We all know the guy who updated his trusty chartplotter and lost all the waypoints he’d saved over years. I don’t want to be him. I don’t want YOU to be him. But I also don’t want to be wandering the ocean with an antiquated and possibly bug-ridden device. Updating our software doesn’t just fix bugs and ensure our electronics are operating correctly; it expands the equipment’s functionality. Updates to the multifunction displays we are currently testing at Practical Sailor have enabled a range of new functions, including an ability to integrate with some handy i0S and Android applications. Keeping up with updates also helps avoid the rare glitches that can occur when you leap-frog several updates by replacing a very early software versions with the latest and greatest.
In the upcoming May 2015 issue of Practical Sailor, contributing writer Bill Bishop, a marine electronics technician who also blogs at the Marine Installer’s Rant, digs into the confusing topic of secure digital (SD) media cards and card readers, the media storage devices that you’ll need to carry out upgrades on most multifunction devices. Once you’ve downloaded the latest software update from the manufacturer onto the appropriate media card (finding the right one is often easier said than done, as Bishop’s upcoming report reveals), it’s time to go to the boat and install it.
Bishop, who has carried out hundreds of updates in his lifetime, offers a few tips on doing it right. Read More
