New Lowrance HD models are out!

[Dave in Walker]

Well the first new units are arriving, at least at Reeds, But can you believe this! Already a software issue! new units will not accept navionic chips! a software update to come out soon! After all the issues with software, here we maybe? go again, I certainly hope not. I for one will wait a bit, of course I have no choice, lots of ice up here.

[SonarMan]

Well the first new units are arriving, at least at Reeds, But can you believe this! Already a software issue! new units will not accept navionic chips! a software update to come out soon! After all the issues with software, here we maybe? go again, I certainly hope not. I for one will wait a bit, of course I have no choice, lots of ice up here.

It is up to Navionics to write the software for their charts to work....not Lowrnace!
I am sure Navionics will get the updates to Lowrance soon if they want to sell charts.

[VaGuy]

Not hard to believe, this was announced long before any of the HDS
models were offered for sale:
All 2009 (and earlier) Navionics® chartcards will work with Lowrance HDS units! This will require a software release scheduled for March 09.
TurboView:This exclusive HDS built-in graphics engine delivers seamless zooms and 2D-3D chart displays, real-time 3D map nav data overlay, striking depth in 2D and 3D views, plus high-speed panning/zooming with detailed aerial views for all Platinum chartcards.

[whofan]

Based on my last Lowrance sonar experience I`d go with Humminbird.
I do have a 5200 globalmap that works good.

At the price these units cost there shouldn`t be any issues, at least not simple ones.
Lowrance has very forgiving customers, they should be thankful.

I went round and round over a shallow water issue my x510c had.

I now have a Vexilar edge that works like a graph is suppose to.

[ozarkeyes]

Press release I read indicated there was a delay in Navionics completing its software at same time as Lowrance release date, and was not intentional on either co's part.

[VaGuy]

I was on the phone with Lowrance this afternoon. I needed a software
update for my x510c, which was emailed to me before I was off of
the phone.
I asked about HDS and Navionics. The new units will work with any
Navionics SD data cards right out of the box now. The software update
is for "turboview", and improvement to the way the system will handle
the platinum cards.
I don't have an HDS unit yet but will when the chartplotter only
models are available. These and the "turboview" update should
be out around the same time.

[veha44]

"I asked about HDS and Navionics. The new units will work with any
Navionics SD data cards right out of the box now. The software update
is for "turboview", and improvement to the way the system will handle
the platinum cards."

Sorry, but I got a chance to play with one at Thorne Bros, put the Navionics Canada chip in and a popup stated "Navionics software is currently not supported. Please check back for updates." There is no software update for them online yet either.

[VaGuy]

Learn something new every day. I'm not near any stores that have
one on display. Navionics is an important function for these new units.
Hope Lowrance does not delay that software update.

[Jeff@Navionics]

The compatibility with Navionic's chart cards is true. This is not either Co's fault, rather, it is an issue involving a new generation of Plotters that will do things that astound with mapping.

Navionics will be supported at the highest level by the new HDS units. The TurboView technology is jaw-dropping. Super Fast zoom and panning, 3D fly throughs, 3D bottom contour generation that puts past rendering to shame.

NO MORE MENU-MAP DATA-Etc!!!!

It is worth waiting for. The new Premium North charts are shipping now (339 SURVEY Lakes, 6,710 total fishing Maps, Saginaw Bay in HD, Green Bay in HD, 99 new MN HD Lakes, NEW Epanded LOTW and Rainy coverage, Canadian coverage up to and including Lac Seul, MS River Pool 3 in HD, etcetcetc). The new North region is the most substantial update I have seen in 6 years. it is VERY good and addresses a lot of requests.

The NEW Platinum HotMaps charts (also greatly improved with the same lakes as Premium '09) will ship shortly.

With the new Lowrance mapping engine, these units will be able to do far more with the mapping than ever before.

I know it isn't there today, but it will be soon.

[Sheldon Hatch]

Jeff,

Will the Navionics Platinum have 3D data for the Canadian side of the Great Lakes?

-sheldon

[Jeff@Navionics]

Jeff,

Will the Navionics Platinum have 3D data for the Canadian side of the Great Lakes?

-sheldon

Sheldon,

The Marine Platinum will have the 3D. Those will be the the 917P/917P+ and 901P/ P+. What these charts don't have for Canadian waters is the Fisn-N-Chip Bathymetric Data (they do for the US though)

[bioboy]

I've ordered a new HDS; just awaiting backorder. I ordered the 83/200 'ducer, but I've recently come across suggestions that a thru hull option is better. With the big bucks for these units, I want to make sure I'm making the best choice.

This goes against what I would expect. Seems to me that anything between the transducer and the bottom would interfere with the signal. Anyone have any insight on this?

[yarcraft91]

What is your hull material and what did the suggestions mean by "Thru-hull"? If fiberglass, a shoot-through transducer mount is a good option, depending on how the hull is built. Shoot-through means the transducer in epoxied to the bottom inside the hull. If aluminum, Lowrance has historically not advised a shoot-through mount, although you can buy an "Alumaducer" meant for this application. There is also the option of drilling a big hole in the boat bottom and mounting a through-hull transducer, which the salt-water crowd seems to like.

I have always used a transom mount, fiberglass and aluminum hulls. Properly done, it works very well and is the easiest to change in the future.

[bioboy]

I've got a Tuffy fiberglass tiller. I've seen a couple guys recommending ordering the unit w/out transducer and buying an "upgrade" thru-hull. I don't know why anyone would do that unless it was to increase performance, or as you suggest, ease of access.

I currently have a Bottom Line w/ a transom mount. I've always used transom mounts in the past, but through two boats and three sonar units have always seemed to have trouble picking up signals at speed. Tweaking the mount angle doesn't seem to help. My top end is ~ 30 mph, so I'm not talking blazing speed.

I think the cost for adding the Lowrance transom mount 'ducer is only $50 more than with no 'ducer. I'm perfectly fine keeping a transom mount. However, I'm a recent convert to a fiberglass hull, so I don't know what setups others run.

[yarcraft91]

I've had very good results picking up bottom signal at speed in my fiberglass boat, a little trouble in the aluminum ones, always using the Lowrance Skimmer transducers with transom mount. Minor adjustments in transducer depth and angle-of-attack have made a big difference in my results on aluminum boats.

[bioboy]

Thanks for the feedback Yarcraft. As long as I aready have screw holes in my transom, I may as well go with that mount. If I end up with trouble, I'll investigate further.

[K Gonefishin]

I tested a HDS 7 for a friend of mine and he took it back.They not only have problems with the unit being slower than christmas but it does not support the colors that my LCX 38 HD does.I know it doesn't support navonics cards yet but that is no problem for me as I make my own maps.


what do you mean doesn't support the colors? the pages loads where suppose to be way better than past units, can you explain in detail what you experienced?

I have a 38HD and planned on upgrading within a month so I'm curious as to exactly what your comments mean.

[SonarMan]

Looks like the software you use to make you maps/polygons is the issue, not Lowrance. I am sure the new embedded software uses a new compiler to generate operating system code for the HDS units. Contact the software vendor of you mapping software and ask them to include the new classes to their source code so it supports the Lowrance HDS operating system.

SM

[a-train]

Not hard to believe, this was announced long before any of the HDS
models were offered for sale:
All 2009 (and earlier) Navionics® chartcards will work with Lowrance HDS units! This will require a software release scheduled for March 09.
TurboView:This exclusive HDS built-in graphics engine delivers seamless zooms and 2D-3D chart displays, real-time 3D map nav data overlay, striking depth in 2D and 3D views, plus high-speed panning/zooming with detailed aerial views for all Platinum chartcards.



Any update yet on the HDS Software update that will allow Navionics compaibility?

[Larry Carr]

The Platinum Great Lakes (900 and 901 P) is already available and has been for three years. The new Platinum + (900 P+ and 901 P+) is awesome on both sides of the border on the Great Lakes Platinum. You have to see it to believe it.

Larry Carr
Navionics
Midwest Regional Sales Manager

[acar555]

Last word from Lowrance on Navionics update is mid May.