Lake map chips and Lowrance units

[fisher_king2004]

Just got back from the ice show and talked with the guy at the hummingbird/lakemaster booth. He told us that starting in 2012 Lakemaster will no longer provide chips that work in anything but a hummingbird unit. You can still find 2011 chips for Garmin and Lowrance but this is the end. He also said that they are soon to introduce a feature that will drive their trolling motor from the Hummingbird and lakemaster chip.

Of course that does not do me anygood with my Lowrance handheld and 522C units. They way he talked we are soon to be in a dead end situation.

Has anyone else heard of this?

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

I knew it! That will be an awesome update being able to set the course of the motor using the bird! But yes, sorry for your lose. Of course it's going to cost even more out reach for many of us I'm sure.

Interesting how it wasn't very long ago when you couldn't even use a Lakemaster chip in a bird unit.

[leech~~]

Yes I talked to them also at the show. I tried to give them the Microsoft-Apple software argument. That selling to all the other makers still make them money. He said that they would like to but that would mean that the other companies would have to give them all their operating systems to copy for all their equipment and they will not do that. So, we get screwed! I guess we will just have to buy Nav chips for everything but Bird products?

[Ice_Fishin07]

You guys are right,I got the same info at the show too. But I am set with my Garmin hand held and happy that I picked HD for my boat last feb. I am looking forward to the trolling update.

[Esox_Magnum]

I love my Minn Kotas but if they come out with this gps tracking I won't buy it since I don't care for the other 2 sister companies... Guess I'll live with the Navionics and my foot to move me around....Betting that will be a $3-$k sytem by the time you buy the trolling motor and graph to run it... Didn't Pin Point try this years ago?? Maybe Johnson bought them to....

[Bigtom]

I believe it has happened allready. I recently bought a lowerance elite 5m chartplotter and a new lake chip and the unit would not read half of the information on the chip. So hours of talking on the phone and lots of help from the powers at be at Thorn brothers I found out that a older chip would work but a new chip would not. Lots of fustrations that allmost led to a shotgun and lots of plastic peices.

[harvey lee]

Sounds like I got lucky since I already use the Birds and lakemaster. Bummer for the Lowrance guys but something will happen that will work for the Lowrance crowd.