# sd cards



## chutta (Dec 26, 2006)

Are sd cards universal? Would a sd card with lake or topo info work in a dash mounted car set like Navcam etc?


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

SD cards are universal, software often isn't as the software has to configure the card.


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## SalmonBum (Feb 28, 2001)

FYI..... You can get a 1 gig SD card for $20 at Walmart right now.


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## chutta (Dec 26, 2006)

I was hoping a lowrance topo sd would work in something of a bigger screen designed for car nav. Probably a moot point. None of the car things with hotels, destinations etc can even do routes/waypoints etc can they? No paper ads claim it and most clerks look at you like, whaaah?


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## hitechman (Feb 25, 2002)

chutta said:


> I was hoping a lowrance topo sd would work in something of a bigger screen designed for car nav. Probably a moot point. None of the car things with hotels, destinations etc can even do routes/waypoints etc can they? No paper ads claim it and most clerks look at you like, whaaah?


It probably will, but the car nav unit would have to be a Lowrance and accept the same type/size card. Garmin maps only work in Garmin, Lowrance in Lowrance, etc.

It would be nice if a common platform were adopted where all mapping software would work in any unit, but it ain't so.

Steve


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

hitechman said:


> It probably will, but the car nav unit would have to be a Lowrance and accept the same type/size card. Garmin maps only work in Garmin, Lowrance in Lowrance, etc.
> 
> * It would be nice if a common platform were adopted where all mapping software would work in any unit, but it ain't so.
> *
> Steve


AMEN !! Brother!!
:lol:

The first time I went to upgrade the firmware on my LMS332c it wouldn't "boot" to the "Impact Media" 128MB OR "Rosewill" 256MB SD Cards... after a call to Lowrance Tech they suggested I try a "Sandisk" brand card....and it worked EVERYTIME since then as well as on some other units I flashed....
:rant:
So SD Cards are "kinda" universal , for the most part .... SORTA.


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

FREEPOP said:


> SD cards are universal, software often isn't as the software has to configure the card.


Right. A Secure Digital (SD) card is a Secure Digital card. They can be made by any one of a number of card manufacturers but it still is a SD card. A SD card used in a camera will fit in any other piece of electronics that uses that SD card. But, it will probably not work in that new piece of equipment. As FREEPOP said the software is going to be different.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

alex-v said:


> Right. A Secure Digital (SD) card is a Secure Digital card. They can be made by any one of a number of card manufacturers but it still is a SD card. A SD card used in a camera will fit in any other piece of electronics that uses that SD card. But, it will probably not work in that new piece of equipment. As FREEPOP said the software is going to be different.


Re-read my post Alex... I was using the SAME exact card reader and software - BUT the two cards I had would NOT "boot to" the BIN files on the cards - there are such things called HARDWARE INCOMPATABILITIES!
Ask somebody who's ever tried to mix WD and Seagate or Maxtor drives together on the same controller channel... you just CAN'T do it in some cases.
Somebody who's built a bunch of PCs can vouch for that... "HARDWARE INCOMPATABILITIES" exist in a lot of digital "standards" , some CDRWs or DVDRWs don't like certain media .....
I've had folks ask me about MP3 players not recognizing the SD Cards when they plug 'em in too.
I don't build as many PCs in a month as I used to , but there are "loose standards" for many electronic devices. I actually had to explain to our IS guy @ work that there's several versions of AGP cards & you cannot just switch them out universally (unless it's a universal AGP slot & universal AGP card) AGP 1X , 2X , 4X and AGP 8X have different pin configurations, keyways & operating voltages.
Another case in point ; a USB falsh drive is a USB flash drive - RIGHT??
*NOT!!*
I have three "PNY" drives here 512M , 1G & 2GB - a 'generic' 128MB , a "Sony" 256MB and a "Sony" 512MB - - six drives in total... do you think I can run a small LinuX distr0 off of all of these with the "standard" boot loader that's included with the O/S???
NOPE because they are different in their internal architecture.....
Some will see & use "grub" (boot loader) and others I have had to make a drive "DOS bootable" so the BIOS of my PC sees & recognizes there's a drive there WITH the software on it.

That's why I said "kinda".... You could always go ask the guys at Best Buy though....
LOL!!
:evilsmile

*R

*


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

sfw1960 said:


> Re-read my post Alex... I was using the SAME exact card reader and software - BUT the two cards I had would NOT "boot to" the BIN files on the cards - there are such things called HARDWARE INCOMPATABILITIES!


There are also formatting compatibilities that might enter the picture. But, it still is a SD card even if it would not boot up from or to the card. Does not matter who makes the card it still is a SD card.

I saw a 1 GB Compact Flash card for $12 the other day at a store. Certainly was not going to buy it for my camera because it was not a Compact Flash card with a brand name on it. It would fit into the camera and most likely I would be able to take pictures. But, what guarentee did I have that the pictures would still be on the card when I stuck it into the card reader?



> That's why I said "kinda".... You could always go ask the guys at Best Buy though....
> LOL!!


Good luck . Let us know how that one turns out.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

It would probably work Alex. When you insert a new card is has to boot the card and format it to it's software. Worked for me anyway. 

SFW1960, okie dokie, you're talking Martian to me


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## hitechman (Feb 25, 2002)

I use an SD card (or any type of memory card) in any of my electronic devices, the first thing I do is reformat that card in (and from) that device. So far, so good. BTW that card stays in use only for that device--I don't pop it out and use it in another (unless I reformat it).

Steve


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

The formating for the device the card is being used in seems to be key. When I got my first digital camera a year ago I started paying attention to the different cards. The camera was an Olympus Point and Shoot and it took the xD Card. Then last Christmas my Beagle bought me (I blame a lot on that poor dog) a DSLR which was an Olympus and that took both an xD and/or a Compact Flash.

Based on my reading the xD is available with the Fuji name on it or the Olympus name. One will work in the other but there is a good chance that something will go wrong very soon and the data (photos) will be lost. Reformat the Fuji xD with the Olympus camera and there should be no problem

I really think that it is all in the software. It can't read the wrong format and so it crashes.

Computers are just so stupid; they can only count up to 1.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

alex-v said:


> The formating for the device the card is being used in seems to be key. .........................
> 
> I really think that it is all in the software. It can't read the wrong format and so it crashes.
> 
> * Computers are just so stupid; they can only count up to 1.*


Oh so true....LOL
Sorry if I speak unfamiliar blah , blah when I refer to CPUs FrEEP.... 

AleX has some definite points , but the case I could make here is:
I loaded the binary files using the same card reader , formatted the cards in the machine (Lowrance LMS332c) ; as well as in the PC to see if there was a machine formatting anomaly as opposed to the PC writing the files to the card - until I called Lowrance & had them tell me to try a Sandisk card BEFORE I would consider a problem possibly with the head unit not updating firmwares. I could format a Sandisk brand SD Card in either the card reader _OR_ the LMS332 and the machine became "bootable" to the files needed to overwrite the ROM and update the O/S . I know that an "SD Card is an SD Card" but there are always some hardware incompatabilities nowadays it seems , and most folks would not stop to think " I hope this works with what I have to plug it into" - it just should work. Sometimes it _JUST_ doesn't. I tried MORE than one SD Card to see if the card was the problem - they both did the same thing... NOTHING !
So you suspect the unit's whacked out - NOT The memory card that looks "just like" the famous nationally known name brand , but does't perfom just like it.............

'SpLain DaT t0 dE cHoiR , bRuTHuH......
:evilsmile


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## alex-v (Mar 24, 2005)

sfw1960 said:


> So you suspect the unit's whacked out - NOT The memory card that looks "just like" the famous nationally known name brand , but does't perfom just like it.............


Which is why I have suggested to anyone who asks that they stay with recognized brand names on their memory cards.


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## chutta (Dec 26, 2006)

I'm a total greenie at all of this, only having a comp at work so far. Lowrance/Garmin should just come out with a cell phone/gps:SHOCKED:


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## hitechman (Feb 25, 2002)

chutta said:


> I'm a total greenie at all of this, only having a comp at work so far. Lowrance/Garmin should just come out with a *cell phone/gps*:SHOCKED:


They have (Garmin & Lowrance) licensed their technology to Nokia and 1-2 others. That product already exists!! Plus Garmin (maybe others) have a GPS/FRS (radio) device in one unit.

Steve


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## chutta (Dec 26, 2006)

It appears Lowrance 250c has the capability of plotting, at least with lake mapping, so their own cards should work with topo too


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