you must use a third party GPS conversion platform called GPS Visualizer. Humminbird has no association with this website.

Below are the instructions to perform the conversion once you have arrived at the above website.

1. Select GPX for the output format and upload the Lowrance Version File from your computer.
2. Click the green, "Convert" button.
   
3. Once converted, you would then come to the following page. Click on the green link (circled in red in the image below) that reads, "Click to download [filename]-data.gpx" and save the file to your computer.
   
4. From here you may use HumminbirdPC to open the .GPX file that was saved to your computer:
   
5. Select the file type for GPX File(*.gpx):
   
6. Select the file you wish to load to HumminbirdPC:
   
7. You will see the progress back from the importing of the files:
   
8. You should now have your files that you can expand to view and ensure that all files are available.
   

Correcting Corrupt Data

Click here for information on corrupt waypoint date technical bulletin.

When corrupt nav data is suspected of being the cause of issues with your system we would like to take the following steps to check for this and clear out any possible bad information.

1. On the affected unit, export your nav data to a SD/MSD card.
2. You will then need to insert the card into your computer that has HumminbirdPC loaded. If you do not have this program, you can download Humminbird PC here.
3. Upon opening your HumminbirdPC program, you will click on the Blue Down arrow under the icon of the SD card. This will download your data
4. You will then have a .gpx file name appear beside your Computer icon that will be expandable. You will expand this and click on waypoints.
5. Some things to check are:
   • • Confirm that the names of all waypoints are accurate and that all waypoints have a name. They can be no more than 11 characters and cannot contain any Invalid Characters. Approved characters are as follows: , !, ', (, ), +, ,, -, ., /, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, :,?, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z, À, Á, Â, Ã, Ä, Å, Æ, Ç, È, É, Ê, Í, Î, Ï, Ñ, Ó, Ô, Õ, Ö, Ø, Ú, Û, Ü, Ý, ß, à, á, â, ã, ä, å, æ, ç, è, é, ê, í, î, ï, ñ, ó, ô, õ, ö, ø, ú, û, ü, ý, Ā, ā, Ą, ą, Ć, ć, č, Ď, ď, Ē, ē, Ĕ, ĕ, Ė, ė, Ę, ę, Ģ, ģ, Ī, ī, Į, į, Ķ, ķ, ĺ, Ļ, ļ, Ł, ł, Ń, ń, Ņ, ņ, Ň, ň, Ř, ř, Ś, ś, Š, š, Ť, ť, Ū, ū, Ů, ů, Ų, ų, Ź, ź, Ż, ż, Ž, ž, Α, Β, Γ, Δ, Ε, Ζ, Η, Θ, Ι, Κ, Λ, Μ, Ν, Ξ, Ο, Π, Ρ, Σ, Τ, Υ, Φ, Χ, Ψ, Ω, α, β, γ, δ, ε, ζ, η, θ, ι, κ, λ, μ, ν, ξ, ο, π, ρ, σ, τ, υ, φ, χ, ψ, ω,
     • Confirm that the latitude and longitude of the waypoints are valid as well. Some things to look for will be values that are mostly zeros(0s) and maybe one additional digit. As an example: N00.00.01 W000.00.000 would not be a valid waypoint.
     • Click on the track list to expand this and confirm that there are no tracks listed with more than 20,000 points as this is the limit to our track data on the Humminbird systems.
     • Our units are limited on the number of routes that can be used so we would also need to confirm the number of routes if any are being loaded.
6. Once you have checked for the items listed, you can then click on the .gpx file to select this.

7. Then click on the Green Up arrow to upload the corrected/fixed nav data back to the card in the computer.

• • This will ask if you would like to Add or Replace the current data. We would ask that you Opt to Replace so that the corrected information is being loaded.

Note: Prior to inserting the card back into the Humminbird system, we would ask that while the unit is powered on, navigate to the Setup menu tab and scroll down to Format Nav Directories. This will clear all of the currently stored nav data in the system. This will allow you to then insert the card and upload the newly refreshed information that was loaded to your card

Resources

• HumminbirdPC
• Software Updates
• Cleaning Corrupt Data Using HumminbirdPC