Why does my Navionics+ not display proper contour lines on some lakes

[Tjames09]

On GBay it would only display the map in sort of big sections of contours with numbers scattered about, no matter how far you zoomed in it wouldnt display 1 foot lines. But if i scroll the map over to another lake, like Balsam, it shows all the contour lines, so its not a setting issue ( I dont think).

 

Is the map card just out of date?

 

 

[BassMan11]

Does the card come up as fish and chip on your unit? When you downloaded your area to the card did you check the sonar charts box?

[Garnet]

The closer to the channel maps are more accurate. In the case of G Bay from Wabashene up there is so many rock piles the map will never ba accurate.

 

Balsam is good. Take a look at Rice Lake in front of Otonabee looks amazing. It's all garbage non of that stuff is there. Navionics should be embarrassed to put that out.

 

You know that thing at the start "don't use this for navigation"

[Tjames09]

Does the card come up as fish and chip on your unit? When you downloaded your area to the card did you check the sonar charts box?

 

No it doesnt. It just shows up as chart card. I never downloaded anything, I just put the card in my unit. Im trying to find something to plug into my computer so I can read the SD card and update it.

[Raf]

The 1ft contours are not available for every body of water nor are they terribly accurate on some of them they are avaliable for

[BassMan11]

With Nav+ you'll want to download the chart installer and customize your map to what you want it to cover. YouTube is your friend with all of this. It might explain why you don't have the detail you are looking for on G-Bay. As for accuracy, some areas are better than others.

 

Once that is done. On the unit itself humminbird or Lowrance, you'll want to select the fish and chip setting on the card to see the sonar charts which has more detail and turn it off to see the standard nautical charts.

 

Hope this helps.

[Old Ironmaker]

All maps are not created equal. The shipping channel outside of Nanticoke Harbour is so detailed it looks like Greek. Get outside of the shipping channels and lanes and the detail just isn't there anymore. The SD card that comes with all Garmin units are so much more detailed than my Navionics cards. Once you get into the Blue Zone (shallow waters) do not use the chart to navigate. If I am not 100% trusting of the electronic chart I get a proper recognized paper navigational chart. If you are stopped by the authorities and can't prove to them you are familiar with where you are by land marks it is law you have a hard copy navigation chart. I think it's outside 1 mile. GPS does no good without power to it.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Old Ironmaker

[NANUK]

Have you updated the Nav+ card with freshest data ?

Community updates , sonar charts etc ?

[Sterling]

Check https://webapp.navionics.comand see if the maps there are more accurate. If so, there must be some way to get more accurate data on your device.

[AKRISONER]

Unfortunately T James the charts available on Gbay are just not very accurate. I believe the last job was done back in the 40's by the navy for the war effort.

 

Incredibly the maps are so bad that if you go into the Pointe Au Baril area, there actually isnt even a chart available for areas like sturgeon bay or anywhere off of the typical navigation line. its a blessing but also a curse.

 

I will tell you right now that many of my honey holes are either A completely uncharted or B totally inaccurate and therefore not showing any structure in the area at all. It can suck for finding new spots, but it can also be incredible for when you do find a shoal in the middle of a large area that is not marked at all...typically these spots hold fish!

 

For perspective last fall I was fishing a spot that was beside the main path heading south through the shawanaga inlet...the contours were fairly accurate on the main navigation path, we then ventured off of the path and inside one of the navigation buoys into an area that was apparently 5 feet deep...well it was 30...and didnt get to 5 until we were basically on main land again.

 

Perhaps this is a lesson for anyone out there, unless you are on the main drive navigation lines on G bay...dont trust anything! the worst case scenario is the opposite, which I have also found where the depth contours say 15-30 fow but then you come across a shoal the size of a house where the water is only 3 feet deep. No marker at all!

 

This is why I personally am looking for a unit with autochart so that i can create my own maps and not have to rely on the crappy charts available for G bay.

Edited May 16, 2017 by AKRISONER

[Musky Plug]

 

No it doesnt. It just shows up as chart card. I never downloaded anything, I just put the card in my unit. Im trying to find something to plug into my computer so I can read the SD card and update it.

 

 

Best Buy sells USB sticks that you can put the SD Card into then plugger into your computer. I had to buy one because I lost the one that came with the navionics card. You should update your card every couple months to keep up to date with the newsest charts. Also they might have given you a free subscription for a year so after the year is up it will cost you $99 for a year subscription.

 

 

Unfortunately T James the charts available on Gbay are just not very accurate. I believe the last job was done back in the 40's by the navy for the war effort.

 

Incredibly the maps are so bad that if you go into the Pointe Au Baril area, there actually isnt even a chart available for areas like sturgeon bay or anywhere off of the typical navigation line. its a blessing but also a curse.

 

I will tell you right now that many of my honey holes are either A completely uncharted or B totally inaccurate and therefore not showing any structure in the area at all. It can suck for finding new spots, but it can also be incredible for when you do find a shoal in the middle of a large area that is not marked at all...typically these spots hold fish!

 

For perspective last fall I was fishing a spot that was beside the main path heading south through the shawanaga inlet...the contours were fairly accurate on the main navigation path, we then ventured off of the path and inside one of the navigation buoys into an area that was apparently 5 feet deep...well it was 30...and didnt get to 5 until we were basically on main land again.

 

Perhaps this is a lesson for anyone out there, unless you are on the main drive navigation lines on G bay...dont trust anything! the worst case scenario is the opposite, which I have also found where the depth contours say 15-30 fow but then you come across a shoal the size of a house where the water is only 3 feet deep. No marker at all!

 

This is why I personally am looking for a unit with autochart so that i can create my own maps and not have to rely on the crappy charts available for G bay.

 

X2 on the PAB charts some areas are not good to say the least. Some areas the path of travel line would take you right onto land lol.

[Tjames09]

Unfortunately T James the charts available on Gbay are just not very accurate. I believe the last job was done back in the 40's by the navy for the war effort.

 

Incredibly the maps are so bad that if you go into the Pointe Au Baril area, there actually isnt even a chart available for areas like sturgeon bay or anywhere off of the typical navigation line. its a blessing but also a curse.

 

I will tell you right now that many of my honey holes are either A completely uncharted or B totally inaccurate and therefore not showing any structure in the area at all. It can suck for finding new spots, but it can also be incredible for when you do find a shoal in the middle of a large area that is not marked at all...typically these spots hold fish!

 

For perspective last fall I was fishing a spot that was beside the main path heading south through the shawanaga inlet...the contours were fairly accurate on the main navigation path, we then ventured off of the path and inside one of the navigation buoys into an area that was apparently 5 feet deep...well it was 30...and didnt get to 5 until we were basically on main land again.

 

Perhaps this is a lesson for anyone out there, unless you are on the main drive navigation lines on G bay...dont trust anything! the worst case scenario is the opposite, which I have also found where the depth contours say 15-30 fow but then you come across a shoal the size of a house where the water is only 3 feet deep. No marker at all!

 

This is why I personally am looking for a unit with autochart so that i can create my own maps and not have to rely on the crappy charts available for G bay.

 

Thanks yeah, my unit has the autochart live, but I havent used it yet. I have to have some time aside to learn it, didnt want to try and figure it out when I needed to be fishing not boating for fun.

 

 

 

Best Buy sells USB sticks that you can put the SD Card into then plugger into your computer. I had to buy one because I lost the one that came with the navionics card. You should update your card every couple months to keep up to date with the newsest charts. Also they might have given you a free subscription for a year so after the year is up it will cost you $99 for a year subscription.

 

 

 

X2 on the PAB charts some areas are not good to say the least. Some areas the path of travel line would take you right onto land lol.

 

Bought one, yeah it gave a 1 year subscirption for updates, updating it all now. thanks.

[Garnet]

Another thing make sure your units have the latest software.