This thread is dedicated to any questions relating to Navionics charts, use, mobile app, new products, etc. Please feel free to post so others can learn as well.
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This thread is dedicated to any questions relating to Navionics charts, use, mobile app, new products, etc. Please feel free to post so others can learn as well.
I have a HDS 7 where can i find out about compatibility for Platinum+?
How many lakes does Navionics have versus competition? HD and standard?
How often does the map updates come out. I know you guys are always out mapping new lakes and improving the maps on existing lakes, but how often are the updates transferred out in updates?
wow, that was quick. lots of questions:
Jnoel: HDS7 is compatable with Platinum + and also Hot Maps Platinum. if you visit www.navionics.com you can click on the "water" tab, click on plotter charts, click on marine for saltwater and lakes for freshwater. at the bottom you will see a quick link called compatability.
moreeyes: going to make me did out my calculator huh? :)
I'll give you a grand total here but if there is a specific state you are looking for I'd be happy to make it much more specific. you can also visit the website and look at our chart viewer online to see what your local areas look like. it will not show any color shading for trees, road beds, etc... that is only a plotter function but get an idea of detail. it also doesnt show our brand new SonarCharts yet. We will post shortly on here about that.
as a total number:
Navionics has over 20,000 lakes in the USA (around 18,000 in USA only)and Canada and over 3000 in one foot contours. Insight is apprx 4200 total lakes and 600 in one foot. Lakemaster for what states are available is 3800 total and 1000 in one foot. that is my last comparsion and apologize to those companies if I'm off a bit.
Daddy: we do daily updates to the charts. Approximately 10,000 changes a week. this is a total number so I can't give you a complete breakdown by area. These are daily updates though. This could include new Community edits, updated one foot contours, underwater structures or new lakes we release as we get them. This again doesnt include SonarCharting.
to get it, when you buy your chip (or if you already have one) register it online with our website within 60 days. go on anytime after that whenever you want, plug in your chip, and get the free update through our webstore. this is a brief video to help you. Freshest Data (English) - YouTube
if you have any issues please let me know. just make sure your chart is new or within the last two years. if it is within the last two years and past the 60 days you can renew it for $99 rather than buy a brand new chart at full price. save some money
How can you tell what year the card is??
Wish there was an easy answer on that one. There's no way to tell the exact age of a chart. If you are checking to see if freshest data eligible, then plug it into our website and register on the webstore. It'll tell you if it can be updated or not. If its within two years, it can be at most likely $99. If it isn't it will say not eligible which means past two years.
The only other way is the model number. So let says you have hot maps E4, than that means 2008 I believe
Ok, i tried it and said it was not eligible for the freshest data...
I have three questions about the new SonarChart program:
--will the method of uploading data and downloading chart updates be available to users of the MacOS?
--how will user-data about water depth be correlated to transducer position relative to waterline?
--how will user-data about water depth be correlated to lake water level reference to chart datum?
Hi Jim:
Damn good questions, wow.
1. Mac currently works with PC app (well most Mac) and all works with Freshest data. When you go to upload/Download it's all done through our web loader program so doesn't matter as far as your system as it burns onto the chip
2. The keel offset is set to the most high percentage average of 1.5'. When anyone goes to do the upload if your keel offset is different than that, you can adjust it at that time to the correct number. Additionally as we get the uploads the Sonarchart program can recognize the consistencies or inconsistencies in uploading do it knows if 10 boats ran the lake at 1.5 and this 11th boat shows depth off by an additional 2' then it knows to adjust by 2' as that keel is 3.5'
3. The SonarCharts ate on a secondary layer of the chart. On the plotter you must select the "fish n chip" mode to see this layer. Sonarcharting will not overwrite the main chart layer. We don't want what we have completed to have a few odds and ends on it mixed in. You will see the regular chart data and then when select tonSonarCharts that secondary layer of the latest.
Fishin, that means the chart is past two years old and doesn't have the software to upgrade it to freshest data. Shoot me a pm for some other direction I can help with. I'll explain then
Card dates:
E= East
The 2005 issue just has the E with no date code and the card capacity is 256 MB
E2 is a 2006
E3 is a 2007
E4 is a 2008
E5 is a 2009
E6 is a 2010
Newer cards have no date code since they are updateable and they are microSD inside a SD adaptor instead of just a SD card.
Ok, that's cool......Quote:
Originally Posted by pmnav12
pmnav12--Thanks for the reply to my three questions. I did not make question number three very clear. Let me explain futher:
The water level on many lakes can vary during the year and from year to year. For example, on Lake Huron we can typically see a one-foot to two-foot change during the Summer. From year-to-year this change can be even greater. What mechanism will Navionics use in the collection of water depth data from users to correlate the data to the actual water level that was present on that body of water when the data was gathered?
My Gold card is two years old and i fish in Barnegat Bay. What changes are there that i need to update my chip? The buoys never move, but the sand bars do. Will you show those changes?
The update features are awesome, I have done mine a couple times this year. They improve cartography find structure that wasnt previously not mapped.
PMNAV12 I have a few comments/questions regarding the charting features of the Platinum card I purchased last week. I have a new HDS-7, Gen2 on the bow of my boat; I have an (2008) LCX-28c on the console. The Insight mapping installed on the HDS-7 left a lot to be desired, displaying few accurate underwater features (points, humps, etc.) and completely inaccurate depth ranges. I purchased the Navionics card thinking I'd receive current, accurate cartography and underwater contour features (Table Rock Lake). While the Navionics data presented is significantly better than the installed Insight Mapping it's not nearly as accurate as the underwater accuracy of my four-year-old 28c. The Navionics card shows features that are non-existent (sub-points, etc.) and fails to show depth ranges in creeks and coves; I'd be glad to provide you the coordinates of the non-existent features I've found so far.
I'm not knocking the Platinum card (or Navionics cartography in general) because it does meet minimal expectations but I am disappointed that paper maps available are far more accurate. Too, cartography on other lakes may be better, particularly your HD lakes, as I've only used your card on Table Rock so far. So, a few questions:
Is there any plan to revise Table Rock's cartography? Will Table Rock become an HD lake in the near future? Why do coves and creeks become large, blue featureless expanses when the depth varies five or more feet?
Thanks for your time and comments.
Jim: Thats all part of the tool. if the water fluctuates we will have the mapping based on that partiuclar time of recording. so lets say it dropped 5 feet from the last time you used the map. Option 1: Use the shading feature and depending on whtehr you have Lowramce, Humminbird or Raymarine, you have certain foot levels you can shade down and then have it set to 5 feet below. Option 2: if more people are using SonarCharts on the lake and in the area and taking an active part in it daily... You will have the new water level mapped. the Sonarcharts are as good as the most recent SonarChart update you have doen through freshest data and what users recorded last. so yes, technically you can see the lake rise and lower that 5' interval.
Richie: Goo question especially now after Sandy has come through. Gold chart would be the right chart for you and you would get the entire USA on the chip for $199. Register your chip in 60 days and you will get one year of free updates so as we get notifications that buoys that may move (especially now) or contours changing you will have the latest.
Another option: if your plotter is Platinum compatable, get a Platinum Plus chart. with the new SonarCharting program you can go boating/fishing and record sonar the entire time. when you come back upload the data to our webstore. Come back 24 hours later for a fresh data update and you will get all the area that you and everyone else in Bernegat bay ran, now in one foot contours and updated as of yesterday! No other mapping company or government agency has the ability to do this except us. With the corwd sourcing recording, you will get everyones data that shares so you could literally have the entire bay and all the changes that Sandy created tomorrow. keep yourself safe and more fishing spots
Chip: Phew.. where to start. First you are in Cape Coral? not far from me here in Florida. Long drive over to Table Rock!
questions 1: underwater structure. We are every day adding in new underwater structures to the charts as we received that info, have it added on the community layer, and/or can verify new structure. Originally back in 08 we had a different source that we were using for details mixed in with out own. We had complaints on some of the data being old and no longer there so decided to stop using it. With that of course we lost some good data also. it took us a year be we added back in much of the older data that was good and some new data. if you bought the chart last week it should have the latest data on it without having to register for freshest data but still should do within the next 60 days so you get you free year. if you have a aprticular lat/long exampleor two i can take a look.
Creeks and coves, yes again send me a lat long or two. Chances are that when we did the survey we couldnt get a boat up there for whatever reason, data didnt exist, or just too shallow. may have been older data we dropped off also due to possible inaccuracy and now redoing. when i see it i can help.
also Table Rock lake is in one foot contours. did you buy a new chip or off ebay? You can check it on the navionics website www.navionics.com on our web chart viewer and see the lake. wondering if all your settings are turned on or if have an old chip somehow.
Additionally, to get new lakes or more updated features, take a look at our SonarChart program I mentioned above to Richie. you can record data... wait just checked you have a lowrance unit. currently you will be able to view the new Sonarchart data on Navico plotters but cant participate in sonar recording. We are hoping Navico allows that soon for navico users. So if you know somebody with a Humminbird, Raymarine, and soon to be Garmin, you can record data there and upload it and then 24 hours later you will have new 1' contours for that whole area effectively getting the latest lake data.
video: SonarChartsTM (English) - YouTube
I have an HDS and would like to view my navionics chart with areas shallower than 15 feet in the blue shading. How do I make these changes on my HDS so I can navigate new lakes safely?
Chart options from the chart Menu and press Enter
Highlight Settings and press Enter
Select Safety Depht and Enter and choose the safety depht you want
Thanks for the reply pmnav12 (maybe you should provide us your first name - pmnav12 is too hard to pronounce :thumb up2:). Won't make it down to Cape Coral till after Thanksgiving; fishing's way too good here right now.
I bought a new chip from a board sponsor. I loaded the freshest data from my computer before even putting the chip in the HDS. Too, I think all of my settings are turned on unless there's a secret code or something I don't know about.
The non-existent structure I'm referring to are underwater terrain features that would not degrade over time; three examples are the rock protrusions at 36*35.198N-93*30.462W, 36*35.101N-93*30.428W and 36*34.630N-93*31.121W. Spent several minutes looking for these features and I assure you they are not there and judging from the rock wall, never were. Too bad though, they'd have been spot magnets.
A significant number of creeks/coves are devoid of contour lines in shallower areas or the contour lines start and end in space. Two examples are: 36*34.922N-93*36.787W; according to your cartography the water is <1' deep at the corner of this dock. The water is actually 12' deep at this point and remains >1', gradually getting shallower for at least 300' past this point. At 36*31.846N-93*31.589W your cartography indicates the water is <1'; the water is actually 5' deep there. I'm told Table Rock is as low as its ever been so I don't think these areas (and again it's the vast majority of coves) have ever been <1'.
One more observation: your chip labels the entire Kings River arm of Table Rock Lake as "River Bed - White River." The White River arm of Table Rock is not labeled at all. The James River arm of Table Rock is labeled correctly.
Again, I'm not complaining but it would be nice to have plotter data at least as accurate as the Hot Spot maps.
Thanks for your time and comments.
Hi Chip,
My name is Paul :) so are you seeing the one foot contours then for the lake in general?
Not taking as complaining at all. we always try and get the best information we can and as we get new data that is better or corrected send it through Freshest Data. Only mapping company to do that rather than static charting. so, this type of information is very helpful and we need to know it to improve for everyone. Relating to Hot spots, yes, we used to use that but had complaints as mentioned on data that no longer existed so it was one of those decisions to drop and lose all data and just replace as we get veirfied data or keep it all. We went with drop and add in as we verify or collect more. So with your particular spot for the rocks... do you have an iphone or droid or similar?
Navionics has a feature called Community layer that allows data to be added to a chart under a seperate layer. this can be done via iphone, ipad, droid, droid tablet, or PC app. this will only show up under the community layer. In order to add things to the chart, a person much register so that if information is false it can be removed by us or another user. if there is abuse, we can ban the user. I added your two rocks to the chart now and if you select under features and turn on Community layer and do a Freshest data update this week. those edits will now appear. see iphone image below.
On the creeks, obviously it needs some updating and we didnt get to these areas where there is no data. this is where SonarCharts comes in. The Navionics Community can now record sonar, upload it to our webstore, and 24 hours later come back to do a Freshest Data update and now get one foot contours for everywhere you and the Navionics Community controbuted. so now, you have REAL TIME updates for the lake. Thats the best option. This will keep updating and improving to the "NOW" data as long as people contribute which who wouldnt want to to get the most recent info? or a new lake? etc...
Attachment 27379
I created this map comparison doc some time back, maybe a good place to share it here:
http://webpages.charter.net/akelliot...cs%20645P+.pdf
Morning Paul (that's better than pmnav12). I appreciate the information above but now my head really hurts...
I purchased the iPhone app this morning, already have the PC app, and registered within the Community layer. Then I tried to install the freshest data by going to Navionics.com and plugging in my chip. I received a message that there were updates available (I assumed the data you changed would be one of the updates) and I think changes were applied. Regarding the rock outcroppings that don't exist, nothing changed - they're still there on the chart. Went to the Community layer and nothing there either. But also discovered that the Community layer doesn't have an icon allowing users to provide terrain (contour) changes, only for manmade stuff (docks, bouys, etc.) Am I missing something? It doesn't appear to me that the "community" can change (though I guess they can make a comment) topographic features displayed on the chart. Too, the "community" contributions you have listed for Table Rock appear to be nothing more that places where contributors caught fish, perhaps brushpiles (?), though I can't imagine anyone giving away those secrets.
I don't have "SonarCharts" recording available (actually I received a message that "SonarCharts" is not available for this area) as you mentioned. So, to summarize, does that mean in the absence of you guys sending a boat to re-chart underwater terrain, or having someone kind enough to provide sonar readings for the whole lake, the features presently depicted on the chart will remain? I can live with that but had hoped for better accuracy...
Thanks Paul. Have a great day, I'm going fishing.
Thanks great tipQuote:
Originally Posted by pmnav12
Polarred: interesting you put that together. thanks! Also you do know on Platinum Plus you have the Fish N Chip (soon to be SonarChart) data right? Gives you more offshore contours and one foot contours inshore? didnt see that on there so figured I'd better mention just in case.
Hi Chip:
lol. I'll try to be less confusing. Yea I dont think anyone is going to be giving away any secret brushpiles. check on the iphone app on the two lat longs you gave me for the rocks. they should be there. I added them right away and usually within a minute, they appear. on the chart, Community layer sometimes takes a bit longer than 24 hours especially since its just that time now so it may not have processed yet. give it a few days. First I'm more interested in the iphone. I just checked mine and it is still there. if you dont see it, I may need to check your settings. look under Menu-settings- make sure Community Layer is turned on.
On SonarCharts, yes at this time Lowrance users are not able to participate in "recording" of the sonar. This is something Lowrance has to release and allow you to do it with us. You can however "view" any of the SonarChart updates. it'll be shown on Platinum and possibly other charts soon under the "fish N Chip" chart option. So you will be able to see the new updates. Now, at the risk of getting yelled at for this within the Lowrance thread, if you have a buddy that has another SonarChart compatable plotter or decide to purchase a low end plotter that can record Sonar (plotters in $400 range can do), you could always have that as a SonarChart device and record to a blank card. then when you update the chart for the Lowrance, you will see the SonarChart accuracy changes. I REALLY HATE putting that in this thread but currently for Lowrance users that want to record new lakes and new data not just view and use it, its the only solution. Hopefully that changes sometime soon.
I just purchased an elite 5dsi combo gold it came with a nav chip why am i unable to update it ?
Obx: that's actually a "Lowrance Gold" it is a product designed for them per their specs. Not a full Navionics Gold unfortunately. It's made as a prepackaged product. With that being said, it doesn't have the ability to be updated since it is a Lowrance product technically.
Good news is, we are working on a solution for you to be able to do that. Stay tuned
:cool:thanks
I live in canada and have both the hotmaps and the gold charts, had them for a while. My question is is worth for me to update them or keep what I have ?
Thx
Boogie: Always worthwhile to update your maps. Stale embedded maps or older charts do change over time. In updating the charts you get the latest new information and ant new areas. Gold especially as saltwater changes a lot more than freshwater as far as exisitng areas mapped. Look at Hurricane Sandy for example. all those areas and now changed as a result of the storm.
With being a bit more direct, what plotter do you have? What I would suggest is updating though to a Platinum chart. This way you will get the latest info on the area that was released with the chart, one year of free updates that you can download anytime (just register within 60 days) and the new SonarChart layer. this is the feature I mentioned earlier where you can see new lakes and new data from users that recorded and shared sonar to give you new 1' contour lakes and saltwater. For Canada, there are A LOT of lakes. That would be my best suggestion. So, if you can let me know what plotter you have, I can give you a little better direction. Dont want you to spend money until we get you exactly what you need.
pmnav12: I have a Lowrance HDS 10 and HDS 8
I have a LCX 20 and LMS 322. What is the difference between a SD/Prem-E6 card and a MSD/Prem-E6 card?
boogie: I would suggest the Platinum Hot Maps that way you can use sat imagery and the ability to see SonarCharting and hopefully soon be able to record as well.
Onthego: The SD is only the SD card. The MSD is a micro SD card put inside the adapter. this way it woirks for SD slots and for MSD slots. This is the also the latest product when there is an MSD. SD only is about 2 years old (roughly)
I have an HDS-8 1st gen and an HDS-8 2nd gen Lowrance units. As contained in the title, I live in Central Saskatchewan Canada. What maps are available for my units that actually contain details on lakes in my area. I want depth, contour lines etc.
Thanks for reading my post.
Michael J.