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NDTRAX GPS Chips

291K views 50 replies 17 participants last post by  oldfireguy 
#1 ·
Has anybody bought one of these yet?

What's the detail like? I'm a bit concerned that it would be a pain to read in my old black and white Lowrance.

I went out with a friend of mine to chase elk last year (successful, BTW), and it was a huge pain to try to reconcile where we were on the Forest Service map. I was thinking how sweet a GPS map of PLOTS and the Grasslands would be... This year I bought a bow, and we're headin' out for mulies. I'm trying to determine if this chip is worth it.
 
#27 ·
How to update:
1) Send the card back to Kirsch's Outdoor Products. Put the card in a bubble mailer and send it to:

Kirsch's Outdoor Products
7915 Aquarius Drive
Fargo, ND 58104

Payment:
2) Include a check with the update for $20 or simply go to http://www.koutdoorproducts.com/html/updates.html and pay for the update online.

Best Time To Update
3) I would recommend as soon as you need it. There is never a time when it can't be helpful whether ice fishing, predator hunting, spring turkey hunting, shed hunting, scouting, traveling, camping, etc. Any updates to 2010 will be included at no additional charge once you are on the 2010 version. I am not anticipating any additional updates to NDTRAX until just before hunting season to get all the new PLOTS changes which occur between now and September.
 
#28 ·
I just got my ND Trax 2010 in the mail today. I popped it into my Lowrance XOG and it is amazing! The only aspect I've not gotten to function yet is the Township/Range/Section indicators, but I'm not sure I need that feature for my use.
Thanks Kirsch!
 
#29 ·
OldFireGuy, thanks for the great report.

I like the XOG a lot but there are a couple of tips/tricks to get them to work all the time.

1) Township, Range and Section #'s: Go to Options - Categories Drawn - POI - All Others and make sure they are all turned on (especially Postal Service). Go back to the map and find an area of the map that makes a section of land. This is pretty easy to tell in many areas of the state as many roads make square sections. At .3 miles zoom, the section lines will appear if the roads aren't covering them, and then go to the exact center of the section. I am not sure why but as you zoom, the XOG has 2 zooms at 400 ft. When you zoom the 2nd time after 400 feet a mail icon will appear in the exact middle of the section. Move your cursor to it and hover over it or zoom in further and it will show a number such as T138NR56WS21. This stands for Township 138N , Range 56W and Section 21. If you do the same thing in Pembina, Morton, or Cass County it will show the Parcels of land and who owns it as well.

2) Satellite Lock: Once in awhile the XOG will not lock on satellites with any map in the unit, no matter who manufactures it. Simply remove the card, and usually it will lock on. If it still doesn't, turn it off and back on and it should lock on. Then simply insert the card back in and all is good.

3) National Forests: The XOG shows almost 1/3 of Western ND as the Custer National Forest. This is not correct and when you put in NDTRAX, it makes the Little Missouri Grasslands look bigger than it is. This is not an error in NDTRAX but in the XOG base map. Go to Options - Categories Drawn - Other POIs - and turn off the National Forest Category.

4) Lock Ups: The last thing is over the past couple of years that I have owned a XOG, a few times the unit has gone totally blank. A few multi-colored lines show up and the unit locks up. Again, nothing to do with NDTRAX as it happens with or without the map. Click on the reset button on the right hand side under the rubber flap. I keep a paper clip handy in my truck just in case but this is very rare.

Have a great 2010 using NDTRAX.
 
#30 ·
Kirsch,
I followed your instructions and indeed now have Township/Range/Section data.
It now does everything except feed my dog and yell at me when I don't keep my head on the stock.
Thanks!
I'll be showing this to a number of folks that hunt with me and you should be getting some more orders.
 
#31 ·
Hi guys,

I was interested in the NDTRAX and was wondering what the range township feature would do for you or what it is exactly. I was also wondering if all the plats or land owner information for each county in ND will eventually be added as it would be a great tool for scouting as it is sometimes hard to find out who owns what for permission. I was also wondering what kind of gps you guys would recommend? is their one that would work as a normal car gps and field tool? Ive heard Garmin is where its at.

thanks a lot defiantly going to invest in a GPS and the NDTRAX sounds amazing.
 
#32 ·
brett3151, the township, range and section number are standard elements on a County Altas or otherwise known as a PLAT book. NDTRAX 2009 used an 8 digit number such as 15906913. Ths would have correponded to Township 159, Range 69, and Section 13. This format although easy to search for wasn't the most user friendly. NDTRAX 2010 now shows this in a more traditional format such as T159NR69WS13. It still means the same thing. By using these numbers you can take the numbers from NDTRAX and find out who owns a piece of land in a PLAT book. Also section numbers are used for many other activities.

Your question on ownership is a good one. If ND had land ownership available in a GIS format for all counties, it would already be on NDTRAX. Montana does have this and the entire state is included with land ownership detail on the MTTRAX version. For ND, many counties cannot afford to have a GIS expert on staff or they are just beginning this work. For NDTRAX 2010, so far 3 counties are included with ownership information including Cass, Morton and Pembina. I will continue working with counties and as it becomes available and will update the maps. Thanks for your questions and let me know if you have any additional.
 
#33 ·
brett3151,

I looked over some older posts and realized I never answered your Garmin question. I do prefer Garmin over Lowrance or other GPS units as they tend to have the best antenna. It is hard to convince diehard fisherman at times that Garmin is better but I don't get any commission or sell GPS units and have used both brands extensively. My choice is Garmin.

You mention wanting an all-around GPS. The Garmin Nuvi 500 or 550 is hard to beat if you want a GPS that is good for everything. A good handheld such as a 60CSx or Oregon 300 or higher are great handhelds and the Nuvis are great automotive GPS units but combined you are talking about $500 for both. You can pick up a Garmin 500 for around $250 from many sources. It is like buying an SUV which isn't the best truck or car but can be used as both. This is a cross-over GPS. Waterproof, pre-loaded automotive maps, topo for US included, 4x better battery than automotives (8 hour) and the battery is replaceable, waypoints and trails, and more. If I could only buy one GPS and it had to do everything, this is the one I would buy.
 
#36 ·
Tealman,

The answer is maybe. As of now, many Minnesota counties have this type of data in a GIS format but charge a very high premium for this data. There are 87 counties with most counties requiring a fee per parcel. Clay county does not charge and is included in MNTRAX 2010. Some counties are very high and some are lower. When Kirsch's Outdoor Products checked, it was estimated it would cost roughly $500,000 per year just for this piece of data for one state. The other potential issue is working with 87 different counties and update policies and attempting to keep this current without some type of central administration. Montana has this centrally managed making this much easier for my company to work with and utilize. Talk to your county and ask why there is a charge for this information as it will not change unless they hear it from people in their county. Thanks for checking.

The counties in Minnesota will show the sections and the township, range and section number for cross-reference with PLAT books.
 
#37 ·
kirsch said:
They will work in about Garmin or Lowrance that has a mapcard but I still recommend a color unit. There are subtle differences in the different land types that are much more evident on a color unit such as State Land being all blue, but still it works fine in a monochrome GPS as well.
Any idea on when the ndtrax will be compatable with the Lowrance Endura's? I noticed your web site specifically excluded them :(
 
#38 ·
CJofWolfcreek, when Lowrance released their Endura series, they changed their map formats. This has caused lots of issues as any pre-existing Lowrance compatible map no longer works with the Endura GPS. There are only a handful of maps including 2 fishing map manufacturers which work with the Endura series currently. These are Navionics and LakeMaster. Even with Lakemaster, their Endura maps are very limited as they only show lake contours and no roads, etc. For those to work, there are actually 2 sets of maps on the chip as there is one mapset for the previous models and one for the new Enduras.

I am continuing to work with Lowrance and they have indicated they are working on a tool to help with getting the TRAX maps Endura compatible around Spring of 2011. Assuming they can get me this tool, I can begin to verify if a conversion/update is a possibility.

Continue to watch the Kirsch's Outdoor Products website because if there is a change in the Spring of 2011, it will be posted on the site. Thank you for your question and your interest in the TRAX series of maps from Kirsch's Outdoor Products.
 
#39 ·
I indicated I would post an update when the TRAX maps are Endura compatible and they are. The Endura maps are ready to go for ND, MN, MT, and WY. The rest of the states will be coming soon. Any Lowrance map which has a 2011 label should be Endura compatible.
 
#40 ·
kirsch, for those like me who tech dinosaurs could you brush us a bit? The only GPS unit I've used is a Garmin Legend C for marking some things around the farm and measuring field acres.

I'd like to hunt MN for upland sometime and the paper maps leave much to be desired as far as public and private ground, walking trails, etc. What GPS unit would give a decent sized picture when used with the MNTRAX? Ebay has lots of used units at decent prices but I don't have a clue what to get.

Do you sell a chip that could be installed in a laptop to print map info? Zoom it up? Like if a hunter was interested in a 4 sq. mile area of state forest and wanted the trails, etc on that ground?

Thanks.
 
#41 ·
The good news is I do everything possible to remove the technology from the product. You literally insert the chip and the additional elements of the TRAX chips show up on the map.

It would be easier to discuss via phone so feel free to give me a call at (701) 261-9017. However, a short answer would be it really depends on how much you plan to use it in the truck and outside the truck. I personally am a big fan of the Garmin line up of GPS due to the different selection of GPS units and their antennas are incredible. For the person who wants it mostly once in the field, my 3 favorite handhelds are:
Garmin 60CSx
Garmin 62S
Garmin Oregon 450

Handhelds:The 60CSx and the 62S are button driven GPS units and the Oregon 450 is touch screen. Buttons work better in subzero temps but the Oregons tend to be easier to learn to use and the touch screen is nice as long as you don't have gloves on. Also, the screen size of the Oregon is slightly bigger. The 62S is the replacement for the 60CSx so the 60CSx has been discounted in price at many stores so they can be purchased for a great value right now.

Automotive Units: I used the TRAX maps in my automotive GPS units the most because I am always driving somewhere and to have the view of all the roads and public lands right there in front of me on a 4.3 or 5" screen is very nice. Even if you own or plan to buy one of the handhelds above for an additional $100-$150 you can have a color, touch screen, turn by turn, GPS that is used in your truck. They can also be used for light hunting purposes BUT they are not waterproof, have about a 2 hour battery life, and are not shockproof. I wouldn't use them for rigorous outdoor activities but they are a nice option. My 4 favorites are the Garmin Nuvi 255W, 265W, 1350, and 1450. I currently use the 1450 in my truck because it has a 5" screen and I like the larger screen, the other screens are all 4.3".

The product which goes in the GPS is called TRAX. I also have a product called TRAX PC. This product is a Google Earth overlay and comes on a CD-ROM. This could load into your Windows laptop and as long as you are connected to the Internet, you can see the lands, and you can zoom into an area and print out a map. It is typically used as a scouting tool. The 2 guys who just tied for 1st in the World Coyote Calling Championships in NM were using NMTRAX PC in their hotel room at night to find calling spots and then used NMTRAX in their vehicle to take them to those spots and they tied for 1st. They were using it similar to what you described so I thought I would mention it.
 
#43 ·
Kirsch,
Thanks for the updates and recommendations on handheld and auto units. Just about everyone in my hunting camp has bought NDTRAX. Three of us have Lowrance auto GPS and were concerned about what to replace them with as they are no longer being made.
 
#44 ·
Oldfireguy, you are correct they don't make a Lowrance Automotive unit any longer. Some of the Enduras do some auto routing but the screen of course isn't nearly as big as the automotive units. If you wish to stay with Lowrance, the 2011 maps will work in both the legacy Lowrance units and the Endura units. If you wish to make the move to Garmin, the great news is when you update to 2011 just indicate you wish to switch from Lowrance to Garmin and there is no additional fee except the $20 update fee. From my perspective, it doesn't matter if you update from 2010 Lowrance to 2011 Lowrance or 2010 Lowrance to 2011 Garmin. You are not tied to one GPS type if you own a TRAX map. It is great to hear you have lots of sportsmen friends using NDTRAX maps.
 
#46 ·
Question on Garmin automotive units.
My son has a 1450 and I looked at a 265 this weekend. We both find that gravel county roads in rural ND do not show up on the screen until we get down to the 300' scale. My Lowrance XOG will show the same roads at a mile or more.
Are there settings that can be changed on the Garmins? Are we doing something wrong, or are they just not as detailed as the Lowrances?
 
#47 ·
OldFireGuy,

Keep in mind what an automotive GPS is designed for. It is designed to be used in an automobile to get you from point A to point B in the best and most efficient way possible. They are designed to be used to navigate you on the main roads. If the GPS showed the minor roads at high zoom levels, they would be very hard to use in towns which is what the unit is designed for. The XOG was actually a Cross-Over GPS so it was designed for many purposes including off-road use. I have a XOG and a 1450 and there is no question what is in my vehicle and that is the 1450.

First, you can increase how soon you show road detail by changing your detail setting on the GPS. This is done by going to Tools - Settings - Map. Set this to Most and elements should show up sooner. However, even at the highest setting, the GPS still isn't going to show roads at extreme zooms because it goes against the concepts of an automotive GPS. However, this is why you purchase NDTRAX. Not only do I add more than 50% more roads on both Garmin and Lowrance GPS units but I also show the elements much sooner. I do this as NDTRAX is designed for hunting and fishing purposes. It will turn the 1450 and 265W into awesome hunting GPS units for your truck. The features and control of the NDTRAX is actually better on a Garmin automotive than on the Lowrance XOG. Don't get me wrong, the XOG was a decent GPS but for automotive use and for use with a TRAX map, I prefer the Garmin units. Put a TRAX map in either of the Garmins and your view of their use will change.

I also have increased how soon the roads appear on the 2011 in comparison to even the 2010 version. Most of your minor roads will appear between .8 miles to as far as 3 miles on some units and based on the detail setting. It is way sooner than what the base maps would do which most will start to show at around .2 miles or less as you have said.
 
#49 ·
i got a Summit HC as a gift. it doesn't take a chip. is there an option for me? I also tried to download the free plots map on the ndgf site and that isn't working.

Wish i had traded this thing in right away, but i guess i'm stuck with it at this point. Hope i can get some help to get it more functional.
 
#50 ·
The issue with the Summit and many GPS units which don't accept a memory card is they have limited internal memory. The summit has 24MB of internal memory. NDTRAX requires 56MB and NDTRAX+ requires 100MB. I do sell a NDTRAX - Mapsource version where you can select the map components and the use Garmin MapSource and/or Garmin Basecamp to send the map directly to the GPS. However, as I have indicated, your GPS will not have enough memory to allow you to select all the map elements. You don't select counties or areas, you select major feature types like roads, water, wetlands, ownership, land, etc. You could get about 1/2 of the map features loaded but that is it. So, the short answer is there is an option where you can upload some of the elements but it really isn't a great option for you because your GPS does not have enough internal memory for the map.

Personally, I would try to sell it on Ebay or to someone else, and pick up a GPS that will has an internal memory option. I have helped thousands of people find GPS units that will work for them, if you need any more suggestions on what to get. You can call me at 701-twosixone-9017.

Kirsch (Korey Kirschenmann) - Owner Kirsch's Outdoor Products
 
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