Lowrance Hook 7 with Navionics + problems

I wasn’t sure how to search the forums to see if there is a similar post so I decided to just post this myself. I recently purchase a Lowrance Hook 7 with GPS and I also have a copy of upgraded Navionics + map software. Initially the Hook had issues and so I had hoped that the update available would fix some of these problems. Well No I think the one issue that was a problem has gotten no better and that is the rate at which the Hook 7 can load and update the maps on the display. I found that if I travel close to or over 25 mph the screen just can’t refresh fast enough. I’ve search the internet and from what I can tell the processing power in the Hook is just not able to read and load the navionics data fast enough.

So now that I have spent all this money what to do. I could wait to see if either of these companies resolve this which is very unlikely. Kinda like waiting for a version of android to be available for your older phone. Or I could find a solution that works like give up on navioinics + and find some mapping software that works well with this device. So I was wondering if any has a hook system and is using either lake insight pro or Fishing Hot Spots Pro. I fish mostly pool 4 of the mississippi river.

Just a dumb question here. Does it help if you zoom out?

I have HDS gen 2 products and I know when I’m zoomed in really close it gets pretty jerky and struggles to keep up. However I am running an insights chip.

I guess I’m curious as to how close and how fast are you going. Obviously if your zoomed out such that you really can’t make out the contours then what’s the point if having GPS. Traveling in known waters in areas where you have been is not a big issue but if your on a strange body of water and don’t know what your headed into then this could be a problem. Overall I like the Hook 7. My setup seems to have no problem reading water depth when I’m traveling fast. I had a lowrance before that I replaced. I had a moment of weakness and bought a Raymarine dragonfly 4. Overall the Dragonfly 4 is one of those bang for your buck kind of fish finders. The biggest thing that was a problem with that unit was the trasnponder. It was a long pencil like transponder that obviously because of the leverage could easily be knocked out of position so I was occasionally having to reach out the back and push it back into position. Unfortunately I hit a dead head in the Mississippi which broke the mount.

Bottom line I am disappointed that Lowrance had used such poor technology and released such a product. I work in tech and I can’t help wondering if they knew about this or they just didn’t bother testing there systems out live with the various maps they claim to use.

So I’m hoping to find out what the best map software is for this configuration and end my frustration rather than just living with it.

Did you try zooming out a bit?

Northereastern, I have a hook 7 with GPS and downscan. I have not had those problems with mine, but I run the Insight pro V.14HD(I think that’s the version) the only problem I had with mine is that it would lock up at random, I did a soft reboot and now it works great again. I also use it for ice fishing with the Ice transducer, it works great and for hole hopping and personally I like a graph instead of the flasher screen.

The Hook 7 I had worked great on the Sonar screen but the Chart was lacking speed keeping up while I was moving. Like said it seemed like the refresh was a bit slow even with the update. For the $ spent, it’s a hell of a unit.

How does the unit perform with the internal map software?

Well the internal map software has no contours or detail so there is no problem using that software because the system can keep up with the changes.

Obviously Lowrance has saved a few bucks by using a processor that just can’t keep up with the data changes and process the changes to the display. I replaced a raymarine dragonfly with this system to give me a better display and I had hoped a better system. To compare the two I found the following. Raymarine dragonfly 4 was a nice bang for the buck package however the size of the display was only a 4 inch and the biggest problem was the transponder was about 6 – 8 inches long and stuck out from the transom just asking to be bumped by anything floating in the river. More often than not I had to readjust it so that it was at the proper angle. Finally I hit a dead head and broke the mount.
The Hook 7 has only the issue with the GPS maps and I guess I can deal with it seeing how I fish mostly the same body of water and know where to travel when traveling at higher speeds.