Garmin track limitations suck

[LittleGazoo]

Why don't Garmin users whine to Garmin about tracks? Especially Texas anglers?
50 = Maximum tracks
50,000 = Maximum track-points.
10,000 Maximum track-points per track implied.

Either allow 500 Maximum tracks or support track-segmentation or both.

Many Texas lakes have navigational lanes by Vick's Boatlanes, Mayne's Guidelanes. Also Martin's GPSLakeMaps for creeks and roadbeds. Fork, LOP, Rayburn, Toledo Bend, Palestine, Tawakoni, Ray Roberts, Richland Chambers to just name the major lakes.

Some don't have Garmin versions or versions are limited versus Lowrance or HB versions.
All because Garmin track support sucks.
IMO of course.

[TroyBoy30]

Why don't Garmin users whine to Garmin about tracks?

Cause very few care about tracks?

[LWINCHESTER2]

About the only time I use tracks is if I go to a new lake. I'll turn tracking on so I can see where I've been and how to get back.

[bassboat1]

Can't help you - I keep tracks turned off.

[Stroker3.2XS]

Humminbird or Lowrance if it bothers you that much

[GPtimes2]

There is a sticky post at the top of this forum (Garmin Sonar/GPS) to tell Garmin what you would like. You can post your idea there.

[MichAngler]

Tracks are a wealth of information and help you avoid dropping a ton of waypoints on the chart that you will have to clean up later

It also allows you to go back and drop a waypoint later if you decide a spot is worth visiting again

And if you do any drifting it is a must have I will dissect a track and save the segment of a drift that worked real well so the next time I go back there I can duplicate it
I have drifts I saved 10 years ago that still payoff when I go there

I also don’t keep every track I’ve save on the graph I only load the ones I will need for my current trip

My issue is they no longer start a new active track when the unit is turned on (saving the old track by date) it just keeps adding to a single active track and eventually it will delete old data to add new data losing valuable data

But if you take the time to manage your tracks you can really utilize them

As for boat lanes I’m sure there are long straight segments that don’t need a bunch of data points that could be edited out to make the track usable besides do these lakes have 50+ boat lanes with 10,000 data points each?

Now I get it they can’t just load hundreds of tracks and a million data points there has to be a limit Look at Humminbird they claim you can save 10,000 waypoints but if I load or have more than 500 to 1,000 it slows my Solix down to a crawl

[LittleGazoo]

As for boat lanes I’m sure there are long straight segments that don’t need a bunch of data points that could be edited out to make the track usable besides do these lakes have 50+ boat lanes with 10,000 data points each?

Number of track-points is not really an issue. I think Martin's GPSLakeMap's Toledo Bend and Rayburn creek track exceeds 24K track-points and each lake has to be 2 creek tracks. Or one does.

Now Vick's Boatlanes newest Lake Fork exceeds 300 track-segments and other lakes exceed the 50 limit.. Mayne's Guidelanes also exceeds 50 limit on all his newest lakes.

Lowrance and HB Support segmentation so can avoid 50 track limit. Garmin does not, so either Garmin versions don't exist or lack newest features.

Again it's Garmin anglers affected on Texas lakes.

[LittleGazoo]

There is a sticky post at the top of this forum (Garmin Sonar/GPS) to tell Garmin what you would like. You can post your idea there.

#6 posted 02-08-2016. PITA ever since.

[LittleGazoo]

Humminbird or Lowrance if it bothers you that much

Check. Lowrance user. Build lanes after Garmin users ask when Garmin version will be available. Build is a PITA.

[MichAngler]

I was just about to post this when I got a PM from LittleGazoo on the same subject

Something he knows much more about than me

Humminbird Solix preforms Track Scrubbing and will alter the boat lane tracks rendering them useless and dangerous

Anyone using a Solix and thinking about buying a boat lane chip you need to read this

https://www.bbcboards.net/showthread...rack+scrubbing

[DR. DROP]

Number of track-points is not really an issue. I think Martin's GPSLakeMap's Toledo Bend and Rayburn creek track exceeds 24K track-points and each lake has to be 2 creek tracks. Or one does.

Now Vick's Boatlanes newest Lake Fork exceeds 300 track-segments and other lakes exceed the 50 limit.. Mayne's Guidelanes also exceeds 50 limit on all his newest lakes.

Lowrance and HB Support segmentation so can avoid 50 track limit. Garmin does not, so either Garmin versions don't exist or lack newest features.

Again it's Garmin anglers affected on Texas lakes.

I am with you. I found this out when I changed over to all Garmin years back. I sold 2 of them to buy back 2 Lowrance units for mapping and waypoints.

[Dh0ckey11]

This is a deal breaker for me, and Hummingbird is not a solution. Lowrance is the only one with good track management.

[Ranger Skipper]

About the only time I use tracks is if I go to a new lake. I'll turn tracking on so I can see where I've been and how to get back.

This ^^^^ I can tell where I've been and if I made it there without hitting anything along the way I can probably make it back the same way without hitting anything Tracks are cleared at the end of the day or it's just a bunch of spaghetti if on the same lake two three days in a row. Any points of interest or lanes are way pointed

[Muskiebri]

This is a deal breaker for me, and Hummingbird is not a solution. Lowrance is the only one with good track management.

If I'm adding a Lowrance control head mainly for tracking (I remember how great they are for that), any suggestions on which Lowrance product(s) to consider? It's been a while since I bought Lowrance. I have a couple HDS 7 Gen 3s, but would like a little bigger screen.

I currently have two 106SVs onboard, plus two Solix MSi G3s and 360, but the HBs might be going bye bye.

[Dh0ckey11]

If I'm adding a Lowrance control head mainly for tracking (I remember how great they are for that), any suggestions on which Lowrance product(s) to consider? It's been a while since I bought Lowrance. I have a couple HDS 7 Gen 3s, but would like a little bigger screen.

I currently have two 106SVs onboard, plus two Solix MSi G3s and 360, but the HBs might be going bye bye.

I recommend whatever Lowrance HDS Model (Gen3/Carbon/Live) and size (9/10/12/15) suits your fancy and budget. They all operate about the same, have the same mapping and tracking features. My setup is goofy, but I keep a HB for the maps. On my favorite bodies of water the HB Lake Master maps are the best by quite a ways, but otherwise I can't stand the HB units. Maybe the Apex units are better, idk. Folks on here are definitely sleeping on the use and versatility of tracks.