FYI - Navionics on iPhone

[BoxMN]

I am not sure how many use iphones, or if this was posted already, but I just got the Navionics for iphone, Lakes North, and I am totally impressed. It has more lakes than my last 2007 nav chip, and it works soooooo darn easy with the search function and just zooming direct to the lake you want to check out without the normal Lowrance type loading of map data, and it will autoload based on your GPS position. Basically, the way it should on the h20 units, but doesn't.

I have not had it on the ice/lake yet, but will this weekend. Has other little features, I like it. For $9.99 a great deal for anybody with iphone and no h20 etc.

[fishwater]

Only bad part of the deal is that you have to deal with AT&T.. The Navionics software is a no brainer if you fish and have an iphone. It'd be worth it if you only had the touch just to browse the maps for scouting.

[crappace]

Is Lakemaster compatible with iPhones??? My H2O is down and I either need to get it fixed or switch things up...

[BoxMN]

The stoopid thing with iphones is they don't accept any external cards, so right now I don't see any Lakemaster apps on the appstore. So nope, you won't be able to use your Lakemaster with iphone.

[Swimmer]

I know there is a tiny hole on the iphone that you can stick something into to open it up and access the chip. Highly doubt this will allow anyone to do anything with a Lakemaster chip though. Someone satisfy my ignorance please -- I have a 3 yr old Navionics North chip and a H20, but hardly ever use it (other than pre fish scouting) due to the hassle factor. With the $9.99 iphone app do I need to register that I have the Nav chip or anything?

[BoxMN]

No registering it, has nothing to do with upgrade. You just buy it form the app store for $9.99. It is really large for an iphone app, about 350 MB if I recall, so it takes awhile to download over wifi (how i did it, should have just done it via synching).

Like it mentioned, it is so hassle free in the usage of it, and so simple, that it just works the way I expected the Nav chip on the h20 to work, without that carp of finding the correct yet goofy labeled map data file. Just like the GPS or Google maps apps, but with contours Also has roads, but not that good.

Like I said, for $10 it is a no brainer for me, and I think for anyone that has iphone (3GS).

edit - it actually works just like the LAkemaster does in h2o, plug and play Here are a couple screenshots of it, and I don't think the contour shot is all the way zoomed in.

[CJH]

That looks pretty good to me for $10!!!!!!!

[hydro]

Does the GPS function on the iPhone work on the map and plot your path while you are moving? That would be a pretty cool situation. I'm shopping for a new phone service and that would make the deal.

With a 350 MB app, does the iPhone need more memory? Any other considerations? Can you save a waypoint?

[Scott K]

hydro, yes it does plot where you are, and where you were, and yes you can save waypoints. I havent noticed any problems with memory at all.

[shnelson]

I just started using navionics on the iphone not too long ago, and am very happy with it.

I've also got a garmin 530hcx with the lake chip, and it is amazing how much more detail I'm getting out of navionics when I compare them directly.

Worth every penny!

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Does this require a 3G signal to work?

[Scott K]

No it doesnt.

[hydro]

BoxMN.

How did you capture those screen shots?

[Swimbait2009]

BoxMN.

How did you capture those screen shots?

[hydro]

I installed the Navionics app on my wife's iPhone yesterday and looked through a few lakes that I know well. The high definition maps look to be quite a bit off of what I know is there, at least for the lakes I checked. Maybe it's just interpolation from the mapping process. The lower definition ones are basically the DNR maps. I'll check it out further the next time I'm on the water.

I got the screen shot working as well and compared the Navionics contours to the Lakemaster contours with an overlay and there is quite a bit of difference where I checked.

[bonefish]

I loaded this onto my iPhone last summer and enjoyed using it with my kids more than anything. I've got GPS all over my boat so this was more of a toy than anything. What we had the most fun with was the photo tagging feature where I snapped a picture of my kids and fish, then posted it on the map. At night they could show mom the fish and where we caught them. I run lakemaster in my boat so there were some differences in maps but the geo-referenceing was pretty accurate. Even on lake Vermillion which can be iffy cell range in some areas we never had a problem with it. Well worth $10. It think its almost as accurate as my handheld Lowrance, and I may just use my iphone for the few times I go ice fishing each year. One less thing to carry .

[Swimbait2009]

I installed the Navionics app on my wife's iPhone yesterday and looked through a few lakes that I know well. The high definition maps look to be quite a bit off of what I know is there, at least for the lakes I checked. Maybe it's just interpolation from the mapping process. The lower definition ones are basically the DNR maps. I'll check it out further the next time I'm on the water.

I got the screen shot working as well and compared the Navionics contours to the Lakemaster contours with an overlay and there is quite a bit of difference where I checked.

How do you swap between the high def and the standard def maps?

[hydro]

You don't have to "swap" since they have some maps that have more information than others. It appears that they have surveyed a few lakes in my area, and simply put the DNR map info in for others. It's the same with Lakemaster. Overall, it seems that the Navionics app is a good addition to an iPhone.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

I installed the Navionics app on my wife's iPhone yesterday and looked through a few lakes that I know well. The high definition maps look to be quite a bit off of what I know is there, at least for the lakes I checked. Maybe it's just interpolation from the mapping process. The lower definition ones are basically the DNR maps. I'll check it out further the next time I'm on the water.

I got the screen shot working as well and compared the Navionics contours to the Lakemaster contours with an overlay and there is quite a bit of difference where I checked.

Interesting. I wonder which one is better?

[fishwater]

I run both navionics and lakemaster side by side. On the St. Croix I feel the nav chip is better more of the time for spot on spot structure, but also often completely wrong. In many good spots the lakemaster is better and their maps don't seem to be as completely wrong as often.

The iphone hi-def nav maps are identical to the chip maps.

[Swimbait2009]

I'm curious to see one of the non-hi-def maps for comparison. What lake have you found that has the "low-def" version?

[gunmunky]

How do I get my wife to let me use her iphone? She values that more than me or the kid! LOL!!!!!!

[hydro]

Swimbait, the "Low Definition" maps I referred to are just the DNR maps that are available on their HSOforum. Nothing special and not at all accurate, but certainly better than nothing. The higher definition maps appear to have been measured more recently and contain much more structure profile, and typically are contoured in 1' to 3' steps.

[Swimbait2009]

Ok I guess I haven't seen a lake on the iPhone software that has the DNR map. Must be small lakes that they haven't surveyed yet.

[BoxMN]

I didn't check back here in some time. Looks like some of you have been using it too. I don't think it zooms in as far as our dash unit or a h20, but for getting close enough I think it works pretty great. I would also say that I think I prefer the Lakemaster better and seems more accurate in our chips/units, but the Nav on iphone seems pretty darn good for the lakes that I know are surveyed and not DNR maps.

The DNR maps (or low def) are still good, and fairly close, just not as detailed, so I would not call them "not at all accurate"

I am still trying to find how to make it leave a visible trail as you are moving, i.e. like leaving a trail when trolling so you know where you have been. I love that with the "Real" gps units, so you can drop waypoints and then just follow your successful paths So far, I am not sure how to do that with the iphone version.

also, how do you guys keep the screen ON so you can leave it on dash, etc. if you do that? Thanks.