Which mapping option to buy for Helix 9?

[v_fourmax]

Just purchased a new Helix 9 Mega SI G2N and I am in the process of installing it.

One of the main features that I am looking to take advantage of is the mapping capabilities as I fish smaller waters and mid size area rivers and there are no maps available for these waters.

I only want to make this purchase once and understand that you can just purchase the zero lines card, the auto chart program or the auto chart pro program. I have been trying to research the options and the PC based programs have some nice options but seem to be confusing to use and navigate.

Are the programs easy to use and worth the investment over just getting the zero lines card?

I am one of the old guys and not the most computer savvy guy on the block and the import file from here and put it in file such and such and export such and such file to there sounds confusing. Is it that bad or just sound worse than it is?

Thanks in advance for whatever help and knowledge about these products you can share.

[Wayne P.]

The easiest is to use the built-in Auto Chart Live. Get a Zero Line Card, and put it one of the unit card readers.
When you do that it will write the Auto Chart Live contour mapping to the card instead of the unit's memory.
No computer needed. Just have to remember to start and stop the recording.
I am sort of old (75) and it works for me.

I have done Navionics Sonar Charts and Sonar Charts Live also, but that data has to be processed by Navionics to create the HD mapping to then download to a Navionics card.

Sharing Auto Chart mapping was just made public so with any added data to that program, you can add that data to your card. The only body of water I have done with that program is Lake Mooney near Fredericksburg (still a work in progress). I do some each time I am there.
I use Navionics as the background since that has the most coverage for all the waters I fish.

[v_fourmax]

Thanks for the response Wayne, Will try with just the Zero line card to start with and hopefully that will be sufficient.

[CaptainSolo]

I use SonarChart Live a bunch on my Navionics App and it is really easy. Like wayne said, you do have to wait for Navionics to process the data, and then update your card to get the data, but overall its a pretty simple process. Below is a before and after of a small phosphate pit that I took my kayak out on and used SonarChart Live.