For the past 6 years I have been the proud owner of one of these units and found it to be a really nice asset. I learned sometime last year that Lowrance was exiting the aviation market, but was told they would continue to support their aviation products as long as they had parts. I updated my database in October 2010 and was planning to do so again now in preparation for the upcoming convention trip. From all the sources I have checked it appears those of us with Lowrance gps's are SOL for updates The 2000c is a great unit, but now I find myself with two (that's 2) gps's (Magellan 5001--1994 version) that can't be updated. Both units continue to operate just fine, but obviously at some point neither will be providing current data and will become pretty worthless. Don't know how many other members have this unit, but now we must consider what options are available knowing that in all likelyhood anything we purchase will, at some point, become unsupported. I suppose mfg's do this in order to sell new products. Too bad these geewizz, electronic boxes don't have the lifespan of our aircraft
I had pretty much the same problem with my "II Morrow" GPS units. The company got sold a couple of times and ended up in Garmin who discontinued updates. The units still work great for most of my purposes but I've found that airport identifiers are most of the changes that seem to affect my use. It forces me to occasionally have to scroll in the name of the city or town to come up wih the airport location. Seems like they often change the airport identifier when they install an awos or other weather broadcasting system. Fortunately, most of the geographic stuff seems to stay in the same place.as far as lat and long are concerned.
I talked to the domestic Lowrance folks in Tulsa & they advised that as long as Mr. Lowrance was involved in the company that with him being a pilot, the company supported the aviation products. Now that he is no longer there, the company has discontinued their aviation products and are concentrating on the marine market. They referred me to Jeppesen and I called them. I was told they no longer support the Airmap series of gps's. The customer support person thinks they discontinued doing so at the first of 2011.
As blueldr says the airports haven't moved keep an old copy of AOPA airport directory of your last update and the identifiers will be the same as in the directory Just have a current chart. Ron
President 86-88
53 C170-B N74887, people choice 2003, Best original B 2007
46 7BCM champ N2843E Rebuilding stage
Cajun Connection way down south, most of you are yankees to me!
edbooth wrote:Hey Pokey...if they still supported Model-T's would you still be driving one of those ??
Model T parts are all readily available. I have a friend who's put thousands of miles on his over the last 10 years.
John Renwick
Minneapolis, MN
Former owner, '55 C-170B, N4401B
'42 J-3 Cub, N62088
'50 Swift GC-1B, N2431B, Oshkosh 2009 Outstanding Swift Award, 2016 Best Continuously Maintained Swift
Hey, John Renwick,
How come you didn't buy that really nifty Continental IO-360D engine that I just sold to a Candian for installation in his Swift?
Are you running a Continental O-300 of one of those shaky Lycoming O-360 four bangers? ( They only called the Jacobs radial the "Shaky Jake" because it didn't rhyme with Lycoming.)
If the Continental IO-360 does as much for the Swift as it does for the Cessna 170, it would almost beat a P 51 Mustang and have a fuel burn you could live with.
It sure as hell made a "goer" out of my '52 C-170B. It's too bad that the STC for the conversion is no longer available. It made a really great performing airplane.
They have a Swift Fly In at my airport, Westover Field, Martell, (Jackson) CA. every year, and it seems that the Swift conversion to the Continental IO-360 is becomming more popular every year.
Dick, what, do you think I'm made of money? You can have airplanes, or you can have money. Take your pick.
John Renwick
Minneapolis, MN
Former owner, '55 C-170B, N4401B
'42 J-3 Cub, N62088
'50 Swift GC-1B, N2431B, Oshkosh 2009 Outstanding Swift Award, 2016 Best Continuously Maintained Swift
The 2000c is a great unit, but now I find myself with two (that's 2) gps's (Magellan 5001--1994 version) that can't be updated. Both units continue to operate just fine, but obviously at some point neither will be providing current data and will become pretty worthless. Don't know how many other members have this unit, but now we must consider what options are available knowing that in all likelyhood anything we purchase will, at some point, become unsupported. I suppose mfg's do this in order to sell new products. Too bad these geewizz, electronic boxes don't have the lifespan of our aircraft 
