Navionics or Lakemaster?

[UNIT]

I currently have the navionics chip that is a few years old and want to update. WHat are your opinions on each?

Thanks

[BoxMN]

We have a couple Navionics and one Lakemaster. WE vote the Lakemaster. Just easier to use, and the Lakemaster has more roads with it. Our Navionics is a 2007 thought, so older, but our Lakemaster is 2007 as well...

Maybe the newer ones are closer in content, but we like Lakemaster better.

[Eric Wettschreck]

It really depends on what you plan on using the chip for. Do you want road maps or are you just interested in lake maps? If you want road maps and lake maps, I'd go Lakemaster as the road mapping is better.

If you're only interested in lake maps I'd jump on each of their web sites and see which lakes are covered by each chip. Look for the lakes you fish the most and make your choice that way. I'll use myself for example, I chose to go Nav this spring just cuz I mostly fish southern/SW Minnesota and the Nav chip covered more of the lakes I fish than the Lakemaster chip dide.

[PerchJerker]

If you're only interested in lake maps I'd jump on each of their web sites and see which lakes are covered by each chip. Look for the lakes you fish the most and make your choice that way. I'll use myself for example, I chose to go Nav this spring just cuz I mostly fish southern/SW Minnesota and the Nav chip covered more of the lakes I fish than the Lakemaster chip dide.

Yep - checking the list of lakes for the lakes you fish the most, and which ones are mapped in high definition, is the best way to start.

[BoxMN]

PJ, can you tell us if the new Navionics still have to be loaded into the Lowrance units, or can you just plug it in and turn it on and the Lakes are available? I know in our two Nav chips, it has gotten "easier" to identify the region you need to load in the 2007, but you still need to load it.

BTW - the reason we got the latest Nav unit was that it had Rainy Lake/Redgut Bay on it, so yep, check the lake list as boilerguy says. Now Lakemaster covers Rainy as well, I believe. Both do the job, we actually use both in the boat at the same time, one in console GPS and one on the bow in h2o unit.

[PerchJerker]

As far as I know you still need to select the Navionics region you want to view on the screen. It's because of the amount of data on the Nav cards, if all that info was in one file the processors / screen display on the GPS units would have real trouble keeping up with your actual position.

[Shack]

Quote:

Navionics or Lakemaster?

What make/model of unit are you running the card?

[UNIT]

Lowrance h20 C

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Lowrance h20 C

DEFIANTLY go with Lakemaster IF the lakes you want are on the chip. MUCH better performance on the H2Oc units.

[NCLaker]

I have both. Got the Navionics 08 this summer to cover other states and more lakes that I fish with HD. This was for my Lowrance Expidition C (basically the same as an H2OC)

For the Nav 08's on these handles, you still have to pick the region.

Not sure if I am doing anything wrong - but the Nav performance is very annoying. Long time to refesh if you are trying to scroll through an area manually with the cursor. Also, the zoom is not near as good as with the Lakemaster - the Nav only zooms to 1/8th mile, stinks if you are trying to get on a pin point spot, especially if using for ice fishing.

Any one know how to zoom in closer than 1/8th mile on the Lowrance handhelds???

[PerchJerker]

Any one know how to zoom in closer than 1/8th mile on the Lowrance handhelds???

Can't do it with a Nav card in a handheld, can only do it with a LM card in a handheld. In a bigger fixed-mount GPS Plotter the Nav card will zoom in just as close as the LM card.

[uppdacreek]

Go with Lakemaster!! Had the Nav. chip, got to see the LM chip one day this spring while fishing with a buddy, stopped and bought the LM chip on my way home that day.

[NCLaker]

Originally Posted By: NCLaker

Any one know how to zoom in closer than 1/8th mile on the Lowrance handhelds???

Can't do it with a Nav card in a handheld, can only do it with a LM card in a handheld. In a bigger fixed-mount GPS Plotter the Nav card will zoom in just as close as the LM card.

Thanks Perch Jerker ... why is this? Is it because the handhelds don't have enough internal memory or processing power? Very frustrating.

[BoxMN]

I know that an update we did some time ago allowed closer zooming on the Nav card, but not sure of the exact zoom. Worth a try to make sure you have most up to date version. Warning, once we updated our Eagle GPS/Sonar, we started losing bottom in any type of weeds when under about 12'... but we have better zoom, heh

Good luck.

[PerchJerker]

Thanks Perch Jerker ... why is this? Is it because the handhelds don't have enough internal memory or processing power? Very frustrating.

I assume it's due to the processor or the display but have never heard a completely reliable answer.

[Bullwinkled]

I just got the 09 lakemaster. Was impressed as their are even more DNR maps loaded, which while not perfect work well for a lot of the Wright and Sherburne County lakes I fish on a weekly basis. Put my old 06 in the H20. This way I can cruise with the boat note spots on the boat GPS and concurrently load on the H2O for Ice fishing.