Lowrance LINK-8 Firmware Update

[jimh]

On November 19, 2015 Lowrance released a new firmware updater for their LINK-8 DSC VHF Marine Band radio. The firmware update is marked v.2.87 and is available from http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Software-Updates/ in the listing called "Update Archive."

After much searching, I also found Lowrance's web page announcing the update and giving some release notes and a hyperlink to the updater. Lowrance says this software "adds the additional function of DSC calling from a compatible Lowrance [multi-function display]." Unfortunately there is no list of compatible displays. Since the update is apparently only applied to the radio, it seems reasonable to assume that the ability for the multi-function display (MFD) to be able to control the radio must already be present in the MFD, that is, this update is not going to add it to the MFD. This suggests that the "compatible" displays are displays that are fairly recent in origin or also have recent updates. My HDS-8 first-generation, whose last software update was about four years ago, will probably not be able to control the radio.

Lowrance also says the update implements "a number of software improvements" but does not list them specifically.

Lowrance also provides instructions for implementing the upgrade. These instructions are in the .DOCX format and assume you will be using a very recent model of Lowrance chart plotter that has a micro-SD memory card.

I believe the firmware update can also be applied to the Lowrance LINK-8 radio by connecting the radio to a NMEA-2000 network with a Lowrance chart plotter with standard SD-Memory card slots. Some very old versions of the LINK-8 may have firmware that does not allow the user to update over NMEA-2000, and those radios must be returned to the manufacturer to have their firmware updated. I believe that if a LINK-8 radio is at software version 1.062 and higher, the user can apply an update over NMEA-2000.

If anyone applies this most recent LINK-8 update and can demonstrate that their Lowrance chart plotter can now control the radio, I would be most interested to hear the details and see some screen captures.

[jimh]

ASIDES: here are links to some earlier articles on the Lowrance LINK-8:

--an earlier forum article discusses the interfacing of a Lowrance LINK-8 DSC VHF radio to a chart plotter using NMEA-0183 connections; and,

--another earlier forum article discusses the 2015 market for VHF Marine Band radios with respect to offering the options of GNSS receiver built-in, AIS receiver built-in, and NMEA-2000 connectivity.