Lowrance iWay 600c
Lowrance has released the new iWay 600c. The new iWay 600c features a 5″ touch screen display, 30 GB hard drive (5 GB remaining), MP3 player, and an FM transmitter to deliver sound to a stereo. What is new about the device is that it offers both street maps and marine charts in one device, and it will allow you to view high resolution satellite imagery while navigating.
The iWay 600c comes with a 12 channel (parallel) receiver which is WAAS enabled. There are preloaded street maps from NAVTEQ as well as 5.5 million POIs. On the marine side the 600c comes with MapCreate shoreline detail as well as over 3,000 US lake maps. The lake maps come with depth contours tidal data and marine navaids.
One really interesting note is that the specifications claim compatibility with not just Windows, but also Mac OS X. The Lowrance iWay 600c is also watertight to prevent corrosion during marine use.
What is also interesting to note is that Lowrance has partnered with DigitalGlobe to provide satellite imagery on the 600c. For those of you who might be wondering where you have seen the name DigitalGlobe before, you can often find their name in the copyright information at the bottom of Google Earth and Google Maps satellite views.
Lowrance reports that they are the first auto GPS to provide these high resolution images on a GPS device. They also indicate that they have an exclusive deal for the imagery on a PND.
Just purchased it – will let you know how it goes – I hope the DigitalGlobe data can be added and updated over time.
Almost the perfect PND for my needs. However,the lack of Text-To-Speech is a deal breaker. Attention Lowrance: I will wait to see if this feature is added to future models. Only then will I buy this unit.
Update from Jeff: Versatile for truck, RV, and boat usage. Good built in lake maps. Nice bright screen. Easy to use buttons. Sat data is useful, but locations are not user defined. The unit is heavy, tough and stout. The holder is strong. The suction cup is very tight. This unit is built for tough and rough conditions – hot, dry, or wet. I have used the product for a couple months now in and out of the boat. I’m very happy with the unit. Has proven itself already as used on nighttime trip on a lake. As soon as the map update is available, I will buy it.
Here is update after the new map update. Purchased from LEI for about $100 – that is a little to pricy – but it was a good map update as it added new roads in my area such as the new toll loop around Austin. I did 5000 miles in MH this summer and made good use of the update. Not sure if they added lakes, but with 8GB update (yes, 8 GB!), there is a lot of new data. The upgrades is huge and it take a very long time to load. I was very careful with the instructions and ran it over night. No issues. I did 2 more night cruises in the boat, and it just the ticket for safe night time cruising – as I typically us a track that I have cut during the day. The unit is holding up nicely…a couple of times it has fallen off its suction mount and hit the floor of the truck or boat – it is a good thing it is tough because it has take a number of hard hits. Still hoping LEI will offer more and user selectable sat data in the future – and be able to make use of the rest of the disk space since I never use the space set aside for MP3 files or pictures. Jeff
I just bought this unit for my house boat on the Delta. I move it from Stockton to bethel Island without a hitch. I was able to take it out of the box and use it the same day
A caution for Canadian marine users: this unit has no canadian marine cartography, and it is not possible to load maps onto the unit. Works great for cars though.
we purchased a lowrance 600c last december for our boat/car.we are begining to think that the unit does not have canadian great lakes loaded on gps. also we purchased a uniden dsc marine radio which is supposed to be able to hook a gps to it. nither the gps or marine radio have anyinstuctions on how to do this.my question to you is the 600c gps able to be hooked to the marine radio? if so please send information on how to do. if not we have not used the gps yet and may want to return to you for the right gps!
Apparently this item has been discontinued by Lowrance, even tho they deny it. One person claims they can only find 17 in whole country and next one claims their wharehouse is stuffed full of em. None of the retail stores has gotten a shipment since february 2008. They all say the item is discontinued. I really wish Lowrance would not lie like they are doing. If they are going to introduce a new unit, then do it. I am just about ready to look at the TOMTOM or Garmin units, even tho I dont want to. Maybe this is the sign that Lowrance is about to go bankrupt?? Time will only tell, but this certainly is no way to try to win a customer over.
Tom – we haven’t heard much out of Lowrance recently in the automotive department. They’ve fallen further behind the competition. I wouldn’t be surprised if they continued to focus on their more successful marine and baja market, and not continuing on the automotive side. In which case they might not officially “discontinue” a device– just not produce any more or supersede it with anything else.
I PURCHASED A 600.GOOD SELLING POINT{LOTS OF LAKES}NONE IN LEXINGTON,NC.
REALLY DISAPOINTED IN INLAND LAKES MAPPING.
IT SAYS IT HAS SO {MANY LAKES}, BUT IT SHOWS THE LAKES BUT {NO DEPTHS OR CONTOUR}HIGH ROCK LAKE-BADIN LAKE-NC.{SALT WATER IS OK,IT HAS CONTOUR AND DEPTHS.
HIGHWAY IS REALLY ACCURATE, LIKE I SAID LAKES ARE A LITTLE SHY OF MARKINGS.
I have been bragging about my lowrance iway600c since I got it a year ago… use it on my Harley, car, pick up and on my boat in the Hudson river and lake George ny… BUT (2 weeks ago) it totally crapped out on me – will not power up…. – I had bought the extended warrantee and recently sent it back –Try to get through their help phone – no way – and their “RA”number has a letter then 5 numbers – the automated phone ra status will not take the letter.. summing it up – I cant talk to them – I cant check on my unit – I did find a tech’s email address and all she responded was 600c on back order… I guess ill have to buy another brand to get by for now and hope that lowrance stays in business and makes good on my unit…
Enjoyed reading the feedback. I just received a 600C replacing a 500C tht neer got any use because the touch keyhboard was screwed up. They had it for more than two months. I checked on it many times but had the same problem that above feedbackers had. Just could not get contact with anyone about stats of the RA when all of a sudden I received a replacement at no charge and apparently a better one. I am happy with the Marine use feature. I was getting ready to replace my 10 year old GARMIN GPS PLOTTER 220 whose screen went south. SORRY NO CAN FIX – IT’S TEN YEARS OLD AND IS NOW JUNK I was told. Hopefully Lowrance will service their products longer than that. It only got used about 10 times. I am going through with purchasing NAUTIC PATH and I’d be happy to share it potential from here in southwest Florida. CHUCK DAVIS
Does anyone know if there will be a data base update beyond Q3-07? I like the 600, it works perfectly, but the data base is getting old. Is there any other way to update the data base? I have emailed Lowrance several times and are assured there will be an update soon, however the update never comes. I wrote Navteq, they deflect the response to Lowrance. I would think a data base between GPS units would not be that different. Inquiring minds want to know, if there is any way to update a iWay 600c beyond Q3-07.
Each manufacturer takes the map database and compresses it into their own unique formats, so they are not interchangeable. Thus you do need to rely on Lowrance and their affiliates for that data.
I have way 600c in a big truck peterbilt 2008 and I c’ant find the good street corectly I want a direction for truck whith no truck include forget it I pay $5000 whith peterbilt I supose my gps find the no truck low bridge ect.No nothing and I ask for help nothing suport by pana-pacific nothing pete nothing thank if sommebody c’an help me for find a vertion for truck is to mutch money $5000 for a gps for wenebago. Ben