Lake map chips for Canada

Hello All,

Two weeks ago I was in Canada supporting our local Boy Scout camp and fishing. Our camp is a couple miles inside the Canadian border north of Crane Lake MN. I tried to locate a map chip for the area and wasn't sure if the LakeMaster MN chip would have the lake details for our location or not. I decided I would save the $125 and see for myself.

The 12 mile boat ride to camp was filled with hazardous rocks, fortunately the Handberg Marina sold maps and Laura was kind enough to point out the hazards and how best to navigate through them. My Humminbird showed the basic lake shape, however no detail as expected. Once I crossed into Canadian waters my screen showed green, no lake information at all. I made the rest of the trip without at least the basic Humminbird map. No biggy because I had the map I bought at Handbergs.

The next morning we headed further into Canada to fish, spent the morning there and when I switched back to maps on my sonar unit I had complete lake detail, contour lines and everything. The next day we headed towards the US side again and lost contour lines again, at least I maintained basic map outline. Next day, contour lines were back.

The only chips in my sonar unit was my AutoChart Pro card and a blank MMC to store all my sonar data. I recorded everywhere I went so I can make my own maps. My Humminbird is a 899SI. It does not have the capability to make maps on the water unless I connect my pc to it. I didn't make the contours on the maps while in Canada, it was downloaded based on my GPS location.

Does anybody know why I would have full map detail in Canada?

You can start the unit in Simulator and run the cursor up to those same areas to see if the lake detail is showing on the built in Contour XD base maps ...

I am not aware of any way for GPS reception only to load contour lines ...

Rickie

Neither am I. It was strange. When in Canada I had full contour lined maps like I do with my LakeMaster chips. I even had depth highlight on so I could target a range of water depth to fish, and shallow water highlighted red to protect my lower unit. The contour maps would load with GPS, I would fire up the up the sonar unit in the morning in camp, once it found GPS location the contour maps where loaded, happened most mornings. Once I crossed into US waters the detail went away. A mile or so in Canada and the detail was back.

Maybe the contour detail is already loaded in the head unit, and once it determines I am in Canada it displays the detail. I'll fire up the unit in the garage and see what it shows at home. IS this why there is no LakeMaster chip for Canada?

The Contour XD lake list shows no lakes listed for Canada ...

http://www.humminbird.com/WorkArea/D...t.aspx?id=3152

Take the map card out ... Start the unit in Simulator and run the cursor up to that same area that showed contours in your travels ...

Zoom in and out also because contours are sometimes visible at only certain zoom levels ...

If the unit shows contours with no map card in the slot - that contour data is contained on the built in Contour XD base map ...

If the unit shows no contours - insert the map card and see if the contours show up ...

Again ...zoom in and out different zoom levels ...

Rickie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rnvinc

The Contour XD lake list shows no lakes listed for Canada ...

http://www.humminbird.com/WorkArea/D...t.aspx?id=3152

Take the map card out ... Start the unit in Simulator and run the cursor up to that same area that showed contours in your travels ...

Zoom in and out also because contours are sometimes visible at only certain zoom levels ...

If the unit shows contours with no map card in the slot - that contour data is contained on the built in Contour XD base map ...

If the unit shows no contours - insert the map card and see if the contours show up ...

Again ...zoom in and out different zoom levels ...

Rickie

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I didn't have a map card in the unit while in Canada. I had the AutoChart Pro card, which has the same basic XD maps that the head unit has installed. I still got contour lines, but not until after I was in Canada over a mile from the border. If the data was built into the Contour XD base map, shouldn't it be visible at all times? Wouldn't matter if I was in Canada or the US. If the data was in the head unit, it would be visible at all times. I don't think the data is in the head unit. The detail came and went based on my GPS location. In the US, data gone, in Canada data there.

Day one, during my boat ride into Canada the screen went green once I crossed the border, no basic map or anything, literally a green screen for Canada. The US side had the basic XD map, Canada was green. Split right down the border. We arrived in camp at 3pm and spent the night. Next morning the green screen was gone and I had the base map, but no detail. The base map was off by several hundred feet, but it was there. I drove further into Canada and fished for 3-4 hours. Changed my screen back to map view and had contour lines for the lake I was on. Went back out that night and still had the contour detail. Next morning I had the detail after the unit found GPS position. We headed near the US border and lost contour lines. Next morning in camp I had contour lines again. This played out all week long. As long as I stayed in Canada I had contour lines for the lakes I was fishing. Once I got close to the US, it went back to XD maps.

I don't get it. My theory is Canada broadcast map details as part of their GPS Satellite signal. Wish I could confirm this theory.

I don't understand it either ...

GPS data is Latitude/Longitude/Altitude ... not spot soundings of water depth (which is what the contour lines are derived from along with the GPS data) ...

Have you called HB with your scenario ...??

Rickie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rnvinc

I don't understand it either ...

GPS data is Latitude/Longitude/Altitude ... not spot soundings of water depth (which is what the contour lines are derived from along with the GPS data) ...

Have you called HB with your scenario ...??

Rickie

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Not yet, I will next week. Yea, I don't get it either.

You mention the card from Autochart Pro is in the unit ...

What information have you put on the Zero Line card (from the Autochart Pro software) to use that card in the unit in the first place ... ??

Are you the original owner of this Zero Line card ... ??

Rickie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rnvinc

You mention the card from Autochart Pro is in the unit ...
What information have you put on the Zero Line card (from the Autochart Pro software) to use that card in the unit in the first place ... ??
Are you the original owner of this Zero Line card ... ??
Rickie

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Yes, original owner of ACP card, and I have uploaded a few local lakes on the card, local to Central Illinois. Evergreen, Snake Den Hollow, and maybe parts of others. Neither of these lakes are on the Great Plains map card that I own. Besides, I didn't create a map of Canada yet. Especially the area recorded below. I didn't fish that area, nor did I have plans to fish it. I didn't even record it to create a map. Watch the video and you will see the contour detail.

Below is a video. Take a look for yourself.
Backstory to the video. Sunday night we had about 5" of rain during a really nasty storm. Thunder so close it shook our cabin like an earthquake. We got a call over the Marine radio that Canadian Customs had a boat was swamped from the storm. About 5 boats headed to help out. We used a gas powered pump to suck the water out of the boat and get it afloat. Hard part was stopping more water from washing over the transom while we emptied it out. The video was shot on the trip back to camp. Notice the winch strapping on the bow of my boat, wasn't sure if we would have to drag it out of the lake or what. Also notice the United States and Canada listed on teh map screen. You can see the contour lines and if you look the green highlights for water 10-20 deep. I fish 15' deep most of the time and set the unit to highlight water 5' above and below that depth.
https://youtu.be/Nmeu2ACoKtc

The video sure does indicate contour lines are coming from somewhere ...

Did you happen to remove the Zero Line card while the contours were visible on the Chart views to determine if the contour lines disappeared with the removal of the Zero Line card ...??

(You should be able to replicate the above in Simulator) ...

Rickie

Bonus- Mystery Solved.

I contacted HB via tech support. My unit 899SI comes preloaded with Contour XD maps.

Humminbird ContourXD

Humminbird® ContourXD™ is an enhanced, professional mapping package that comes standard on 1100, 900 and 800 Series™ models. With over 3,000 U.S. lake maps in the database, you will be able to find a lake close to any location you might want to wet a line.
As an added bonus, ContourXD maps feature depth contour lines, so you can find all the drops, bumps and channels holding fish. The maps also include U.S. lights/markers, and major roads and interstates. Fish like a pro on your home lake, or a lake far from home, thanks to Humminbird ContourXD.

http://www.humminbird.com/WorkArea/D...t.aspx?id=3152

Turns out I was fishing lakes on the Contour XD list. See list above. Apparently this is the first time in two years I have fished a lake on the list. Don't I feel like an idiot. Didn't realize the Contour XD maps included contour detail. I thought they were just a base outline map. I learned something. Oddly enough I feel better knowing that information. Humminbird included map detail that I didn't think I got with the sonar unit.

I was fishing around Sand Point Lake. They must have included the surrounding lakes as well. At least the surrounding couple of miles into Canada off of Sand Point, north south, and east. Now I know the map is there, why didn't it load when it first picked up GPS location? Maybe I changed map setting while on the water? That detail I don't remember.

Glad you got it figured out !! Oh, and CRAPPIE BIRTHDAY !! :ThumbsUp

Thanks CP! :cheers2

Yea, I'm glad I figured it out too.
I need to check my map select settings on the head unit. It should be set to all or something to that effect. I suspect I changed settings on the water, usually do, to learn more about it. Typically I learn by making mistakes and figuring out what I screwed up. Sometimes I learn from others mistakes. Sometimes... :bash