Copying a Lowrance SD card

[onemanorthree]

All,

I have a Lowrance card with maps on it from my dragonfly , but trying to get a copy of it working on my Lowrance LGC-3000, but maps wont load.
I basically copied the card contents directly, but they just wont show.

When I load the original dragonfly card into the 3000, it works no problem, it's just when I copy the card that it won't read.
Are the cards locked to devices or have built in security that don't allow to copy/backup?

 

[Refueler]

Yes they are coded cards .... you cannot simply do a copy.

 

[KompetentKrew]

The charts are locked to the card's CID number. Some venders on AliExpress will set the CID for you when you order SD cards from them.

 

[onemanorthree]

Ah, so only cards form Lowrance can be used, I thought that might be the case. And then are the charts locked to the cards?
Like, if I had an old Lowrance cards, can I copy the new maps to that?

 

[Refueler]

Ah, so only cards form Lowrance can be used, I thought that might be the case. And then are the charts locked to the cards?
Like, if I had an old Lowrance cards, can I copy the new maps to that?

Lowrance used to have Mapcreate CD and Reader combo ... pay xx and create card ... etc.

But it is a long time ago.

I used to create maps for my Lowrance using Ordnance Survey / Online maps etc. - vectorise and format to Lowrance .... I created a whole set for the river I live on ... but it takes a lot of time to do ... TBH - I would have to go back to learning how to do it again ..

Depending on the Lowrance Unit you have - you may be able to use Navionics or CMap cards ...

 

[Lucy52]

RawWrite, might make an image for you. No guarantee. It does a bit by bit copy. It might bulk at DRM nowadays.

 

[KompetentKrew]

RawWrite, might make an image for you. No guarantee. It does a bit by bit copy. It might bulk at DRM nowadays.

Check out the guy who responded to the thread without googling what a CID number is.

The SD in SD card stands for secure digital - the whole point is that users shouldn't be able to write it (even using "advanced" tools like RawWrite).

And, no, @onemanorthree, you can't just use any Lowrance SD card because that would mean that all Lowrance cards would carry the same CID number and then they wouldn't be SD cards any more because the whole point is that a card's CID number is unique to prevent copying. If Lowrance used the same CID number on all their cards then some dodgy manufacturer in China would be selling blank cards on eBay - you just be able to buy a blank Lowrance SD card and copy your mate's charts.

I'm trying to be careful not to break the forum's rules on piracy copyright infringement here, but my previous comment gave you all you need to search and understand how electronic charts are secured. It is trivially easy to copy these cards with the information you have already been given.

 

[Refueler]

In the past - Navionics charts COULD be copied across to another Navionics Card ... as long as BOTH were valid original cards ...

I would expect that trick to be non valid now. But I know it worked before as I and others I knew did it.

In those days as well - old command line programs created identical copy discs / cards and did it. I know - I did that as well.

 

[Lucy52]

In those days as well - old command line programs created identical copy discs / cards and did it. I know - I did that as well, second device card

That is what RawWrite does, but as KompetentKrew points out, each SD card has a CID number which prevents this.

I thought most hardware came with bundled software. No doubt the licence is for only one device, so buy a card, or swap the card you have between devices as needed.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I thought most hardware came with bundled software. No doubt the licence is for only one device, so buy a card, or swap the card you have between devices as needed.

Well, we're talking about the SD cards for chartplotters here, although TBH I'm not sure what model of chartplotter OP has.

But the Navonics and C-Map charts for modern chartplotters seem to be just locked to the SD card - you can take the SD card from your boat, use it on your mate's boat, no updates or internet connection required. And I have read a report that they can be copied, if you get a card with a cloned CID.

 

[onemanorthree]

Sorry, quick update. The Card reader I ahve is on a USB bus, so the normal tools that help you see it via wondows don't work.

THe card I'm trying to copy is from a Dragonfly E700 series.
It is a 2GB card, from Navionics, with maps preloaded.
When I put it into my Lowrance Global Map 3300, it works.

I was hoping I can just copy this card, to use in both devices, so I dont have to swap in & out (two boats).

I have a 1GB card, from Navonics, for the Global Map 3300, but it doesn't have the maps I want.

So I'm guessing the both have the Navionics CID.

But when I copy the files from the 2GB card to the 1GB card (have to delet some as they don't all fit). They won't load.
But really, they should?

Any ideas?

Basically I have 2 Navionics cards, both work in the Lowrance Global Map 3300, the 1GB doesn't have the right maps, so I'm trying to copy the
2GB card maps to the 1GB card, but they don't load.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Well, we're talking about the SD cards for chartplotters here, although TBH I'm not sure what model of chartplotter OP has.

But the Navonics and C-Map charts for modern chartplotters seem to be just locked to the SD card - you can take the SD card from your boat, use it on your mate's boat, no updates or internet connection required. And I have read a report that they can be copied, if you get a card with a cloned CID.

You're right, the charts are locked to the SD cards.

I can take one of my Garmin cards out of the plotter and use it in any compatible plotter that i want to.

With Garmin, i can also buy another plotter and if i register it to my Garmin account i can download my charts from Garmin, onto a blank SD card. When i put the card into a plotter thatis registered to me the charts are unlocked.

If my memory serves, i can make up to 10 copies of my charts. I can also use them on phones and tablets via Active Captain.

 

[Refueler]

Hi Paul ... But Lowrance uses base Navionics - not Garmin Based which came out after Garmin took over Navionics.

I have both Lowrance and Garmin ... not possible to swap units ...

 

[KompetentKrew]

I have a 1GB card, from Navonics, for the Global Map 3300, but it doesn't have the maps I want.

So I'm guessing the both have the Navionics CID.

As said before, if they're SD cards then they each have a different CID.

If you buy two copies of the same chart from Navonics they will contain the same chart data but presumably the files will be different (or at least one of the files will be different) so that each set of chart files is keyed or encoded to its own card's CID.

Think of the CID as an uncopyable "key" for unlocking the chart files. Each card has a unique CID.

If you were to buy the two "identical" cards and swap the files from one to the other, and vice versa, then the cards would no longer work because the CID of the card would no longer match the files.

If you buy 10 different SD cards on Amazon - they might all be San Disk SD cards, they might have come off the production line one after the other, but they will all have different CIDs.

Having said all that, 1GB and 2GB sound too small for SD cards - if these are compact flash cards you're talking about, or some other, then I don't know how the copy protection works.

 

[dunedin]

…….

I was hoping I can just copy this card, to use in both devices, so I dont have to swap in & out (two boats).

…….

Any ideas?

So that is precisely what the chart copyright protection system is designed to prevent - charts being used on two boats but having bought once only.

 

[PaulRainbow]

So that is precisely what the chart copyright protection system is designed to prevent - charts being used on two boats but having bought once only.

See post #12

 

[PaulRainbow]

Hi Paul ... But Lowrance uses base Navionics - not Garmin Based which came out after Garmin took over Navionics.

I have both Lowrance and Garmin ... not possible to swap units ...

I'm aware of that. I was pointing out the difference between Garmin and some other brands, with regard to charts.

 

[Refueler]

Just a post about Garmin Navionics :

I will not post the links but I can assure those 'experts' that Garmin Navionics has been cracked ages ago and still today can be done.

All I will say is that the Russian guy who did it posted online and gave detailed instructions to create the required code files on the SD card ... you could then download areas from torrents or from a hosting site he uses.

I know of three boats in my locale who have exactly that running on their Garmin units.

Years past when I first started using plotters on my boats - Navionics could be copied across - and was actually not hard ... just required two Navionics cards and the program to copy files across ....

I'm not interested to hear why above is not true - as I did it in past with Navioncs .. and as I say - three boats I know of here prove it ...

Now you can go searchng online !!

 

[wonkywinch]

Just a post about Garmin Navionics :

I will not post the links but I can assure those 'experts' that Garmin Navionics has been cracked ages ago and still today can be done.

All I will say is that the Russian guy who did it posted online and gave detailed instructions to create the required code files on the SD card ... you could then download areas from torrents or from a hosting site he uses.

I know of three boats in my locale who have exactly that running on their Garmin units.

Years past when I first started using plotters on my boats - Navionics could be copied across - and was actually not hard ... just required two Navionics cards and the program to copy files across ....

I'm not interested to hear why above is not true - as I did it in past with Navioncs .. and as I say - three boats I know of here prove it ...

Now you can go searchng online !!

Which is of course fraud/theft. Very unlikely the end user would ever be prosecuted but similar to those IPTV streams, it's not something that sits well with me so I'd rather pay which supports future development and updates.

 

[Refueler]

Which is of course fraud/theft. Very unlikely the end user would ever be prosecuted but similar to those IPTV streams, it's not something that sits well with me so I'd rather pay which supports future development and updates.

Did I say anything else ? I was just posting because of real life observation.

What I find interesting is that I have had chats over a beer with people who have said similar - that they will pay for oem and that way they feel as funding development etc. When asked what Windows / Office they may be using ... they admit to using KMSpico and other activation tools ... when asked what is difference they have little to say.

Just saying.