Viewing Navionics data on PC

Can I view my Navionics maps on my home pc ?

Ted,

Send a PM to WarrenMN regarding your question. It’s been a while since I’ve spent time at the computer doing this but last I recall you can view the chip you simply need to run it thru the emulator that you download from the Lowrance site. Kurt

I just went through this last night and was going to put up a post on my experience soon.

You need three key things:
1. A Navionics card, Lakemaster doesn’t seem to work.
2. You need the LEI card reader, Fish Lectronics has it for $35.95, the cheapest I’ve found.
3. The *Right* Emulator that you can download from Lowrance. So far the only one I’ve found to work is the LMS-332C.

I would like to use one of the bigger screen size emulators but the really big ones (i.e. LCX-112C) don’t work on my laptop and the ones like the LCX-25C don’t seem to have the capability to use the card.

I have tried the following without success:
LCX-25C
LCX-26C HD
LCX-19C

NSD

So nsd a regular card reader doesn’t work? Did you try it with a regular reader?

Back a couple years ago the 104 came with a card reader from Lowrance. That’s what I used and TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION I was viewing my Navionics Premium North chip on the 111C emulator. If I have time tonight I’ll plug it in and give it a go to see what happens.

Again about the best person you could talk to about this would be IDA member WarrenMN. There’s very little related to electronics on the computer that he cannot answer. Kurt

The other option is to purchase the Navionics software called NavPlanner. It comes with a special card reader as well.

Not only can you view your Navionics charts on your computer, you can create, delete and edit waypoints and routes.

I used this program a ton this summer. I converted waypoints for may friends between many manufacturer’s units and did a ton of pre-fish preparation in the hotel room the night before.

It really helped when figuring out how far it was from spot to spot so I knew if I had enough time to fish them all in a day.

It costs about the same as an electronic chart, but well worth the investment.

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So nsd a regular card reader doesn’t work? Did you try it with a regular reader?

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I guess I’ve just been told this (by Wade), I may have tried myself before.

As I understand SD cards have hardware encryption so you can restrict access to the correct device.

I can try again next week…

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The other option is to purchase the Navionics software called NavPlanner. It comes with a special card reader as well.

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Can you print maps in full detail?

From our experience, it has to be an LEI/Lowrance card reader if you’re going to use the Lowrance emulator to view the Navionics map. Note that if something were to happen to your map data by placing it in the card reader, you are not covered under warranty.

You can also use the Navionics Navplanner to view the maps on a PC and to manage waypoints etc.

Lakemaster Minnesota works great using an LEI/Lowrance card reader and LCX-26C HD Demo.

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Lakemaster Minnesota works great using an LEI/Lowrance card reader and LCX-26C HD Demo.

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I’ll have to try again, does it just show up or do you have to do some sort of map selection?

Mine just pops right up not sure if originally I had to select the map or not its been a while.

Good Luck.

I got it to work a couple times…it’s weird, I can’t find any pattern to why it will show one time and not the other. The one consistant thing I saw was that the map dataset was hot spots elite when it worked. And funny, the Navionics one wouldn’t work on the LCX-26C HD emulator. I don’t get it…

What does it cost to buy the Navionics chip, the Lawrance reader and the software to make it work?

My GPS unit does not have the map feature and I would like to know if this might be a cost effective way to not replace all my boat electronics but still do pre-fishing map research with the navionics chip.

My understanding is that each chip has a serial number and when the program/maps are put on the chip its registered to that serial number. So any time you open the maps it looks see if the numbers match and if it doesn’t it won’t let you access the data, which is likely encrypted.
I’ve heard some people have had the earliest versions of the Navionics or Lowrance cards worked any way but you always take the chance of rewriting some thing on the card which will screw up some thing and you won’t be able to access the maps any more. Now all you have is a very expensive SD card.
Navionics got so many request to be able to view the cards on PC’s they came up with a couple ways to do it. First, both of these you have to have their card reader.
The fist is the Nav Planner some one above described. I’ve never used it but it sounds like Lake Masters program.
The second is the lastest version of Fugawi will show the contours over what ever maps/imagery you have that works on it, but it still needs the Navionics card reader.

WarrenMN

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I got it to work a couple times…it’s weird, I can’t find any pattern to why it will show one time and not the other. The one consistant thing I saw was that the map dataset was hot spots elite when it worked. And funny, the Navionics one wouldn’t work on the LCX-26C HD emulator. I don’t get it…

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Nav or Lakemaster doesn’t support this so there are bugs and were lucky it works at all.

I’ve found if the LM chip it doesn’t load into the Emulator hitting the exit button or zooming out will get you to it.

Martin not sure if it would be cost effetive or not all you can really do is browse the Chip data on your PC which is kind of fun and nice to see on a bigger screen but you cant’ plot or add waypoints I would think buyiong some of the New software would be better.

I think the LEI card reader is around $25?