Navionics chip - no LOTW?

[jhillman17]

I need to get a chip for the trip to LOTW in August...but I don't see the option for a LOTW chip on the navionics site. Do they no longer make this chip? Is the map on the Canada chip the same as the LOTW chip?

Thanks for any help...

[Frank Walsh]

They no longer make the LOTWs only chip, but have rolled it up into larger chips for more money. I have slightly used Navionics and Lakemaster chips I can sell you cheap.

[jhillman17]

Thanks Frank, is there any difference between the lowrance and humminbird chips? I have a humminbird so not sure if they would work for me as I would guess yours are lowrance.

Also, any difference between the older maps and the 2010 version?

[wisriverrat]

Hello Frank
I have the 2008 navionics chip with the navigation lines, is there a newer chip that you would recommend for my lowrance 112 or should I say with what I have.

[Frank Walsh]

Don't really have an answer for that. With the way chips change, it would be a full time job to determine the difference with the chips. Usually have to physically compare the chips. Hopefully someone (Smith???) who has upgraded lately can chirp in.

Also, not all changes are for the good. Some people prefer their older versions.

[dpear]

I prefer the older(rock and rope versions)version of the chip.Too much detail is dangerous for travel.When 'danger' is marked in difficult to see/read contour lines instead of the basic 'blue' of early versions,motor repair shops rejoice.

[rpieske]

Glad to see someone else prefers the older basic chip. I think in an ideal world you would use the basic chip for navigation and the more detailed chip for walleye fishing. LOL

[rpieske]

Glad to see someone else prefers the basic chip. In an ideal world I guess you could use the basic chip for navigation and the more detailed chip for walleye fishing once you got there. LOL

[DSmith]

Well here goes. I for one prefer the Navionics Chip, either the LOTW, Navionics North or Navionics Canada, for my primary running GPS on the console. It has less clutter and seems to run faster to keep up with my boat speed. Then when I run the bow mount motor, I have a Lakemaster Chip for finer detail which is needed. Neither is perfect but they sure help running around the lake and fishing certain areas but they will never replace experience. Trails and Waypoints that I have accumulated over many years of fishing LOTW is my main source to be successful. I do upgrade every 2-3 years both my Lowrance units and both navigation chips. Call it being anal but I believe in keeping up with technology. I no longer use a flintlock to hunt but now use a TC Pro Hunter in Iowa. The question is Lowrance vs Hummingbird should be answered by someone who has run both. The chips should be the same but who knows. Check the Navionic site and see what unit is able to run their programs.

[wisriverrat]

Thanks Guys for your input

[Tim Kelly]

I haven't run either version, but I remember seeing on a Humminbird tutorial that there was a function where you could get the display to show the different depths in different shades of blue. You could select the depth range manually too, so it would more obviously show the depth range you were looking for. Setting it to 3ft would obviously be a easy indicator when you were running where the shallow water was, rather than having to squint at contour lines.

Not sure if that's at all relevant, or even current information, but it struck me as a very cool idea when I saw it.

[dpear]

Tim,
If true and it worked with the chips,the best of all worlds.Hopefully the H guys can chime in.

[Tim Kelly]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkF8IWq-63s

[dpear]

Tim and Big Al,what salesmen!Hummingbird here I come.
Thanks Tim.

[Tim Kelly]

See, now you I like. I can get you to buy all the great stuff I would like and get the choosing and buying buzz vicariously!

Tuffy X21 in your future?

[dpear]

Never heard of it,doubt I can afford it,but feel free to continue the salesman's role and try sell me.

[Tim Kelly]

:D Watch this space.

[lambeau]

i ran both the Lakemaster LOTW/Rainy and the '09 Navionics North Premium chips last year. fished and tested them from Angle Inlet up to Big Narrows and over to Sabaskosing. i was using Humminbird units.

i liked that the Lakemaster had very good detail and good accuracy in the areas they had done their own surveys, and the shallow warning and depth range highlight features are very cool. Lakemaster also has the travel route lines.
i disliked that it would get very cluttered with too much information; but you could turn off the contour lines when making long runs so that the travel route lines were easier to see. the Lakemaster was very slow loading when changing zoom levels or scrolling the screen; the new Humminbird units this year supposedly have more computing power to correct this issue. i was disappointed that north of Monument up in Bishop's/Narrows areas they did not have the detailed survey with 1' contours even though it was marked as such on their website; they've supposedly added more surveys and are working their way north so maybe this is better for this year's chips.

i liked the Navionics ease of reading. it's essentially a digital version of the Canadian hydrographic maps, so good detail in some areas and poor detail in some others. at one point i noticed a rock * sign on the map on the outside of the boat, cast towards it, hit the submerged rock and caught a fish. it scrolls and zooms quickly and smoothly which is nice when running.
i disliked that it did not have the travel routes. it also didn't have the same detail on complex structures offered by the Lakemaster from doing their own surveys with more info.

so...i guess it's a coin flip?

[Tim Kelly]

Here you go Dick. Personally I prefer all boats to be a plain colour, not like a glittery Liberace suit, but it's your money, so I'm prepared to concede to your taste on this purchase. :D

http://walleye.outdoorsfirst.com/board/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=15809&posts=7&start=1

[dpear]

Nice stuff Tim but one is too small and Frankie won't let me have a 300 HP motor so....