Originally Posted by
CamoHunter
Howdy fellas! Rickie asked me on BBC if I'd take a look over here and see if I could help Hanr3 with his AutoChart issues. He's right though, the best resource for AutoChart related issues, is the BBC forum. I've helped a bunch of users over there with AutoChart questions. I just don't get over here as often to be able to keep up with questions.
Anyways, Hanr3, part of your complaints about Humminbird, comes from your slim understanding about the difference between waypoints, maps, and side imaging/sonar data.
They're all separate things.
Matzilla helped a little, with his description.
I'll try to break out your questions, and answer them one by one.
There is no such thing. Waypoints are completely different from maps. Basically, a map is a 'background image' that is oriented correctly with gps coordinates. Waypoints, are a set of data points (Lat & Long), that appear over whatever background is on your gps depth finder. If you don't have a lake map on your gps, waypoints still appear 'over' the bare background map. To put it simply, maps and waypoints are totally different.
In the map and compass world a map has the lat/long lines and coordinates are the intersection of the lines. All on one sheet of waterproof paper. In the digital world, waypoints and maps have different file name extensions. Got it.
Again, waypoints and maps are different things. If you have made waypoints while fishing, and you want to see where those show up over your map, you CAN import your waypoints into AutoChart and see where your waypoints appear on the map.
Now you're really confused. You don't really 'merge' maps in AutoChart. When you import a sonar recording into AutoChart, AutoChart converts your sonar recording (.dat) file to as AutoChart file (.acd). So, lets say you have imported a sonar recording for one portion of a lake. Later, you want to import another section of the lake. In AutoChart, now you have imported two sonar recordings. You're not really merging maps, but instead, when you import more and more sonar recordings, you're just adding more depth data that AutoChart uses to build your map. Obviously, with more depth data covering more of the lake, you will have a bigger portion of the lake mapped.
More data points = better data. Got it. Sometimes the data is the same area as before, and sometimes the data is for another part of the lake.
In AutoChart, each time you import a sonar recording, it should ask you if you want to adjust for water level. That is your opportunity to adjust for changing water levels. Basically, from the very beginning, you'll want to establish a baseline for lake elevation. On a nearby reservoir that I fish, the normal summer pool elevation is 1,355 ft. Therefore, I use that as my baseline. If I make a sonar recording one day and the lake elevation is 1,352ft, I adjust it 3ft when I import that data into Autochart. If I make a sonar recording another day and it is 1,356 ft, I adjust is 1ft when I import that data into Autochart.
Good, it asks. Didn't for my first map. But that could be because it was the first map.
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There is no sonar playback in AutoChart. You can load the side imaging overlay in AutoChart Pro, and you can add waypoints in AutoChart which you could export to your depth finder. Seems to be in conflict with comments you made later on. Maybe I am still confused?
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There is no sonar playback in Humminbird PC. Humminbird PC is strictly a waypoint and boat track management program. Therefore, you cannot mark waypoints in Humminbird PC. I think what you're wanting to do, is view your side imaging data in a playback on your computer. The best program for that, is Humviewer. It allows you to mark waypoints while watching your sonar recording, if you see something interesting during the playback. Then, you can export those waypoints from Humviewer to a variety of viewers (Humminbird PC, AutoChart, your depth finder).
Thanks, is Humviewer a HB product?
Yes, they're totally different programs and to totally different things. AutoChart is for making maps from sonar recordings. Sonar recordings are basically a huge number of Lat, Long, Depth data points. AutoChart uses all those data points from a sonar recording, to create a map.
You don't have to join BBC, but take a look at that forum that Rickie linked to. I posted a number of Step-by-step tutorials for creating sonar recordings, importing data, creating maps, etc that I think would help your understanding quite a bit.
I'll check it out. Thanks for your time and expertise. I may just be a troll (is that the right term for internet viewer who doesn't join/post)? Rhetorical question.
AutoChart is for making maps. It also has some waypoint management options built into the program. (Though, I don't use them much since Humminbird PC is more user friendly for me.) AutoChart also allows you to overlay your side imaging data over a map. You can view your side imaging, and mark waypoints on interesting structure in AutoChart, if that's what you're wanting to do. Then export those waypoints.
Yes, how do I lay the SI data over the map. What I saw was a split screen and they didn't align to each other. In that I marked a point on the SI view, however that is not where they showed up on the map. Isn't this the SI player (Humviewer type product)? What's the difference between them?
Yes, Humminbird PC is a waypoint and boat track management program. Nothing else.
You can make a sonar recording for any length of time that you want. Whether it be 20 minutes, or 2 hours. You can mark waypoints while on the water doing the sonar recording, OR while reviewing the sonar recording in Humviewer. Whichever, or both.
No. Humminbird has offered a variety of methods for you to review data at home, or on the water. You can mark waypoints on the water, or in AutoChart, or in Humviewer.
No, Rickie was pointing you to another forum site. One that I more frequently visit and have helped a lot of users with AutoChart questions. He was trying to point you there, because there is a lot of tutorials and answers to AutoChart questions, that have already been answered. So that I wouldn't have to repeat them all here, and on who knows how many other forums.
Sorry, but here you're making all sorts of claims about Humminbird, but you have no idea what you're talking about. Sorry I'm being blunt, but you've shown that you don't know what waypoints are, versus maps, versus recordings.
Again, I know what a map is, what lat/long lines are and how to read both. Kind of important when you call artillery, air, and mortor attacks on the enemy. What I don't know is digital lingo.
Not even close. Waypoints and tracks are stored in the memory of the depthfinder. You can export them to an SD card at any time. There are two card slots, but you're confused what they're for. They are to insert a map chip (such as lakemaster, navionics, or custom AutoChart), or blank sd cards to save waypoints to, or to save sonar recordings to, whatever. Many uses for those two card slots. You need to gain a better understanding of how waypoints, tracks, sonar recordings, and background depth contour maps are used.
Sounds like I need to understand how the digital world uses these tools. If its just a file name extension thing. Piece of cake. Each layer has a different extension and they are built into a final display. That being the case, I can save my map files, waypoints, routes, etc on the ACP card. I don't need s second card to have al my overlays in one place. However I can use a 2nd card for sonar recording and waypoint file storage for that day. Download into my master file and save to the ACP card for upload to the head unit on the water.
Don't be offended by my comments either. I'm merely observing, that you don't know how waypoints are stored, or how maps are created or displayed. They are not one in the same. Waypoints, maps, and sonar data are all different types of files, and stored in different ways. Your first step is to gain an understanding of these files.
