Garmin/Lowrance mapping GPS??

[beer and nuts]

Ok here is my problem. I want to buy a handheld gps mapping unit, nothing over $200. On my boat I have a nice Lowrance GPS/Fishfinder with the Great Lakes X14 chip-navionics. I want to use that chip on a handheld unit as well, but I'm I also want to get a good inland Map chip to use too, I saw the Garmin inland lakes map this weekend on Houghton lake and really was impressed. Looking I like the Garmin etrex venture GPS unit BUT, best I can tell you can not use the Navionics Great Lakes chip in the Garmin??? And vice versa, can I use the Garmin Inland chip in my boat Lowrance unit???

So experts, give me my best options.....Lowrance iH2O hand held, how is this unit??? And please compare to me the Garmin InLand Mapping chip to the Lowrance Inland Lake chip as very as quality??? Or give me another option(s)???

Thanks.

[biggfishy1]

hey I have a Garmin Colorado 400I which has lake maps already on it, the only big problem I can see is that the saginaw bay isn't on it. I have to buy the chip for the bay. I know that the garmin chips can only be unlocked for two units, weather it be a hand held unit or a boat unit.

[Ralph Smith]

hey I have a Garmin Colorado 400I which has lake maps already on it, the only big problem I can see is that the saginaw bay isn't on it. I have to buy the chip for the bay. I know that the garmin chips can only be unlocked for two units, weather it be a hand held unit or a boat unit.

When you buy the chips, buy the beer to go with them.:D

[ENCORE]

Bunch of questions there.
I've got a Lowrance unit in my boat and I also have the Navionics Gold card in it. My Navionics card covers Lake Huron, Michigan and Superior.
I had the opportunity to get aquainted with a Lowrance HO2 (?) unit that a guy had ice fishing. He had the Lake Master MI Pro card in it. It was good enough that I and another friend both bought them. We're both very pleased with the Lake Master cards and we both use them in both our boat units (Lowrance).
I also have the Garmin etrex, can't remember which model right now but, mine doesn't take any kind of card. I have it mounted on the quad for icefishing. The screen is very small and I'm not impresssed with that. I need reading glasses and its a pain seeing small screens and somtimes hard to use with cold fingers.
Now, the guy that had the Lowrance HO2 (2) with the Lake Master card, I liked that unit and I could read and operate it. If I hadn't already had the Garmin, I would have certainly bought one and just swaped cards between units.
Don't know if this helps any.

[waterfoul]

Navionics chips do not work in Garmin units (there are a few but nothing you want). Garmin chips absolutely will not work in any other brands.

Look for a Lowrance H20 (not the color unit... the greyscale one). Your navionics chip will work in it.

http://www.lowrance.com/en/Products/Outdoors/iFINDER-H2O/

Mike

[beer and nuts]

Thanks guys this all helps.

Can anybody compare the Garmin Inland Maps chips to Navonics Inland Hotmaps??? Same quality?

I saw the Garmin map for HL and i was impressed with detail, just wonder if Navonics Inland are comparable???

Thaks.

[ENCORE]

I've never seen the Garmin maps or the Navionics Inland Lake maps (cards). The Lake Master MI map card has excellent detail and is very accurate. I probably didn't think about it when I purchased it, but when I use the LM card, which is every time I go except for the Bay, my previous waypoints showed and were exact.
The HotSpot maps that I have seen haven't impressed me and they didn't seem to cover enough lakes.
If I had it to do over, I'd have bought the Lowrance H2O and been able to just switch the cards. Mom always said, "hind sight is 20/20".

[L Carr]

Hey, guys...
Check out the new Navionics HotMaps 09. We have a lot of data (not all...yet) that we surveyed last summer on Saginaw Bay.

The HotMaps N ad E 5 for 09 has near shore Great Lakes, the West Basin of Lake Erie, Lake St Clair as well as Bays de Noc (both of the BdN were surveyed in 07 and and updated in 09).

If you haven't checked the Navionics Hot Maps you're missing the boat.

And if you have an iPhone, you can get the charts on the phone as well now through the iTunes store.

Larry Carr
Navionics Inc
Westerville, OH

[QuakrTrakr]

I use the NauticPath chip with my Expedition. I had the HotMaps too. Both are good, but I think I like the NauticPath a little better. I had the H20, and really like it. I went with a color screen and I actually think I like the B/W better. It shows up better in bright sunlight.

[bigrackmack]

Hey, guys...
Check out the new Navionics HotMaps 09. We have a lot of data (not all...yet) that we surveyed last summer on Saginaw Bay.

The HotMaps N ad E 5 for 09 has near shore Great Lakes, the West Basin of Lake Erie, Lake St Clair as well as Bays de Noc (both of the BdN were surveyed in 07 and and updated in 09).

If you haven't checked the Navionics Hot Maps you're missing the boat.

And if you have an iPhone, you can get the charts on the phone as well now through the iTunes store.

Larry Carr
Navionics Inc
Westerville, OH
Do you have a link for it?.......I would like to take a look....Thanks.....Mack

[Lundman]

Beer and Nuts - I have a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx w/the Lakemaster Michigan Map. The biggest problem with the Lakemaster map is it does not have Saginaw Bay on it. I fish walleye on the bay as was sorely disappointed. I contacted Garmin and they said to buy their other lake map that had Sag Bay on it. Lakemaster has the data for Sag Bay. They said to contact Garmin and plead for it. It is Garmins choice not to put it on the map. I'm sure that there it some additional money involved also.

The Lakemaster map has VERY detailed maps of the 50 largest inland lakes. It has average detail of most other lakes. I can give you screen shots of specific lakes if you are interested in seeing the detail. Higgins Lake is one of the lakes that has alot of detail.

The base map on the Vista is useless. The Lakemaster Michigan map includes a very detailed road map of Michigan. As good as any road type GPS. It is very useful for 2 tracking also.

I use it for fishing and hunting. For Hunting it is the best. For fishing the only drawback the small screen. I knew this when I bought it and just live with it.

Also, my unit has the high sensitivity GPS receiver. My old Garmin would lose signal if I did not hold it close to the window in the truck. The new Vista hooks up immediately and never have I lost a signal in a vehicle. The small size of the Garmin was also desireable for me.

[ENCORE]

Just ordered the Lowrance H20c last night! Thanks a million to the wife!!!;)
I took a trip yesterday and looked at one and took my own Lake Master card. Although that one that I looked at was just grayscale, its much larger than the eTrex Legend that I have. I fish walleye and the ability to follow a trail (and see it) is a must. On the color unit, you can change the color of the trail. The H20 accepts the Navionics cards.

[beer and nuts]

I have the Lowrance h20 and the LakeMaster for this unit has Saginaw Bay, as far as I can tell, but I also have the Great Lakes XL chip too, so I shoudl be all set. Yes, Higgins and Houghton lakes are very detailed. Still learning on the h20 and all seems good except so for the battery life seems very weak.

[QuakrTrakr]

I can get 10-12 hours on mine. I bought the cigarette lighter adapter for it though. I also bought a carrying case that will hold extra SD cards and spare batteries. http://www.gpsoutfitters.com/bag.htm

[ENCORE]

I checked out the grayscale unit and its not hard to operate. But then again, I've always used Lowrance units. I only bought the Garmin eTrex Legend for hunting with a buddy on property he has in Consolidated and, it was cheap.
I'll have that thing mastered in short order.....;)