I'm so confused about how the damn Lakevu maps work

[DanR]

Second time I post about this as I try to unravel the mystery... I have 95SV (Canadian Lakevu built in) at console and just bought a 93SV (US Lakevu built in) for the bow. My understanding is that I CANNOT export the maps from the 95SV to an SD card like you would for editing in Homeport, and use them on the 93SV.

So if I buy a Lakevu HD SD card from Garmin, does that mean I can plug that in to any of my echomap units and it will work? And can I import the maps from that card to overwrite the built in maps on the 93SV or do I always have to have the card in the unit? So I guess what I mean is if I have 3 Echomap units on the boat for example, I can buy just one map card and update all 3 units? I find it hard to believe that I would have to buy 3 cards, especially considering 1 of the 2 river systems I fish isn't even mapped :/

Thanks in advance and sorry for the newbie questions!
Dan

[Larry3215]

I dont think it works that way.

If you buy a Lakeview card, it has to stay in the sd card slot to work. You cannot use that card to "up-date" or replace the builtin maps. You can use it in any MFD as far as I know but you will have to leave it in the card slot. You can then switch back and forth between the builtin maps and the ones on the sd card.

The other option is they can send you a different, free sd-card (within one year of purchase) that you CAN use to update the internal maps to the newest version - BUT - as far as I know, you have to stay with what ever came originally on the unit. US stays US, Canada stays Canada - I think. For some reason it looks like Garmin doesnt want you changing countries like that. Maybe a copyright issue or?

That free sd card is only used to up-date the internal maps and then you remove it. The internal maps are then the newest version and your sd card slot is free to use for other things. In theory, you should also be able to download the up-date maps but I have never been able to get that to actually work.

Hope that helps.

[Larry3215]

As far as I Know, you can export any of the builtin maps to Homeport, but you will only be able to use one at a time. I believe that will also work for the ones you buy - but the card will have to stay in the computer for it to work.

[DanR]

As far as I Know, you can export any of the builtin maps to Homeport, but you will only be able to use one at a time. I believe that will also work for the ones you buy - but the card will have to stay in the computer for it to work.

Right, but you can't export those built in maps to an SD card and then pop that card in to another Echomap and have it work can you? For the ones that you buy, if you don't want to buy 3 cards for your 3 units I guess you just have to clone the SD card to another SD?

The other option is I can use an old Bluechart G2 card I believe. They are super cheap on eBay and such.

Is this how it is for all brands? I thought Lowrance you can just copy navionics maps to an SD card and plug it in to any unit and it works and I was assuming Garmin worked the same way.

[Larry3215]

Right, but you can't export those built in maps to an SD card and then pop that card in to another Echomap and have it work can you?

Correct. The exported maps will only work in Homeport.

For the ones that you buy, if you don't want to buy 3 cards for your 3 units I guess you just have to clone the SD card to another SD?

No, you cant copy the cards you pay for. They are copy protected. You would need 3 cards or move a single card from unit to unit. Garmin doesnt want you making 100 copies and selling them on E-Bay - which cloners are already doing.

The other option is I can use an old Bluechart G2 card I believe. They are super cheap on eBay and such.

Those are mostly illegal copies/clones and there are lots of reports of them being very old charts or not being the charts they say they are or not working at all and no warranty. So, its a risk.

Is this how it is for all brands? I thought Lowrance you can just copy navionics maps to an SD card and plug it in to any unit and it works and I was assuming Garmin worked the same way.

No brand will let you make free copies of anything they sell. It would be a pretty stupid business model if you wanted to stay in business very long :)

[DanR]

Correct. The exported maps will only work in Homeport.




No, you cant copy the cards you pay for. They are copy protected. You would need 3 cards or move a single card from unit to unit. Garmin doesnt want you making 100 copies and selling them on E-Bay - which cloners are already doing.




Those are mostly illegal copies/clones and there are lots of reports of them being very old charts or not being the charts they say they are or not working at all and no warranty. So, its a risk.




No brand will let you make free copies of anything they sell. It would be a pretty stupid business model if you wanted to stay in business very long :)

Is there some way to tell whether a card is an illegal clone or a legit map card? Maybe the SD card has some branding on it or something?

Thanks for all this info, really appreciate it.

Oh and MANY successful companies give away software, it's extremely common. Generally you will see two models... software is free but hardware is a premium price, or hardware is almost given away but software is premium. Google is one of the biggest companies around, and they produce some of the most used web applications in the world and every single one is free. Heck Windows 10 was 100% free for months for the sake of brand loyalty (and consumer spying lol!) Many multi-million dollar companies produce open-source free software and the list goes on and on. There are massive conferences held just for companies/vendors to learn how to be profitable with open source.

Anyhow, again thank you for the info... ideally I would like to find a 1 or two year old used chart card from someone that upgraded, but now I'm scared I'll end up with some crappy clone.

[Larry3215]

I dont know any way to tell for sure. Ive read several reports of people buying them, trying to up-grade to the latest version, and Garmin turning them down because they are cloned.

If you try to stick to sales on Craigs list, or for sale items on this forum or only buy from individuals, and not businesses located in China, your odds should be much better. :)

Garmin has lots of free software - Homeport, Garmin Helm and I think two more that are Apple only. Its the maps they charge for. Its costs them a bundle to send a hi-tech boat (Im guessing they have $150 grand + in the boat and hardware) and crew out to do those surveys of lakes. It can take many days on the water to survey even a medium sized lake. Thats not cheap.

As far as I know, no one gives away charts except the government and you cant use them on your plotter. Navionics comes closest with their on-line webapp, but you cant use that on your plotter either. They all sell those maps.

[ShellbackCVA59]

It sounds like you want the Canadian maps on the US unit, is that correct? If that's the case, you will have to buy the Canada map card.

[DanR]

I dont know any way to tell for sure. Ive read several reports of people buying them, trying to up-grade to the latest version, and Garmin turning them down because they are cloned.

If you try to stick to sales on Craigs list, or for sale items on this forum or only buy from individuals, and not businesses located in China, your odds should be much better. :)

Garmin has lots of free software - Homeport, Garmin Helm and I think two more that are Apple only. Its the maps they charge for. Its costs them a bundle to send a hi-tech boat (Im guessing they have $150 grand + in the boat and hardware) and crew out to do those surveys of lakes. It can take many days on the water to survey even a medium sized lake. Thats not cheap.

As far as I know, no one gives away charts except the government and you cant use them on your plotter. Navionics comes closest with their on-line webapp, but you cant use that on your plotter either. They all sell those maps.

OK thanks Larry, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions so patiently. In all honestly I'm having a tough time swallowing the pill because the Canadian coverage (for me) is really poor. The St. Lawrence is a major fishery and there's no contour shading etc and the other large river system I fish is completely missing, yet my brother who bought an old Garmin unit for $100 has that area fully mapped. I'm bitter. There, I said it lol!

[Larry3215]

That sucks. You're stuck until they get around to mapping those areas or you're going to have to do it yourself with Quickdraw. I guess there is a third option - pound on your brother and make him give you his mfd to use on your boat for charting ;)

Im guessing his is old enough to still be using an old Navionics Canadian chart.

OK thanks Larry, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions so patiently. In all honestly I'm having a tough time swallowing the pill because the Canadian coverage (for me) is really poor. The St. Lawrence is a major fishery and there's no contour shading etc and the other large river system I fish is completely missing, yet my brother who bought an old Garmin unit for $100 has that area fully mapped. I'm bitter. There, I said it lol!

[DanR]

That sucks. You're stuck until they get around to mapping those areas or you're going to have to do it yourself with Quickdraw. I guess there is a third option - pound on your brother and make him give you his mfd to use on your boat for charting ;)

Im guessing his is old enough to still be using an old Navionics Canadian chart.

That's what I do when I am on the river system that is unmapped... I have the quickdraw on at all times on that body of water and I'm slowly mapping it during the summer. I use the free Navionics online app to search for key spots I want to try (there are some amazing areas to work) and map them when I go.

I am assuming (probably not a good thing) that if I share waypoints from my console unit to the 93SV, it will show the waypoints on the "slave" unit irregardless of what maps I use on there right? I can't wait to get this unit in my hands... I have extra cables in my office so I'll be able to hook everything up and play around with all this.

And yes, my brother's unit is a much older one running Navionics. He told me this morning there's a USB looking key in the unit with the maps, but when you remove it, it's not a generic USB plug, it's some kind of prorietary connector.

Is it possible to export the quickdraws from my 95sv to the 93sv?

I'm like a 5 year old... the more answers you give, the more questions I ask

Dan

[Larry3215]

hehehe

I havent tried it myself with units with different maps, but I think you should still be able to see waypoints on both and they should show up on what ever map you have selected.

Yes, you can copy your quickdraw maps to the other unit. Just copy the entire QD folder over and they will all be there.

[ShellbackCVA59]

I have contour lines on my Garmin Ontario Inland Lakes SD card for the St Lawrence. At least in the Thousand Island region I fish.

[DanR]

hehehe

I havent tried it myself with units with different maps, but I think you should still be able to see waypoints on both and they should show up on what ever map you have selected.

Yes, you can copy your quickdraw maps to the other unit. Just copy the entire QD folder over and they will all be there.

Awesome, at least that part is easy lol

[DanR]

I have contour lines on my Garmin Ontario Inland Lakes SD card for the St Lawrence. At least in the Thousand Island region I fish.

The entire St. Lawrence river and RDP River all around Montreal is just a basic nautical chart with basic depths. No 1' foot contours and no depth shading etc. On the other river system I fish (Riviere de la Lievre), when you are on that body of water the Garmin map shows just a big yellow space as though you were on land. Navionic has it fully mapped.

[DanR]

Is G2 map coverage the same as Lakevu? So if it's not a mapped body of water in Lakevu, is it likely to be not mapped on a G2 map as well?

[Astrochris]

Dan,
You need Trakmaps in your device if you want Riviere de la Lievre.

Trakmap screen shot below.

[DanR]

Dan,
You need Trakmaps in your device if you want Riviere de la Lievre.

Trakmap screen shot below.

Yep, I'll be doing that trick you told me about for sure!