Webinar HDS Live Update?

[Bill2e]

Hang on guys... the Contour + is an UPGRADE and does NOT require a card to be in the slot. It replaces/upgrades the base maps in HDS Live units. You can purchase the card to do the upgrade for $35 direct from Lowrance or you can have your local dealer (or Pro Staff) upgrade your Live for free.

It eliminates the need for Navionics and has 1 ft contours and the full C-Map shading capability. It DOES NOT replace the need for Precision Contour cards which are boat-on-the-water scanned data and HIGHLY accurate but if you don't live in AL/TN/NC/SC, it is the best you can get until the boats can get back on the water and start scanning again.

If your dealer doesn't know what is going on or you don't have access to a local Pro Staffer, you can purchase the card from Lowrance for $35 which covers the cost of producing the upgrade card. But the card does not need to remain in the unit.

can I down load to my own card?

[Mach440]

Alright I will try an answer some questions here for some people.

I have been running it and it is worth the $35.... It is an update, which means yes put the card in and run the update. Once it is complete, you don't need the micro SD Card in anymore. As before you had the option to choose the map you wanted to use.... Now you just select Contours+. YES you can do depth shading with this just like you can on the CMAPS cards themselves.

If you have multiple units you can run the update on multiple units. You do not need a chip for each unit.

There is no way to just download the file. It is almost 6gig. That would put a massive load on there servers. It is easier for them to sell cards for cheap.

[bloodman]

Alright I will try an answer some questions here for some people.

I have been running it and it is worth the $35.... It is an update, which means yes put the card in and run the update. Once it is complete, you don't need the micro SD Card in anymore. As before you had the option to choose the map you wanted to use.... Now you just select Contours+. YES you can do depth shading with this just like you can on the CMAPS cards themselves.

If you have multiple units you can run the update on multiple units. You do not need a chip for each unit.

There is no way to just download the file. It is almost 6gig. That would put a massive load on there servers. It is easier for them to sell cards for cheap.

Thank you

[back_lash]

Okay so how do you install? Just got my chip from Lowrance and it acts as a normal map card/chip. Unit sees the card ask to use and said yes. Set my color shading and then removed the chip and it want back to the old C-Map US Enhanced and the other C-Map disappears.

[bloodman]

Okay so how do you install? Just got my chip from Lowrance and it acts as a normal map card/chip. Unit sees the card ask to use and said yes. Set my color shading and then removed the chip and it want back to the old C-Map US Enhanced and the other C-Map disappears.

Guess wacky needs to step in and help

[The Hawker]

Just gonna lay this out there for now, but bottom line there's a LOT of misinformation in regards. There indeed is an HDS Live "update" card (provided to certain dealers and certain pro-staffers). There is also a Contour+ chart card, one that does not update the mfd, but works as any other chart card.

[Marc Marcantonio]

Just gonna lay this out there for now, but bottom line there's a LOT of misinformation in regards. There indeed is an HDS Live "update" card (provided to certain dealers and certain pro-staffers. There is also a Contour+ chart card, one that does not update the mfd, but works as any other chart card.

The Hawker is correct.

Wanted to let you know what I was told as a Navico ProStaff member about the new CMap Contour + charts. There are two forms to get this upgrade for LIVE units.

1. On the new LIVE units, the chart firmware will have the CMap Contour + built in.

2. For LIVE units produced prior to April 1, customers can add the CMap + charts by taking their unit to a dealer and having the chart software updated with the CMap + data. Some ProStaff can also do this for customers for free. Alternatively, customers can buy a CMap Contour + mapcard. This is a mapcard like any other 3rd party mapcard (Navionics). This card must be in the unit to be used, and it can be shared with other networked units.

The reason it is not offered as a regular update is because of the risks of doing it incorrectly. If not done properly, the LIVE unit will be ruined. The update is huge, and takes between 15 and 20 minutes to install. The blank SD card used must be formatted differently (NTFS format), the software then is loaded to that SD Card, and then installed without any complications or interruptions, not the least of which is power interruption. The process first loads an installer, then the software, and if untrained people were to attempt this, many would stop the process before it was completed. If Lowrance let everyone (anyone) do this update, there would be so many units damaged it would cost us all a fortune.

For units sold after April 1, that didn't come with CMap Contour +, a rebate form will allow customers to get a free mapcard with the CMap Contour + mapping on it, which can be used like any other 3rd Party map card, and shared between units.

I went through the update process and loaded the CMap Contour+ onto my LIVE 16 and my LIVE 12. Took me 16 minutes each, and went without a hitch.

ciao,
Marc

[rbarrow]

First... I apologize for misleading everyone and assuming that the information provided was 100% correct. It appears there are 2 methods - one requiring the card to remain (of which I was unaware) and one which is an update.

I have been updating my customer's units without difficulty and will continue to do so.

Please accept my apologies for my mistake....

Roy

[Marc Marcantonio]

Easy mistake to make, and why I always say, "none of us knows as much as all of us."

[greenheadz]

The Hawker is correct.

Wanted to let you know what I was told as a Navico ProStaff member about the new CMap Contour + charts. There are two forms to get this upgrade for LIVE units.

1. On the new LIVE units, the chart firmware will have the CMap Contour + built in.

2. For LIVE units produced prior to April 1, customers can add the CMap + charts by taking their unit to a dealer and having the chart software updated with the CMap + data. Some ProStaff can also do this for customers for free. Alternatively, customers can buy a CMap Contour + mapcard. This is a mapcard like any other 3rd party mapcard (Navionics). This card must be in the unit to be used, and it can be shared with other networked units.

The reason it is not offered as a regular update is because of the risks of doing it incorrectly. If not done properly, the LIVE unit will be ruined. The update is huge, and takes between 15 and 20 minutes to install. The blank SD card used must be formatted differently (NTFS format), the software then is loaded to that SD Card, and then installed without any complications or interruptions, not the least of which is power interruption. The process first loads an installer, then the software, and if untrained people were to attempt this, many would stop the process before it was completed. If Lowrance let everyone (anyone) do this update, there would be so many units damaged it would cost us all a fortune.

For units sold after April 1, that didn't come with CMap Contour +, a rebate form will allow customers to get a free mapcard with the CMap Contour + mapping on it, which can be used like any other 3rd Party map card, and shared between units.

I went through the update process and loaded the CMap Contour+ onto my LIVE 16 and my LIVE 12. Took me 16 minutes each, and went without a hitch.

ciao,
Marc

Hey Marc thanks for the clarification! Question... You say it can be shared in the network? Does this mean I can share it with a carbon and have the 1ft contours with color shading? or is color shading only on the LIVE?

Thank you

[Marc Marcantonio]

Greenheadz, that remains to be seen, and I only have LIVE units on my Ranger, so I can't check it out. Everything I have read just mentions LIVE units, not Carbon. That doesn't mean it won't work as a mapcard shared to a Carbon. I would not be surprised to find out the map card version will share with non-LIVE units, but again, I don't know. I do know the software change is only for updating LIVE units; not Carbon.

Lowrance is making a big move in improving charting, and this is an important step. Those big tournament lakes back east that have been surveyed (Alabama, etc.) already have the best charts in the industry, and I can't wait for this charting to come to the west coast. In the meantime, the Genesis Live mapping I do everytime I go fishing is producing maps better than anything I have ever seen, and I know it will continue to be probably the biggest future improvement in chart units.

[The Hawker]

If I may? Indeed the Contour + as the map card will share via network just as any other map card. Shading options will be specific to each individual MFD on the network. Will the card itself work independently in other units? Yeppers! Carbons, Elite Ti's and Ti2's, Gen3, Gen2-Touch etc, etc, etc. Will the base loaded Contour+ share via network, I honestly do not know for absolute certain, but my assumption is a no.

[Lykins Tr21]

So it is a option to go to our dealer and have them instal the new map update ? I like the idea of a professional doing it , If we bought the units at the appropriate time? Hitec Outdoors in West Kentucky did mine.

[Marc Marcantonio]

Yes, call your dealer and ask if they are installing the software upgrade on LIVE's. If not, try to locate a prostaff member in your area, or call Lowrance customer service to locate someone who can install it for free.

I can answer The Hawkers point about the ability to share the base map...no, it cannot be shared between units, however the Contour + Map Chip can be shared over the network.

[greenheadz]

Ill buy the card than from lowrance for $35 when it's released. Thanks

[The Hawker]

Ill buy the card than from lowrance for $35 when it's released. Thanks

If your a "Registered" HDS Live owner you'll be able to get it for that amount,

[bloodman]

Yes, call your dealer and ask if they are installing the software upgrade on LIVE's. If not, try to locate a prostaff member in your area, or call Lowrance customer service to locate someone who can install it for free.

I can answer The Hawkers point about the ability to share the base map...no, it cannot be shared between units, however the Contour + Map Chip can be shared over the network.

Marc
Lots of misinformation about this. Local prostaff say no way they are doing it and risking damage to the unit. Guess I'll stick to the card. Might be best anyways.
Thanks

[Marc Marcantonio]

Marc
Lots of misinformation about this. Local prostaff say no way they are doing it and risking damage to the unit. Guess I'll stick to the card. Might be best anyways.
Thanks

If you lived near me I sure as heck would install it for you; and the other ProStaff are supposed to as well. That is why Lowrance trained us. If a new prostaffer didn't feel comfortable, then I wouldn't want them to do it, although Lowrance would make good on the unit if a dealer or prostaff installed it and a problem occurred. Roy has installed it for others for free also.

[bloodman]

If you lived near me I sure as heck would install it for you; and the other ProStaff are supposed to as well. That is why Lowrance trained us. If a new prostaffer didn't feel comfortable, then I wouldn't want them to do it, although Lowrance would make good on the unit if a dealer or prostaff installed it and a problem occurred. Roy has installed it for others for free also.

Thanks Marc
If I lived next to you I would be at your door right now. Lol

[KRC18D]

Do not buy this card! It sucks compared to navionics. The contours are horrible not even close to what they actually are. They have the channels going over well known sandbars that are on every other chart it is just horrible. Someone is going to hit something. I hope no one on here trusts this chart because they will regret it if they do.