HDS & Maps

I am trying to decide between and HDS 10 and Humminbird 1198. I currently have a Humminbird 597 with LakeMaster MN that I am very happy with.

What about mapping chips for HDS? I’m really not sure what’s even available and the quality? Any options goods as LakeMaster?

I am also in the boat – Lorance or Bird??? – Bird has more lakes now. Lorance has better color, Bird has I-pilot link-
????

Navionics is an excellent choice, they have 2 choices Premium and Platinum. Navionics has some cool features such as Freshest Data, as Navionics updates cartography you can download these updates to your chip for free for a year, Community Layer, User Generated Content. Navionics is aggressively updating cartography another bonus is Doc Samson is working with Navionics. They have multiple HD lakes here is a link to the website http://www.navionics.com/us-navionics-we-start-where-road-ends

Navionics likely will have mapped bodies of water that Lakemaster does not have.
Navionics also has more “HD Lakes” mapped with 1′ contours.

Going forward, there will be two big differences.
One, as mentioned here already, is Freshest Data. Up to 10,000 updates/upgrades/revisions are being integrated by Navionics each and every week.
The catalog of data is re-published every day, and made available to customers through a simple plug-n-play download on your home computer. If a lake is updated or added, you don’t have to wait for it.

Coming this fall, that takes on a whole new meaning. Navionics announced some details at ICAST. It’s called UGC 3D.
Anyone with a capable plotter will be able to record sonar logs on their plotter wherever they choose to boat.
Take the chip, plug it into the computer, and upload that data to Navionics.
Navionics will take that data and turn it into HD mapping (1′ contours) within 24 hours and make it available via Freshest Data updates.

So if the mapping of your favorite bit of water seems out of date…or begs for greater detail…or perhaps no mapping exists at all…
You can now be a part of creating HD mapping of that area within 24 hours.

Pretty cool.

Start recording now. You can awlays send the chips into Navionics. But the Web-based portal will available in a few months.

Lakemaster is the best hands down. Navionics is decent, but not nearly as defined, etc as the Lakemaster. Lakemaster you can also highlight depth areas, etc.
It really is too bad that Lowrance will no longer be able to run the Lakemaster chip.
Lowrance also came out with a chip of their own now. I have no experience to help out with them, but it is now another option.