Navionics Charts

[BluefishBuster]

Guys,

Well I bought a Lowrance 520c ... just waiting on it to arrive. Now I need to buy some cartography for the unit. Navionics sells Classic, Silver, Gold, and Platinum cards. I know that the unit I purchased will not take Platinum so I am probably going to go with Gold. I also see that the charts come in different sizes ... S, L, XL, and 3XL.

2 questions: a) What is the difference between the Classic, Silver, and Gold ... is it the detail of the chart? b) How about the sizes ... will I lose detail if I go with the 3XL vs. the L or XL? Or is the detail the same regardless of size?

Thanks for any advice you can give. Navionics' site doesn't really give that much explanation on this unless I'm missing it somewhere.

BluefishBuster

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Navionics Charts

Before you buy the Navionics, take a look at what Lowrance sells. The Nauticpath is far cheaper and has plenty of detail.

 

[fishonjohn]

Re: Navionics Charts

You won't lose any detail on the different sizw Navionics charts. The Gold has color. Navionics was sending another Bathymetric chart free of charge as a special offer with the Gold 3XL charts last year, don't know if they are still doing that, I really that that one. The Lowrance Nauticpath charts are very good too, depending on the area you fish in might make the difference in what chart you get. The Lowrance chart is $100 and covers all the US coast including Alaska and Hawaii which is a larger area than I need, the Navionics charts are around $200 for the Gold 3XL, you may want to check where the charts stop too so you don't have to buy two. Either way you go you are going to like them, they are a real aid.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Navionics Charts

You can purchase Nauticpath at Boatfix for $61.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Navionics Charts

I have the navonics hot maps chip for my H2O and it is pretty spectacular. The maps are strictly lake maps and have no land value. For my area it has 8000 lakes on it with contours and markings and around 200 lakes that have super high resolution down to the foot. The drawback with the chip is it slows the GPS down real slow cause of all the information on the chip but that problem does not bother me when all the other benefits are there. I do a lot of ice fishing and I can get on structure without trying to guess where I am on a map. If you are a fisherman and that is your plan for this chip another good one is Lakemaster.

 

[BluefishBuster]

Re: Navionics Charts

Thanks guys ... I will look at the Nauticpath charts before I buy. I fish the Chesapeake and don't see myself trailering this boat any great distances so I'm focussed on looking for cartography that will cover the entire Chesapeake. Navionics has the SD-905G XL3 and XL9 US East charts that cover my region and then some so I was thinking of going with one of those. Maybe Nauticpath has something a little more refined for me. I'll check it out.

Thanks for all the advice,
BluefishBuster

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Navionics Charts

I would suggest going to a dealer that carries the nauticpath and has working Lowrance units and see what it looks like.

 

[AndyL]

Re: Navionics Charts

There is also a problem using Navionic Gold charts with Lowrance software. It is not possible to create a waypoint by using the placing the cursor over where you wish to make a waypoint and performing the Manuals instructions on quick saving. I have a 335cdf and a 3500 unit and neither will work this way. Lowrance have promised a fix since I bought the first unit 2 years ago and they still haven't fixed it.
It would be a useful function if you intend to plan a route using the electronic chart as opposed to pulling the positions off a paper chart and manually entering the co-ordinates into the Lowrance unit.

 

[qystan]

Re: Navionics Charts

AndyL

" It is not possible to create a waypoint by using the placing the cursor over where you wish to make a waypoint "

I find the same problem on my 110c.

It works if you are over a point that does not have object info (not may places). It will work if you go into over-zoom, keep zooming in until you see an over-zoom message (not sure about the 335, there is such a message on the 110c, believe its the same), the WPT key will then work.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Navionics Charts

You may also want to look at Lowrance MapCreate 7 which is more detailed than 6.3 and has more points of interest. However like your 520 C it is not yet shipping. Expected by the end of Febuary.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Navionics Charts

MapCreate is pretty much useless for marine. It is intended for land GPS use.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: Navionics Charts

That is interesting that you can just get lake maps without land values, I guess that makes it easier and cheaper to make. Useful for boating, I am interested in it though...