Lake detail LakeVu vs LakeVu Ultra

[grajoy]

Just picked up an Echomap UHD 93SV on a huge sale that came preloaded with LakeVu G3, really wanting to like the mapping but am missing some of the details I used to have on my Navionics+. (flooded timber, submerged bridges/roadbeds, etc.) Are those details present on the LakeVu ULTRA? I've already reached out to cartography@garmin.com to hopefully see some screenshots of the Ultra my lake but thought I'd see if anyone here has any experience with this in the meantime. I also see online about the GARMIN Fishing Hot Spots Pro which sounds like exactly what I want, but looks like it has been discontinued? I've attached a couple quick screenshots of the same area on Falls Lake, NC with my Navionics+ and with my new LakeVu G3. (sorry the aspect ratio is funky, they are just screenshots from my phone had to resize to attach but I think the point gets across)

[courier105]

That stuff isn’t on the Ultra either. Wish now I would have just stayed with the regular G3

[MTM]

Been wondering for a while now if there was a reason to spend the $ for lakeview ultra. Ive yet to see what would be worth if from what Ive seen. But if it had the road beds and timber...

[grajoy]

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/fi...n-lakevu-maps/

Sounds like there was plans to add those details into Ultra (link is from 2016), but from feedback sounds like that may not be the case....must be a very lake specific thing. Would find it baffling if Garmin really doesn't have that data available somehow, don't they own Navionics?

[MTM]

Good point. I find road beds and timber and such in navionics app, then drive to those spots and see them on my clearvu and mark them. But its never on my map or active captain. Maybe i’m doing something wrong and someone who knows more will chime in and tell me how dumb I am! Grajoy not trying to highjack your thread i’ll hush now!

[Todd Driscoll]

What version of mapping are you folks running? The current 2021.0 mapping really increased the amount of Navionics merging which includes the labels and symbols for timber, roadbeds, bridges, creek channels, etc. Go to Home, Settings, System, System Info, Software Info to see your mapping version.

Regarding the Ultra mapping card, see the Comparison link below for what added features it provides.

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/667388#additional

[MTM]

Apparently I do need to update my maps. I just updated my software, I am just realizing when you update software it does not update maps. I had no idea. Now I am trying to learn how to update my maps...

[LWINCHESTER2]

Make sure you do your research. Last I heard you get ONE free update within 12 months.

[grajoy]

Thank you for the input everyone, I also thought when I updated the software that it updated the maps, will have to confirm later today what version my map is at

[grajoy]

Confirmed my maps are on v2021.0, still no details. As it is right now the maps are awfully pretty with depth shading but a HUGE step back from Navionics. Also found that the web app for ActiveCaptain DOES show the details I am looking for, which at the moment is just frustrating me even more. Garmin support says "While what you see on the Webapp and in Garmin’s BlueChart and LakeVü products will usually be similar, they aren’t necessarily identical. If I remember right, that bottom condition info was licensed from Fishing Hot Spots and we don’t have rights to integrate it into the LakeVü products." Check out the web app version:

https://activecaptain.garmin.com/en-US/Map

would greatly appreciate if one of you with the Ultra could check out Falls Lake in central NC and see if you have that detail. I have seen the comparison chart.

[BASStard6344]

Just type in the lakes you fish and it will show you what’s the difference/available between the two .

https://lakes.garmin.com/

[grajoy]

Thanks BASStard. I've seen that, but it doesn't tell me whether either one shows bottom details. If anything, it would seem to suggest that my regular G3 should show "detailed structure". Really just need to some screenshots if possible..I am going to feel like such an idiot if there is some setting I'm missing on my unit to turn these on/off. Spent about an hour with it tonight out in the cold and don't think that is the case.

[BASStard6344]

Did you click on the block below where you typed in the lake that says one foot contours and detailed structure? When I’ve done that lakes that have this feature it will show up and lakes that don’t you get a grey screen.

[grajoy]

You're right, my lake doesn't come up if I check that box before searching, although the lakes that do come up still don't show what I'm looking for. I think "1 foot contours and detailed structure" is quite the marketing stretch. Starting to move from denial into acceptance..just noticing that the ActiveCaptain web app I posted earlier that looks great is just Navionics. Should have researched further before making the jump, starting to feel like you need a degree these days to understand the different brands pros/cons. I just assumed that all the major brands had the details of Navionics these days. Now the question becomes...when will Garmin let us use Navionics on the units? (they own Navionics.) Or to get that data integrated into the LakeView series..feels like they could corner the mapping market with how cool the ActiveCaptain chart integration stuff is. Love being able to see my charts and sync waypoints from my phone.

[aj_jacks]

Delete

[Todd Driscoll]

You're right, my lake doesn't come up if I check that box before searching, although the lakes that do come up still don't show what I'm looking for. I think "1 foot contours and detailed structure" is quite the marketing stretch. Starting to move from denial into acceptance..just noticing that the ActiveCaptain web app I posted earlier that looks great is just Navionics. Should have researched further before making the jump, starting to feel like you need a degree these days to understand the different brands pros/cons. I just assumed that all the major brands had the details of Navionics these days. Now the question becomes...when will Garmin let us use Navionics on the units? (they own Navionics.) Or to get that data integrated into the LakeView series..feels like they could corner the mapping market with how cool the ActiveCaptain chart integration stuff is. Love being able to see my charts and sync waypoints from my phone.

I checked with our Cartography folks this morning. Yes, Falls Lake, NC is still based off an original Garmin dataset, while Navionics just did release an update for this lake last week. Incorporating Navionics data for Falls Lake is still a work-in-progress, and Garmin data will align with what Navionics specifically has in a future map update, exact availability unknown right now.

[grajoy]

I checked with our Cartography folks this morning. Yes, Falls Lake, NC is still based off an original Garmin dataset, while Navionics just did release an update for this lake last week. Incorporating Navionics data for Falls Lake is still a work-in-progress, and Garmin data will align with what Navionics specifically has in a future map update, exact availability unknown right now.

Thank you for looking into that Todd I appreciate it. Good to know it is something that is in the works. Sounds like when it does become available, it won't be exclusive to the Ultra. In response to the direct question of whether it was present on the Ultra, Garmin support informed me "No. Unfortunately, though there are a lot of feature enhancements in Ultra over “regular” LakeVü, these FHS type bottom conditions aren’t in it, either." For now I will mark the interesting stuff while my Navionics mobile subscription is still active, and transfer the waypoints into Garmin. A bit tedious, but good stuff to do during the winter.

[BASStard6344]

I checked with our Cartography folks this morning. Yes, Falls Lake, NC is still based off an original Garmin dataset, while Navionics just did release an update for this lake last week. Incorporating Navionics data for Falls Lake is still a work-in-progress, and Garmin data will align with what Navionics specifically has in a future map update, exact availability unknown right now.

That’s going above and beyond for the customer .