Lakemaster chips

[blossomp]

Anybody got any dirt on when the new chips are coming out this spring. Just got my hands on an H2Oc and I'm itching to play with it. I contacted Lakemaster the other day and they were unwilling to part with any info other than a couple of the Wisconsin lakes they were adding this year. I'm getting antsy.....

[Jeremy airjer W]

I think the word is the end of march or early april for the chip. The P.C. update should be soon if not already!

[Biffer]

Here is what they told me at the end of January:

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We hope to have the new MMC available in March. We have added 15 new ProMap Series lakes and roughly 45 new DNR maps. We think it is worth waiting for because there are some major lakes that have been added. We will have a list of the new lakes on our HSOforum shortly.

_________________

We will have new Lowrance LakeMaster MMC products for both Wisconsin and Minnesota. We hope to have both products by the Northwest Show in March. We will not be combining the two states.

[buckpredator]

I have a garmin etrex vista Does anyone know if this chip will work on this. Does the CD come with it or is that what I would have to buy instead of the chip.

Any replies would be appreciated.

[HaywardBound]

Can I get my chip updated for free, or do I have to buy the new chip?

Thanks.

[Surface Tension]

HaywardBound, you can't get your chip updated for free.

[Surface Tension]

buckpredator the eTrex Vista has internal memory so no the chip won't work but you can get Lakemaster on CDs and use you PC interface cable to load into your GPS.

[sparkyaber]

buck- you need to get the software for the garmin e-trex series. Look into US recreational lakes and hot spots central version. Has a lot of lakes in minnesota and the whole central United States. I have minnesota lakemaster and will be purchacing US Rec. hotspots shortly. Don't get me wrong Lakemaster is really good software, but I just want to give you other options. I am going to buy that other software today and I will give you a report.

good luck.

Abe

[buckpredator]

Yeah Sparky please do, any info will be helpfull thanx

[sparkyaber]

bought the Hot spots software today. Basically the same as the fishing minnesota software. Both programs have a small group of lakes that have a ton of information on them. I Believe it is about 60 on the lakemaster and for the hotspot, about 20 (in minnesota) and about 130 lakes over all from Ontario to Texas through the central United States. Both have most all of the major lakes (neither have URL or the Mississippi). Both also have hundreds of smaller lakes with "basic" information. The big difference in the available lakes is that Lakemaster has the St.Croix river, Hot Spots does not. Hot Spots has LOW and Lakemaster makes you buy an additional program. Garmin's HSOforum shows which lakes are included in each program.

Both programs use mapsoure as the operating software and you can toggle between the two. You may mix and match the indivdual maps to place onto the GPS. The only problem I have to work on is that I can't figure out how to overlay both programs onto one map. For instance Mille Lacs. I want the information from both programs to be seen at the same time. The other similarity is that the "basic" lakes both have 5' contours and show most roads in the selected map set.

The differences are when it comes to the "premium" or "updated" lakes. The lakemaster has 3' contours increments and shows (what looks to be) more accurate locations of bouys and canals. Hot Spots has only 5' contours but shows the location of vegatation and bottom content better. Hot spots also is just that: it shows various places on the lake that produce fish and what tactics to use to catch them.

I will keep you posted when I get better handle on the software.

good luck

abe