I have a 2006 NORTHSTAR 6000 chart plotter GPS- I just got the new US and Bahamas Map chip , however it cannot zoom in enough- i need someone to tell me if this 2006 year model can read a 4GB card? where is the link to download the patch or firmware upgrade so the plotter can zoom in to a useful view? it is interlinked with the MERC SMARTCRAFT on my 320 Searay Sundancer PLEASE HELP- i have been without my GPS in a working condition for 2 months now and am so frustrated- not sure if it is in fact 12 " display- might be a bit less my # is 617.899.6522 Peter

With your card in your unit follow these steps it should accomplish letting you view your map data.
push MENU twice
Highlight CHART push ENTER
Highlight CHART DATA push ENTER
Highlight LOWRANCE push ENTER.
You will note there is an option for Lowrance and Navionics, if you select Navionics you will see a distinct difference in the way the base map displays on your unit.
Hope this helps.

when was last time you had your system updated

good luck with that most companys wont repair there systems they update you to a newer one for about 500 dollars more

West marine should have chip for most Lowrance

Just got the same one and same problem, I also have a 5505i and is only zooms in close when i put in the c-map chip and it zooms close in the chip area only?? now i have a chip for the 5500i and it zoomed in but only on the Texas part of the map, that is the chip it came with, but i live in Canada. Be carefull the c-map max chip for the 5505i is not compatible with the 5500i it needs c-map nt+ chip. 5500 chip is black 5505 is orange

I think you have a C- Map card (black colour)clean the contacts with a contactcleaner if it not works try the card somewhere else
The C-Map card have problems that they work for a while and than stops inside the card a some memorychips and they losing contact

Does the image come back by itself if you slow down or stop and wait? If not, make sure you are not leaving the coverage area of the chart you are set to. In the LCX-20, that Navionics chart is split up into several sections, if you have one section selected and are on the border and then leave that area, the map usually goes all white depending on your zoom level. If you are on a border like that you will have to learn to quickly switch the charts from the MAP DATA menu.

If the map does catch up when you slow or stop, and just can't redraw fast enough...

Make sure the LCX-20 has the latest updates which can be downloaded from http://www.lowrance.com/en/Downloads/Product-Software-Updates/
These updates often add additional Navionics support.

Most likely though, this is just going to be the way it is with that particular map and the LCX-20. If you zoom out it will be much much better. So if updating doesn't help, zoom out. Experiment to see how close you can be zoomed in while running above 20mph. If you can get a good zoom level to where the map can keep up and you can still see the information you need then you should be good to go. If not, use the LakeMaster card or go get a different mapping option...or upgrade your display unit.

It depends on what model you have. Most chartplotters require a chip with regional chart data. Most Lowrance models use Navionics charts. If you have a chip in the GPS, go to the map screen and press the "menu" key. Somewhere in the map setup menu will be a field where you can specify which chart to display.

For example a Navionics gold chart may cover the entire east coast, but it is broken down into a few sub regions. If you are boating in New England you would select the sub region labeled Northeast. Some of the earlier models didn't name the regions, they used model number for each region such as "XL904G". In that case your best bet is to try each one until you can view the charts in your area. Zoom in to 1/2 mile scale to make sure you can see charts.

If you have done all that and still can't see the chart details, there is also a setting in the map setup menu that allows you to set the level of detail. Make sure it is set to normal, more, or most. If you see a declutter setting on the setup menu, try setting it to off.

get a new burn on the chip, I have seen this issue on a particular burn.

Hi Matt,

There is a feature in these chartplotters called "Plotter Mode" that is often misunderstood and causes the exact problem you describe.

Press menu.....chart setup.....and scroll to the bottom until you see Plotter Mode in the list of options. It should be set in the OFF position.

If you have more than one display networked onboard check the setting in each one invividually.

What Plotter Mode does is allows the chartplotter system to access range scales not supported on the chart. It is not normally used for map-based navigation but more so for chartless electronic plotting (it can display routes, waypoints and track-recorder breadcrumbs.) open-ocean cruising, or for ultra-precise GPS operations (like a precision anchor drop, finding a very specific location etc. When plotter mode is on you can zoom in to a very, very small working area. The indicator it is enable is the cross-hatch background on the screen, the lack of map information, and the NO CHART DATA watermark on the screen.