SD Cards for Humminbird

[Hanr3]

I finally bit the bullet. Snow plowing was very good to me this year. I decided it was time to upgrade my sonar unit. Time to go from the Humminbird Piranaha Max 220 and Lowrance etrac GPS to something better. Bought me a Humminbird 899 HD SI unit today.

So far all I have done is read about 50 of the 143 pages of the manual. They keep referring to a SD Card. What is the biggest card I can use (GB)? I want to buy the Lakemaster Autochart program and will create my own maps. From what I understand I need to transfer the data from the sonar unit to the PC via the SD Card. How many GB SD Card should I have? When it comes to bit's, I don't comprehend size. How much information can be stored on a 16GB card? Can someone put it in perspective for me? Office Max is selling 16GB for $15 or so. Is 8 GB big enough, what about 32GB? What will the HB support?

I also need a SD card to transfer software updates, how big are those updates? 1GB, 2GB, 8GB? How many cards should I have?

They also talk about saving all your waypoints, routes, etc to a SD Card so you don't lose them. How big of a SD card do I need for that?

Along the same lines, whats the difference between MMC and SD? Which is better?
Is there a difference in data transfer rates? Do SD Cards have speed ratings?

Lots of questions.

[Lucky5]

Not sure of the differences in the MMC and SD, but I use a 8Gb for screenshots. And a 2Gb for my updates. I have never ran out of room on the 8G. I normally transfer all my data to a removable hard drive an bout every four or five trips. Everything except for my updates go on my 8Gb card.

[rnvinc]

*HB recommends the Sandisk brand SD Card ...the unit can use SD or SDHC (not SDXC model)...
*SDHC cards up to 32gb can be used in the HB unit...
*SD model cards are made in only Max 2gb ... (And it's unlikely you will even find any)
*Most Card readers (in the PC or thumbdrive type) now days are SDHC...which will read a SD Card or SDHC Card ...
*Older card readers (in the PC or thumbdrive type) are sometimes SD only...meaning that type card reader can read a SD Card ... But cannot read a SDHC Card...
*MMC cards are physically larger that won't even fit in the HB unit card slot ...
*Faster write speed SD Cards can be beneficial when using the unit Snapshot and Recording features ... (Snapshots and recordings are saved directly to the SD Card ... So a faster writing card will allow the processor to get that snapshot and recording data on the card more efficiently)...

*Software updates are usually less than 1mb..

*GPS data (waypoints, routes, tracks) are very small files (I have close to 2800 waypoints backed up in a file size of 265KB...

*Snapshots are usually less than 500KB (the actual .png file snapshot and it's associated .DAT file)...
*Recording file sizes will depend on how many minutes you capture before stopping the recording on the unit....(more bottom coverage means more data to record)...
*A 20 minute recording (and all it's associated files)...is about 200kb...

*I use the SanDisk Extreme III just because I can find them in write speed up to 45mbps...
*Look for sales on smaller SDHC cards 4,8,16gb in faster write speeds of 15, 30, 45mbps...several smaller GB cards are easier for HB file management (and cheaper)...than 1 big GB card with all of the HB files crammed into the card...

I keep a minimum of 6 SD Cards with my unit at all times...
*1 card with all my backed up waypoints..
*1 card with present software version...
*1 card with previous "known stable software version" (in case I don't like the version I'm using presently)..
*1 card with saved Snapshots and Recordings (to playback on the unit for reference)...
*1 blank card for today's Snapshots and Recordings...(if I decide to create either today)..
*1 blank card to back up today's new waypoints created...

You don't have to have this many cards ... But my OCD finds it easier to keep everthing manageable where I know where all my HB data is ...

Rickie

[rnvinc]

The LakeMaster AutoChart (due to release summer 2014)...will supply its own "special" card (Zero Chart Card)...that will be exclusively only capable of being used with the AutoChart program...

You can make HB recordings today onto a regular SD Card...for future use to import into the Lakemaster AutoChart program...(the Zero Chart Chart supplied with AutoCharts will be used transfer the custom map data from the AutoCharts program back into the HB unit)...

Not only will AutoCharts be beneficial for lakes that are not mapped by any of the mapping companies...if any part of your Navionics or Lakemaster card data seems incorrect, then AutoCharts will allow you to make a custom map of the area you find incorrect on the Big mapping company's maps...(believe me, you will find areas of the Navionics and Lakemaster maps that are completely wrong)...

Rickie

[Don G]

The LakeMaster AutoChart (due to release summer 2014)...will supply its own "special" card that will be exclusively only capable of being used with the AutoChart program...

Rickie

Rickie, is HB now going the way of Garmin

[rnvinc]

Rickie, is HB now going the way of Garmin

I wish I could figure out HB marketing decisions...sometimes I wonder what these guys actually talk about in their 9 o'clock meetings...

I guess any idea at those meetings brought to market makes more choices and better competition pricing for us...the consumer...

I find it very interesting watching Bill trying to get his HB foot stuck in the door of the blue water market...for all the hype and advertising money HB is throwing at this venue...still less than 1 post in 100 at THT is HB related...(and I read THT every day)..

We shall see how this blue water HB venture pans out...

I predict the "Black Box series" ION series will struggle...while the freshwater ONIX "standalone series" will be the HB way of the future ...eventually...

HB is already removing Legacy products from their website..and this stinks for guys like me ...that need that Legacy info (to refer to) when helping you guys on the forums ...

Rickie

[Don G]

I wish I could figure out HB marketing decisions...sometimes I wonder what these guys actually talk about in their 9 o'clock meetings...

I guess any idea at those meetings brought to market makes more choices and better competition pricing for us...the consumer...

I find it very interesting watching Bill trying to get his HB foot stuck in the door of the blue water market...for all the hype and advertising money HB is throwing at this venue...still less than 1 post in 100 at THT is HB related...(and I read THT every day)..

We shall see how this blue water HB venture pans out...

I predict the "Black Box series" ION series will struggle...while the freshwater ONIX "standalone series" will be the HB way of the future ...eventually...

HB is already removing Legacy products from their website..and this stinks for guys like me ...that need that Legacy info (to refer to) when helping you guys on the forums ...

Rickie

And we appreciate your help, so keep it up. I really enjoy your posts even though I am with the "L" brand.

[rnvinc]

And we appreciate your help, so keep it up. I really enjoy your posts even though I am with the "L" brand.

There's nothing wrong with the "L" brand...(I can input sonar theory, and most "L" features into just about any discussion ("L" or "H")...the "L" menus I have to let someone else provide...

Ya never know...if I run across a bargain on a Touch head unit only... I'll be hooking it up to the LSS 2 xducer that I'm currently running on my "H" brand...



Rickie

[Gobob]

Rickie is the special auto charts card a one time use ? I started a new thread on the auto chart as I hadn't read this one yet . I've had several look at thread but no replies

[Shellback]

Originally Posted by rnvinc
The LakeMaster AutoChart (due to release summer 2014)...will supply its own "special" card that will be exclusively only capable of being used with the AutoChart program...

Rickie



Rickie, is HB now going the way of Garmin


I don't think it's a special card by way of size, like the Garmin. It's probably special because of inscription or something like that that allows their programming to read it. My Navionics + card was basically a blank card, but their computer program recognizes it and allows me to download charts. If it wasn't special, every Tom, Dick, and Harry would be writing maps to cards and sharing them.