Underwhelmed by contour intervals on map

[Ratherbfishing]

Recently I bought a Humminbird.  As part of  a promotional deal, they included a free map from Lakemaster with my purchase.  I thought, cool,  I like free-until I discovered I also had to buy an SD card and an SD card reader.  My "free" map was getting more expensive by the minute-ultimately costing me around 30 dollars. But, oh well, it's only money, right?  ANYWAY, upon downloading the map and reviewing it, the contour intervals are a vast ten feet apart.  I am completely underwhelmed.  I already have a paper map that has that much detail.  Anyway, I went online to lakemaster and they make a broad statement that their standard definition for maps is 3 to 5 feet.  Certainly not in this case.  I can't be too angry because it was, minus the additional things I needed to buy, free BUT I am disappointed.  Is this how it goes with all Lakemaster products?  Because if it is, I'm not sure I'll bother.

[J Francho]

My Lakemaster chip was around $125 and has 1' intervals.  I've been very happy with the map coverage.  You get what you pay for?

On second thought, are you sure you are pointed at the chip and the settings are right for displaying all depth lines?  

 

This is the base map and it's not 1' increments:

 

[Tennessee Boy]

I know LakeMaster maps vary from lake to lake.  The ones you download are the same as the ones that are on the chip.  The high definition maps have 1ft increments.  All of the lakes in my area are high definition so I’ve never used a standard definition LakeMaster map.   

[12poundbass]

Buy Garmin, they come on the unit, no need for these additional purchases, PLUS you can creat up to 1 million (maybe more) acres of your own maps. 
 

[Deephaven]

My Lowrance's came with 1' contours as well.  

[Ratherbfishing]

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

My Lakemaster chip was around $125 and has 1' intervals.  I've been very happy with the map coverage.  You get what you pay for?

On second thought, are you sure you are pointed at the chip and the settings are right for displaying all depth lines?  

 

This is the base map and it's not 1' increments:

 

I thought it possible that I needed to change a setting but after perusing things, I could find nothing.  Also, it is possible-what you said: "you get what you pay for" but if it's for promotional motives, it sure didn't accomplish that.  

Edited February 9, 2021 by Ratherbfishing
replied without having actually written anything yet

[Vilas15]

Go to the Humminbird Lakemaster website for the chip you got. There will be a lake list and it will tell you what kind of map they have. In my case most of the popular lakes in WI have 1' contours, but not many of the smaller ones. The recent version has a lake I wanted in 1' while the chip I got in 2016 only had 5' contours.

 

You can autochart and create your own ore accurate map if you've got the feature. I tested it out a bit this fall and really liked it. Although you're probably going to need a blank SD card to store the map on if you want to do a whole lake since the storage in unit (Helix 9 for me) was limited.

 

Wisconsin lake list has a legend in the top right:

https://humminbird.johnsonoutdoors.com/sites/johnsonoutdoors-store/files/assets/misc/HU/H/HUM_productmanual_600025-7_ll_wi1/HUM_productmanual_600025-7_ll_wi1.pdf

[A-Jay]

5 hours ago, Ratherbfishing said:

Recently I bought a Humminbird.  As part of  a promotional deal, they included a free map from Lakemaster with my purchase.  I thought, cool,  I like free-until I discovered I also had to buy an SD card and an SD card reader.  My "free" map was getting more expensive by the minute-ultimately costing me around 30 dollars. But, oh well, it's only money, right?  ANYWAY, upon downloading the map and reviewing it, the contour intervals are a vast ten feet apart.  I am completely underwhelmed.  I already have a paper map that has that much detail.  Anyway, I went online to lakemaster and they make a broad statement that their standard definition for maps is 3 to 5 feet.  Certainly not in this case.  I can't be too angry because it was, minus the additional things I needed to buy, free BUT I am disappointed.  Is this how it goes with all Lakemaster products?  Because if it is, I'm not sure I'll bother.

 

If your unit has AutoChart - You can create richly detailed maps of your favorite fishing spots in real-time.

 

https://www.humminbird.com/learn/mapping/autochart?_gl=1*yswhig*_ga*MTk5NDkzMDYyOC4xNjEyODM4MTI2*_ga_JE4T2LF5XP*MTYxMjgzODEyNS4xLjEuMTYxMjgzODE3MC4xNQ..&_ga=2.210155349.1534115201.1612838126-1994930628.1612838126

 

A-Jay

[Ratherbfishing]

On 2/8/2021 at 8:39 PM, A-Jay said:

 

If your unit has AutoChart - You can create richly detailed maps of your favorite fishing spots in real-time.

 

https://www.humminbird.com/learn/mapping/autochart?_gl=1*yswhig*_ga*MTk5NDkzMDYyOC4xNjEyODM4MTI2*_ga_JE4T2LF5XP*MTYxMjgzODEyNS4xLjEuMTYxMjgzODE3MC4xNQ..&_ga=2.210155349.1534115201.1612838126-1994930628.1612838126

 

A-Jay

Yes, thanks.  My unit does have AutoChart and I do plan to use it.  Just was hoping to see the lake layout at a glance without having to motor over and cruise back and forth over an area to get a larger picture (which takes time and gas).  Nothing terribly revealing may actually occur if I did have a more detailed perspective BUT the conclusion I am drawing is that either Lakemaster doesn't really have detailed maps (this IS a pretty popular lake) OR they wish to hold onto that information too tightly-only selling that information to those willing to pay premium prices. In addition, they made it so you can't disseminate proprietary information to just anyone.  I'm just not very inclined to buy MORE maps if I can't trust them to provide much information.  To me, their "promotion" seems to have actually produced a negative result. 

[A-Jay]

1 minute ago, Ratherbfishing said:

Yes, thanks.  My unit does have AutoChart and I do plan to use it.  Just was hoping to see the lake layout at a glance without having to motor over and cruise back and forth over an area to get a larger picture (which takes time and gas).  Nothing terribly revealing may actually occur if I did have a more detailed perspective BUT the conclusion I am drawing is that either Lakemaster doesn't really have detailed maps (this IS a pretty popular lake) OR they wish to hold onto that information too tightly-only selling that information to those willing to pay premium prices. In addition, they made it so you can't disseminate proprietary information to just anyone.  I'm just not very inclined to buy MORE maps if I can't trust them to provide much information.  To me, their "promotion" seems to have actually produced a negative result. 

Base maps are free - detailed maps are not.

A-Jay

[Dens228]

On 2/8/2021 at 8:39 PM, A-Jay said:

 

If your unit has AutoChart - You can create richly detailed maps of your favorite fishing spots in real-time.

 

https://www.humminbird.com/learn/mapping/autochart?_gl=1*yswhig*_ga*MTk5NDkzMDYyOC4xNjEyODM4MTI2*_ga_JE4T2LF5XP*MTYxMjgzODEyNS4xLjEuMTYxMjgzODE3MC4xNQ..&_ga=2.210155349.1534115201.1612838126-1994930628.1612838126

 

A-Jay

Once I realized how easy it was for charting I even started charting lakes that had charts.  More up to date and accurate, doesn't cost a penny. 

[MickD]

Let me caution you that if you have the Humminbird models like mine, it will only take micro SD cards.  These cards are very fragile when not in the SC card adaptors, and they don't always go into and out of the units that cleanly.  And are so small that it's hard to hold onto them.  I use tweezers VERY CAREFULLY, being sure not to force them at all.  If you feel you have to force them something is not aligned correctly, most likely.

 

I don't know why Humminbird ever went to micro SD chips for a product that's used in the outdoors and the need for micro size is not there.  Big mistake.

[Ratherbfishing]

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Base maps are free - detailed maps are not.

A-Jay

I think my lesson was learned:  If I desire/demand detailed maps (certainly better than 10 feet contour intervals), I will not bother buying the base maps.