QuickDraw vs Auto Chart Live

[rog]

I have ordered a Garmin 93sv with the QuickDraw mapping feature. I'm questioning my decision and can cancel the order because it is back ordered. I think there are basically three choices-Garmin,Humminbird and Lowrance. I'm looking for the best way to draw accurate maps easily to aid in the visualization of what's down there. Does anyone have an opinion or experience on this subject?
Thank you,
Rog

[Further North]

I have Autochart (not Autochart Live) and it works quite well. Autochart live would be a good step up.

Haven't used competing products, so can't comment.

[Shellback]

I did the software update on my Garmin 70DV for Quick Draw. I have only been out once with it on a local electric only lake. So far I'm impressed. Draws the contours as you motor along. It's a work in progress though, so you need time on the water with it. For instance, if you have a bowl shaped lake with the deepest depth in the center. As you navigate north to south it will draw contours across the lake east and west. You will then need to navigate east to west to get the contours that start to show the actual bowl contours. It also just maps in a 125 foot width I believe, so you need to make multiple passes in each direction. To map a large lake would be overwhelming, but to map a small lake, or put more detail to an existing lake map, it should be terrific.

[rog]

That was helpful, I think I will continue to wait for the Garmin unless I here something that changes my mind. It seems like Garmin has a lot to offer for the dollar.

[RD3]

It sounds like your lakes will not have commercial maps available. If so, AutoChart plus AutoChart Live may work out better for you. More so if your lake fluctuate in elevation. I find AutoChart Live great for new areas. Drive around and get a map. But come back after the water drops 10 feet and the old depths do not line up with the new depths and your map gets confused. I believe you can set the depth offset for AutoChart Live, but I have not tried that because I never remember to set it. Also, AutoChart Live has a memory limit about how much map data it can store. I am not sure if you can use an SD card for more AutoChart Live data, but I do not think so. Instead, I take my multiple trips and upload the data to AutoChart. There I can change the depth offset and delete bad data points. I end up with a better quality map than AutoChart Live gives me. So I start out with my AutoChart map and AutoChart Live updates on top of it as I go.

[Hanr3]

I have Autochart Pro for my 899 Humminbird.Works great...

There are several lakes by me that aren't graphed. I spent some time on each of them and created maps of the sections I fish the most, plus I record while traveling to and from those spots. Max speed is 6mph. You can change the depth offset so all the recordings align. I save all my data to a 16gb disk, no fear of running out of space. Then upload to my pc, convert to a map and download to the AutoChart Pro card.

The added benefit- I can view the down imaging, side imaging via another program on my pc and mark spots that I want to check out further. Save, upload to the AutoChart program and save those new waypoints with the lake information. I don't have to watch my graph all day long. I cna review teh data at home during my downtime...

AutoChart Pro also lets me select depth of water I want to target and changes the color so I cna stay in the zone. I can also highlight shallow water so I can avoid it while on plane...

So far, I love the AutoChart Pro program.

Another benefit, with off the shelf maps, I can add detail each trip out. Record my sonar all day long and look for me cover/structure at night. Update at night and go fishing those new spots the next day.

Also, if I had a trolling motor with I-Pilot link I can tell my trolling motor where to go and let it take me. The maps, GPS, and trolling motor do all the work, I fish along the way.

I want to step up to the Helix line and see how that works.