View Full Version : card chip advice for N Ontario
Guidofisherman
05-29-2009, 10:27 AM
I just bought an HDS7 with the base map and need some advice for a specific mapping problem we have in NW Ontario. Most of the small lakes I fish, including Lake Nipigon, have not been contoured or even display the lake outline in any detail like lakes south of the border. I'm not too worried about the depths but am looking for a card that will display lake outlines in greater detail. I have heard some cards are scanned maps while others are surveyed? Which direction do I go? I do have older Fugawi maps on my computer and use Google for lake outlines, can either of these be uploaded to any chip to get the lake outlines I need?
hiwayman
05-30-2009, 09:26 AM
What I did for my Canada fishing was to buy the Lowrance Map create 6.3 topo CD's for Canada. The kit comes with the cd's and a card reader. You have to use the supplied card reader for map create to work, but then you download the extra detail onto an SD card and install the card in your lowrance unit. You now have the detailed background map on your unit just like looking at a paper topo map. I'm like you, most of the water I fish in Canada hasn't ever been depth contoured. So buying a lake chip is mostly a waste of money. I'm sure Wade at JollyAnn sales can set you up with the mapcreate,or if he doesn't carry this someone here will. Otherwise Reeds in Walker MN. Another nice thing about the mapcreate is that you can download your trails and waypoints to it on your computer and now you can save them there.
Guidofisherman
05-30-2009, 01:11 PM
Thanks for the suggestion about MapCreate. I'l give that a try and I like the fact you can save trails and waypoints. Great suggestion.
HBMAN
05-30-2009, 10:53 PM
Does the legacy MAPCREATE software (like version 6.3) work with the new HDS series?
I cant's seem to find any place that indicates it does.
hiwayman
05-31-2009, 10:08 PM
Boy, I guess I can't answer that question yet. I still have the lcx and lms products. I do have an HDS 8 with insight ordered, so I hope it will work with my mapcreate!
Larry Carr
06-01-2009, 12:27 AM
Try the Navionics HotMaps Canada.
LC
If you do not want to go the Map Create route you can buy the Freedom Maps chip from LEI Extras. The chip for eastern Canada has all the topographic detail for lake outlines but no depth data (the map to select is the F112EX-EC which would give you all of Manitoba and Ontario East to the Atlantic Ocean). The Map Create option is particularly good if you have two units since you can load up to five chips from Map Create. No reason it should not work with the HDS units.