Lowrance 1600 Global Map

[Darrell]

I have a Lowrance 1600 global map. I really like it. I was wondering if anyone knows if you can get maps,like the C-chart chips and dowload them into my 1600. A friend of mine has a Magellan and when we install a C-chip, it shows the contours and eveything, where my 1600 map create or IMS smartmaps do not.

[Kurt_wi]

I've got the same unit. I think Lowrance has maps that are software based to upload into the 1600 from Navionics. If you check the Lowrance site, there is information about what is available for the system.

I've yet to purchase one, but am considering Lake Michigan for my first.

Kurt

[Mike M]

Your Lowrance unit will be able to handle the new Fishing Hot Spots HotMaps by Navionics! This will give you hundreds of inland, freshwater lakes that C-Maps doesn't have.
The product is going to be introduced at the ICAST show in Chicago next week, with Geneva, Leech and the Chippewa Flowage the first three available. There will be 50 maps out by the end of August.
For more info, Navionics is bringing up their info page Sunday (www.navionics.com). The maps have an introductory price and you don't have to do any kind of retrofitting to your Global Map, since the data is ready to go. It's pretty exciting stuff, since no one else has this kind of data. It not only gives you contours, but structure and fishing info, the kind found on a Fishing Hot Spots map.
Good luck on the water!

[Darrell]

Thanks for the info Mike.
Sounds exciting, can't wait to see it
Darrell

[Chris G]

I used my Green Bay Navionics charts for the first time this weekend and was quite impressed with the detail. I didnt get a real good chance to use them due to the foul weather but from the hour I did I liked what I saw!
I am told the next generation will be even better!
Chris

[FUZZ-E-GRUB]

Which chart did you purchase, the general fishing or the large? The general fishing seems to show more contours. Is this correct?
Thanks in advance.

[Renegade]

Unless they upgraded their detail from the charts from Hot Spots...the detail won't touch what you get with C Maps. I have been on structure on Erie that is on C map that is not on Hot Spot chart. I'd have to see one before I'd take it over C maps, especially the NTs.

[rockdog]

I agree totally. I had a GM2000 with c-maps and now I own a GM1600 with e-charts. The c-maps are the hands down winner. The only advantage of the GM1600 is the PC interface. IF Lowrance ever got their act together and and built into a GM2000 the ability to interface with a PC they would have something special there. Unfortunitly they have no plans to do this, anybody have a reasonably answer to WHY?

[To Renegade]

When you get to the Great Lakes there's only one good source for data and that's the USGS quads. Every map company, including C-Maps and Fishing Hot Spots, uses these for base data.
The FHS difference is FISHING:-). If contours are all you want, there are several products out there for big water. But for inland lakes (digitally) there is nothing out there but FHS for fishing info. The FHS Erie-West Basin map is about a month old, with all new fishing data, GPS, contours, etc.
There's a lot more coming in the next few months.

[Renegade]

I will be the first to tell you I don't know what "quads" are unless you are referring to four wheelers.

In regards to hot spot maps, I have them all (the physical paper charts) for my area and I have used along with Cmap on global map 2000. I can tell you exactly of areas that the C maps show much more detail than the hot spot charts that I own, and some were purchased this year. That was my point. I'll have to see it on a plotter screen before I will believe any of them have the detail of c maps for erie and st. clair. I've already compared the "download" maps and it's not close. I will have to see the hot spots on plotter screen before I believe it. They make a nice general map, but I don't think much more of it than that. Maybe I have your charts confused with something else?

[Renegade]

One more thing, if by "fishing" you mean the spots marked, that's okay if I've never been to the lake,but if you are talking erie and st. clair, those maps list not much more than "community holes". That's a fact.