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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | I just snent back the lms 332 that I had, as the sonar was messed up and the gps would only zoom to 1/8 mile with the navionics chip installed. Now, I will need to upgrade the the LCX 25 for $1,000.00 to get a unit that will zoom to 1/64 mile with the chip installed(important to me if I am buying one). Now, I know that the Lakemaster chips will allow the smaller units such as 332 and the gps 3500 to zoom in closer wit the chip installed. However I have heard that the contours on the Lakemaster are tough to read hence my purchase of the navionics. I haven't looked at the lake list but also know there are alot of lakes in WI not on the lakemaster that are on the nav., and further navionics will give a $75 credit when upgrading chips. That all said, I would go with the Lowrance gps 3500 for half the money and the lakemaster chip if I knew I'd be happy with it. Has anyone had experience with lakemaster, and have you had trouble reading contours? Is there a site to look at the lakes offered on the chip? Is the mani chain on the chip? | |
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Posts: 454
| I actually heard the exact opposite that lakemaster was better, I have not personally used either one so I would be interested in finding out as well.
Based on the people I talked to I ordered the lakemaster chips for both MN and WI, but will not have my boat and electronics for a bit still to try out. I will post my opinions on it once I have a chance to try it out.
Tony | |
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| Jason, here is a link:
http://www.walleyecentral.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=3&t... | |
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Posts: 239
Location: Madison, WI | Try here and download the product lake list. Looks like the mani chain lakes are on there listed individually.
http://www.lakemap.com/gpsdata/lowrance/wisconsin.html
I just installed a Lowrance 3600C and went with the Lake Master chip. The Mad chain has 3ft high definition coverage. Much better then the coverage Navionics provides for Monona, Waubesa and Mendota. I will be buying the North Navionics chip as well for expanded coverage on WI lakes and Minnesota. Buy the chip that features the best options for the lakes you frequent or invest in buying both.
I had to download a free software upgrade from the Lowrance website in order for my 3600C unit to read the Lake Master chip. A few headaches and $60 later for a MMC card reader and card I finally have it working properly.
Unfortunately I just got it working at lunch today so someone else will have to help you with the contour question.
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I just snent back the lms 332 that I had, as the sonar was messed up and the gps would only zoom to 1/8 mile with the navionics chip installed. Now, I will need to upgrade the the LCX 25 for $1,000.00 to get a unit that will zoom to 1/64 mile with the chip installed(important to me if I am buying one). Now, I know that the Lakemaster chips will allow the smaller units such as 332 and the gps 3500 to zoom in closer wit the chip installed. However I have heard that the contours on the Lakemaster are tough to read hence my purchase of the navionics. I haven't looked at the lake list but also know there are alot of lakes in WI not on the lakemaster that are on the nav., and further navionics will give a $75 credit when upgrading chips. That all said, I would go with the Lowrance gps 3500 for half the money and the lakemaster chip if I knew I'd be happy with it. Has anyone had experience with lakemaster, and have you had trouble reading contours? Is there a site to look at the lakes offered on the chip? Is the mani chain on the chip?
Jason...
did you click the links i put up in the other thread??? doing so would take you to the sites for the chip makers and a very brief look around will lead you to the lists of lakes included on each and the level of detail provided for each of those lakes.
imho, it seems a bit penny-wise/pound-foolish to buy a more expensive gps/sounder in order to be able to use the less expensive data chip (relative to amount of geographic area included). heck, buy both chips and use the one that gives you better coverage for the lake you happen to be on that day - you'd still come out ahead cost-wise. (that's speaking just to the gps issues, not the depthfinder resolution issues).
pics from the examples on the chipset sites.
the Navionics one would obviously be bigger on your gps but that's the pic they had up.
one thing that you can see is that (imho) the contours are actually easier to read on the Lakemaster (Mendota) than on the Navionics (Wylie) in areas where both show relatively complex structure.
i've got the Lakemaster, it's easy to read.
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 LakeWylie_Premium2.jpg (12KB - 319 downloads)
mendota.jpg (144KB - 196 downloads)
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Posts: 65
Location: De Pere Wisconsin | I have the Lowrance 332c and have both lakemaster and navionics chips. Use the lakemaster on the "inland" waters and the navionics on the "great lakes" , I am quite happy with the lakemaster for inland as well, and have been really impressed. One word of warning for anyone getting "chipped" for the first time, is that while they are good/great, still use your head if you are running fast and think there is no way the chip could have an occassional blooper.... can you spell rock? 
I don't fish as stained of water I guess as you do ( read the posts on MH too) but the 332 and the lakemaster has been good to me inland so far, and I have pretty bad eye site. No problems with reading the contours. | |
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Location: Hayward WI | I got a Lowrance 4800M this year, started with the Navonics chip, but for the Madiosn, WI waters, contours were 5' and I didn't like the detail. Returned it and now have the Lakemaster, which and Lambeau stated, is "easier" to read and I think it has better detail. | |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Thank you. No I didn't see the links for some reason. Checked them and thank you for that too. I think the navionics looks a bit simpler to see contours as I like the water being a different color than the contours. Almost looks like the lakemaster was drawn in purple crayon from the examples shown. I also do not like what I have seen in the 1' contour examples from navionics(Winnebego), though will have to see one on a unit.
Lambeau, did you use the lakemaster on Pete? Did it show contours in some of the back bays such as the elbow, or strongs prairie?
Erico, is one able to return a chip once it has been openned?
Last thing, someone mentioned navionics is better for great lakes. Would you say that includes Green Bay? I see that Green Bay is included on the WI chip, and wonder how good it is.
Man, I fished this many years without the chips. Maybe I should continue.....LOL.
Edited by Reef Hawg 5/24/2006 9:03 PM
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| Lambeau, did you use the lakemaster on Pete? Did it show contours in some of the back bays such as the elbow, or strongs prairie?
it has good detail and overlay accuracy on the main lake, not so much up north.
once you get on the north end it shows pretty limited contours (it's all 5' deep, right?) and the overlay was inaccurate at times.
it was helpful for trolling the channel contours down towards Barnum, but once north of Yellow Banks it was pretty much an overpriced speedometer.
i imagine it's because of the extreme difficulty it would take to accurately map the northern sections.
like you said, they'll never replace actually knowing the water. | |
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Posts: 350
Location: WESTERN WI | Reef Hawg,
The link below takes you to the product emulation menu where you can select a lowrance model and demo it. Great tool for comparing models. You can also demo "map create" on the virtual sonar/gps, not sure if you can demo Navionis vs. Lakemaster chips to see how those chips interact differently with different units. I recently purchased the 332 as well and purchased the Navionics Premium Chip. I understood it shows contours lines approx. every 3 feet as oppose to Lakemaster whose contours are approx. every 1 foot but was unaware that zooming capabilities are sacfrificed with the 332. What sold me at first is that Navionics does offer more bang for your buck with thr number of water systems on the Navionics chip. Now after using it all last weeknd on the Pete I was't completely impressed by the amount of detail he chip showed. But still functioned soundly.
http://www.lowrance.com/Software/PCSoftware/demos.asp
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Posts: 1243
Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | The 1 and 3 foot contours aren't a Lakemaster to Navionics difference. It all depends on the lake and the chip. Each chip has lakes with 1, 3 and 5 foot contours. A lake with 1 foot contours on the Navionics might have 3 foot contours on Lakemaster or vice versa.
Aaron | |
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Posts: 68
Location: South side | I was just at The PMTT On Petenwell Flowage As well, And I have 2 Unites on My boat a LCX 25 Color & LCX 17.
I also have The New North Premium Navtronics Chip & The Wis. Lake Master Chip & also I have the Lake master mapping software
for the Labtop. The Navtronic blew away the lake master on this lake. the lake master didn't even come close it showed very little for the North end of the lake.
Both are going to have some errors. They say lake master took a boat and plotted the bottom of some lakes. But not all.And I heard tell That Lowrance is coming out with lake mapping Software at the end of the year.
keep your lure wet at all times
Nick N.
Edited by mmusky1 5/25/2006 5:02 PM
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Location: Hayward WI | Jason,
Yes, Gander Mtn did take back the Navonics after I tried it in the unit, exchanged it for the lakemaster. Maybe it helped that I had the wife return it, much better looking than me 
Edited by erico 5/25/2006 8:28 PM
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | hehehe, maybe I'll get my wife to do the same... I did go with the lcx 25 finnally and I have decided to stick with the navionics for various reasons listed above, and the fact that I like having one chip for both states I fish. It also has several other river stretches not on the lakemaster(thanks to those who posted links to check lake lists etc.). Nick, how did your 25 perform on Pete. I fished ther pmtt as well, what type of rig did you have? If it was a Ranger, I probably wouldn't remember you though, as 93% of the contestants did too...
Last question: There are a few map chips available for canadien waters, particularily LOTW and the Winnipeg River system. I don't care so much about contour accuracy, as I do navigation buoy accuracy. Is one better than the others? I see that navionics has a premium chip available for Canada. Heck, maybe someone here will split the cost of one with me, provided they are going up a different week than I...LOL. | |
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| Jason, the Navionics chip you have should have Eagle and LOTW on it. I have not made it up there yet to check the accuracy etc., but those two lakes (and maybe Rainy, etc.?) should be on the north chip. | |
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| Nobody has any premium maps for canada yet. Navionics has gold chips which are based upon the canadian hydrographic maps, but they are not surveyed as there is a 3rd party which owns all of the canadian mapping rights and wants a lot of $$$ for their use. One of the navionics chips states that Lac Suel is down to 1ft, either canada or north premium and neither has anything close. i would not hold my breath as to what anybody says as both lakemaster and navionics have supposedly done many of the lakes in canada and were supposed to have put them out, but they are not available. Both companies also supposedly have Cass surveyed but that is not available yet either. Lakemaster was also supposed to redesign all of their chips by last january, but now it has been pushed back to sept, but probably next year. Everything that gets said in the electronics industry will most likely happen, just not by the original dates stated. Unfortunately, both chips cover different water in wisconsin for high def lakes, where if you fish the chip, petenwell and 2 others that i cannot remember right now are to 1 ft. whereas lakemaster has about 40-60 lakes down to 1 or 3ft, but not the chip, petenwell or the 2 others. I know lac Vu Desert(sp??) is on both. Unless you fish Shamineau in MN, my money would be riding on the navionics chip as it covers virtually all of the same muskie lakes plus many big bass and walleye ones, but it all comes down to which lakes you personally fish and which chip has the better mapping. Unfortunately for some that means buying a number of different chips.
The reason that Navionics is the only company with a rebate program is most likely because lakemaster only has one chip available for each state and there is no point in trading for the same chip. I am sure that they will come up with something when their second chip comes out or they will upset a lot of people and turn them towards navionics.
Hope this helps jon | |
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| Oh, technically no store is supposed to take back any opened chips, but for obvious reasons many do without much fuss as they are pretty easy to sell when it is your last one or two and you take them out of say a demo unit.
On the Navionics North you do get LOTW and Eagle and my understanding is that it is satisfactory, nothing great, but you do get your safe navigation lines to follow that should not lead you astray. As for the Canadian premium again nothing is premium (ie 1ft or 3ft) yet just some maps that are better then nothing, but not worth it for everyone. I know of a couple of people who bought the lakemaster land maps so that they would surely have the accurate outline of the lakes to follow. no contours, but the real outline.
Jon | |
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Posts: 910
Location: Hastings, mn, 55033 | a buddy just bought the lakemaster MN chip and was told it is the new chip. this was at gander mountain. | |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Thanks. i checked the North chip out on the 332 and zoomed in on LOTW and it only showed LOTW up to the north mouth of Big Traverse. It didn't have the canadien portion from what I could see. I will have to mess with it some more. As stated, I don't care about the contours much on any of the lakes I fish, I just like to have fairly accurate shoreline outlines and navigation markers. I put my own waypoints in deeper areas i want to save and precisely fish again, but don't need it 90% of the time. It is mostly a navigational, and trolling tool for me. Thanks for all of the usefull info thus far!!
Now, any of you using the lcx 25,26, or lms 332 or x104 have a way of adjusting the color so the shallow weeds dfon't show up like hard bottom? I will need a tutorial on this at some point too. For now, the Eagle Fishmark stays aboard till I get the 'good' one fingered out. | |
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| Technically it is a new chip, it just is not the one they redid
"Hi Jon,
We have surveyed approximately 15 new lakes and we have
not released the new lake list as of yet. We do not have any upgrade
program in place at this time. We are told that the new data card will be
available in August / September 2006, we are not the manufacturer of the
product, we are the mapping company that creates the incredibly accurate
maps, the product is manufactured by Lowrance.
If you have further questions, please contact us, Best Regards,
LakeMaster Lake Maps
Technical Support Group"
this email is from march 16th so it the date still could have been pushed back, but it most likely will not stay there as it would not make sense to release a chip towards the end of the season
This email was also in response to the MN chip, and has nothing to do with the Wi one to my knowledge.
Reef Hawg- try looking in the Northeast MN section of the Navionics chip as canada Lotw has been in that section of everyone that I have looked at.
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