Navionics card buying tips . . .

Expidia · Apr 12, 2010

So I gave my Hotmaps Premium SD card to my Daughter to use in her new Humminbird 587 CI combo fishfinder / GPS. I figured I'd snag another one off Ebay and get one a year or two newer.

Here is what I found out on how the various years are price out there and the difference between them.

I needed a Hotmaps "Premium" card. (premium denotes that years latest maps and features) Hotmaps alone means last years maps. So a 2008 Hotmaps card is actually the card that came out in 2007.

I spoke with a Navionics rep last week because I read threads on the Texas fishing forums that some members had purchased the Navionics Hotmaps for their area and the latest cards in 2009 had less detail (under water structure) then their older cards! They were complaining their 2009 lake maps only showed the outline of some lakes where the year before 2008 of the the same lake had full detail.

So for example, the 2010 Hotmaps card for the East region is actually just the 2009 card. When it says 2010 premium you are buying the latest version with more HD surveys. They MSRP at $149 and can be found for around $125 online.
Hotmaps and Hotmaps Premium work in most Navionics compatible units.

Hotmaps Platinum only work in certain units that can show their 3D and aerial views on some lakes. My other hummingbird 797 C2 SI (side imaging) was $999 and that still does not work with Platinum cards.

In 2009 they lost some of the data rights. Their contracts ended with some of the vendors who supplied them with bottom contour and structure detail on certain lakes. So the rep told me that in 2009 there was less detail. 2010 Hotmaps Premium had more detail than 2009 and was more accurate. Their issues were in 2009 from buying map data from other sources that showed under water detail, but the detail like structure was not that accurate as to exactly where it was showing up on the map and if it was actually there at all. Now they survey many lakes with their own fleet of boats.

So bottom line it's a trade off as to how accurate in detail the cards were in 2009. 2008 had more detail, but it's not as accurate as 2010. 2010 is the most accurate.

I just won by bidding a 2008 Hotmaps premium card off Ebay for $104 new in a sealed package. My old one I gave away was the 2007 Hotmaps Premium. Each year they throw in a few hundred more lakes and increase more lakes with HD detail.

The 2010 SD card is actually a micro card that comes with an SD adapter to fit the SD slot.

So don't get caught up seeing certain cards on Ebay looking like a great "buy it now" price. Many stores are trying to dump the 2009 cards and the 2008's are in high demand because that was the last year with the most detail. The rep said the 2010 Hotmaps premium cards are also good and they are also their latest and cost $125-150. Don't get caught up bidding for the 2010 Hotmaps only card, because it's really the 2009 version.

Cabala's used to have the best deal. At the end of the season they used to put last years cards on clearance for $59.95.

Be real careful of buying used or off Craigs List because Navionics protects their cards and if someone tries to copy the card, it's toast. I'd only buy an unopened sealed package or by used from someone you know or from a reputable store.

I've been trying to understand how Navionics markets their cards. The first one I bought was in 2007 and I paid $149 for the Navionics Gold East SD card. I'll sell it on Ebay since these used cards are in high demand and it was not the one I wanted. It was actually the Marine version which showed all the bottom contours on the coastlines on the East coast from Maine to FL. It does show some inland waterways too like in my region the Hudson River and Lake Champlain. That's what I thought I needed, but I found out after I bought it what I really wanted was Hotmaps Premium version which is the inland lakes version with 12,000 lakes over various eastern states, plus lake bottom contours and structure and it also tells you where various fish species hang out.

So I hope this Navionics 101 primer helps.

Posters welcome to correct any in accuracies I might have said about the map cards . . .

That's it, that's all and that's my story and I'm sticking to it

John_S · Apr 13, 2010

Re: Navionics card buying tips . . .

I will say right off the bat, that I am no fan of Navionics. The above mentioned loss of detail in maps was never posted by Navionics. Purchasers had to discover it on their own. I wish Lakemaster had chips for NY lakes. Anyway, I had a bad experience with Navionics would not accept Cabela's Discount as part of the full MSRP of $149 to receive the advertised $50 rebate. After returning the item and all the hassle, etc, I picked up a Hotmaps Premium SD NE 2008 from a Bass board for $70 in Dec '09. It was in package. I believe the guy bought them from a local Cabela's Bargin cave for around $50.

A tip I will add, when Cabela's Online clearances the chips each year, the NE version sells out very fast. I missed it two years in a row. Try calling the Cabela's store that are outside your region.

For only NY lakes, I don't think the maps of included lakes has changed since 2007. Let me know if you find any specific NY lake data that is different among the versions.

Platinum, while supported on the HB 800 series, will not be supported on any current or older 700 series. I believe the graphics processors are too slow.

PS: I do have the Hotmaps DVD for PC. It was only $20 and has most of the lakes that the SD chip has (regular detail) and you can download one HD map. I find the large PC screen much easier to explore a new lake than the small FF screen.

Expidia · Apr 13, 2010

Re: Navionics card buying tips . . .

Ya. I'm not really a big fan of Navionics either but that's all we got! I am a fan of Humminbirds 1 button release system so that's why I stick with the same brand. To me, between the brands, the screens, graphics and features are al pretty much the same. It all depends on how much you want to spend.

Below is a post to the Texas Fishing forum (it's two pages) keep in mind the two reps from Navionics are also talking heads for the company and don't want to tick of all the users who spent $150 on a chip and not told it was not what they thought they were buying.

The 2nd rep on the last comment was the closest to what I read from unhappy users and from the 3rd rep I spoke directly with. He said either get 2008 and prior if you want more detail (but that detail might no be all that accurate) or get the 2010 chip, latest, less detail then prior to 2008 and earlier, but more accurate.

They should sit "all" these reps down in one big room and teach um all what to say. It's like listening to a bunch of politicians . . . they all work for US, but they all say something different!

In any case, I lean to believing what the actually users are experiencing and many are upset (especially bass fisherman in other forums) with the lack of detail in the newer chips and were never told Navionics re-worked the 2009 and 2010 chips without telling the buyers of their products there is now less structure.

I like the idea of that disk you got for $20. I'll search around. My Daughter asked me exactly that when I was teaching her how to use her new unit. She said scrolling and zooming in and scrolling again is a pain when searching out new lakes.

Note: just found the hotmaps DVD on Ebay for $9.99 with free shipping. I picked it up! Thx

She said why can't you look at the lakes on the computer, mark your spots you want to fish and down load the way points onto the card. I think you can put a blank card in but that defeats the purpose to me of using the East card for quasi navigation on new lakes once you swap cards. If you try and down load to Navionics chip you can toast it.

Here is the link (two pages): http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4716415/1

John_S · Apr 13, 2010

Re: Navionics card buying tips . . .

It is called "Hotmaps Explorer DVD". Do a search and you should find many places to get it. I got mine from a small marine dealer on Ebay who name escapes me right now.

One quirk I have found, but it might be a HB and/or Navionics issue is when you are on water that is in HB Unimap that is close to water that is in Hotmaps Premium, the Unimap disappears. While I haven't been physically on any water yet this year that is included in Hotmaps, I zoomed into the area where our camp is. The camp is on a 4 mile streach of a dammed and navigatable outlet stream which comes out of a small lake, which are only in Unimap. That lake is connected to three other lakes that are in Unimap and Hotmaps. When you are zoomed out, you see the outline of all the water. When you zoom in to where you could see detail, the Unimap only info vanishes. The only way around it is changing the FF setting from auto to manual select either Unimap or Hotmaps. If you are on water that is Unimap only but not in close proximity to any Hotmap water, it appears to work fine. Anyway something for you to watch out for.

Expidia · Apr 13, 2010