New Lowrance software release featuring safety enhancements, SiriusXM Fish Mapping Integration

From left to right: Fig. 1, Fig 2. New Lowrance software release featuring safety enhancements, SiriusXM Fish Mapping Integration © Lowrance

Lowrance®, a world-leader in fishing electronics since 1957, rolled-out updated software this month for its line of HDS Live, HDS Carbon and Elite FS fishfinders. The updates include a series of radar interface improvements and new features focused on safety, like Dangerous Target Alert updates, as well as a key integration with SiriusXM® Marine Fish Mapping™ service covering North America.

The new radar improvements make it easier to view, track and monitor vessels, and identify vessels that may be a risk to the user's course. New icons for the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and symbols for radar tracked targets allow greater clarity of risks and can be combined into one unified view. In addition, several new updates enhance connectivity, comfort and control including integrations with the ITC Lighting Control Bar, Honda ECO Mode and IP Cam-1 marine video camera (HDS Live only).

"This latest software update has brought even more clarity to our Lowrance interface with updated icons and clearer symbology to go with a more vivid display for the radar range rings," said Lucas Steward, Executive Vice President for the Lowrance brand. "Users will love the new look and enhancements to our radar tracked targets, Dangerous Target Alert and AIS that make boats with Lowrance electronics even safer. We've also added Sirius XM Fish Mapping capabilities to our displays - a service many anglers and Sirius subscribers will love."

For SiriusXM subscribers in North America with the WM-4 SiriusXM Satellite Weather receiver, the new Fish Mapping integration provides fishing data - such as fishing recommendations, weed lines, water temperature and other weather information - from SiriusXM right to Lowrance HDS Live, HDS Carbon and Elite FS displays to give anglers every advantage available to catch the most fish while out on the water.

"Sirius XM's Fish Mapping Service is a unique offering that appeals to a lot of anglers out there, so we're pleased it's a tool that's now a seamless part of our user experience for Sirius subscribers," added Steward.

On the safety side, updates include Radar and AIS Target Association. When the radar and the AIS signal acquire the same target for tracking, the system will display the target with one symbol. This reduces the number of AIS symbols and radar targets on the Plan Position Indicator (Fig 1). Radar and AIS targets now display a graduated trail showing the vessel's past position history for greater situational awareness (Fig 2).

The new Dangerous Target Alert that warns the operator of dangerous radar and AIS targets according to the dangerous target parameters in vessel settings and tracked targets. The Dangerous Target Alert provides a simple diagram in a pop-up window that appears on the bottom left of the screen. It will show the range, the graphical bearing and heading of the vessel in relation to the operator's vessel. This is a significant safety tool that not only alerts the user but guides them to the relative range and bearing of the dangerous target.

To download the software or for more information on Lowrance and its top-selling fishfinder technology, please visit www.lowrance.com.