Navionics charting questions - need help with charting?

[Wayne P.]

I have a navionics platinum east card now that is about 5 yrs old. what is the difference between this and a lake masters card? Should I buy a new card or update the one I have?

Navionics is a map company recently purchased by Garmin. It works with a lot of different sonar mfg, except Garmin at the present time.

Lakemaster is a different map company that was purchased by Johnson Outdoors. They own Humminbird, Minnkota, Canon.
It only works with Humminbird sonar/GPS units.

You can renew the Freshest Data subscription and update the card. If the card is 8GB, you have to request the current size 16GB to have enough memory to do an update. The subscription is $99.
If you want all the current features that work with Lowrance units, you need the current card version, not the one you have.
MSRP of a Hotmaps Platinum regional card is $199.

[bassmasher]

Navionics is a map company recently purchased by Garmin. It works with a lot of different sonar mfg, except Garmin at the present time.

Lakemaster is a different map company that was purchased by Johnson Outdoors. They own Humminbird, Minnkota, Canon.
It only works with Humminbird sonar/GPS units.

You can renew the Freshest Data subscription and update the card. If the card is 8GB, you have to request the current size 16GB to have enough memory to do an update. The subscription is $99.
If you want all the current features that work with Lowrance units, you need the current card version, not the one you have.
MSRP of a Hotmaps Platinum regional card is $199.

Thanks for the help!!
Is the subscription a yearly price? and is it worth the update or should I bite e bullet and spend the extra 100$

[Nightmare]

If you want all the current features that work with Lowrance units, you need the current card version, not the one you have.
MSRP of a Hotmaps Platinum regional card is $199.

Subscription is price every year if you want to keep those "current features that work with Lowrance units". Otherwise they evaporate when your subscription run out. Then you have kind of a glorified Navionics+ card instead. Do a search in the forum to educate yourself on this topic before making a decision either way. Asking others provides you their own slant or bias. Judge for yourself.

[wallyandre]

From my friend Kirt:
Navionics Advanced Features
These features require an active chart updates subscription for your Navionics plotter card. Please note that not all features are available for all models. Please consult our compatibility guide to confirm which features are available for your specific model: Compatibility Guide

Choose CHART OPTIONS from your Chart panel and then VIEW to access Navionics Advanced Features.

SONARCHART DENSITY - Controls the density of the contour lines displayed with SonarChart or SonarChart Live

FISHING RANGE - Select a range of depths between which to display a different color, highlighting a specific range of depths for fishing purposes

SHALLOW WATER HIGHLIGHT - Allows you to highlight an area of shallow water up to 10 meters/30 feet
SonarChart Live
Select OVERLAY from your Chart/Map panel and switch it to ON.
Choose SONARCHART LIVE to display it as an overlay on the chart. When selecting the SonarChart Live Overlay, the menu expands to display additional options. TRANSPARENCY - SonarChart Live is drawn on top of the chart data - adjust transparency to allow chart details to be seen. MINIMUM DEPTH - Adjust what is treated as safety depth when creating SonarChart Live - as the boat approaches this depth the overlay will gradually change color to red. It is suggested users turn on the SonarChart Live tide correction option in their Chart Settings - Tap PAGES to get to your main Home scree and select SETTINGS > CHART > SONARCHART LIVE TIDE CORRECTION (ON)
Dock-to-dock Autorouting
We suggest you reference your Operator's Manual for additional information on creating Automatic Routes. Units designed for sale in the U.S. region do not have Autorouting capabilities. Autorouting features are disabled on all non-U.S. units when they are used in U.S. territorial waters.
Plotter Sync
Plotter Sync allows plotter owners to transfer routes and markers, update charts and more! Active subscriptions are required on both the plotter card and the app. Find more information in our Help article at Plotter Sync with Navico Brand Plotters.

[Wayne P.]

I get that often when I do a lot of posts in one day or several consecutive days. A long post like when I try to post a unit software update description usually gets one of those. There seems to be a max character count in a certain time frame that is the issue.

[RangerCess]

My "sonarchart" option is faded and it won't allow me to click on it. I just updated my lowrance unit and my navionics maps. The chip is less than a year old. Please help

[sfw1960]

Sounds like a "bad update" try downloading the data again, or contact NAV for support - -they're pretty fast at responding.

[wallyandre]

My "sonarchart" option is faded and it won't allow me to click on it. I just updated my lowrance unit and my navionics maps. The chip is less than a year old. Please help

Send a email to: help@navionics.com

[JDFishing]

RangerCess - I would def try to download your SonarChart maps again. It sounds like to me that your card just doesn't have the SonarChart layer active.

[wallyandre]

Looks to me that the chart may be more then 1 year old or it never been register and updated

[JDFishing]

This past winter while competeing and traveling in bass tournaments in south Florida, I jumped all in on a very unique contest by Navionics on remapping south Florida post Hurricane Irma. The results from central Florida through the keys where awesome and now available for all Navionics users to download insuring they travel safer and catch more fish on their next outing.

[JDFishing]

This past winter while competeing and traveling in bass tournaments in south Florida, I jumped all in on a very unique contest by Navionics on remapping south Florida post Hurricane Irma. The results from central Florida through the keys where awesome and now available for all Navionics users to download insuring they travel safer and catch more fish on their next outing.

[chancey021]

My problem with the new rules: I have had my card since 2012 and it is the platinum plus chip. I did not purchase this chip with the impression or knowledge that I would have to pay to update my chip every year. This is something that should be optional to the folks that purchased cards prior to this rule as I would not be a Navionics customer. Now I paid $149.00 years ago to be in my boat ready to blast off for a tournament and my unit pop up a message saying I have to pay and update to get the contours back and the
options I purchased back to where it will work again. So here is my suggestion, if you are going to charge a yearly subscription lease then make the mapping and options the best in the market. I mean at least give it the features that lakemaster and cmap has combined with the navionics technology. Also, make it to where you can adjust the lakes for winter draw downs like you can do on the phone app. So if you are gonna charge every year make it worth our money, not continue to pay in order to have the same stuff every year for $100 per year.

[JDFishing]

Chancey021 - There is a couple great Navionics features that you can only get on the APP and not on the card, like water level offset asa example. This is more of a feature that needs to be enabled by the chart plotter companies themselves (humminbird, Raymarine, Lowrance, etc.) I always recommend if this is a feature you’d like to see then request to both a Navionics and your graph company that they allow this feature. Being both companies develop future developments based on consumer needs and requests, this is the best way.

As far as the updating process, it is not new. In fact, it’s been a round for years at this point. The data you have on your card stays with you after your subscription of a year of free downloads expires. To add “new” data, then yes you’d need to pay $100 and then you get another year of downloads. As opposed to other map companies that make you buy a new card to get the new maps. It’s actually a pretty awesome option and a great way to take advantage of new maps when they are available as often as you like. When your subscription expires, you do not loose your existing contours and you decide when the data is worth you paying for more. You loose access to any further new data till you renew.

[chancey021]

Chancey021 - There is a couple great Navionics features that you can only get on the APP and not on the card, like water level offset asa example. This is more of a feature that needs to be enabled by the chart plotter companies themselves (humminbird, Raymarine, Lowrance, etc.) I always recommend if this is a feature you’d like to see then request to both a Navionics and your graph company that they allow this feature. Being both companies develop future developments based on consumer needs and requests, this is the best way.

As far as the updating process, it is not new. In fact, it’s been a round for years at this point. The data you have on your card stays with you after your subscription of a year of free downloads expires. To add “new” data, then yes you’d need to pay $100 and then you get another year of downloads. As opposed to other map companies that make you buy a new card to get the new maps. It’s actually a pretty awesome option and a great way to take advantage of new maps when they are available as often as you like. When your subscription expires, you do not loose your existing contours and you decide when the data is worth you paying for more. You loose access to any further new data till you renew.

Who can I meet with to have them look at my unit with my card in it? I like many other are loosing options and mapping. There are options that are now blanked out and saying that it will not work until I update the subscription. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[JDFishing]

Chancey,

theres several quick options for you. First feel free to contact help@navionics.com. They can definitely work you through your issues.

Secondly, I encourage you to check out my website and search my videos section. I do a whole lot of tricks, tips and how-to videos on a bunch of Navionics features. www.JoshDouglasFishing.com

Another option would be to go to your dealer and talk with them one on one. I often visit dealers to do trainings at Cabelas, BPS and Scheel’s etc. most stores have very educated staff that can familiarize you with your equipment, help work through issues and make sure you’re getting the most out of your equipment.

Tight lines dude.

[1bluemcm]

Chart updating question and multiple units question

Getting closer to having my boat back on the water, has been laid up for a couple of years....long story, not the point here.

Just realized my HotMaps Platinum East card expired in Fall of 2015. I guess I just wasn't aware that the updates are only good for a year and then you have to get a new card, is that right? Any compelling reasons to get a new one now, or just use the old one?

I have a carbon 9 and a HDS9 Gen 3, I'm a little confused if the charting card can be put into one of them but share the charts to both? Admittedly, I need to do some more reading on it. One came with Lake Insight so I had thought about using the HotMaps Platinum in one graph and the Lake Pro card in the other but that seems like it could be a pain. They will be on a NMEA-2000 network, once I get that part all back together.....

Thanks for any help and understanding.

[Nightmare]

Just realized my HotMaps Platinum East card expired in Fall of 2015. I guess I just wasn't aware that the updates are only good for a year and then you have to get a new card, is that right? Any compelling reasons to get a new one now, or just use the old one?

Plug card into computer - log into account - update current card. Requires re-subscription. Don't need new card.

I have a carbon 9 and a HDS9 Gen 3, I'm a little confused if the charting card can be put into one of them but share the charts to both? Admittedly, I need to do some more reading on it. One came with Lake Insight so I had thought about using the HotMaps Platinum in one graph and the Lake Pro card in the other but that seems like it could be a pain. They will be on a NMEA-2000 network, once I get that part all back together......

Map card will share between units if you are connected by Ethernet - not NMEA. If so connected, select the map source you want at each unit.

[wallyandre]

You can use your old card but you will missing some options and some new adding logs; loosing autochart, sonarchart live, fishing adjustment and some more

You can share 1 card on your 2 units

[1bluemcm]

thanks you fellas. Updated it after reading this, went fine, will work for my needs. Good to know about sharing, I like keeping it simple and do have the ethernet wired up.