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Author Topic:   Lowrance HDS-8 Article Index
jimh posted 11-06-2011 10:30 AM ET (US)   Profile for jimh   Send Email to jimh  
I have written a number of long articles about the Lowrance HDS-8. This article is an index to those other articles about the Lowrance HDS-8.

Lowrance HDS GPS Data Display
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003037.html
This article shows how the Lowrance HDS series and the Lowrance HDS-8 display GPS satellite information.

Lowrance HDS Update to v4.0
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/002913.html
This article discusses the recent Lowrance HDS-8 and HDS series v4.0 update and illustrates some new features.

HDS-8 Installation
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/002784.html
This article describes the installation and initial set-up of my Lowrance HDS-8.

NMEA-0183 Interface
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003033.html
This article discusses the Lowrance HDS-8 NMEA-0183 interface in particular.

Lowrance HDS7 v. HDS8
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/002572.html
This older article compares the Lowrance HDS-8 and HDS-7 devices.

Lowrance GPX Export
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003020.html
This article discusses export of data from the Lowrance HDS series and the Lowrance HDS-8 in particular in the GPX format.

Also there is this good discussion on interfacing of the Lowrance HDS-8 to a GX2100 radio with an AIS receiver.

HDS-8 to GX2100 Connections
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/002850.html

jimh posted 11-10-2011 08:01 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
Information about the Lowrance HDS-8 is given in the articles about the Lowrance HDS-8 that are linked above in the index listing of articles about the Lowrance HDS-8.
jimh posted 01-02-2012 12:38 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
Information about connecting an HDS-8 to an AIS receiver using a 38,400-BPS MNEA-0183 serial data connection is given in a REFERENCE article about AIS and ship spotting. See:

AIS Ship Spotting
using HDS-8

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/AIS_ShipSpotter.html

jimh posted 01-02-2012 12:44 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
More information on connecting an HDS-5 or HDS-7 to an AIS receiver, particularly an AIS receiver that is part of a Standard-Horizon VHF Marine Band radio, can be found in

Connecting AIS Receiver to Lowrance HDS-5 or HDS-7
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/002662.html

These devices have only one serial port, unlike the HDS-8 or HDS-10, which can be configured to have two serial ports.

jimh posted 02-13-2012 01:16 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
For information on the latest system software update for the HDS series, see

Lowrance HDS Series Software Update v4.1
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003094.html

jimh posted 02-18-2012 05:02 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
How to import routes to a HDS chart plotter from files stored in the .GPX format:

Exchanging Navigation Data Among Different Chart Plotters
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/002884.html

jimh posted 04-20-2012 08:04 AM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
HDS Menu Map
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/HDS_Menu.html
This reference article documents the menu structure of the Lowrance HDS-8.

HDS: Phantom LORAN
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003142.html
A discussion about the Phantom LORAN time delay conversion software now included with the HDS-8 software following a recent update.

HDS: Battery Voltage v. Supply Voltage
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003145.html
A discussion illustrating the difference between the data sources "Battery Voltage" and "Supply Voltage" for use as a data overlay on the screen.

jimh posted 06-23-2012 12:36 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
New articles about the HDS include:

Lowrance HDS: TRAILS
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003199.html
Explains how recording and display of trackpoints or trails are controlled in three separate menu settings.


HDS: Export Waypoints, Routes, and Trails
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003157.html
Explains how data about waypoints, routes, and trails may be exported to files or sent over a serial port as a data stream

Mr T posted 09-18-2012 11:25 AM ET (US)     Profile for Mr T  Send Email to Mr T     
Jim--this is an excellent reference set, and being an owner of a HDS-8, I thank you for it. The capability of the unit is impressive indeed.

[Thank you for the kind words--jimh]

jimh posted 09-23-2012 10:41 AM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
Since its initial appearance, my on-line hypertext guide to the HDS menu structure has been continually updated. I have been expanding the detail of various menus, exploring more deeply into them, and including more screen captures. The menu information is now quite comprehensive. Again, this on-line hypertext guide is available at:

HDS User Interface
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/HDS_Menu.html

jimh posted 10-26-2012 12:41 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
HDS NMEA-2000 Parameter list
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003271.html

The above article lists the NMEA-2000 parameter group numbers that the HDS can support in either send or receive.

jimh posted 04-02-2013 10:25 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
Unlike all of the above articles, the article linked below is not written by me, but is from Lowrance. It is a good presentation that explains how the HDS series of multi-function devices can be networked at three levels: NMEA-0183, NMEA-2000, and proprietary Lowrance Ethernet. This presentation is an excellent overview of the three network systems and details what data can be exchanged between devices on the three networks:

HDS System Overview
http://lowranceprostaff.dk/download/lowrance_hds/HDSSystemOverview.pdf

jimh posted 04-08-2013 11:33 AM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     

HDS: Viewing Photo Images
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003297.html

The above article describes in detail how to add photo images to the memory of an HDS unit. This can be useful for storing images of harbors or other points of interest.

jimh posted 09-10-2013 11:06 PM ET (US)     Profile for jimh  Send Email to jimh     
This interesting article and thread show the impressive accuracy of the GPS receiver in the HDS-8 while simultaneously showing charts from major electronic chart publishers NOAA, Garmin, Navionics, and Lowrance to have some considerable errors:

Electronic Charts for Isle Royale
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum6/HTML/003452.html

This is the twenty-first article I have written about the Lowrance HDS-8. I hope you have enjoyed them all.

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