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Posts: 174
| I just bought a Lowrance H20C and a Navionics Premium North chip. Took it up to my uncles cabin on Pokegama Lake near Grand Rapids last week. The GPS on the regular Lowrance mode is right on but when I switch it to the chip it is about 500 yards or more off with the map. I will be sitting on my uncle's cabin deck and it shows that I am way out in the lake yet. I wil be on one side of a big island and it shows me on the other side. I have called the place I bought it from, they are not sure what is going on but they are going to get me a new chip. I went to a nearby muskie lake(Moose), to see if the mapping was more accurate on that lake AND to try to catch a muskie, but the mapping was way off there too. No muskies either. There it showed that I was going over a 2' deep rockpile when I was a long ways to the south of it in deep water. I hope this chip is just defective and these maps are far more accurate than mine. Anybody else have this problem? Am I doing something wrong? I tried calling the Lowrance help number but after hanging on the phone for 1/2 hour or more three times, I got sick of waiting. |
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Posts: 79
Location: S.E. Wisconsin | My buddy's has a 3500c "i think" with the chip and i noticed we drove the boat over someones lawn...LOL while we were tracking a path out of a channel. Everything else seemed fine.The only thing i can think of trying is to stay as still as possible my Etrex takes a long time to get dialed in to a way point even when im ice fishing and looking for spots i mrked in the summer. |
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Posts: 5874
| This isn't a Navionics problem, per se. The problem lies with the data they were provided. Most likely, it was from an old survey map, and those were not accurate, by today's standards. Lot's of the maps are that way. It's going to be a long time, before all lakes are resurveyd, and accurate. It takes a lot of work and time to properly survey a lake, so they do the largest and most popular first. |
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Posts: 109
| Yes that is true... they use whats available to them to creat the maps. I just wish there was a way to reposition the map and make it more accurate yourself. Ive had the same problem with my navionics map and although its been a huge help... there have been times when its annoying to see my boat going across land when land is really 50 feet away. |
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Posts: 174
| Are you guys serious that over 500 yards off is normal on these mapping systems. If that is true, they are a total waste of money.
I have heard so much about how great they are. This far off can't be right, can it???. The GPS is about spot on when I have it on just the lowrance mode with which shows lakes like Pokegama but not with its exact shape or contours but at least puts me on land when I am on land, not way out in the lake yet. |
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Posts: 284
Location: Fishing the weeds | I had the same problem with my Navionics chip. What I did and it worked for me was to turn the unit on while the boat is sitting at the launch (In the water) and i'm parking my truck. This gives it time to orient the map/GPS. I found that when I was stationary and you gave it time it would be very accurate. However if I was moving when I turned the unit on, it would be way off. Hope this works for you. Pat |
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| I agree with Pat. I have noticed some imperfections, but for the most part these things are an awesome tool. |
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Posts: 109
| I totally agree... I would NOT go out on big water without it again. Fishing a lake like LOTW for years without one then the first time I had it I was like... HOLY CRAP!... sure its not perfect but its fairly close most of the time. Now... as far as someone saying its 500 yards off... I think there must be something seriously wrong for it to be off that much. The most I ever saw was maybe 50 feet. Try fishing a lake like LOTW that has 14,000+ islands with one verse without and you will for sure want one all the time. I thought I knew our area we fish pretty well... well I was able to go out much further then normal with full confidence having the Navionics chip in my Lowrance 3500c. |
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| I will try turning it on while still. I am not sure if I turned it on moving before or not. Mine is off by as much as I have said. I am not stretching the truth. I have been fishing LOW for about 6 years now in Sabaskong. Found some muskie and one rock. One reason I bought this thing is to help me find more muskies and less rocks. From your replies I believe I either have a bad chip or need to start it up still. I can understand being off 50 feet but not 500 yards. Thanks for all the replies. |
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Posts: 5874
| Again, it's not the GPS, or turning it on while setting still. It is the way the data was collected and converted/digitized.
My map of LOTW is off in spots as much as maybe 300 feet or more. My map of the Fox River in GB is off 300 feet to the north. As soon as I get out in the bay, it is spot on.
These maps are a tool, and are not meant to be a soul means of navigation. Use it that way, and you're going to find touble. |
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navionics problem