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I just installed a Helix 5 SI/GPS on my jon boat. I haven't had it on the water yet but have played around with it enough now on the trailer to learn the menu system and whatnot. Do these units come preloaded with any kind of contour maps? I thought they did but when I scroll over in the gps window to the nearest big time lake (Guntersville, AL) all it shows is the outline of the lake. I plan to buy the SE Lakemaster map card soon but not until I learn the unit more on the water.
HB units come standard with Contour XD base maps ... which is only 3000 lakes Nationwide ...
It is doubtful your Lake is included ...
http://www.humminbird.com/Category/S...FAQ/ContourXD/
Rickie
Thanks! The lake I have been trying to view is actually on the list. Thanks for the link so I could confirm it.Quote:
Originally Posted by rnvinc
When I go into the chart menu, the chart select is set to "Auto" and can't be changed manually to to the ContourXD so I was assuming it was already active. The unit is a couple of months old but it has the latest software according to "MyHumminbird".
I think contour xd is the default but there is also a base layer box in the chart or nav menu where you change between different maps.
Yeah, I don't know. The chart select is on Auto and the chart detail level option is on All. To me, those seem like the only menu items that could affect it without having advanced menu options from a map card. Here is a shot of my screen when I am on the GPS view and zoomed in on a lake which is listed as being Contour XD mapped.Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangeAgent
http://i1175.photobucket.com/albums/...pscltu2bch.jpg
I just had a chat session with Humminbird. They said the 5 and 7 come with Unimap which has no contours and the 9 -12 models have ContourXD. I could have sworn I saw something on their site saying otherwise. Oh well.
Only SOME HB units - the 5 & 7 do NOT, nor did my 688DI.Quote:
Originally Posted by rnvinc
Good to know about the Contour XD on the Helix units. My 899HD SI comes with contour XD. I had the unit for several years, however none of my local lakes where on the XD list. Wen to Canada this past summer and to my surprise the lakes I was fishing were on the XD maps.
Duh !!!Quote:
Originally Posted by sfw1960
And I even knew that ...
Thanks for the memory jolt Robert ...
Rickie
Thanks for the help guys. Maybe this thread will be helpful to others.
Now to decide on whether to get the Navioncs or Lakemaster charts....lol.
Lakemaster.Quote:
Originally Posted by scout-j-m
They have cool features, like water colors to highlight depths you want to target for fish. Plus you can set a depth to minimum water depth to avoid running aground/eating props. I have mine set at 15' with a 5' span on each side. All water in the 10-20 depth range shows up as blue on my screen. I also have any water under 5' show up as red. Don't drive in the red on plane.
MinnKota trolling motors with IPilot Link can read the Lakemaster maps and follow the contour. Makes staying in that 10-20' zone easy. The trolling motor stays on the contour. If you want, you can also set an offset, say if you want to fish the 15' contour, set your offset to 10' on the right and the trolling motor will always follow the 15' contour line, just 10' to the right side.
Another feature I use is casting rings. When creeping up to a known fish crib I start casting once I hit my casting ring. The ring puts a circle around the brushpile, say 20'. Anywhere outside that 20' circle I can cast to teh center of the circle. If you want to start casting further away and work your way in, set your ring bigger. I used to troll right up on top of the brushpile and wonder why there weren't any fish on it. Now I work the outside edges first and work my way into the middle.
FYI- Humminbird, Lakemaster, MinnKota are all owned by Johnson Outdoors. All three products are designed to work together and they make some accommodations to function with competitor brands. I wish they would make the MinnKota trolling motors with DI transducers instead of the US2 (2d).
:highfiveQuote:
Originally Posted by rnvinc
My turn is just around the corner for sure.....lol
If you purchase the lake master card for your area, you will like that the GPS will show where you are on the lake map you are viewing. You can fallow drop offs or head for deep or shallow water. No guessing.
I had been leaning towards Lakemaster for the reasons you mentioned. Another reason was that I live in North Alabama and the Southeast Lakemaster includes Tennessee but for whatever reason the Navionics Southeast excludes Tennessee yet includes Kansas and Nebraska I think. That's really strange to me. Another factor is that Navionics does have better coverage of Alabama. Lakemaster leaves a lot to be desired in the state which seems odd since Humminbird is based out of Alabama...but maybe that doesn't matter when it comes to Lakemaster products.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hanr3
Yup, it is helpful to others. I read it and had to set up my Helix 10 to check and sure enough, a few of the bigger lakes and some of the more popular lakes here are included; I wouldn't have known that without this thread. Wasn't a factor in my purchase so I must have glanced right over this feature when comparing.Quote:
Originally Posted by scout-j-m
Yep, I glanced right over the Contour XD maps also. Actually I read it, and thought cool. Wonder what that is? Doubt I will ever need it.Quote:
Originally Posted by 6poundtest
Finally get on a lake that has a Contour XD map and couldn't figure out why I had the contour map. Even asked the forum on a couple of sites until someone learnt me proper what Contour XD was...