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HotMaps Explorer-Navionics PC Lake Viewer!

Jeff@Navionics
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Jeff@Navionics Contributor

Jeff@Navionics

Posted
Posted

Is shipping!

Sorry I haven't been on the site in a while. The past few months have been spent at shows and with our team working on 2 new products for our sweetwater customers. The newest one, HotMaps Explorer, is likely the easiest "should I get it" decision you will have to make on 2008 fishing gear...Particularly if you've got a bad case CF (man do I need to wet a line)!

I've been playing with this PC program for a few weeks. It has been jointly developed with Fugawi Software (http://www.fugawi.com/web/products/navionics_hotmaps_explorer.htm). These guys are brilliant at developing mapping support software, and have really proven it with HM Explorer. From my viewpoint, (a software guy who knows, and dislikes, bad mapping software) the program works well and will become indespensible to serious fishermen.

I am told the first copies are shipping this week to local dealers.

So...What exactly is HotMaps Explorer?

At it's simplest, it is a lake viewer that shows over 10,000 Navionics fishing maps on your PC. Items shown include Roads, Points of Interest, Fishing Areas, Ramps, Depth contours, and a lot of other info on and around the lake.

All info is georeferenced, so the program also allows you to Build, Load, and Save Waypoints, Tracks, and Routes. A great feature for planning or reviewing a day on the lake.

Now, the really cool stuff.

Explorer allows you to generate a 3D view of any of the 10K lakes. This option helps visualizing the lakes deeper and shallower areas and their relation to each other. Pitch, Height, Altitude, and Vertical exaggeration are all user adjustable, so you can view the 3D map in any direction. You can also recreate the shadows that the sun makes at any point of the day! (See the photo gallery). Oh yeah, you can also take a virtual boatride around the lake (slow for the rowers-fast for the throttle jockys)

There is also a new, beta version plug in for a Google overlay. This is where the rubber really hits the road. Fade the Navionics data over the Google layer and really see EVERYTHING. I have found all kinds of great detail not on the maps that is easy to mark and move to your plotter!

This is where it gets scary good.

One free HD Survey lake is included with the purchase (the 1000+ lakes included are our NON-Survey versions). This list of HD lakes cooincides with our HotMaps Premium '07 product (as do all of the other non-HD lakes on Explorer), and number near 300. The lake is downloaded from the Fugawi HSOforum and overwritten to the Explorer program. Additional HD lakes are available for purchase via the same download process. The HD data is considered by most to be the most complete and accurate fishing data and will change the way you will fish a lake forever. The HD map download can also be used in 3D and with the Google Earth overlay.

Great feature...Transfer and waypoints routes from Explorer to your plotter, OR, use the interface to change the format of the waypoints from one manufacturer to another (Humminbird to Lowrance to Raymaine to Furuno to GARMIN). Yes. this program WILL allow you to transfer Garmin waypoints to your Lowrance or Humminbird!

The facts

7.4 GB DVD

MS XP or VISTA

GPS, WPT, RTE support for Garmin, Lowrance, Humminbird, Magellan, Eagle, Raymarine, Furuno, and more!

Lakelist is at http://www.fugawi.com/web/products/navionics_hotmaps_explorer_lake_list.htm

Anyone want to guess how much?

Jeff@Navionics

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unfrozen Rising Star

unfrozen

Posted
Posted

I visited the HSOforum and would like to purchase the product you're describing but holy smokes...$18.00 shipping for a $20.00 product??? Is it available via download or what stores are going to carry it(Gander Mtn, Cabela's, etc...) and what are they going to charge?

Thanks,

Unfrozen

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Deitz Dittrich Grand Master

Deitz Dittrich

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Posted

Any stores have it in stock yet? I might try and pick it up this weekend. I have the older lakemaster program and am looking to upgrade...

Oops, rats.. I see it doesnt work on my op system.. might have to hold off... Need to get rid of Windows 2000... LOL

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unfrozen Rising Star

unfrozen

Posted
Posted

I purchased mine from the manufacturers HSOforum and received it last week. Very cooooool...

The 3D function lets you load your favorite lake and view it from any angle you like. You can even adjust the altitude from which you want to view.

You get one free download of a high-res lake map(meaning 1' depth increments). I picked lower Prior Lake and it works/looks great. However, when you view that in 3D it uses the regular resolution view(3' or 5' I forget which).

Once in 3D mode you can "navigate" through the lake. This includes rotating your viewing, changing elevation, driving through the lake you can really see the underwater points, saddles, bumps, etc.

You can also mark and download waypoints to a variety of different GPS units. I've got an older handheld model so I can only mark a waypoint and then manually add the GPS coordinates but thats okay by me.

One note, you can only use it on one PC at a time. If you load it to your desktop but then decide to add it to your laptop... no go! \:\( You need to contact the tech support line and they'll un-register your serial number so you can re-register on your second computer.

For $20.00 bucks its a pretty neat deal.

(No, I don't work for the company, just a very happy user.) grin.gif

Unfrozen

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polarsusd81 Grand Master

polarsusd81

Posted
Posted

I am quite interested in this as well. I might just have to take a look at the program.

Edit-

Jeff@Navionics,

Could you or Harvey Lee post a screen shot of what the program looks like while it is running. I am sure you guys know how to do it, but if not, I can provide directions. I am quite interested to see what the 3D function looks like.

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LoveGullLake Newbie

LoveGullLake

Posted
Posted

Jeff.. You sound like you know a lot about Navionics! I need your help. I purchased a Navionics HotMaps Premium and installed it in my Eagle Intellimap 480. Now I can only zoom

into 1/8 mile scale, I should be able to zoom into

1/50 mile scale. I've heard from others that you can

change the set up of the Eagle GPS so that I can zoom in further. Is this correct? Can you tell me how?

Thanks... Karl

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goose89 Mentor

goose89

Posted
Posted

Any word when they are gonna be available (in-stock) again?? Are they in stores??

OR, does anyone have any "inside" info on when a Vista patch will be available from Lakemaster?? whistle

I'm feel stranded when I'm on shore, unless I hop in the boat and play around with the Lowrance there eek

Thanks in advance,

Goose

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