Lets tell Garmin what we want to see in future software updates

[Staveman]

Need to make the GT54UHD work with a skimmer transducer like the Gt8HW9-IH. You have to call it a different transducer to make it work in the source screen which does not let you use the frequencies they were designed for. Also please make it easier to change the lake levels. I have the LakeVu G3 Ultra maps. I have changed the lake levels but the contours don't change. This can be dangerous on Kentucky Lake.

[rsd1962]

Improve the mapping. Or allow the use of other map cards.

[rlrichar]

The ability to connect to Merc's Vessel View bluetooth for display on screen.

I second that!!

[MeBassn]

Change the power cycle / sync for networked units.

I have 2 126sv's networked and running the latest s/w as of 1/6/2020. If i turn one unit off, the other unit turns off, if i turn it back on they both turn on. There should be a network setting that allow synced power cycling instead of basically linked power cycling.

Prior to updating my s/w the units would do the opposite, one would turn on and the other would turn off.

[jebrown312]

Echomap Plus series to get the "Dual onscreen controls to Panoptix™ pages for range and gain control" like the Ultra series added with the last update.

[Fishysam]

I would like a setting to choose on livescope to make a 90* picture vs the 135*. Almost all of the time I don't need to have what is behind the transducer and "not shrinking my forward targets" would be much more useful as I get deeper.

[SonarSentinel]

This idea is regarding the media player controller that currently comes with the EM+ 93/95sv. Currently,it seems, (and the book seems to confirm) that this works only with nema2000. Since the unit already has bluetooth, is there not a way that some software code could be written so that the unit can control a media device via bluetooth. Maybe this needs to be integrated with active captain, but would likely be better if not. So like this; I can bluetooth pair my phone with my stereo in my F150. Once that is done I can control the media player on the phone via the truck stereo. So, it would be way cool if I could pair my EM+ 95sv with my phone, launch its media player, and control it via the media screen on the FF. I'm pretty sure, but not 100% certain that my phone can be simultaneously paired to a bluetooth portable amplified speaker. So, I'm out fishing, playing some tunes, with my phone in my pocket, little speaker in the boat, decide to change the music, and I can do it from the FF, without having to dig the phone out of my pocket. Just a thought, thanks for reading.

Thanks,
Sonar Sentinel

[SonarSentinel]

Since Garmin is supposed to be reading this; for use with transducers that have three sonar crystals; left, down, and right.

I'd like a screen, call it say Total Vu, where all three transducers are used simultaneously, and the FF 'stitches' the data together to present to the user one total view, left-center-right. It would like the Side Vu screen (with its down looking orientation/perspective), but there would be no black center. The 'Total Vu' screen, would be fully populated with one image that is a representation of everything left-center-right. It would have a down looking orientation/perspective, not the 'side looking' orientation/perspective of traditional 2D and Down/Clear Vu screens.

[LWINCHESTER2]

Interesting concept but can't be done. The sonar cones of these crystals only tell you one thing, how far it is to a target, not where the target is. Since the left crystal is pointed left, most of the time, we take it the target somewhere to the left. For example, a target that is 40 ft away, just off the bottom will appear on the screen in exactly the same position as a target 40 ft away just under the surface. That's where the whole shadow analysis concept comes into play. Also, the down, left, and right cones all overlap. We can, for assumption sake, designate a signal strength to help minimize this but not eliminate it. Another example. Go by a sloping rock outcropping of known location where you know it is on the left side of the boat. If you'll notice, you will see some of it on the right side of the display. That's the overlap of the cones. Now for the black center. That's a Humminbird concept where they have an option to eliminate the water column from the display. Okay if all you want to see is the bottom of the lake. My problem with that is that 90% of the fish I catch are in that water colummn. I have made a suggestion to Garmin for just the opposite. Expand the LiveScope to 180 degrees.

[SamMule]

A zoom function other than pinch zoom would be nice for livescope down. Would be great to have a "bottom lock" style zoom, similiar to the zoom available on 2d,Downvu, and sidevu.


If I'm jigging in 100' of water, and my fish are on the bottom, I feel like it would be much easier to see if I could zoom in to the bottom 10 of 20' of the water column.

[SonarSentinel]

Interesting concept but can't be done.

Never underestimate the capability of software, especially some of the incredible algorithms that can be made, and the 'horsepower' of modern computing CPUs. Garmin and the others can do it if they want to, but the cost to fit it inside a certain market sized unit might not fly in their minds.

Didn't they use a CV52 with its left and right crystal to make a 'down vu' image? So, maybe a transducer needs to be tweaked or a new design is needed, but I have no doubt they could create a 'Total Vu' view if they wanted to.

Totally unrelated, but today I am using an operating system called FreeBSD (and other software called Emby) on my home server to store and stream my media collection to my various electronic devices. I can be on the highway, driving 100Kmph, streaming music from that home server, through the cellular telephone network, to my cell phone, then blue tooth to my truck stereo, or portable speaker in my kayak. And while that is going on the kids are streaming movie's to their tablets, and my mother in another part of the country is using her smart TV to watch our home videos of the kids having fun from that same server. If I said in this forum 10 years ago we could do that, many would say its not possible.

Never underestimate what they can do with computer chips and super geek software.

[Royt]

On screen depth control on Ultra units. Also need much better and more powerful UHD transducer to compete with other brands side imaging.
4th place out of 4 major manufacturers is not good enough.

[shamus78]

Improve the mapping. Or allow the use of other map cards.

Agree with this. Wish the software could be updated to allow the use of Navionics cards.

[Wisfarmer]

A way to overlay the side imaging onto your navigiation map like you can with lowrance

[TopGun21x]

Just posted this as a separate topic in the forum....the ability to pull heading data from the Force when paired with units, eliminating the need for a dedicated heading sensor.

[Binder]

Develop a unit that has built-in wireless communication to an AT&T or Verizon. I would think this type of connection would be very convenient for software updates, whether radar and warnings, Active Captain information, who knows what it may lead to. Garmin may be able to develop their own app store allowing users to download and install features they want directly from the MFD. Just an idea

[Spotshooter]

Higher definition side and livescope

[ifishforbass]

"New Trail" I use different colors, for different days when I practice for tournaments. Now, I have to save everything, delete everything, start a new trail, load my data back on my unit. Unless I am missing something, a "new trail" would end the current trail, but still display it, and my new trail could be a different color.

[Coastal Mountaineer]

Sorry it this has been posted before, I did a search and didn't find what I was looking for.

When I update my LakeVu maps to latest version, I lose all my Quickdraw mapping. Called Garmin and the rep I spoke to said that's what happens and had no fix.

Please Garmin, give me a way to transfer the old mapping to my new card.

[SamMule]

Would really like to see some improvements to the Realvu 3d software.
I feel like the processing power of garmin head units have really come a long ways since the PS30 launch.
There has to be ways to improve the images rendered.
Currently, to get a good representation of the bottom contours, sweep speed has to be set on "slowest", and the boat has to be perfectly still.
The refresh time is painfully long.
When sweep speed is set to "fastest", the rendering is poor at best.

I'm thinking of a cross between the new "perspective" and realvu 3d down.

For example: set beam width to 10/20/45. Steer fore/aft, and give a 3d representation of that area, rather than trying to render the full 90 degree sweep.
With a shorter sweep, we could get a faster refresh time on the image, giving a more accurate representation of the bottom.

Is this even possible? Seems like it should be?
Thoughts?