Lakemaster V.s Navionics

[DanC]

I got a new (used) boat this year. It has a 2010 version of Lowrance HDS5. The boat I had before had a Humminbird 598ci si. After one full season of using the Lowrance I don't like it. I liked the Humminbird much better. I do like the HotMaps platinum card that I have in the Lowrance though. I am probably going to buy a Helix 5 si gps and Helix 7si gps for next year. When I look on Navionics website it says that the HotMaps platinum card is not compatible with either of these units. I don't understand why but maybe it's because they want you to buy the Lakemaster card? Is Lakemaster equal to HotMaps Platinum? I have never used it and don't know anything about it. I am also wondering if it is possible to use these two units with the same transducer? Thanks.

[Wayne P.]

Compatibility has nothing to do with a map product choice. It's the unit's capability to process the data.

 

Hotmaps Platinum has Nautical Charts, 3D, Satellite Overlay, and Photos. It can also have Sonar Charts.

Hotmaps Premium has Nautical Charts only.

Navionics+ has Nautical Charts and can have Sonar Charts also.

 

The non-compatible Platinum units can read Nautical Charts and Sonar Charts but not the extra gimmick stuff .They do not have the processing power to do that extra stuff. Screen size and less capability is why they cost less than the larger units.

My Humminbird 798ci SI Combo is not Platinum compatible but I can use a Platinum card and read both map layers.

 

Both of those Helix models have microSD card readers and only the 2015 issues of Lakemaster have that card size. Navionics has been using that card size since mid 2010.

 

No Lakemaster is not equal to Navionics. Lakemaster in Humminbird units have a lot of features that Navionics does not have. Read the information about them on the Humminbird Lakemaster website.

Navionics has a lot more coverage country wide and world wide, and one may be better than the other for a particular location. 

 

It's no different than Lowrance units using Navionics or Insight. You choose which product has the best coverage where you want it.

 

The cheaper Helix 5 has a slower processor like the cheaper Lowrance Elite series. If you use a large size map card product, the unit cannot keep up with the map processing at speed.

 

Both of those units come with the transom Compact SI transducer XNT 9 SI 180 T. Both can produce sharper images with the HDSI transducer XHS 9 HDSI 180 T due to the longer SI crystals.

[J Francho]

I got a Lakemaster for my Helix 5, it works as well as any of my other units.

[Wayne P.]

I got a Lakemaster for my Helix 5, it works as well as any of my other units.

What is the card capacity and how much data is on it?

[J Francho]

I can't remember, but the capacity is WAYYYYYY more than I'd ever use.  There's probably 50 or so snapshots, less than 50 waypoints and a few recorded sessions.  I probably don't use it as much as I could.  It's on one of my kayaks.  I do notice it's a little snow initially, but once the full map is painted, it works fine.  It probably takes around 30 seconds to paint the map to the screen.  Not really slow enough to bother me -  I mean I'm only paddling 2-3 mph, have plenty of time to be patient.

[Wayne P.]

I can't remember, but the capacity is WAYYYYYY more than I'd ever use.  There's probably 50 or so snapshots, less than 50 waypoints and a few recorded sessions.  I probably don't use it as much as I could.  It's on one of my kayaks.  I do notice it's a little snow initially, but once the full map is painted, it works fine.  It probably takes around 30 seconds to paint the map to the screen.  Not really slow enough to bother me -  I mean I'm only paddling 2-3 mph, have plenty of time to be patient.

Speed is when the slow processor is an issue.

 

Helix 5 and Lowrance Elite owners getting the Navionics+ preloaded cards are deleting all the data and only loading the locations they need to offset the slow processors. Those card are 16 GB with all the Nautical Charts for the US and Canada.

 

BTW why do you have waypoints on the card? The unit does not read GPS data from a memory card, only from the unit's memory.

[J Francho]

Then I guess they're there in the unit's memory.  All I did was save them.  I'm not sure what is stored where...the card stays in the unit.

[Wayne P.]

When Snapshots are created, the picture file is written to a SNAPSHOT folder on a memory card. When a Recording is created, the recorded data is written to a RECORD folder on a memory card. 

In both cases a waypoint is created for each with a "S"prefix waypoint for Snapshots and a "R" prefix waypoint for Recordings.

If you do not turn on Snapshot, and push the Mark button to create a waypoint, that Waypoint will have a "W" prefix.

[J Francho]

I'm an engineer on a team that develops a School Management System utilized by over 400 RICs, when I get on the water, I just want to use my gear, and not worry about technical things like this.  I'll leave the technical details to you, and stick to, "It works fine with the Lakemaster chip."