I thought this would make for a good discussion. There was a post about Handheld GPS’s going away, however I think we all agree that’s not in the cards for some time.
Anyway, I’ve been thinking about getting a new handheld GPS for ice fishing that I can load either Lakemaster or Navionics lake maps.
Does anyone have experience with loading lake maps on a handheld GPS? Which brands work the best with Lakemaster chips? Can you see the contours or is it just the waypoints you load.
I have the Lowrance H2O unit. Chews batteries faster than anything I have ever owned. The screen is so small it is hard to work with.
I also have the Navionics app on my I-Phone. It is great and getting better every year. Bigger screen, easy to use, cheaper.
Still waiting for Navionics on Windows phone… 
I have the H2Oc with the Lakemaster chip in it, works great, hope it never breaks becasue I dont know of any newer handhelds that work with Lakemaster. Actaully, I dont know of any new handhelds that work with Navionics either?
I’ve experimented with a number of various GPS apps on my smartphone including Navionics. They’re nice, but nothing close to being Johnny on the spot accurate.
I have a Lowrance Elite-4 Ice Machine that goes out with my Vexilar Fl-X28. I purchased the Lowrance Elite-4 for the GPS mapping capabilities and as a backup system. I’d love to dump this unit and find a new handheld, one that can load any lake map chip. I do have an old (1998) Lowrance Global Nav 12, but it has no mapping portion, only waypoints.
I keep hoping since Lakemaster is part of the Johnson/Hummingbird family, that Hummingbird would come out with a handheld to load the Lakemaster chips. No such dice to date.
What about the Garmin or Magellan units? Can they load any of the lakemap chips out there?
Lakemaster being owned by Johnson Outdoors now only makes chips for Humminbird.
Garmin however, I believe owns the data that Lakemaster had provided in the past. So, if you buy a garmin handheld, and buy the garmin chip or data, you are essentially getting a Lakemaster chip.
I own a Garmin Colorado and have recently downloaded the Midwest data directly onto my Colorado. I can tell you the data is identical to the Lakemaster and I got so much more for my money than Lakemaster ever provided. Now I have several states and LOTW isn’t on a seperate chip.
To summarize, buy a garmin handheld. Superior product in my opinion and they own all the map data.
Nice Post
The most important part of any GPS is the software that runs it. I miss the days before Johnson Outdoors (Humminbird) purchased LakeMaster. Before the purchase they were supporting multiple GPS manufacturer’s products. Now they only support Hummingbird products.
I love Lakemaster Mapping just wish more lakes were offered. I purchased an H2Oc a few years ago because it would run LM and do not care for the unit and only keep it to run LM software.
I wish Hummingbird would develop a handheld unit so I could use LM but they don’t. (or they could support another manufacturer that does not compete with Hummingbird) (like Magellan) If they did I would dump the H2Oc and buy it in a heartbeat. My old Magellan Meridian Gold is fantastic easy to use.
I use LM in HB 898 and 788. I just ordered the soft pack and transducer for my 788ciHD so now I will have a somewhat portable GPS/Flasher. I hope I like it.
I have been playing with the Navionics on my cell phone. I am unsure as of yet if I like it. But it was not expensive. But there is nothing like using a dedicated GPS that does not rely on a cell signal.
I would really like to buy a new handheld that is easy to read in bright light (The H2Oc is worthless in bright lite)
Bob
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Lakemaster being owned by Johnson Outdoors now only makes chips for Humminbird.
Garmin however, I believe owns the data that Lakemaster had provided in the past. So, if you buy a garmin handheld, and buy the garmin chip or data, you are essentially getting a Lakemaster chip.
I own a Garmin Colorado and have recently downloaded the Midwest data directly onto my Colorado. I can tell you the data is identical to the Lakemaster and I got so much more for my money than Lakemaster ever provided. Now I have several states and LOTW isn’t on a seperate chip.
To summarize, buy a garmin handheld. Superior product in my opinion and they own all the map data.
Thanks I will look into this!!!!!!!
I use a Nuvi 1300 LM and it works fine. $100 for gps and another $100 for the Garmin/Lakemaster/Humminbird chip. I’ll trade my Nuvi and chip for the Lowrance Elite 4.
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Lakemaster being owned by Johnson Outdoors now only makes chips for Humminbird.
Garmin however, I believe owns the data that Lakemaster had provided in the past. So, if you buy a garmin handheld, and buy the garmin chip or data, you are essentially getting a Lakemaster chip.
I own a Garmin Colorado and have recently downloaded the Midwest data directly onto my Colorado. I can tell you the data is identical to the Lakemaster and I got so much more for my money than Lakemaster ever provided. Now I have several states and LOTW isn’t on a seperate chip.
To summarize, buy a garmin handheld. Superior product in my opinion and they own all the map data.
not entirely true. I just talked with Garmin the other day trying to figure out how to get the Lakemaster software that I bought a couple of years ago loaded onto my Garmin GPS and I was told they no longer have the rights to that software. They have developed their own software (although I don’t remember what he called it exactly).
Its probably using the same information to make their maps as Lakemaster Im not sure.
Technically you are probably right, but in principle, the maps are identical. No difference. The fact that you get way more for your money now is great.
I’m actually kind of glad Lakemaster was purchased. In some ways it created competition.
I don’t know if this is true at all Cabelas but, the guy at mine in rich field, Wi had every bit of info on the GPS units they sold. It blew me away. He knew what chips had what on them and which were compatable with wat units. Personally I have a Garmin Colorado with a used wi lakemaster chip purchased off eBay. It has way more lakes on it than a newer lakemaster chip in my humminbird.
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Technically you are probably right, but in principle, the maps are identical. No difference. The fact that you get way more for your money now is great.
I’m actually kind of glad Lakemaster was purchased. In some ways it created competition.
I’m not sure on this, I have an older Garmin GPS Map something something with the Lake Master 2010 or 2011, works awesome, only drawback is that I had to purchase the Minnesota chip and the Dakotas chip (while they still made them for Garmin) Brother has a new version of the same Garmin unit, purchased the Garmin Chip. It is a regional chip. Stood right next to him and I was able to get better details on the high def lakes. We were able to identify a couple small humps, confirmed with depthfinders with the Lakemaster chip. I’d say Garmin uses Navionics software as a base.
Your experience is different than mine. The accuracy and of my Colorado with the Midwest data is spot on. Same experience as my Lakemaster chips I just sold.
Btw. I do have one Lakemaster chip left if anyone is interested. I think it’s the ’08 MN.
Reed’s has the Garmin 78 coupled w/ their Upper Midwest chip for $280. The 78 is waterproof and it floats. It also runs the Navionics chip.
Any updates in the handheld units? I really would like to upgrade from using the navionics app on my phone.
Any updates in the handheld units? I really would like to upgrade from using the navionics app on my phone.
As far as I know, no one makes one YET. I’m anxiously waiting (maybe they do and I’m just blind) for Garmin to open compatibility to their handhelds with lakevu. As for now, I’m stuck on my old and out dated H2Oc.
As far as I know, no one makes one YET. I’m anxiously waiting (maybe they do and I’m just blind) for Garmin to open compatibility to their handhelds with lakevu. As for now, I’m stuck on my old and out dated H2Oc.
What do you mean when you say open compatibility?
I had a lowrance hunt c with the lakemaster for devils,til someone decided they needed it more than me!!I now have a garmin 64,which I consider a much better gps,I use the onxy hunt map now,but only has 5′ contours,also have navionics on the phone.
I have also been told lake vu map for devils is same as old lakemaster,not sure.
But my next option will be a lowrance plotter,and the doc sonar chip for my area,Devils Lake,nothing compares to thier detail for us.
Hummingbird has an app called fish smart the only drawback is is you have to buy each Lake lakes are $10 a piece on the ones that they do have and you’re bigger Lakes like red Milacs leech Lake of the Woods I believe are $30 and I’m hoping with my new Helix 12 when I make my own lake maps it will download to my phone for winter fishing
Sorry this isnt the exact topic of discussion, but I’ve recently purchased a new Humminbird Helix and looking to invest in a chip. Im very intrigued with Navionics chips covering lakes all over the continent for not much more than Lakemaster does for a single state. My main question then, is lakemaster THAT much better and more accurate than a Navionics chip?
is lakemaster THAT much better and more accurate than a Navionics chip?
No, the uber premium pricing isn’t justifiable based on depth contour comparisons. Lakemaster pushes the value added features more.
I bought a garmin etrex 20 on ebay this year and paired it with a LakeVU map. All I can say is I wish I would have done this sooner. The detail on the garmin map chip is light years ahead of the navionics app on the phone
Sorry this isnt the exact topic of discussion, but I’ve recently purchased a new Humminbird Helix and looking to invest in a chip. Im very intrigued with Navionics chips covering lakes all over the continent for not much more than Lakemaster does for a single state. My main question then, is lakemaster THAT much better and more accurate than a Navionics chip?
I think it really depends on the lake, I fish the Mississippi River a lot and the only thing navionics has is the main channel and wing dams a few back water areas, while lake master has almost all the back water area with great accuracy. However, some inland lakes i have fished i like the navionics a lot better than the LM. Honestly, i have two of each and switch out chips depending on the lake i’m fishing.
Interesting comments about the garmin stuff, i had a hand held garmin touch screen vehicle navigation GPS that could take lakemaster chips that i used maybe 10 years ago. It was the only chip i have ever seen that had detailed mapping of the dredged out areas of Lake Onalaska on Pool 7, when JO bought out lakemaster that data was lost, doesn’t exist on any of the LM chips. I even contacted lake master about it years ago and they were baffled by it.
My only comment on hand held gps to read lake chips is that for the price of a helix 5 G2 vs a handheld gps why not just buy a helix? I think i got mine for my boat for like $260 and got a transducer to make it an ice unit for $73, spent another $40 for battery and bracket and now i have a flasher that i like much better than any other flasher i have used plus it has GPS that can read Navionics or Lakemaster.
I did what Biggill did awhile back at his recommendation. Bought a used Garmin Colorado on Craigslist and the Garmin lake software for the midwest great detail in the maps. Very Lakemaster like. However I find myself using my Humminbird 788ci on my SxS with the Lakemaster chip on a Ram Mount 100% of the time.
Bob
What do you mean when you say open compatibility?
Like I said, I could be blind, and I was. Just checked and it looks like I can get Lakevu HD on my Montana 680T. Don’t think I’ll be getting it until you can get the Ultra version on a handheld, however. Thanks for making me investigate a little more. 
I have the H2Oc with the Lakemaster chip in it, works great, hope it never breaks becasue I dont know of any newer handhelds that work with Lakemaster. Actaully, I dont know of any new handhelds that work with Navionics either?
I’m in the same boat with the H2Oc…I’d love to upgrade to a better hand held but all my spots are marked on the H2Oc/LakeMaster (about 220 spots) and wondering if anyone knows a way to move them to any other unit…I’m flexible on the Brand just need compatibility. If nothing I’m stuck with the old H2Oc and just hope it keeps working.
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