Finally
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Mad Angler
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Nice! Helix 9 or 10? Looks pretty big, will be nice for viewing from the back of your boat for sure!
Chris
Chris
Mega 12 CHIRP SI
Mad Angler
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12!?!?!?!? Freakin' huge! Wish I could afford to have that on my boat, but the Helix 7 will do for now. Curious, which sdcard did you go with, if you did? Got the Lakemaster V3, not super-happy with the coverage, gonna try the Navionics Hotmaps Platinum next. There's a $50 rebate on it, kinda pushed me over the edge to buy it now.
Chris
Chris
Bduck
Flaming Gorge Forum MODERATOR
If you have a big screen at home why not on the boat. Those little fish will look big enough to catch and zoom enhances too, just saying. 101smily101 thumbsup
Mad Angler
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Yeah, there's a bit of difference between the versions of cards from what I've found while researching for my Helix. Its all very confusing, but I will say this, the Humminbird Lakemaster V3 does NOT have as much detail as the Navionics Hotmaps card---at least for a few of the places I fish here in Idaho, namely CJ Strike. This is for the latest new cards, not older versions.
As far as older versions go, Lakemaster update many of their existing maps and also add new maps to their cards with every update, the trick is finding the older version's "what's included" pdf file and compare it to the new version to see if you'll be missing out on specific areas that you fish. Here's a link to Lakemaster's chart lists:
chart-lists
So, just to let you know, I bought both Lakemaster V3 western states card and the Navionics Hotmaps western states, compared them on the Helix 7, found that the Hotmaps is way more detailed at CJ than Lakemaster. I'm gonna keep the Hotmaps and think I can work with it, even though I can't seem to get the extra added stuff (satellite overlay or sonar chart shading). If you're interested in the Lakemaps, I think I'm gonna sell it since I can't return it.
Btw, have you tied your Helix to your Minn Kota yet? If so, does yours "connect" and "disconnect" continuously? Took the boat out yesterday for some crappie fishing with my boys and to work out the bugs with those two things, it was a royal pain in the butt! Ended up having to disconnect the helix from the Terrova so I could anchor on my fishing spot. At least we caught a few fish and spent the day relaxing rather than working!!!
As far as older versions go, Lakemaster update many of their existing maps and also add new maps to their cards with every update, the trick is finding the older version's "what's included" pdf file and compare it to the new version to see if you'll be missing out on specific areas that you fish. Here's a link to Lakemaster's chart lists:
chart-lists
So, just to let you know, I bought both Lakemaster V3 western states card and the Navionics Hotmaps western states, compared them on the Helix 7, found that the Hotmaps is way more detailed at CJ than Lakemaster. I'm gonna keep the Hotmaps and think I can work with it, even though I can't seem to get the extra added stuff (satellite overlay or sonar chart shading). If you're interested in the Lakemaps, I think I'm gonna sell it since I can't return it.
Btw, have you tied your Helix to your Minn Kota yet? If so, does yours "connect" and "disconnect" continuously? Took the boat out yesterday for some crappie fishing with my boys and to work out the bugs with those two things, it was a royal pain in the butt! Ended up having to disconnect the helix from the Terrova so I could anchor on my fishing spot. At least we caught a few fish and spent the day relaxing rather than working!!!
Navionics website at least lets you see what the detail for a particular lake looks like before buying the chip. I type "Flaming Gorge" into the Lakemaster site and it comes back with "no data available". I'm kind of surprised that both companies aren't getting their information from the same sources.
I have not and will not be connecting my Minn Kota to my Helix. For the type of fishing that I do, I really don't see the need. And as you have pointed out, just one more way to have a problem out on the water.
I have not and will not be connecting my Minn Kota to my Helix. For the type of fishing that I do, I really don't see the need. And as you have pointed out, just one more way to have a problem out on the water.
Mad Angler
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Well, I just got off the phone with Navionics, not happy at all right now!!! Seems that even though their "BoatingHD" app for my android device has full satellite imagery over the sonar map, their $200 card for the Helix does not cover any other spot but Coer d'Alene (and one other lake I can't recall) in Idaho!!! That's not what it says on their site, but that's what the guy confirmed over the phone!
I'm figuring out their pc program that allows you to upload your maps to the sdcard, and if I draw a square around a specific body of water, it will either have data, or it won't have data to download. That there confirms what the guy said too, as I can draw a map around all of the Treasure Valley and there's literally 0mb of data to load to the card for the overlays! The whole reason why I bought the card was for the satellite overlay of Arrow Rock, CJ Strike and several other spots that I fish, but none, not even one, of them are covered with overlays of any sort!
Thought I'd give you an idea for your area what you will get, or more importantly, NOT get. Here's what I get for coverage in the whole state of Idaho:
And for your area in UT, here's what you get:
Notice how there's 0 bytes of relief shading, and there's only 26.34mb of satellite overlay maps? In contrast, I did the same thing over Seattle and SoCal, there's over 100mb in files for each of those spots!
Hotmaps is supposed to be more for fresh water fishing areas, yet some of the most popular places are not even covered! Yeah, I'm a little pissed at this point, looks like I get to keep searching around for a possible map solution.
It sucks, as I bought the Helix 7 to tie together a good satellite overlay mapping product and be able to control the Terrova all from one unit, as well as include the extra network connection to a new Honda engine I'm planning on installing in summer so the Helix can display all the data from that too. Now I'm thinking I just wasted a fair chunk of money on something that's not really able to do all of what I wanted.
Back to the Lakemaster card for now, think I'm gonna get Navionics to refund me on this card and get it returned this weekend. Honestly, if I were you, and you're not looking to have all the overlay stuff, just go with an older Lakemaster card, save a fair amount of cash and have almost the same data that's on the newest cards!
I'm figuring out their pc program that allows you to upload your maps to the sdcard, and if I draw a square around a specific body of water, it will either have data, or it won't have data to download. That there confirms what the guy said too, as I can draw a map around all of the Treasure Valley and there's literally 0mb of data to load to the card for the overlays! The whole reason why I bought the card was for the satellite overlay of Arrow Rock, CJ Strike and several other spots that I fish, but none, not even one, of them are covered with overlays of any sort!
Thought I'd give you an idea for your area what you will get, or more importantly, NOT get. Here's what I get for coverage in the whole state of Idaho:
And for your area in UT, here's what you get:
Notice how there's 0 bytes of relief shading, and there's only 26.34mb of satellite overlay maps? In contrast, I did the same thing over Seattle and SoCal, there's over 100mb in files for each of those spots!
Hotmaps is supposed to be more for fresh water fishing areas, yet some of the most popular places are not even covered! Yeah, I'm a little pissed at this point, looks like I get to keep searching around for a possible map solution.
It sucks, as I bought the Helix 7 to tie together a good satellite overlay mapping product and be able to control the Terrova all from one unit, as well as include the extra network connection to a new Honda engine I'm planning on installing in summer so the Helix can display all the data from that too. Now I'm thinking I just wasted a fair chunk of money on something that's not really able to do all of what I wanted.
Back to the Lakemaster card for now, think I'm gonna get Navionics to refund me on this card and get it returned this weekend. Honestly, if I were you, and you're not looking to have all the overlay stuff, just go with an older Lakemaster card, save a fair amount of cash and have almost the same data that's on the newest cards!
My issue with the Lakemaster Plus card is the contours are reportedly 10’ apart on the main body of water that I fish. Navionics has contours down to a couple of feet on my home lake. Lakemaster is supposed to have better HD features but it doesn’t sound like there are more than a handful of lakes with that mapping at the present time.
Mad Angler
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Yes, you are correct. Navionics seems to have 1' contours for most areas from what I am seeing, while the Lakemaster card is 10' at best.
Loaded as much content onto the Navionics card yesterday to see what it covers, it seems like they just never finished creating the overlay files for Idaho. Coer d'Alene is complete, but that's the only area I can find that has any overlays in Idaho.
At least the Columbia is covered up to the Idaho border, so salmon fishing for me will be fine with the card as it is. Guess I really have no choice but to accept the fact that it doesn't have overlays in Idaho, and be happy with the 1' contours I at least get with it.
If you're interested, I'd let you borrow the Lakemaster card for a while so you don't have to waste money on it if it doesn't work out for ya. PM me and we'll set something up.
Chris
Loaded as much content onto the Navionics card yesterday to see what it covers, it seems like they just never finished creating the overlay files for Idaho. Coer d'Alene is complete, but that's the only area I can find that has any overlays in Idaho.
At least the Columbia is covered up to the Idaho border, so salmon fishing for me will be fine with the card as it is. Guess I really have no choice but to accept the fact that it doesn't have overlays in Idaho, and be happy with the 1' contours I at least get with it.
If you're interested, I'd let you borrow the Lakemaster card for a while so you don't have to waste money on it if it doesn't work out for ya. PM me and we'll set something up.
Chris
